BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID;X-RICAL-TZSOURCE=TZINFO:-//com.denhaven2/NONSGML ri_cal gem//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110726T114300Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110726T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110726T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2486 DESCRIPTION:Set in rural America in the early 1930s\, Get Low begins with Felix Bush (Duvall) hearing that someone he knew many years ago has pas sed away. He knows his time is nearly up too\, and after four decades of self-imposed seclusion\, hidden away in his log cabin\, he has become n othing more than a mysterious and scary hermit to the nearby townsfolk. What stories will they tell after he is gone? What will they say about h im at his funeral? The solution? Find out by holding his own ‘funeral pa rty’\, with just one catch: Felix won’t be dead\; he’ll be in attendance too. \n\nHe enlists Frank Quinn (Murray)\, the wily local funeral home director\, and his assistant Buddy (Lucas Black) to pull off this endeav our. Their biggest obstacle\, however\, is first getting people to atten d the party of a crazy hermit. To accomplish this\, he’ll need more than just a haircut and a new suit to draw in the crowds. Will the event go ahead as planned? Will anyone show up? Will this be the party of a lifet ime? \n\nGet Low is an eccentric and mysterious yet heart-warming film a bout life\, love and redemption. Every member of the perfectly assembled ensemble cast – which includes Spacek as a widow from Felix’s past – re ally shines\, and draws you into the tall tale as its secrets slowly unf old. In the end though\, the only mystery you’ll be left with is trying to decide whether Murray’s superbly understated performance as the under taker outshines Duvall’s take on the mysterious hermit. \n\n\n\n\n- Davi d Richardson URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110726.html#film-2486 SUMMARY:Get Low LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110728T123400Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110728T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110728T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2487 DESCRIPTION:Reservoir Dogs may have introduced the world to the motor-mou thed cinematic stylings of Quentin Tarantino\, but it is his Academy Awa rd winning 1994 film Pulp Fiction that showed us all what he was really capable of. \n\n\nThe fractured narrative of this cult hit follows a box er on the run (Bruce Willis)\, a couple of diner bandits (Tim Roth and A manda Plummer)\, a gangster's wife (Thurman) and a pair of mob hit men ( Jackson and Travolta\, in the role that brought him back to A-list statu s) as their lives\, wise cracks and crimes intersect - but even that is a gross simplification of a wonderfully intertwining and entertaining st ory. Accompanied by an iconic soundtrack\, soaked in blood\, laced with pop culture references and infinitely quotable\, Pulp Fiction marked a t urning point in cinema that loudly\, and profanely\, heralded the true a rrival of the American indie movement. An ensemble piece in the truest s ense of the word - with Harvey Keitel\, Steve Buscemi\, Ving Rhames and Christopher Walken (with a very special watch) all also making appearanc es - this is a film that every cinephile should experience.\n\n\nEven if you have seen it a hundred times before\, there's never a bad time to r evisit this seminal genre-bending classic on the big screen. And if you' ve never had the chance\, there is no better place than at the ANU Film Group to at last find out what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese i n Paris!\n\n\n- Daniel Eisenberg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110728.html#film-2487 SUMMARY:Pulp Fiction LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110729T115100Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110729T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110729T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2489 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nWho doesn't love Norse myt hology? One thing those old pagan gods had (Greek ones as well) was flex ibility. They could show up in almost any kind of story without sacrific ing their essential characters\, and a few wisps of magic invariably tra iled into the story with them.\n\n\nThe Thor of legend was renowned main ly for his ability to: (a) lose his temper\, (b) smite villains real goo d with his hammer and (c) drink vast quantities of mead. Described prosa ically\, he was a violent yob. But nobody ever really thought of him as nothing more than a violent yob. As part of a pantheon\, he inspired at least a little bit of genuine awe\; striking out on his own into the wor ld of mortals\, he always seemed big-hearted and\, well\, cuddly. \n\n\n The Thor of this movie (Hemsworth) is\, thankfully\, also striking out i nto the world of mortals - modern-day New Mexico\, to be precise\; the a ccepted landing site for all extra-terrestrials - as a result of being b anished from heaven for reckless war-mongering. (Whatever the situation\ , his first instinct is to smite real good with that hammer). We don't d islike him for either his rashness or stupidity\, however\; we want him to learn from his mistakes\, and cheer when he does. And we don't find i t in the least unbelievable that this larger-than-life deity's redemptio n is his falling in love with a quite unremarkable mortal woman (Portman ). Perhaps we recognise that\, of all the inhabitants of Asgard\, this i s the one who is more human than we are.\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110729.html#film-2489 SUMMARY:Thor LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110729T134200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110729T120600Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110729T120600Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2488 DESCRIPTION:TJ (Daley-Jones) is an ex-con who sets off on a quest to meet the son he’s never known. Along the way he meets a host of characters t hat cause TJ to begin to question his life of alcohol and violence. His thirteen-year-old son\, Bullet (Yeeda)\, on the other hand\, has been se nt by his policeman grandfather (Tait) to an outback camp with other you ng tearaways. An arsonist in the making\, Bullet’s lack of a decent fath er figure has left him on the verge of following in his real father’s tr oubled footsteps. \n\nMad Bastards follows the father and son on their p arallel-but-intersecting journeys through the Kimberley region of far No rth Western Australia\, and is based on true stories told to documentary maker Brendan Fletcher in interviews he conducted there. Fletcher\, in his feature film debut\, has interwoven these stories into a satisfying ensemble drama – although ‘drama’ is perhaps too strong a word for an id yllically slow moving story. Nevertheless\, the languid pace means that there is plenty of time to savour the superb desert scenery.\n\nFletcher even ended up putting some of his interviewees into the film. Almost al l the performers were non-professional actors\, and this is highlighted in the film’s end credits when many of those involved discuss their real life stories. For example\, Tait – who I particularly enjoyed as the co mpassionate grandfather\, policeman and de facto mayor – revealed that h e had been a juvenile criminal himself before turning his life around to become an actual policeman.\n\n\n\n\n- Richard Hills URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110729.html#film-2488 SUMMARY:Mad Bastards LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110730T093600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110730T080000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110730T080000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2491 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nThe last animated film sup ervised by Walt Disney before he died was The Jungle Book\, which had an thropomorphic animals occasionally performing song-and-dance numbers in a colourful jungle. Rio follows that proven template\, but unlike The Ju ngle Book\, this film has the added benefit of the immensely lively sett ing of Rio de Janeiro\, coupled with state-of-the-art computer animation and a talented group of pitch-perfect vocal performers who elevate it t o more than the sum of its parts.\n\n\nThe nerdish hero of Rio is Blu (v oiced by the typecast Eisenberg\, who also portrayed The Social Network' s nerdish antihero)\, an endangered species of blue macaw. Blu has been so thoroughly domesticated by his human companion Linda (Leslie Mann) th at he has never even learned how to fly. When a Brazilian ornithologist (Rodrigo Santoro) informs Linda that Blu is the last male of his species \, he persuades her to take him to Rio so that the endangered species ca n be revitalised by having Blu mate with Jewel (Hathaway)\; one of the f ew remaining females of their species.\n\n\nThe plot thereafter is predi ctable - boy-bird meets girl-bird\, girl-bird despises nerdish boy-bird\ , boy-bird heroically redeems himself in the third act\, boy-bird and gi rl-bird live happily ever after - but it is the combined effort of the j okes\, scenery\, music and performances along the way which make it matt er. Of particular note is a toucan mentor named Rafael (Lopez)\, who has many good lines as the film's main comic relief\, as well as the evil N igel (Jemaine Clement)\, a sulphur-crested cockatoo and a villainous vil lain who\, fittingly\, steals the film.\n\n- Richard Hills URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110730.html#film-2491 SUMMARY:Rio LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110730T120000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110730T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110730T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2490 DESCRIPTION:Based on Sara Gruen’s best-selling novel of the same name\, W ater for Elephants tells the story of Jacob Jankowski (Pattinson\, acqui tting himself nicely in his first major non-Twilight role)\, a veterinar y student who is about to sit for his final exams when tragedy strikes a nd he is forced to start life anew. In the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930s\, Jacob impulsively hops on a train – the Benzini Brothers ’ Circus train – and his life takes a dramatic turn.\n\nAs Jacob becomes immersed in the breath-taking world of exotic animals and acrobats\, so too is the audience. The film’s stunning cinematography – courtesy of c inematographer Rodrigo Prieto\, best known for his work on Brokeback Mou ntain – perfectly captures the period and the unmatched spectacle of a t ravelling circus. While the crux of the film is a love triangle that dev elops between Jacob\, the circus’s star attraction Marlena (Witherspoon) and her ringmaster husband August (Waltz)\, the show’s real scene-steal er is cheeky elephant Rosie (played by veteran pachyderm actress Tai). \ n\nWith strong performances by the leads and skilled direction by Franci s Lawrence (testing the waters of dramatic filmmaking after sci-fi actio ners I Am Legend and Constantine)\, Water for Elephants is a refreshing motion picture made in the filmmaking style of old – without loud\, flas hy special effects and with an emphasis on character and story – resulti ng in a moving and deftly delivered romantic drama played out under the seeming glitz and glamour of the big top. \n\n\n\n\n- Candice Tan URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110730.html#film-2490 SUMMARY:Water for Elephants LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110731T093500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110731T080000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110731T080000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2493 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\n** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BE YOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING WAS POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHE DULED DATE. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/6293/screening-change-hop -paul-now-on.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nDespicable Me was the first feature film from the new animation studio Illumination Entertainm ent. Not only was the film cleverly animated and well scripted with humo urous events and dialogue\, it also (and most importantly) had protagoni sts that one could relate to. Russell Brand obviously struck a chord wit h the studio during the making of Despicable Me\, and was asked to retur n to the sound booth to take on the voice of the Easter Bunny in their s econd animated feature\, Hop.\n\n\nUnlike the fully animated Despicable Me\, in Hop only the Easter Bunny is animated\, with the other protagoni sts being live action (similar to another bunny film\, Who Framed Roger Rabbit).