My Kid Could Paint That

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... My Kid Could Paint That!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd April 2026

Last year I was watching a number of documentaries that started going in one direction but ended up somewhere else entirely. But for some reason, I abandoned this approach. So why not resurrect it? After all, this breed of documentary is fascinating to me. 

And this one is a doozy: This is a documentary from 2007 that chronicles a little girl named Marla Olmstead. At four years of age, she shows an ability with painting and is able to produce works that resemble that of abstract expressionism. Before too long, Marla has her own exhibitions, earning praise for her childlike approach and is making serious money.
But then, halfway through the documentary, something happens: 60 Minutes do a feature on Marla, asserting that she is not the genuine article: She is not a child prodigy, she is producing art comparable to that of a normal preschool child and she may have had assistance from her father. 
What follows is the assertions that the works are genuine - even to the point of filming Marla making a piece for five hours - even when the works produced after the expose look different when compared to those that came before.

What is fascinating about this documentary is that the conclusions it draws are non-existent. HOWEVER! The questions it raises are something else: Was it a hoax? Were 60 Minutes being needlessly aggressive? Is abstract expressionism a legit form of art? What makes a child prodigy? Is Marla allowed to be a child? Are we the audience meant to draw our own conclusions?
Given that documentaries often serve as propaganda it is remarkable just how open-ended this one ends up - why, even the director admins to camera that he himself is unable to reach a definitive conclusion. 
And that's what makes this documentary so compelling. 

The Nativity Story

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Nativity Story!

Original image located here. Accessed 19th December 2025

Here's a curve ball for you all: The tackling of a religious-themed film.
I have been wanting to see this for quite some time but I've always held it off - this is because I have been on the internet long enough to know that talking about religion is asking for trouble. 
But seeing as it's that time of the year.....

To adapt a story from the Bible is similar to adapting Shakespeare: The material has been done countless times before so the challenge lies in finding a new angle. So what does this movie do?
What I find interesting is that the director is one Catherine Hardwick: Future director of the first Twilight movie. And while her interest in desaturated colours is present here and her approach may be heavy-handed (A choral version of Silent Night playing at the end? Seriously?), there are some striking visuals at play here. I also admire the realistic approach this movie takes. I am also impressed to see a pre-fame Oscar Isaacs giving a compelling performance as Joseph. And the sci-fi nerd in me finds it amusing to see Alexander Siddig playing the Angel Gabriel. 

But what really makes this movie works is that it tells the story of a couple going on a journey and facing various trials and tribulations before before and during. And that's where the movie really shines, being gripping and finding a strength in both it's simplicity and sensitivity. 

So may I conclude this post by wishing you all a Merry Christmas. 

C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America!

Original image located here. Accessed 26th September 2025

Anyone heard of this? This is a mockumentary, presenting an alternate history where the American Civil War was won by the South. As such, it tracks a path where events go differently and the world as we know it looks very different. The views of the Confederacy still remain but in a more modern setting - further reinforced by ads that proliferate through the documentary.

Yes, this is quite vicious in it's satire and dark in it's hilarity. Yet the vision it presents is quite nasty, in that a) it's ideals of the Civil War being presented in a modern context and b) how disturbingly similar it looks to the racism that exists in the U.S. of today. Just when you think we had advanced from bleaker times...
Nevertheless, the facts are well presented and the level of research that went into this speculation is staggering. And no matter how uncomfortable viewing this may be, it still manages to generate some laughs.

Still, as I watch this, I am reminded of my own country and it's own brand of racism. Makes me wonder how long it will be before someone comes up with their own mockumentary presenting an alternate history where the arrival of the First Fleet went a little differently.....

Mulan: Rise of a Warrior

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Mulan: Rise of a Warrior!

Original image located here. Accessed 25th July 2025

Here's something leftfield: A Chinese movie made about the legendary figure Hua Mulan. Now I've seen the Disney animated film - which I imagine is how a lot of other people became aware of this story - and thoroughly enjoyed it. So why not have a Chinese production take on the same source material? It is, after all, their story.

This is a movie that left me with a lot of mixed feelings: On one hand, the battle scenes are exciting and there is some great imagery throughout. But on the other hand, this is a slow movie. Some moments drag on and that is effectively the death blow to this movie. I have seen numerous epic movies based around a singular figure and I can tell you this is a genre that one has to go all out: It can't afford to be boring. And in this case, yes the second half may be thrilling but the first half was a slog to get through. 