\n\n\nHop is the story of the Easter Bunny\, happily preparing f or another year's egg delivery season until disaster strikes - he is run down by a car\, and no longer able to perform his chocolate-related dut ies (let alone the titular activity he is well known for). As everyone k nows (well\, everyone who has seen The Santa Clause at the very least)\, if you injure an important holiday-related being it becomes your respon sibility to drop everything and ensure no permanent damage is done to sa id holiday. And so out-of-work slacker Fred (Marsden) finds himself with a rather demanding houseguest. Will Easter survive? Will Fred? Most imp ortantly\, will we get our chocolate?\n\n- Richard Hills URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110731.html#film-2493 SUMMARY:Hop LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110731T114400Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110731T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110731T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2492 DESCRIPTION:** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING W AS POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DATE. CLICK http://www.anufg. org.au/read/6293/screening-change-hop-paul-now-on.html[HERE] FOR MORE DE TAILS. **\n\n\nTwo British comic book geeks are on a road trip through t he US on their way to Comic-Con\, and\, as one does\, find themselves ge tting a little too close to Area 51 at the same time as an alien escapes . Fortunately for these two\, it isn't the face-ripping-disembowelling k ind made famous by Ridley Scott\, James Cameron etc. Instead it's a chum my\, relaxed alien named Paul. Unfortunately\, the US government has bee n keeping Paul hidden for 60 years\, and it would prefer that he remains under wraps\, and therefore a national manhunt is in hot pursuit of two geeks and an alien in a rented RV.\n\n\nIt's been four years since Nick Frost and Simon Pegg were last on screen together in Hot Fuzz. Their mi x of geeky banter and mildly homoerotic bonding has been a joy to behold . Can the magic be recaptured? Well\, unfortunately this doesn't come ou t til after the deadline for reviews\, but... well I'm going to lay a gu ess that\, yes\, this is comic wonder incarnate and amusement will be ha d by all. Plus\, well\, the last time someone put Sigourney Weaver in a sci-fi comedy we got Galaxy Quest\, and that worked out rather well\, so here's hoping we get something like that again.\n\n\n- Simon Tolhurst URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110731.html#film-2492 SUMMARY:Paul LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110803T115900Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110803T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110803T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2494 DESCRIPTION:Mick Haller (McConaughey) is a smooth-talking lawyer who oper ates from the back of his Lincoln sedan (hence the title). His clientele usually consists of the lowlife and amoral of society\, like the posse of drug-dealing bikies we meet early on. When he agrees to defend rich boy Louis Roulet (Phillippe) on a rape/murder charge\, he soon finds une xpected connections to one of his earlier cases\, along with a threat to his family.\n\nI’m not a big fan of McConaughey – apart from those who appreciate topless\, cut\, male torsos\, who is? – but his best films ha ve always been those in which he plays lawyers (A Time to Kill\, Amistad ). I am a big fan of courtroom thrillers\, and this one harks back to th e heady 90s where we seemed to be getting a new John Grisham (or copycat ) film every month. There are plenty of witty exchanges and clever court room scenes\, and the cast includes great actors like Tomei\, William H. Macy and Bryan Cranston – all with small roles\, unfortunately\, but ev ery scene they are in has something worth watching.\n\nI’m not saying th is is up there with classics like To Kill a Mockingbird or A Few Good Me n – and McConaughey is certainly no Gregory Peck or even Tom Cruise – bu t\, if you are even remotely as much a fan of legal thrillers as I am\, you won’t be disappointed with this one.\n\n\n\n\n- Travis Cragg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110803.html#film-2494 SUMMARY:The Lincoln Lawyer LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110804T113500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110804T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110804T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2495 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nThought Las Vegas was bad? Think again.\n\nThe Wolfpack are back in The Hangover: Part II which yo u may (or may not) be surprised to find is almost an exact carbon copy o f the first film\, except for the fact that the shenanigans have been tr ansplanted to Bangkok. From the opening credits to the music and the plo t progression – even down to certain camera shots – this film could very well qualify as a remake if it didn’t have ‘Part II’ on the end of its title.\n\nPhil (Cooper)\, Doug (Justin Bartha)\, and his brother-in-law Alan (Galifianakis) are in town for Stu’s (second) wedding. Taking no ch ances after Doug’s bachelor party in Vegas\, Stu (Helms) opts instead fo r a safe\, subdued pre-wedding reception… which goes disastrously\, so i s followed by beers on the beach. Before they know it\, they wake up in a seedy motel with no memory of the night before and\, worse\, no idea w here Stu’s brother-in-law-to-be is. Yes\, it’s the same setup\, and the characters even acknowledge this as they go through the motions to try a nd solve the mystery: check their pockets for clues\; check the roof\; b lame the incorrigible Alan for everything.\n\nFor what it is\, however – an anted-up\, slightly-less-original version of the first film’s raunch y mix of violence\, mayhem and mystery – The Hangover: Part II is great fun\; director Todd Phillips certainly didn’t set out to make a new Ince ption\, after all. If you didn’t enjoy the first film\, best to stay awa y. But if you did\, you’ll definitely get a kick out of this one so be s ure to come along for a night that you won’t soon forget (for better or worse).\n\n\n\n- Adrian Ma URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110804.html#film-2495 SUMMARY:The Hangover: Part II LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110805T113300Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110805T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110805T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2496 DESCRIPTION:After a stint in Afghanistan\, a US Air Force Pilot (Gyllenha al) somehow finds himself on a train to Chicago – in another man’s body – but not for long\, because after eight minutes\, the train explodes. T hen he finds himself strapped to a chair in a top-secret military base. Then he’s back in the train\, about to relive the same last eight minute s of another man’s life. After several repeats of this\, he comes to kno w those eight minutes very well indeed. His job is not\, thankfully\, to change the past\; all he has to do is work out who blew up the train\, and how.\n\nDirector Jones’s previous film\, Moon\, was a clever little science fiction story widely admired and praised for re-invigorating the genre. I thought it was a stodgy\, seen-it-all-before pancake. I was in the minority\, just as I’ll probably be in the minority in finding his follow-up\, Source Code\, a vast improvement in every respect. It has al l the energy that Moon lacked\; it’s even cleverer\, and it’s less of a stunt.\n\nOne word of warning – and I don’t consider this a spoiler: not one film in a thousand has an ending as beautifully perfect as the one that Jones presents to us in Source Code. Unfortunately\, this ending is followed by three minutes of footage that make complete nonsense of it and of everything else. Mind you\, I don’t regard this as a serious flaw . I just prefer to charitably pretend that those three minutes didn’t ha ppen.\n\n\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110805.html#film-2496 SUMMARY:Source Code LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110805T135800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110805T114800Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110805T114800Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2497 DESCRIPTION:It’s a pity that the Best Actor Oscar race this year was so c ompetitive because\, in any other year\, I think Paul Giamatti would hav e made the final five for his performance here. As it was\, Javier Barde m’s performance in Biutiful beat Giamatti\, Robert Duvall (Get Low) and Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine) for the fifth spot\, though if there ever was a year where they should’ve changed the rules and expanded the categ ory to eight nominees\, this would have been it. But I digress…\n\nGiama tti stars as Barney Panofski\, who we meet in the mid-70s in Rome\, at t he beginning of his first of three marriages. At his second wedding\, he meets his third-wife-to-be\, who also happens to be ‘the one’ in his st ory\, and we journey further with him through his grumpy\, emotionally n eedy\, insecure\, funny and tragic life.\n\nI’m generally a sucker for a life story film\, and I am really pleased when it comes out as fantasti c as this. As said before\, Giamatti is great (well-deserving of his Gol den Globe win for his performance)\, and Hoffman and Minnie Driver are a lso good in their supporting ‘Jewish comedy stereotype’ roles. Through f our decades of Barney’s life we encounter suspicious disappearances\, ra ucous weddings\, Alzheimer’s\, paternal wisdom (‘Marriage is like pushin g an avocado through a cheese grater’) and Leonard Cohen songs – just li ke real life! \n\nDon’t miss one of the best films of this semester.\n\n \n\n\n- Travis Cragg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110805.html#film-2497 SUMMARY:Barney’s Version LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110806T121000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110806T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110806T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2499 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nHaving broken notorious ex -con Dominic "Dom" Toretto (Diesel) out of custody at the end of the las t film\, his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and former cop Brian O'Conner (Walker) are now on the run to Rio de Janeiro to start a new life toget her. After a botched job - involving the attempted theft of three cars f rom a moving train - Dom\, Brian and Mia becomes the targets of a ruthle ss crime lord named Hernan Reyes (the slimy Joaquim de Almeida)\, who ha d some very valuable information hidden on one of the cars. Backed into a corner by Reyes\, who literally owns the city and its not-inconsiderab le police force\, the trio must call on some old friends to fight back a nd earn their freedom (and a handy $100 million in spending money) once and for all.\n\n\nIn addition to reuniting many cast members from previo us instalments of the Fast and Furious franchise - including Tyrese Gibs on\, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Sung Kang (Wikipedia has a very helpfu l chart that shows you what characters appeared in which films) - Fast F ive also adds into the mix action hardman Dwayne "I refuse to acknowledg e his Disney films" Johnson as a US agent that doggedly pursues Dom and Brian after they are wrongfully blamed for the murder of some DEA agents aboard the train. \n\n\nJohnson's infectiously enjoyable performance\, particularly in scenes opposite Diesel\, is just the tip of the iceberg of one of the most enjoyable all-out action films (it's not actually abo ut street racing anymore) in recent memory. Brainlessly over-the-top\, y et effortlessly cool\, Fast Five is undoubtedly the best film in the ser ies so far.\n\n- Adrian Ma URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110806.html#film-2499 SUMMARY:Fast Five LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110806T141200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110806T122500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110806T122500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2498 DESCRIPTION:The Fast and the Furious may be a decade old this year\, but this franchise-launching\, action-packed street racing film can still hi t the adrenalin-pumping spot. \n\nThe premise is straightforward: Brian O’Conner\, an undercover L.A. cop (Walker) attempts to infiltrate a stre et racing gang headed by ex-con and elite racer Dominic Toretto (Diesel) to uncover the culprits behind a recent rash of increasingly-violent tr uck heists. In order to do so\, the good guy cop must first partake in s ome less-than-legal activities to prove his worth (although he seemingly has a lot of fun doing so). O’Conner soon finds himself questioning his loyalties\, however\, when his newest friends become the prime suspects in his investigation.