It was engaging yes but somehow I felt the animated Mulan had a lot more personality. 

The Wrestler

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Wrestler!

Original image located here. Accessed 16th May 2025

A lot has been said about this movie, with it being the resurrection of Mickey Rourke's career and being one of the best movies of the 2000s. So it therefore becomes difficult to bring something new to the table.
Personally I enjoyed it and think the approach of making this movie comparable to a documentary worked wonders. Rourke is in top form and credit is due to taking wrestling seriously. 

So is this movie the evil cousin of Rocky and Raging Bull? Well that's one way of putting it. But personally I find it fitting that this movie came out the same year as Iron Man: Both movies

• star an actor who had fallen out of favour, 
• delivering a performance that effectively breathes new life to their career 
• in which they play someone who mirrors their personal life.  

But ultimately this wasn't an easy watch so next week I think I might watch something more fun *checks schedule*....Oh hello.....

Operation Filmmaker

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Operation Filmmaker!

Original image located here. Accessed 2nd May 2025

Here we are with another documentary that started in direction but ended up in a completely different one.
In 2003 during the War on Iraq, a young man, Muthana Mohmed, was caught on camera lamenting how his aspiring film career had been ruined: First by the then current regime and then by the US Armed Forces. This caught the attention of Liev Schreiber who then sought Muthana out and invited to take part in a film Schrieber was making (Everything is Illuminated) as an intern. 
Surely this is a one-in-a-million success story but this documentary is more about what happened next.

Needless to say it isn't pretty: What follows is Muthana's misadventures navigating the world of filmmaking: He doesn't do the work he is assigned, makes no effort to build connections and network, spends quite a lot of time partying, bounces from film-set to film-set, is warned by his countrymen to not return to Iraq, relies on the goodwill by the people around him, acts entitled, keeps adding to his visa, and tries to get into film school.

Yet at the same time, there is another narrative going on at the same time: that of the people around Muthana. They are relying on the good intentions that got him out of Iraq and are offering no help whatsoever. Indeed, it is telling that, in the last twenty minutes, Muthana turns on the people filming him and lashes out at them. 

So who is the bad guy here? It's unclear that's for sure but that's what makes this documentary so compelling. Uncomfortable viewing? Damn straight but it's hardly dull.

Treasure Planet

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Treasure Planet!

Original image located here. Accessed 21st March 2025

And so here we go again with Disney's Post-Renaissance era. That weird period where they eschewed the musicals in favour of doing some more experimental works, with the results being polarising at best. And yet, with the passage of time, some entrants of this period are looked favourably, with some praising them for both the quality and Disney's willingness to take risks.

I do recall when Treasure Planet was originally released, being greeted with both bewilderment and a weak showing at the box office. But in the years since, many people have come around to it. So what do I make of this?

Well, this is an adaptation of Treasure Island so the source material is unbeatable. As such a lot rides on what is done with it. 

And I have to say this movie is indeed inventive: the visuals are stunning, showing every cent of the large budget. The creativity is great and designs are staggering. And it's also pleasing to see a straight-up adventure movie coming from Disney - but given the source material that is expected. 

It is certainly an odd move to reskin Treasure Island in a sci-fi setting but, against the odds, it works. 

Also casting Emma Thompson as Amelia was a master-stroke as she sounds like she's having the time of her life.

The Hurt Locker

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Hurt Locker!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 82 (2009)

As previously mentioned, I am convinced that the movie going public will never forgive Shakespeare in Love for it's upset Best Picture victory. So the question is raised: How do people feel about The Hurt Locker's upset win?
It seems to me that this movie is in the same boat as Shakespeare in Love as it both beat some stiff competition and became something of a watershed for the Best Picture Oscars: It beat out Up and Avatar. It was the lowest grossing nominee. It was a low budget/small scale movie triumphing over the bigger budget movies. It's director, Kathryn Bigelow, was the first female to win Best Director (and who also beat out her former husband James Cameron). It was the first movie since Mrs Miniver to be about a war that was then in progress. 
An impressive legacy to be sure but what of the movie itself?