\n\nFans will be well aware that there have been s ome hits and misses in the Fast and Furious franchise over the years: th e most recent entry\, Fast Five\, has become a fan favourite and a criti cal and box-office hit\, while that spin-off set in Tokyo… not so much. But this is the one that started it all\, and there’s nothing like reliv ing a solid cinema-going experience that has ‘guilty pleasure’ written a ll over it. Along with its classic undercover cop storyline\, there’s pl enty of male bonding\, macho posing\, rival gang posturing and even a bu dding romance for the more estrogen-fuelled amongst us. Couple all that with a plethora of sleek ‘doof doof’ cars\, as well as some seriously co ol stunts that still hold up and impress even today\, and you’ve got you rself a thoroughly entertaining time ahead.\n\n\n\n\n- Candice Tan URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110806.html#film-2498 SUMMARY:The Fast and the Furious LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110807T095000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110807T080000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110807T080000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2500 DESCRIPTION:** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING W AS POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DATE. CLICK http://www.anufg. org.au/read/6293/screening-change-hop-paul-now-on.html[HERE] FOR MORE DE TAILS. **\n\n\nShakespeare's "The Tempest" was probably his last play\, and arguably his best in terms of literary merit and classical structure . This means\, of course\, it's not your light\, casual theatre experien ce. No rollicking fools\, no man vs woman comedy. So it was inspired of director Julie Taymor to cast Helen Mirren as the main character Prosper o (Shakespeare wrote it as a male part). Mirren's wealth of experience i n Shakespeare's plays and strong dramas shines as she grasps this role w ith both hands and guides the story of Prospero (now Prospera) and her i nfant daughter's exile to a barren island\, their travails (the infant d aughter will grow up\, of course)\, of revenge and redemption.\n\n\nThat said\, it's not easy to follow the dialogue and plot (or plots) in the play\, and this film has similar moments. But it's a great interpretatio n\, and one not to miss.\n\n\nWatch for Russell Brand\, who departs (sor t-of) from his usual smart-arse drunk persona and is impressive in the r ole of Trinculo. Also Djimon Hounsou as Caliban\, Tom Conti as Gonzalo a nd Alfred Molina as Stephano.\n\n\n- Dallas Stowe URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110807.html#film-2500 SUMMARY:The Tempest LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110807T121700Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110807T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110807T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2501 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\n** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BE YOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING WAS POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHE DULED DATE. CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/6293/screening-change-hop -paul-now-on.html[HERE] FOR MORE DETAILS. **\n\n\nI don't know about you \, but when Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was r eleased in 2003\, I was in swashbuckling-adventure heaven. The fun conti nues\, as the multi-billion-dollar franchise enters its fourth instalmen t\, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Reuniting writers Ted E lliot and Terry Rossio (writers of the previous Pirates films and other hilarious gems such as Shrek and The Road to El Dorado)\, as well as aud ience favourites Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp)\, Captain Barbossa (Rush) a nd Mr Gibbs (Kevin R. McNally)\, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger T ides is sure to re-ignite the spirit of the original. \n\n\nWe have lost three shipmates along the way: Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley)\, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and director\, Gore Verbinski. But never fear\, me hearties\, director Rob Marshall (Chicago)\, and new characters inclu ding Angelica (Cruz) and Captain Blackbeard (McShane\, of TV's "Deadwood ") come aboard and are destined to\, erm\, rock the boat (if you'll excu se the pun).\n\n\nOnce again\, Captain Jack finds himself in an awkward situation as Angelica (a mysterious and determined woman from Sparrow's past\, who proves that she is more than a match for him) forces Jack abo ard the 'Queen Anne's Revenge'\, the ship of the fearsome Captain Blackb eard. It seems that in this film\, everyone is searching for the legenda ry Fountain of Youth\, as the story evolves into an epic race between Ba rbossa\, Blackbeard\, Jack and Angelica. So come and get in on the adven ture and join the rest of the swashbucklers at the Film Group!\n\n- Maje lla Carmody URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110807.html#film-2501 SUMMARY:Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110809T114500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110809T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110809T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2502 DESCRIPTION:Eddie (Cooper) is a struggling writer living in New York City who has once again failed to turn in his new book\, while also having b een freshly dumped by his girlfriend Lindy (Cornish). On a chance meetin g\, Eddie obtains a sample of a new drug named NZT-48 from the brother o f his ex-wife (Anna Friel) that purportedly allows users to access 100% of their brain's capabilities instead of the standard 20%. With no other prospects\, Eddie takes NZT with the intention of at least finishing hi s book\, but before he knows it\, the drug both improves and complicates Eddie's life in ways he never could have foreseen.\n\n\nTo give the aud ience a full sense of the two very different states of consciousness exp erienced by Eddie\, director Neil Burger - best known for his 2006 film The Illusionist - utilises a number of interesting cinematographic techn iques. These include employing a dull\, cold look for before Eddie takes NZT\, before switching to a world of sharp\, warm colours after he has taken the drug. Fish-eye lenses and elaborate zooming also produces some confronting and unusual imagery that will challenge your eyes as much a s the film's twisty plot will engage your mind.\n\n\nBradley Cooper more than adequately carries the film in his first leading role\, even when facing off against De Niro\, who turns in his most commanding performanc e in years. It's Cooper\, however\, who is the heart and soul of the fil m\, maintaining a charismatically cool persona and convincing us to come along for the ride right from the film's opening - which sees his chara cter perched atop a skyscraper\, about to jump. Take the leap with him - you won't regret it.\n\n\n- Robert Bourke URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110809.html#film-2502 SUMMARY:Limitless LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110811T122800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110811T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110811T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2503 DESCRIPTION:From Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel\, 21 Grams) comes a heartbreaking look at crime\, love\, spirituality and re demption.\n\n\n Acting in his native Spanish language\, Bardem (No Count ry for Old Men) delivers a powerful performance as Uxbal\, a father trap ped in the dark Barcelona underworld. Diagnosed with terminal cancer\, U xbal must deal with his loving-but-bipolar wife (Álvarez)\, rescue illeg al immigrants and protect his children from both his illness and their v olatile mother. The narrative weaves between Uxbal's spiritual and physi cal journey\, resulting in an intimate film about a man's very personal struggle.\n\n\nDescribing this film as intense is probably an understate ment as it masterfully builds tension and takes us to the highs and lows of human emotion\, a constant reminder of the fragility of our mortalit y. Enhanced by its stunning cinematography and poignant soundtrack\, the whole film comes together magically and credit must go to Iñárritu for his artful direction\, which saw the film in competition for the Palme d 'Or at Cannes in 2010\, in addition to a well-deserved nomination for Be st Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.\n\n\nBardem\, who ended up winni ng Best Actor at Cannes\, shines in this film. His raw and very human po rtrayal highlights the depth of his acting ability and reminds us that h is first Oscar win was no accident. \n\n\nBiutiful is indeed a fitting n ame. Thought-provoking\, painful yet inspiring\, this is a film not to b e missed. (I recommend tissues!)\n\n\n- Ruohan Zhao URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110811.html#film-2503 SUMMARY:Biutiful LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110812T121200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110812T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110812T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2504 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nA prequel to the original trilogy\, X-Men: First Class delves deeper into the relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr against a Cold War backdrop that resu lts in the eventual formation of the X-Men and their chief adversaries\, the Brotherhood of Mutants. Stylishly directed by Matthew Vaughn of Kic k-Ass and Stardust fame\, the film is a thoroughly enjoyable blockbuster with a perfect blend of action\, story and just the right measure of li ght-heartedness thrown in (one moment set in a bar is a particularly mem orable highlight).\n\nMcAvoy plays Xavier\, the telepathic expert on gen etic mutation and dapper ladies’ man\, while Fassbender is the Machiavel lian\, morally ambiguous master of metal Lehnsherr\, who will eventually become Magneto. The globe-spanning film begins with the CIA putting tog ether their own covert mutant team after learning that the Russians are in league with a band of manipulative mutants\, led by a man possessing a terrifying power (Kevin Bacon) – who happens to be the same man who te sted and tortured Lehnsherr back when he was captive as a young boy in A uschwitz. Gradually coming to terms with\, and harnessing the full might of\, their powers\, the newly-formed team led by Xavier and Lehnsherr m ust do all in their power to try and avert World War Three when the stak es are raised and true intentions revealed.\n\nWith an excellent support ing cast\, great special effects and a story that manages to pack in qui te a lot despite being ostensibly just a ‘superhero movie’\, X-Men: Firs t Class is a fun-filled two hours which makes for a great night out and an excellent addition to the canon established by Bryan Singer’s origina l films.\n\n\n\n- Alex Henry URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110812.html#film-2504 SUMMARY:X-Men: First Class LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110812T141100Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110812T122700Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110812T122700Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2505 DESCRIPTION:Based on the bestselling novel by Kazuo Ishiguro\, Never Let Me Go tells the story of a love triangle that forms between two girls an d a guy in the fictional Hailsham boarding school. The three are alpha-f emale Ruth (Knightley)\, shy beta-female Kathy (Mulligan) and shy-boy To m (Garfield).\n\n\nIn the dystopian alternate timeline in which the film is set\, a stark class divide has emerged\; Hailsham is a school reserv ed for kids born into the lower class. The story follows the trio from t heir time in Hailsham as kids through to their young adult lives when th e romantic tension between the three\, along with their status as second -class citizens\, begins to fracture their tight friendship.\n\n\nNever Let Me Go is magnificently bleak\, heart-warming and depressing all at o nce. Don't let the depressing thing put you off though\, it's an engagin g kind of depressing that makes for a wonderful film. This is the kind o f thinking-person's genre drama that rarely emerges from the studio syst em these days. It is also the sort of film that you would do well to avo id knowing too much about before going into\, as the experience is much more rewarding that way. This moving sci-fi tale is easily one of the ye ar's best films and cannot be recommended more highly.