It certainly is compelling in it's depiction of working in a bomb disposal unit. The setting, Iraq, is also handled convincingly as well as the distrust the troops get from the locals. I don't doubt the realistic manner of the situations and how they are handled but I do question the reckless behaviour of some of the grunts: I may not be a military expert but I'm pretty sure you don't go acting like a tool when the dangerous task of bomb disposal is in progress,
Still I won't fault this movie for it's incredible use of tension and the sense that one is put right into the action. Many war movies can claim to do that but this one, I feel, actually pulls it off.
Looks like we have winner.

Slumdog Millionaire

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Slumdog Millionaire!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 81 (2008)

Part of the reason I am doing this year long undertaking is that I am approaching these movies with fresh eyes, divorced from trends, politics and passage of time. Indeed, there's something to be said for watching a movie as just that: a movie.

However by watching this movie, it did occur to me that it's cut from the same cloth as fellow Best Picture winner The Last Emperor: Both are movies made with a non-white cast, telling a non-white story which is handled by a white director who is anything but an Oscar favourite. And, racial politics aside, both films come across as unique entrants in the history of Best Picture Oscars. 

On paper, this movie sounds awful: A movie that tells a story where Who Wants to be a Millionaire is utilised as a framework? Come off it. And the questions facing the protagonists are built around his life experiences? Are you joking?
And yet this movie works: It is well crafted, compelling and there are numerous nods to Bollywood (least not the dance sequence at the end). The cast is great and it is never once dull.

So yeah, it's a superb movie although I have to wonder that if it wasn't for this movie, Lion wouldn't exist...

Million Dollar Baby

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Million Dollar Baby!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 77 (2004)

This one has been a long time coming. 
I guess comparisons to Rocky are inevitable as both are built around boxing and tells the story of an underdog giving it their all. The difference this time however is Clint Eastwood is in the director's chair and he is, for me, a favourite: This is due to the fact that Clint has proven time and time again he can eschew flashiness for taking what he has and doing a lot with it. 

Actually, I feel there this is one important similarity between Million Dollar Baby and Rocky: Both resemble a boxing movie but they aren't really about boxing. And that is the case here: Sure it's a compelling watch but it's only in the final half hour that it shows it's hand. I won't give too much away but throughout the movie there are meditations on poverty, striving to obtain a better life, knowing one can do better than their current situation, and dealing with those who try to disparage - and leech off of - one's success. 
It's a compelling watch with great acting all around, superb direction and a punch-in-the-gut finale. 

Truly a well-deserved winner of Best Picture.

Chicago

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... Chicago!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 75 (2002)

Because of this year-long undertaking, I have found myself watching more musicals than previous years. So why not add one more to the pile?
Still, I didn't have to look far for this one as Kiera had on her DVD shelf. 

Last week, I mentioned how the unlikely victory of Shakespeare in Love has changed the Oscar for Best Picture. But there is another reason: It announced Grade-A scumbag Harvey Weinstein as the figurehead for a new era. So from here on, expect to see a lot more Miramax films. 

But ultimately this was a lot of fun. It's big, colourful, inventive and the songs are great. And it proves what can accomplished as a screen musical. 
It could be argued that this movie wouldn't exist without the success of Moulin Rouge. But I say bugger Moulin Rouge - give me this any day. 

A Beautiful Mind

And this week's Friday night movie has been... A Beautiful Mind!

Original image located here. Accessed 4th November 2024

Best Picture Oscar winner no.: 74 (2001)

Yep, we're skipping over the 1990s simply because I have already seen them all. 
But in a way, perhaps it is fitting that I'm going straight from the 1980s to the 2000s. Why? Well, both decades share parallels: They both follow two heavyweight decades and, with the passage of time, look very pale compared to previous Best Picture winners. 
Still the eighties ending up surprising me so it would be interesting to see if something similar happens with the 2000s....

At time of writing, I am two thirds of the way through this year long undertaking. And it is at this point that I have come to recognise some recurring elements that appear in the Best Picture Oscar winners. Of course, it is not willingly but this notion of Oscar Bait seems to have up in the past two decades. 
Mind you, this is a post-Shakespeare in Love world we live in and now having a movie that has no other purpose other than to score big at the Oscars are now going to be more frequent. Indeed, I suspect that in the weeks ahead, I'm going to see Harvey Weinstein's name a lot....