\n\n\n- Adam Gould URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110812.html#film-2505 SUMMARY:Never Let Me Go LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110813T095300Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110813T080000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110813T080000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2507 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nFast friends from the firs t film - race car Lightning McQueen (Wilson) and rusty tow-truck Mater ( Larry the Cable Guy) - are invited to participate in the first ever Worl d Grand Prix\, to determine the world's fastest car on tracks from Japan to Europe. While in London\, the British Intelligence Agency\, led by t he dashing Finn McMissile (Caine\, in top form even in voice only)\, mis takes Mater for an American spy and enlists his help. Their mission: to stop a brilliant-but-mad scientist and his henchmen of overlooked\, outd ated cars from sabotaging the World Grand Prix.\n\n\nNew additions to th e already talented voice cast include the menacing Thomas Kretschmann as the dastardly Professor Z and Eddie Izzard as renewable fuel advocate a nd former oil tycoon Sir Miles Axelrod. John Turturro is a particular de light as McQueen's chief rival and the most famous race car in Europe\, while Emily Mortimer is spunky as Holley Shiftwell\, the long-suffering British spy car assigned to assist the bumbling Mater.\n\n\nThe scale an d ambition on display here is simply stunning: with an international cas t of memorable characters and a plot spanning several continents\, Pixar have delivered something that not only manages to showcase their tradem ark magic\, but also rivals any James Bond film. The car chases\, as exp ected\, are spectacular and the opening sequence featuring Caine's chara cter on an oilrig\, in particular\, is worth watching out for.\n\n\nCars 2 is a dazzling\, neon-hued tale of racing and international espionage\ , deftly combining spectacle with the Pixar charm and humour we all know and love. Enthralling for audiences of all ages\, this is not to be mis sed.\n\n- Bryan Pike URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110813.html#film-2507 SUMMARY:Cars 2 LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110813T115200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110813T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110813T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2506 DESCRIPTION:Seemingly retired master car thief Randall "Memphis" Raines ( Cage) is forced to return to his former trade after his younger brother Kip (Ribisi) gets involved with a dangerous English crime boss (Christop her Eccleston). With an uncanny ability to find a way to steal any car t hat crosses his path\, Memphis agrees to a risky scheme to steal fifty l uxury cars in order to clear his brother's debt. He quickly rounds up hi s old crew\, including jaded mentor Otto (Robert Duvall) and former girl friend Sway (Jolie). After discovering that a pair of dogged LAPD detect ives (Delroy Lindo and Timothy Olyphant) are on his trail\, Memphis deci des to speed things up a bit with a new plan: steal every car on his 'sh opping list' in a single night.\n\n\nA remake of the 1974 film of the sa me name\, Gone In 60 Seconds makes it obvious from the outset that it ha s no intention of providing any kind of intellectual stimulation. Instea d\, what we get is 112 minutes of action/adventure escapism packed full of witty one-liners\, fast cars\, fancy driving and one particularly mem orable chase scene that is\, in the tradition of Bullitt and The Blues B rothers\, anything but ordinary. The main thing that sets Gone In 60 Sec onds apart from other films in this genre\, however\, is that its cast i s populated by actors who are actually good at their craft - Jolie\, Duv all and\, yes\, even Cage are all Oscar winners - elevating the film to something well worth coming along for.\n\n\n- Robert Bourke URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110813.html#film-2506 SUMMARY:Gone in 60 Seconds LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110817T113200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110817T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110817T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2508 DESCRIPTION:A 'mechanic' is an elite assassin with a unique talent for el iminating targets and making it look like natural causes\, or an acciden t. It is a task that requires total detachment and professional perfecti on\; and Arthur Bishop (Statham) is the best in the business.\n\n\nAt th e funeral of his close friend and mentor Harry (Sutherland)\, who has di ed under mysterious circumstances\, Arthur meets Harry's son\, Steve (Fo ster). Steve wants the people responsible dead and is determined to lear n Arthur's trade in order to exact his revenge. Although he normally wor ks alone\, Arthur recognises Steve's raw potential and agrees to take hi m on as an apprentice. As their deadly partnership develops however\, de ceptions threaten to surface and those hired to fix problems quickly bec ome problems themselves.\n\n\nIn the hands of seasoned director West (Co n Air\, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider)\, the action scenes are loud\, violent and gory\, but also thoroughly gripping\, due to extended sequences that demonstrate the detailed planning that goes into each of Arthur's contr acts. Statham and Foster make a good team and manage to make their chara cters more than two-dimensional stereotypes so that\, by the time they i nevitably become targets of other mechanics\, we're actually invested in their survival.\n\n\nThe Mechanic may be a remake of the 1972 film of t he same name starring Charles Bronson\, but it skilfully manages to dist inguish itself as a standalone film\, while tipping its hat to the gritt y action films of the 70s.\n\n\n- Matthew Auckett URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110817.html#film-2508 SUMMARY:The Mechanic LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110818T122300Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110818T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110818T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2509 DESCRIPTION:‘As far back as I can remember\, I've always wanted to be a g angster.’\n\n\nAnd with that simple observation\, one of the greatest ga ngster movies ever made begins. Martin Scorsese’s (acclaimed director of Taxi Driver\, Raging Bull and The Departed to name a scant few) 1990 fi lm\, based on a true story\, charts the rise and fall of Henry Hill (Lio tta) over thirty years with the mob in Brooklyn. Under the wing of Pauli e Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and working with Jimmy Conway (a mesmerising De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (the scene-stealing Pesci in his definitive role) \, Hill climbs the ranks of the criminal underworld and we follow him th rough every high and low. This rich ensemble film (great character actor s pepper the minor roles) is Scorsese at his finest using the story of o rganised crime to explore his true theme\, as in this and many of his ot her films: America. Though almost every performance in the film is an ac ting master class\, the film is also a tour de force of breathtaking ima gery and realistic violence that sits just shy of IMDb’s top ten films o f all time.\n\n \n\nA film that truly should be experienced on the big s creen and that cemented Scorsese’s status as one of the great American f ilmmakers of our time\, Goodfellas is a must-see! Some might even call i t… funny.\n\n \n\n…What do you mean funny\, funny how?\n\n\n- Daniel Eis enberg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110818.html#film-2509 SUMMARY:Goodfellas LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110819T114800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110819T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110819T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2510 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nBased in a fictional town in 1970s Ohio\, Super 8 follows a young group of friends who\, while sho oting their zombie movie on the titular film format\, accidentally captu re footage of a train crash which might just expose a government conspir acy. As the military roll into town and attempt to contain the area\, ou r teen film crew must race against time to save their footage and their town from almost inevitable catastrophe. \n\nIt’s the latest feature fro m J.J. Abrams\, who\, as his many fans from twisty television series “Lo st” will attest\, knows how to keep audiences guessing through countless plot MacGuffins. After the phenomenal viral-led success of Cloverfield and an impressive reboot of the “Star Trek” franchise\, Abrams has teame d up with Steven Spielberg to create a supernatural tale set in American suburbia closely akin to that of Spielberg’s own E.T. The Extra-Terrest rial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. \n\nFollowing in footsteps as big as these is no easy task\, but Abrams manages to capture the mag ic that made Spielberg’s early films so timeless\, while invigorating th e lovingly-recreated 70s period setting with a couple of genre-bending t ricks of his own. Super 8 might tread familiar territory\, but it’s reas suring to see that a creative and nostalgic-yet-original blockbuster can still be made today amongst the usual onslaught of tired franchises.\n\ n\n\n- Craig Dorrall URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110819.html#film-2510 SUMMARY:Super 8 LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110819T135600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110819T120300Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110819T120300Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2511 DESCRIPTION:As the film opens\, we find the female sewing machinists of t he Ford automobile plant in Dagenham\, Essex stripping down to their und erwear to keep cool in their cramped and stuffy workplace. Dissatisfied with their deplorable working conditions and the fact that women are onl y being paid a fraction of the men’s wages\, shop steward Rita O’Grady ( Hawkins) leads a walkout of her fellow machinists\, single-handedly and devastatingly stopping Ford’s production of car seat covers for three we eks. \n\nWith echoes of other cinematic portrayals of the struggling Bri tish working class life – but with a lighter touch than the similarly-th emed Brassed Off – Made In Dagenham dramatises (with some historical lic ence) the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968 that highlighted sexual discrimination and\, together with other similar strikes it inspired\, u ltimately achieved equal pay for women in Britain.\n\nThere are plenty o f laughs in the build-up to the walkout\, and sympathy for these women c omes easily as their individual stories are gradually fleshed out. Hawki ns is watchable as always\, and Richardson turns in a winning portrayal of government minister Barbara Castle\, who intervenes to help resolve t he strike\, as does Hoskins as a union leader. With a soundtrack peppere d with an impressive list of songs from the time period\, and the high s tandards of British writing on display\, Made in Dagenham is an upliftin g and irresistibly entertaining time at the movies.\n\n\n\n\n- John Roge rs URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110819.html#film-2511 SUMMARY:Made In Dagenham LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110820T121000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110820T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110820T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2512 DESCRIPTION:In the opening scene of Incendies\, a notary presents adult t wins Jeanne and Simon with the will of their mother. The siblings are gi ven the task of presenting separate envelopes to their father\, who they believe passed away in the war in the Middle East\, and to a brother th ey did not know existed. The journey that follows is engrossing and full of tension\, as the twins piece together the story of the woman who bro ught them into the world\, discovering a tumultuous and violent life shr ouded in mystery.\n\nDirected by Denis Villeneuve from an acclaimed stag e play\, Incendies was deservedly nominated for Best Foreign Language Fi lm at this year’s Academy Awards but lost out to In A Better World. As t he film deftly cuts between flashbacks and the twins’ present-day discov eries\, we follow them to the core of the mysteries surrounding their an guished mother as they carry out her last wishes. The result is a confro nting film about the strangeness of enduring love\, the horror of deeds done in the name of war and the ability to forgive. Of all the impressiv e performances on display\, Azabal gives the most formidable one as the twins’ mother in the film’s numerous flashbacks\, as does Abdelghafour E laaziz as Abou Tarek\, a man whose life is tragically interconnected wit h all concerned.\n\nWith a heavy plot that twists and turns its way to a final\, devastating reveal in the closing ten minutes\, Incendies is th e definition of a powerful film.\n\n\n\n\n- John Rogers URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110820.html#film-2512 SUMMARY:Incendies LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110820T142200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110820T122500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110820T122500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2513 DESCRIPTION:If you’ve seen other pop musician biopics (Ray\, Walk the Lin e)\, does this mean you know what to expect from this one? Yes and no. T he standard story arc is there\, albeit minus the bit where the star’s c areer is derailed by drugs\, but nothing in Gainsbourg feels routine: it ’s nimble on its feet\, occasionally surreal\, and somehow gets away wit h everything it attempts.\n\nWhen Gainsbourg (Elmosnino) is trying to in gratiate himself with a younger generation\, he writes the shamelessly b oppy song “Baby Love” for teen idol France Gall (Sara Forestier). Gall b egins singing with typical sulky\, adolescent listlessness\; yet when sh e gets to the refrain\, damned if the lyrics don’t have an emotional cha rge\, and damned if the singer isn’t suddenly electrified by them hersel f. (After watching this\, read up on the true story of Gainsbourg and Ga ll: it’ll make your hair curl). Or when Gainsbourg confronts a crowd of patriots infuriated by his reggae parody of “La Marseillaise”\, he waxes defiant: ‘Yes\, I’m a rebel. And the Marseillaise is a rebel’s song!’ A nd damned if he doesn’t win the crowd – and us – over by singing it as t hough he plans to enlist in the French army afterwards.\n\nIt’s a myster y to me why critics were ambivalent about this film. Yes\, it’s hard to know what to make of it: that’s part of its charm\, and its strength. I walked in not knowing Gainsbourg from a bar of soap\, and walked out wan ting to buy the soundtrack. \n\n\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110820.html#film-2513 SUMMARY:Gainsbourg (Vie héroïque) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110823T115100Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110823T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110823T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2514 DESCRIPTION:On the fifteenth anniversary of the original Woodsboro killin gs\, a new copycat killer begins brutally killing students from Woodsbor o High… yet again! Sidney Prescott (Campbell) reunites with the now-marr ied Gale Weathers (Cox) and Sheriff Dewey Riley (Arquette) and quickly l earns from a new generation of horror fans – including Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere – that the rules to survive a horror movie have change d. Together\, they must work to survive and stop Ghostface once and for all.\n\nYou may be asking yourself: ‘Is a fourth Scream really necessary ?’ After all\, the first three instalments deftly explained the ‘rules’ dictating the plot of a horror movie\, its sequel and a trilogy. What mo re could there possibly be? Within minutes\, however\, you’ll have your answer as you’re reminded why the franchise was so innovative and succes sful in the first place: an unmatched combination of suspenseful horror and twisted meta comedy. \n\nIn addition to the returning key cast\, Sc ream 4 also brings back writer Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven\ , both widely attributed with reinventing and reinvigorating the horror genre with the original film in 1996. As before\, the plot\, the dialogu e\, the characters\, and even the killings are all an elaborate commenta ry on what makes for a good horror film – except now the rules have chan ged to include a fascination with graphic torture\, thanks to the Saw an d Hostel films. With an ending that is both awesomely twisted and the pe rfect climax\, Scream 4 is smart\, surprising and very scary.\n\n\n\n\n- Rob Lidgard URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110823.html#film-2514 SUMMARY:Scream 4 LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110825T121000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110825T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110825T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2515 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nThis is it. The very last\ , the final\, the ultimate instalment of a saga which\, when you take th e books and films into account\, has been unfolding for nearly fifteen y ears. For some of you\, there is no memory of a world without Harry Pott er. And when the final film is screened\, a few of us will look around a nd wonder where we are\, and what we are going to do in this strange\, n ew\, slightly lonely world. \n\nPerhaps we’ll go out and buy the Harry P otter cupcake mix\, with extra bonus sparkly sugar stars – it really exi sts – and bake our misery away. Or perhaps we’ll simply just watch this film again. \n\nIf you’ve at least taken the trouble to see the previous film (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1) you’ll have found o ut what the titular Deathly Hallows are\, and that Voldemort has just go t his hands on one of them. As this film opens\, our heroic trio are sti ll on the run\, still tracking down and attempting to destroy fragments of Voldemort’s soul\, and still struggling to grow into adults at the sa me time. If you really are new to all this and haven’t the faintest clue as to what’s going on\, you’re still in a position to enjoy some of the most spectacular set-pieces in the series\, leading up to a climactic f inal battle between\, in ring one\, Harry and Voldemort\, and\, in ring two\, everyone else.\n\nAnd then it will end. Perhaps we should start a support group.\n\n\n\n- Helena Sverdlin & Henry Fitzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110825.html#film-2515 SUMMARY:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110826T120000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110826T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110826T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2516 DESCRIPTION:In 1942\, the leaders of the Vichy government in France make a soul-selling deal with the Nazis. Local Jewry have been forced to wear the yellow identification stars for a while now\, and have being ostrac ised by a large proportion of non-Jewish Parisians as a result. But then \, in the early hours of July 6th\, 13\,000 Jews are rounded up by Frenc h policemen and sent to The Winter Velodrome\, where they will endure he llish conditions without decent water\, food or healthcare\, and\, perha ps most ominously\, without knowing their ultimate fate.\n\nEarlier this year another film\, Sarah’s Key\, used this incident as a major plot po int. The Round Up\, however\, tells the story in full\, and is a much be tter film. There are a few recognisable faces in the cast – including Re no and Laurent – but the real star here is the story itself\, which unfo lds with horror after horror\, all the while juxtaposing the Jewish expe rience with scenes of Hitler and his triumphalism. \n\nThis film took mo re at the French box office than both the similarly themed Schindler’s L ist and The Pianist\, and if you liked those films (as well as\, more re cently\, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas)\, then there’s no doubt that yo u should come along and see this one as well. It’s certainly not a cheer ful night out\, but it is a vastly compelling one.\n\n\n\n\n- Travis Cra gg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110826.html#film-2516 SUMMARY:The Round Up (La rafle) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110826T135600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110826T121500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110826T121500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2517 DESCRIPTION:This is Polanski's first film made in English and\, while his movies often divide movie fans\, I would bet that virtually every Polan ski buff would list Repulsion as one of his very best works. For my mone y\, it is among the most important and impressive movies of the 1960s\, and one of the most chilling psychological thrillers ever made. \n\n\nCa role Ledoux (Deneuve) works in London as a manicurist and lives in an ap artment with her sister Helen (Yvonne Furneaux). Although she has an adm iring boyfriend in Colin (Fraser)\, Carol is repulsed by sexuality\, and particularly by her sister's married lover\, Michael (Hendry). When her sister leaves her alone in the apartment for a few days\, the things th at scare Carol are at first things that scare a lot of people spending t he night alone: hearing imagined footsteps in the hallway and the like. But while normal people might get a brief fright\, Carol descends into a madness of hallucinations with terrifying consequences.\n\n\nRepulsion is seen almost entirely from Carol's point of view\, using techniques bo rrowed by later directors such as Darren Aronofsky for his film\, Pi\, w hich gives the entire experience a claustrophobic feeling that significa ntly enhances the impact of Carol's hallucinations.\n\n\nThe entire cast is excellent\, especially Deneuve\, who is perfect as the beautiful and disturbed girl slowly lost to delusion and phobia. Not just a film\, th is is what I call an 'experience'. On the big screen you can't help but be pulled into the girl's madness - I was jumpy for days afterwards.\n\n \n- Tamara Lee URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110826.html#film-2517 SUMMARY:Repulsion LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110827T102600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110827T080000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110827T080000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2518 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nIn case you somehow missed last semester’s screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1\, or have been hiding under a large\, spoiler-proof rock for the last year\, here is your chance to see both parts of the final instalment of the Harry Potter franchise back-to-back at the ANU Film Group. \n\nThe first film set completely outside of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft a nd Wizardry\, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is arguably darker yet more beauti ful than its six predecessors. No longer able to rely on the protection of Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) or the routine of sch ool life\, Harry (Radcliffe)\, Hermione (Watson) and Ron (Grint) are for ced to make daunting choices in the struggle against the increasingly po werful Lord Voldemort (Fiennes). Searching for Horcruxes - the key to de feating Voldemort’s immortality – the trio will face challenges both fro m the outside and within\, as they gradually uncover the answers to impo rtant questions that have long permeated the series. Where are the remai ning Horcruxes? What are the mysterious Deathly Hallows? Did even Dumble dore know how to defeat Voldemort?\n\nWith Deathly Hallows: Part 2 follo wing this screening of Part 1\, Potter fans can experience the complete culmination of seven books\, four directors\, countless stars of the Bri tish stage and screen and ten years of literal movie magic. Anyone with even the slightest affection for the world’s most famous wizard will und oubtedly want to be here with him\, until the very end.\n\n\n\n- Majella Carmody & Matthew ‘Victor’ Dunn URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110827.html#film-2518 SUMMARY:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110827T125500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110827T104500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110827T104500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2519 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nThis is it. The very last\ , the final\, the ultimate instalment of a saga which\, when you take th e books and films into account\, has been unfolding for nearly fifteen y ears. For some of you\, there is no memory of a world without Harry Pott er. And when the final film is screened\, a few of us will look around a nd wonder where we are\, and what we are going to do in this strange\, n ew\, slightly lonely world. \n\n\nPerhaps we'll go out and buy the Harry Potter cupcake mix\, with extra bonus sparkly sugar stars - it really e xists - and bake our misery away. Or perhaps we'll simply just watch thi s film again. \n\n\nIf you've at least taken the trouble to see the prev ious film (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1) you'll have fou nd out what the titular Deathly Hallows are\, and that Voldemort has jus t got his hands on one of them. As this film opens\, our heroic trio are still on the run\, still tracking down and attempting to destroy fragme nts of Voldemort's soul\, and still struggling to grow into adults at th e same time. If you really are new to all this and haven't the faintest clue as to what's going on\, you're still in a position to enjoy some of the most spectacular set-pieces in the series\, leading up to a climact ic final battle between\, in ring one\, Harry and Voldemort\, and\, in r ing two\, everyone else.