But if this movie is a product of a post-Shakespeare in Love world, I would argue it owes it's existence more to Forrest Gump: It tells the story of a man of extraordinary ability and of a life lived. 
Personally, I found this movie very long and with some dull moments - seriously you could shave off twenty minutes and no one would've noticed - but the real strength of this movie is it's use of mathematics and it's portrayal of schizophrenia.
And hey: who wouldn't want Paul Bettany as their roommate? 

Kamikaze Girls

Recently I saw Kamikaze Girls (Shimotsuma Monogatari: Yankī-chan to Rorīta-chan)!

Original image located here. Accessed 5th November 2024

For me, there are three kinds of Japanese cinema. There's the first which is anime. There's the second that says it's own thing to an attentive world (ie the films of Akira Kurosawa). And there's the third kind: one's that dedicated to throwing as much weird/random stuff as it lay it's hands on.
But the most fascinating thing I have found about the third kind is that it's relationship to the other two: It seems to be a cousin of the first kind whilst trying to distance itself from the second kind as much as possible. 
And Kamikaze Girls belongs firmly in the third kind. And belong it does with mad colours, weird hair, randomness, a celebration of Japanese sub-cultures and a truly off-the-wall sense of humour. Needless to say, it's the kind of movie that takes a particular mindset to be appreciated.

It should be noted that I watched this movie in the company of some Lolitas so it's fair to say that this movie is one that knows its audience exactly.

Ratatouille

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... Ratatouille!

Original image located here. Accessed 15th December 2023

And here we have another movie that originally escaped my notice the first around and, through some miracle, managed to do so for the next sixteen years, And once again, it is better late than never.

Ultimately, this is a Pixar movie so one expects it to be of very high quality. And Ratatouille delivers with it's animation, it's ingenious attempts at physical comedy, it's humour, it's depiction of Paris and the careful attention to detail with it's characters, Yes such strengths may be par for the course with Pixar but when they do what they do so well who am I to complain?
But perhaps the greatest takeaway I got from Ratatouille is the message of trying something and keeping at it no matter the risk or the number of failures one might experience on the way. Such a message may be nothing new in a kids movie but here it is delivered in a way that is nothing less than exceptional. Indeed, the concluding review from the character of Anton Ego is truly the apex of the movie - and is of particular resonance as I continue to bash these words out.

And one day I might actually learn how to correctly pronounce 'Ratatouille' (whilst writing this review I was referring to it as The Rat Movie).

Funny People

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Funny People!

Original image located here. Accessed 1st December 2023

Once again, I try to sit through a movie starring Adam Sandler. I have already made my view on Adam Sandler clear previously so to find something where he isn't confined to the formula that made him famous is a challenge and a half. I have been lucky so far (see Reign Over Me and 50 First Dates) so can this recommendation keep that hot streak going?

Apparently no. 
First lets talk the positives:
 - Once again Sandler is playing a jerk but this is shaken up in some interesting ways: Halfway through the movie he makes the effort to stop being a jerk but for second half, this character clearly hasn't learned anything and is still being a jerk. So props to Sandler for taking the time to reconsider the role that made him famous
 - The cameos are fun. The appearances of James Taylor and Eminem are of particular note.
 - Eric Bana's presence was great (you can just tell he is a major St Kilda fan, right?)
 - Given that this movie is about stand-up comedy and features many comedians this clearly was a labour of love for the craft. So I'll give it that much.

But the Achilles heel of this movie is it's length. It's a bloated two and half hour run hat could easily been shorn of thirty minutes - or even forty five. Some scenes drag on and come across as pointless. And matters aren't helped with not all the jokes hitting the mark, leaving moments of radio silence.

So yeah, a disappointment if ever there was one

Reign Over Me

   And this week's Friday night movie has been... Reign Over Me!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th November 2023

And here we have another stab at Adam Sandler's oeuvre. As mentioned previously, he may have a reputation for playing childish idiots but it's a reputation that's made him into a punchline. As a result, it can be one that would be difficult to shake off. 
Therefore, to see him playing a serious role would surely be the most ill-advised career move ever. I mean, the concept sounds awful on paper: Adam Sandler playing a widower who's struggling to overcome his losses and is stuck in some form of PTSD? That sounds utterly ludicrous.