\n\n\nAnd then it will end. Perhaps we should st art a support group.\n\n- Helena Sverdlin & Henry Fitzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110827.html#film-2519 SUMMARY:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110831T115800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110831T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110831T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2520 DESCRIPTION:Anton (Persbrandt) - recently separated from his wife\, Maria nne (Dyrholm) - is a doctor living between his home in idyllic Denmark a nd an African refugee camp. Their son\, Elias (Rygaard) is a regular tar get of the bullies at school\, until a new arrival\, Christian (William Jøhnk Nielsen)\, rescues him one day. \n\n\nChristian has just moved fr om London with his father\, Claus (Ulrich Thomsen)\, following the death of Christian's mother\, and quickly forms a strong bond with Elias. Whe n Anton is insulted and embarrassed by the father of another child at th e school\, Elias is torn between a desire for vengeance\, and a waning b elief that his father did the right thing by not reacting with violence. Unfortunately Christian\, a powder keg of grief and denial\, steadily l eads Elias on a path of revenge against the man who humiliated his fathe r\; a path that inevitably leads to tragic consequences for everyone con cerned.\n\n\nWinner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2 011 Academy Awards\, In a Better World delves into the complexities of m orality and the consequences of violence\, forcing viewers to constantly re-evaluate what the 'right thing' to do is in volatile situations such as those faced by the film's characters. When do we walk away and when do we stand up for ourselves? Where do we draw the line?\n\n\n- Bryan Pi ke URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110831.html#film-2520 SUMMARY:In a Better World (Hævnen) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110901T123400Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110901T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110901T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2521 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nThe Transformers series ha s cost over $550 million dollars to produce\, with the first two films a lone having netted over $1.5 billon dollars worldwide and now\, by rewri ting key events in the near past\, one of the 'biggest' trilogies of all time will come to an end. There will be action. There will be romance. There will be giant robots punching each other.\n\n\nPrepare for the Bay -hem. Prepare for Transformers: Dark of the Moon.\n\n\nThe final instalm ent in director Michael Bay's explosive trilogy about the war between th e Autobots and Decepticons takes everything from the first two films\, r emoves all the nonsense - yes\, we're looking at you\, Transformers 2 - and then triples it. Series regulars LaBeouf\, Duhamel\, Tyrese Gibson a nd John Turturro are joined by respectable thespians John Malkovich\, Fr ances McDormand along with McDreamy himself\, Patrick Dempsey\, and geek icon Leonard Nimoy (as the voice of Septimus Prime) in a race to discov er the secrets of a ruined alien space vehicle laying hidden on the moon . First sighted by the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969\, what is discover ed there will change the tide of the war and the fate of our planet fore ver. \n\n\nThe tone of the film\, in Bay's words\, is 'a homeland versio n of Black Hawk Down with giant alien robots'. Chock full of explosions\ , special effects and spectacle as only the director of Bad Boys\, Armag eddon and The Island can produce - a cinematic style more commonly known as Bay-os Theory - this film is the very definition of the Hollywood Su mmer Blockbuster.\n\n- Daniel Eisenberg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110901.html#film-2521 SUMMARY:Transformers: Dark of the Moon LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110902T123000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110902T093000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110902T093000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2522 DESCRIPTION:It's that time of year again - time for the ANU Film Group's fifth annual trivia night!\n\n\nHow long would it take to watch all of t he Harry Potter films back to back (1178 minutes)? Can you name the acto r that voiced Ken the doll in Toy Story 3 (Michael Keaton)? Do you know the colour of the alien race featured in Avatar (blue)?\n\n\nWhether you knew the answers to all or none of these questions\, our 2011 trivia ni ght promises to be a fun-filled night of film-related trivia with questi ons for movie buffs and casual cinema-goers alike. It's also our main fu ndraiser for the year\, with heaps of awesome prizes up for grabs\, so m ake sure you don't miss out as tickets are limited. And\, if you purchas e your tickets before the night\, you'll even be entered into the draw t o win a bonus prize!\n\n\nThe trivia night will kick off at 7:30 PM and will once again be held at the Canberra Club\, 45 West Row\, Civic. Door s will be open from 7:00 PM onwards.\n\n\nTickets are $15 per person and will be available for sale at all screenings from Wednesday 3 August (T he Lincoln Lawyer) onwards\, as well as at the door on the night\, with all members and their guests welcome to attend. \n\n\nFor all the latest updates and details on our awesome sponsors (and prizes!)\, keep an eye on our Trivia Night page at www.anufg.org.au/trivia. See you there!\n\n \n- URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110902.html#film-2522 SUMMARY:ANUFG Annual Trivia Night LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110903T120500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110903T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110903T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2524 DESCRIPTION:This is not your usual chick flick. Although it embraces fami liar themes - love\, friendship\, sisterly bonding\, weddings\, fashion - you've never seen them quite like this! \n\n\nAnnie ("Saturday Night L ive"'s Wiig\, who also co-wrote the film) is having a rough time. Her bu siness has just gone bust\, she's in an unsatisfying 'friends with benef its' relationship with a selfish jerk (Jon Hamm) and to top it off\, she can barely afford her rent. So when her best friend Lillian (Rudolph) a sks Annie to be her maid of honour\, she's thrilled - until she meets Li llian's new friend Helen (Byrne). She's wealthy\, beautiful\, stylish\, classy and out to steal Annie's best friend! As part of a motley crew of bridesmaids\, Annie attempts to hold onto her oldest friendship while s he navigates the bizarre and tumultuous wedding world of bridal stores\, bachelorette parties\, extravagant bridal showers and celebrating someo ne else's happiness in the midst of your own broke\, lovelorn misery.\n\ n\nThis film is being heralded as the forerunner in a new era of female- oriented raunchy comedies - and quite rightly too. Produced by comedy ma verick Judd Apatow\, it features a similar broad comedy styling to his b est known films\, Knocked Up and Superbad\, and\, like those films\, wea rs its big heart on its sleeve. A hilarious exploration of the absurdity of wedding planning\, female friendships and the dangers of back alley Brazilian cuisine\, Bridesmaids is a funny\, touching and thoroughly enj oyable film.\n\n\n- Emma Petrie URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110903.html#film-2524 SUMMARY:Bridesmaids LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110903T140200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110903T122000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110903T122000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2523 DESCRIPTION:Ever had an older brother who was just too\, too good? Ever had a younger brother who was a total waste? If the answer to either qu estion is 'yes' - or you think you'd enjoy watching a vulgar\, farcical comedic romp set in the Middle Ages - then Your Highness is for you.\n\n \nSlacker younger brother Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his much-adored older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant ques ts and win the hearts of his people. Crunch time comes for Thadeous when Fabious's fiancée (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped by the evil wizard Lee zar (Justin Theroux). The king gives his younger son an ultimatum: help rescue his brother's bride-to-be or get cut off for good. Now\, reluctan tly embarking upon his first ever quest\, Thadeous finds himself unexpec tedly faced with an even harder choice\; to become a hero\, or to remain a coward. Guess which one he ends up being?\n\n\nYes\, it's predictable . Yes\, it relies on easy\, absurd laughs\, but you can't fault all invo lved for trying. Add to the equation the delicious Natalie Portman as a warrior girl with a dangerous agenda of her own\, and you've got the mak ings of an epic comedy adventure you won't want to miss. Fortunately\, n o swans or fingernails were harmed in the making of this film... althoug h you sadly can't say the same for Minotaurs.\n\n\n- Dallas Stow URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110903.html#film-2523 SUMMARY:Your Highness LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110906T115300Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110906T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110906T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2525 DESCRIPTION:Based on the experiences of a real-life World War Two Norwegi an resistance fighter\, Max Manus tells the story of how a one-time reck less propagandist came to be one of the most brilliant and successful sa boteurs fighting against the Nazi occupation of Oslo\, Norway.\n\nUtilis ing a decidedly romantic and traditional style of filmmaking more akin t o a big-budget Hollywood production\, this homegrown film was\, at the t ime of its release\, the most expensive Norwegian film ever made. And it definitely shows on-screen\, with vast\, sweeping cinematography\, minu tely detailed recreations of wartime Norway and thrilling (if somewhat r estrained\, given the subject matter) action scenes. The film’s impressi ve achievements extend beyond the technical\, however\; Manus (Hennie) i s a highly flawed and fascinating character\, who starts off the film ar rogant to the point of essentially asking to be arrested. He is graduall y shaped by the strong personal cost of his fight against the Nazis\, wh ich only increases as the bonds between him and his crack saboteur team\ , mostly made up of Manus’s old friends\, strengthen in the face of adve rsity.\n\nThose of you expecting another dry retelling of Second World W ar history needn’t despair\; Max Manus delivers equal parts blockbuster action\, history\, friendship and tragic romance and is an excellent tim e at the movies for anyone after a film delivered on a truly epic scale. \n\n\n\n\n- Bryan Pike URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110906.html#film-2525 SUMMARY:Max Manus LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110908T113800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110908T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110908T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2526 DESCRIPTION:No\, it’s not about a bloke who loves a big tobacco company. I Love You Phillip Morris is based on the bizarre life story of Steven J ay Russell\, a conman who realises he is gay and falls in love with a bl oke actually called Phillip Morris – then goes to great lengths to affor d his new love everything he desires. I guess the two possibilities shar e a common nickname\, but it is probably one we’d get in trouble for pri nting.\n\nJim Carrey plays Russell\, a conman who leaves his wife (Mann) after it dawns on him that ladies aren’t really his thing. He moves to Miami and lives it up in the local gay scene\, but finds he needs a grea ter cash flow to keep up with the lifestyle he has chosen – especially e xpensive boyfriend Jimmy (Rodrigo Santoro). He is quickly sprung and sen t to prison\, however\, where he meets the true love of his life\, Phill ip Morris (McGregor). Unable to bear being separated from Morris\, Russe ll enacts numerous clever schemes to get himself and Morris out of jail\ , taking his cons to new financial heights. And more jailbreaks.\n\nI Lo ve You Phillip Morris is the best thing Carrey has done in more than a d ecade. The film is hilarious and surprisingly heart-warming\, given it w as written and directed by the people who brought us Bad Santa. The fil m was rather short-changed by its distributors in most parts of the worl d\, who were evidently not willing to back its gay themes\, so enjoy thi s rare opportunity to see a film destined to become a cult classic.