So it is therefore a monumental surprise that it actually works. Sure Charlie is the same jerkass character Sandler has played before but here his behaviour is given some vital context. Sandler makes Charlie, the character he's portraying, sympathetic and, most crucially of all, he finally gets to show what he can truly do with his acting prowess - notably the scene when Charlie reveals the depth of his loss. 
Okay sure the script seems kind of all over the place, but when it works, it knocks it out of the park.

Van Helsing

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Van Helsing!

Original image located here. Accessed 20th October 2023

And with this post we have reached 400 posts on this blog - and what better way to acknowledge such a milestone then to finally have a movie reviewed for every letter in the alphabet (Thanks The Quiet Family and X-Men First Class!).
Once again we have a movie that I have been putting off for a long time. This can attributed to the fact that I recall when this was released, it was mauled by the critics. Still, may be the distance of nearly two decades may give way to a more fresh approach.

It is interesting to see this movie in the wake of the failed 'Universal Monsters' shared universe. Because I can see a lot of said monsters present. Was this an attempt to get a film franchise going? Perhaps - but it does mean I have to assess this movie as it's own entity as opposed to being part of something larger. 
Certainly there is a lot working against this movie: The CGI is practically lifting this movie entirely on it's shoulders, Richard Roxborough is completely ridiculous and the whole thing is kinda silly.
But was this movie dull? Of course not. It may be all style and no substance but there are some great action sequences and keeps an exciting pace throughout. And that is enough.

50 First Dates

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... 50 First Dates!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th September 2023

If there has been a theme with my film selection of this year, it is the notion that I have been going through my 'To Watch' list and clearing some of the titles on it. Some of which have been on there for so long that I may have forgotten why I put it on there in the first place.
So why this movie? Beats me.
It's not much of a stretch to say that Adam Sandler is something of a punchline making crummy movies, through his production company Happy Madison, that are notorious for some really lousy humour. I can't say I have actively sought out his work but Still I was at least willing to give this film a chance. After all, if Adam Sandler can form a production company, Happy Madison, so he and his friends can make the movies they want then that is no different than Margot Robbie forming a production company, Lucky Chap, so she and her friends can make the movies they want.

It seems that when you watch a Happy Madison movie, you know exactly what you're getting in for: Dumb jokes that both repulse and age like milk. So given that these jokes are present in this movie, I should hate this movie. Likewise, this movie has become disreputable in recent years for it's depiction of a guy manipulating a woman with short term memory loss into making her fall in love with him. 
Major strikes to be sure but what works in this movie works wonders. Sandler and Barrymore make for an engaging on-screen couple, clearly Sandler is trying something different compared to the rest of his oeuvre, the tragic angle of living with someone with short term memory loss and certain moments that hit hard.
So yeah, when the movie works it works great. And almost makes the uncomfortable stuff excusable.

...........Almost

The Naked Kitchen

  And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Naked Kitchen!

Original image located here. Accessed 1st September 2023

Anyone heard of this? I know I've been throwing a lot of curveballs with my movie selection this year but  this may be the biggest curveball yet.
With a title like that one would think this is a porno but no: It's a South Korean rom-com. I only came about it when Kiera dropped the dvd case in front of me and insisted that I watch it.
I suppose that is one way to get's one attention.
And they say physical media is dead, eh?

As for the movie itself, I'm not sure what to make of it: Guy wants to open a restaurant, brings in a chef to assist him and chef ends up having a fling with Guy's wife? Yeah, not doing much for me. 
As such, I found the movie dull and a chore to get through. 
Easy come easy go I guess

The Hangover

 And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Hangover!

Original image located here. Accessed 25th August 2023

I recall this movie being a big hit when it was released but, as is often the case, it is only now that I get off my lazy arse and make the effort into seeing it for myself. I guess I was reluctant because I was expecting a 'comedy' loaded with unfunny jokes and gross-out humour (man, the Road Trip/American Pie movies have a lot to answer for).

Thankfully that wasn't the case, Sure the jokes are funny and the interplay between the cast great but for me the strength of this movie is tracing the path of the night before, trying to work out what had happened. It is the journey, picking up the clues and trying to piece together a path of absurdity that leads to the most unlikeliest of outcomes. 
Sure the movie may have it's dumb moment but somehow, it's improbable nature makes it a compelling sell.

Oh and for the record? My bachelors party was nothing like that XD