\n\n\ n\n\n- Adam Gould URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110908.html#film-2526 SUMMARY:I Love You Phillip Morris LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110909T114500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110909T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110909T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2527 DESCRIPTION:The remarkable debut feature from Jim Loach (son of acclaimed director\, Ken Loach)\, Oranges and Sunshine is based on the true story of British social worker Margaret Humphreys (Watson) and how she became embroiled in one of the most significant social scandals in history.\n\ nThe catalyst for this involvement occurs in 1986\, when she meets a wom an who claims to have been sent from the UK to Australia when she was ju st a small child. Humphreys soon discovers a shocking scheme – a result of heartless bureaucracy – involving the forcible removal and relocation of children from low socio-economic backgrounds in the UK to Australia\ , Canada and other British colonies. Almost single-handedly\, against ov erwhelming odds and with little regard for her own well-being\, Margaret sets out to reunite thousands of families and bring worldwide attention to an extraordinary miscarriage of justice. \n\nIn total\, one hundred and thirty thousand children – some as young as four – were migrated to Australia under the pretence that their parents were dead. Promised ‘ora nges and sunshine’\, many of the children ended up neglected\, abused an d doing hard labour for life. Watson gives an astonishing\, heart-rendin g performance\, as do David Wenham and Hugo Weaving as now-adult victims of the scheme. An education not to be missed\, Oranges and Sunshine bri ngs to the fore a dark period of Australian history: an aspect little kn own and shamefully neglected.\n\n\n\n\n- Majella Carmody URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110909.html#film-2527 SUMMARY:Oranges and Sunshine LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110909T131900Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110909T120000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110909T120000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2528 DESCRIPTION:Germain (Depardieu) has comfortably settled down to a life of not settling down. He makes his way through life with various odd jobs\ , spending the rest of his time gardening (his true vocation) and hangin g out in the pub with a group of cronies who affectionately regard him a s the group thicko\; a role that Germain feels is starting to wear a bit thin. The only people in his life who don’t routinely wound him are his girlfriend Annette (the sweet\, beautiful Guillemin – how he managed to hook up with her is a minor mystery) and the Margueritte of the title ( Casadesus)\, an old woman he meets in the park one day. The park-dweller s have little in common but immediately connect.\n\nIn a platonic kind o f way\, Germain is in love. It’s likely (although never made explicit) t hat Germain has finally found the mother he’s long wanted and needed. Hi s biological mother is still alive\; in fact he sees her all the time on account of living in a trailer outside her house. Presumably because he cannot stand to be inside her house\, and no wonder – she’s a hateful w oman\, concentrated vinegar in human form.\n\nThe story is not one fraug ht with tension or awkwardness: it simply shows Germain’s life shifting out of one phase into the next. Ultimately\, My Afternoons with Margueri tte is an inoffensively likable movie\, slighter than the director’s pre vious work (Conversations with My Gardener) but somehow more satisfying. \n\n\n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110909.html#film-2528 SUMMARY:My Afternoons with Margueritte (La tête en friche) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T120000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2530 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\n** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BE YOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING HAS BEEN POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DATE AND WILL NOW BE SCREENING ON FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER AT 8 PM . FOR MORE DETAILS\, CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/6457/screening-c hange-snowtown-psycho-on-saturday.html[HERE].**\n\n\nI used to work in P ort Pirie and Port Broughton in the mid-90s and\, on my frequent trips t o and from my hometown of Adelaide for weekends\, I would always pass th rough the small\, seemingly pleasant villa of Snowtown. Little did I kno w that I was regularly driving within metres of an abandoned bank buildi ng housing the remains of the most prolific serial killings in Australia 's history...\n\n\nAbused teenager Jamie (newcomer Pittaway) is searchin g for a father figure amongst the resignation and hopelessness of Adelai de's northern suburbs. He finds one in the charismatic John Bunting (Hen shall)\, a man whose regular rants on those he sees as the scum of socie ty - a wide range from paedophiles to heroin addicts and obese women - m erely scratch the surface of a deeper\, more disturbing set of beliefs a nd actions.\n\n\nWhen I went to see Snowtown\, the woman at the box offi ce told me that an elderly couple had gone to see it recently\, expectin g 'a nice story set in the Snowy Mountains'. As hilarious as I find that story\, I feel it is my duty to warn you away from this movie if you ca n't take intense examinations of evil. If you can take it\, however\, th is brilliantly acted and shot movie is essential viewing\, in order to r emind us that the parts of society we like to walk away from and ignore do in fact exist. Up there with The Boys and Chopper as an unflinching l ook at Australian crime\, this is finely crafted but disturbing cinema. You have been warned.\n\n- Travis Cragg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110916.html#film-2530 SUMMARY:Snowtown LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T122200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T121500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T121500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2529 DESCRIPTION:** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING H AS BEEN POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DATE AND WILL NOW BE SCR EENING ON FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER AT APPROXIMATELY 10:15 PM. FOR MORE DETAIL S\, CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/6457/screening-change-snowtown-ps ycho-on-saturday.html[HERE].**\n\n\nA special treat for fans of Hitchcoc k and Psycho! Hitch takes us on a tour of the Bates house and motel feat ured in the film\, giving us teasing clues as to what we are going to be in for over the next two hours or so. It's a unique trailer\, and Hitch 's droll commentary is a treat.\n\n\n(And remember\, it's the picture yo u MUST see from the beginning... or not at all!)\n\n\n- URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110916.html#film-2529 SUMMARY:Psycho Promotional Trailer (Short Film) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T141000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T122200Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110916T122200Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2531 DESCRIPTION:** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING H AS BEEN POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DATE AND WILL NOW BE SCR EENING ON FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER AT APPROXIMATELY 10:15 PM. FOR MORE DETAIL S\, CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/6457/screening-change-snowtown-ps ycho-on-saturday.html[HERE].**\n\n\nThe master of suspense\, Alfred Hitc hcock\, has many great films under his belt - Rear Window\, Vertigo and The Birds to name a few. The list could go on but his definitive work\, and the one that paved the way for every shock\, horror and thriller dir ector today is this: 1960s Psycho. \n\n\nThe film starts with Marion Cra ne (Leigh) embezzling $40\,000 from her employer and fleeing the city. A long the way she stops in at the Bates Motel\, run by owner Norman Bates (the delightfully creepy and unsettling Perkins). From there the film v eers 'sharply' away from its initial storyline and becomes an unexpected tale of mystery\, murder and deceit. To say any more would spoil it for those who have never had the pleasure of seeing this groundbreaking cla ssic.\n\n\nA true treat to watch again on the big screen\, John L. Russe ll's gorgeous black and white cinematography still holds you on the edge of your seat and the technical trickery employed by Hitchcock still daz zles fifty years later. If you've always wondered what all the fuss is a bout\, now is your chance to find out. Or even if you just want to spend another night in the shadow of that house\, I encourage you to come alo ng and check in one more time.\n\n\nOh\, and make sure to invite your mo ther.\n\n\n- Daniel Eisenberg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110916.html#film-2531 SUMMARY:Psycho LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110917T114800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110917T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110917T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2532 DESCRIPTION:'The film that cost over $20\,000\,000\,000\,000 to make' is the tagline for this documentary about the Global Financial Crisis\, and the winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.\n \n\nAndrew Denton once presented a popular interview show entitled "Enou gh Rope". This was a reference to the old proverb\, 'Give a man enough r ope and he will hang himself'. And the 'Enough Rope' principle is very e ffectively used in this documentary\, with the film's (unseen) director\ , Charles Ferguson\, constantly eliciting self-incriminating statements from his interviewees. In the United States\, unlike in Australia\, univ ersity professors freely flit between academia and political appointment s or consultancies. And one of the film's great pleasures is watching su ch academics fail to adequately answer questions about whether any confl icts of interest might arise. Indeed\, one made a revealing Freudian sli p\, first answering 'No comment'\, before correcting his response to 'No conflict'.\n\n\nOf added piquancy is an interview with the then Managin g Director of the International Monetary Fund\, Dominique Strauss-Kahn. DSK's current problems with the American legal system are ironically com plimentary to the key point of Inside Job: that none of the plutocrats r esponsible for the Global Financial Crisis have yet faced any criminal c harges stemming from their involvement in said crisis.\n\n\nOne comforti ng thought\, however\, is that French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde was recently named as DSK's successor. In her interview in this film\, she enunciates this promising statement of principle: 'The financial ind ustry is a service industry. It should serve others before it serves its elf'.\n\n\n- Richard Hills URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110917.html#film-2532 SUMMARY:Inside Job LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110917T133300Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110917T120300Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110917T120300Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2533 DESCRIPTION:Chinese blockbuster director Zhang Yimou raised more than a f ew eyebrows when he announced to the world that his next film\, after di recting the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony\, would be a remake of the Coen Brothers' debut feature Blood Simple\, transposing the neo-noir se tting to that of a wushu screwball comedy and budgeted at a fraction of the amount he usually commands. \n\n\nThe gambit certainly paid off dome stically\, as it was one of the biggest hits of the 2009 Christmas perio d in China\, but failed to garner the international attention that many of Zhang's other films have. The main reason it failed to do so is prett y straight-forward\, though unfortunate: this film is not at all what yo u would expect from the director of Zhang's previous films\; be they the more serious dramas\, comedies or the wushu epics. A Woman\, a Gun and a Noodle Shop is almost surreal and\, to put it mildly\, bat-scat crazy (in a good way) for the duration.\n\n\nThe film tells of a noodle shop o wner's attempt to hire a shifty local policeman to kill his wife and her lover\, who also happens to be his employee. Following the plot of the Coens' original reasonably closely\, the film quickly descends into the usual black everybody-comes-worse-off spiral\, albeit punctuated by some oddly fitting slapstick and featuring the vivid super-saturated colour palette that many of Zhang's films are known for.\n\n\nWhile there is no doubt that A Woman\, a Gun and a Noodle Shop is an oddity\, it is still ultimately a mighty entertaining oddity.\n\n\n- Adam Gould URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110917.html#film-2533 SUMMARY:A Woman\, a Gun and a Noodle Shop (三枪拍案惊奇) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110924T092100Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110924T080000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110924T080000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2535 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nDanny Ocean (George Cloone y) rounds up the boys again\, this time to raid the offices of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg). Amongst the new additions to the team is Nina (Natalie Portman)\, a former ballerina whose flexibilit y is an asset to heists but who may also be insane\, and Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges)\, a retired US Marshal who has one last score to settle with Zuckerberg...\n\n\nOkay\, sorry... Oceans is actually a nature docu mentary\, from the creators of one of my favourite docos\, Travelling Bi rds. This time around\, they focus on fish\, sea dragons\, octopi\, crab s\, otters\, walruses and seals\, to mention but a few of the oceanic cr eatures on display.\n\n\n'Big deal'\, you may say\; 'I can see that on t elevision most weeks'. Ah\, but this stuff is well worth watching on the big screen. Even if you have seen some of it before\, it looks so much more visually striking in a cinema. And there was certainly plenty of st uff that I hadn't seen before too\, like opposing armies of spider crabs going into battle\, or baby turtles frantically trying to elude some hu ngry frigate birds.\n\n\nThe only drawback with this particular version of the film is that it's not the twenty-minute-longer European version t hat\, incidentally\, also doesn't have Pierce Brosnan's irritatingly sup erfluous narration: 'Merely knowing these creatures exist isn't enough t o tell the story of their lives' - oh\, sod off please! Nevertheless\, O ceans is still worth your time\, at the very least for the beautiful vis uals on offer.\n\n- Travis Cragg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110924.html#film-2535 SUMMARY:Oceans (Océans) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110924T122800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110924T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110924T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2534 DESCRIPTION:Every year\, eight close-knit thirty-something friends spend their coveted summer vacation together. This year\, however\, one of the friends Ludo (Jean Dujardin) has ended up badly injured after being hit by a truck. After a visit to the hospital\, his friends decide to stick to their annual tradition and head off to the coast.\n\nWealthy restaur ateur Max (Cluzet) plays host this year at his summer home\, and is star tled when chiropractor Vincent (Magimel) comes out of the closet and rev eals that he is infatuated with him\; an unwelcome surprise to the marri ed and very straight Max. Meanwhile\, Marie (Cotillard)\, Eric (Gilles L ellouche) and Antoine (Laurent Lafitte) find themselves all dealing with various forms of romantic disappointment. As the summer progresses\, it becomes apparent that everyone has some skeletons in their closet.\n\nS et against the magnificent backdrop of beaches on the French coast\, thi s film from writer-director Guillaume Canet (Tell No One) provides encou ragement to book a trip there as soon as possible. The beauty of this se tting\, along with the film’s classic-rock soundtrack\, proves a fitting contrast to the main topics of discussion for the group of friends and the journey they all undertake in dealing with their various discoveries . A well-balanced mix of comedy and drama\, Little White Lies is a fasci nating look at the challenges faced by old friends as new aspects of the ir relationships with each other become clear.\n\n\n\n\n- Robert Bourke URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110924.html#film-2534 SUMMARY:Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110928T114200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110928T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110928T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2536 DESCRIPTION:Love Crime has been summarised as 'Working Girl meets Dangero us Liaisons'. I may not be old enough to remember Working Girl\, but it has certainly been screened with enough regularity on free-to-air TV tha t I have become familiar with its premise.\n\n\nIsabelle Guérin (Sagnier ) is the young assistant to Christine Rivière (Scott Thomas)\, head of t he French branch of a multinational corporation. After long taking advan tage of the work and ideas of her intelligent\, ingénue of a secretary\, the manipulative female boss finally pushes the relationship too far... \n\n\nWhile Working Girl was tame melodrama\, Love Crime is a fully-fled ged Machiavellian thriller that revels in the malevolence and cutthroat cruelty of ambitious corporate women. Although Isabelle and Christine's relationship begins friendly and mutually beneficial\, it soon descends into one of suspicion and duplicity. The insult becomes personal when Is abelle sleeps with Philippe (Mille)\, Christine's lover (hence the Dange rous Liaisons reference). By then the gloves are well and truly off\, an d the merciless game to end up on top is well on its way to all out war. \n\n\nLove Crime is the last feature-length film from Alain Corneau\, w ho passed away several days after the film began screening in French cin emas\, and is clear evidence of a director gone too soon. A ticking time bomb of devastating tension amidst a devilishly complex and sinuous plo t\, it's also set to undergo an English remake as Passion under the guid ance of Brian de Palma next year - just in case you needed another reaso n to come along.\n\n\n- Emma Gardiner URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110928.html#film-2536 SUMMARY:Love Crime (Crime d'amour) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110929T113800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110929T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110929T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2537 DESCRIPTION:Larry Crowne is the first film that Tom Hanks has directed si nce 1996's That Thing You Do!\; his second altogether\, and a welcome re turn to the director's chair.\n\n\nLarry Crowne (Hanks) has sailed along through life since leaving the Navy years ago. Good at his job and wel l-liked at work\, he's stunned when he undergoes 'downsizing' - with a s izeable mortgage still to repay. He can't afford to have that happen aga in\, so he takes out insurance against it\, by going to college (i.e. un iversity) for a qualification.\n\n\nMaking new\, if unlikely\, friends\; riding around campus in company with fellow students\, all on motor sco oters\; discovering the joys of learning\; and increasingly taken with h is disillusioned speech lecturer\, Mercedes Tainot (Roberts)\, Larry fin ds a renaissance in a life he had allowed to become ordinary. By degrees \, Mercedes too gets a chance to recharge the passions she has taken to replacing with alcohol.\n\n\nAs all romantic comedy seems to\, this stor y has its share of pregnant misunderstandings. So will Larry and Mercede s realise their hidden blessing before compounding misunderstandings see Larry hospitalised at the hands of the jealous boyfriend of a girl Larr y is not pursuing?\n\n\nHanks and Roberts have both managed in recent ye ars to make their characters more understandable and to invest them with greater emotional depth than they did a decade ago. Both certainly make us care in this gentle and spirited comedy\, giving it soul enough to t ouch a chord in all of us.\n\n\n- John P. Harvey URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110929.html#film-2537 SUMMARY:Larry Crowne LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110930T120400Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110930T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110930T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2539 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nIn 1942\, a gangly teenage r named Steve Rogers (Evans\, eerily Benjamin Button-ed) volunteers for a top-secret experiment after numerous unsuccessful attempts at enlistin g in the US Army. The experiment\, headed by Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanle y Tucci) under the command of Col. Chester Phillips (Jones)\, is a succe ss and Rogers is enhanced to the peak of human perfection. Before the ex periment can be replicated to produce an entire army of super soldiers\, however\, a covert Nazi operative destroys the lab. As the only survivi ng remnant of the experiment\, the army initially decides to use Rogers as an instrument of propaganda\, to rally troops in his new guise as 'Ca ptain America'. That all changes when an organisation known as HYDRA\, H itler's advanced science division\, gains possession of a powerful objec t known as the Tesseract and unveils its plans for world domination - no w it's time for Rogers to step up and wage war against its Nazi leader\, Johann Schmidt\, a.k.a. the Red Skull (Weaving).\n\n\nIt's crystal clea r from the get-go why Evans was cast: charming\, comical\, yet commandin g when he needs to be\, Evans owns the role of Captain America in the sa me way that no one else but Robert Downey Jr could embody Iron Man. He's aided by a supporting cast that includes Hayley Atwell as love interest Peggy Carter and Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark (father of Tony)\, who equips Rogers with a new costume and\, of course\, that iconic shield.\n \n\nExciting\, ambitious and lovingly brought to life by director Joe Jo hnston\, Captain America: The First Avenger may be the latest film to jo in the Marvel cinematic universe\, but it's certainly up there with the best. And\, honestly\, who doesn't want to see a superhero film set duri ng World War Two?\n\n- Adrian Ma URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110930.html#film-2539 SUMMARY:Captain America: The First Avenger LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110930T134700Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110930T121500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20110930T121500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2538 DESCRIPTION:Move over Batman and Superman. There’s a new superhero on the block who will uphold justice\, defend the innocent and save damsels in distress. This is far from your average superhero film\, however\; Grif f the Invisible is a charming and witty film from Australian first time writer-director Leon Ford about the greatest superpower of all: love.\n\ nGriff (Kwanten) is a perpetual dreamer that appears by day to be your a verage\, shy customer liaison officer who is bullied and picked on by hi s co-workers. By night\, however\, he becomes the spandex-clad protector of neighbourhoods known as ‘G The Invisible’ who roams the streets in h is on-going fight against injustice and evil. His overprotective brother (Brammall) does not approve of his ‘superhero’ behaviour and\, in an at tempt to bring Griff back down to Earth\, introduces him to his girlfrie nd Melody (Dermody).\n\nMelody\, a self-proclaimed scientist\, soon beco mes fascinated with Griff’s superhero secret and it isn’t too long befor e Griff’s world too is turned upside down. Together\, they attempt to fa ce reality and overcome the obstacles of Griff’s superhero identity in o rder to give themselves a chance at a ‘happily ever after’.\n\nGriff the Invisible is a wonderfully crafted Australian film that sheds light on the world of ‘real’ superheroes and the all-too-fluid concept of reality . Be sure to concentrate when watching this film though\, as Griff may j ust disappear. \n\n\n\n\n- Larissa Cook URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20110930.html#film-2538 SUMMARY:Griff the Invisible LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111001T113200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111001T100000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111001T100000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2540 DESCRIPTION:From the tagline alone – ‘She doesn’t give an F’ – it’s clear that Elizabeth (Diaz) is the model of a bad teacher: vain\, alcoholic\, disorganised and abusive. When along comes wealthy and attractive teach er Scott (Timberlake)\, Elizabeth is suddenly motivated to change her wa ys in order to woo the new addition to the staffroom. Also vying for Sco tt’s affection\, however\, is fellow teacher and rival Amy (Lucy Punch). Chuck in funnyman Segel in the role of the lovable-yet-slack gym teache r Russell\, who is trying to romance the gorgeous Elizabeth\, and you ha ve one seriously complicated ‘love rectangle’. Luckily for the children\ , Elizabeth is not completely irresponsible. Discovering that she’ll rec eive a financial bonus if her class registers the highest test score in the State\, Elizabeth sets out to do everything it takes to win. \n\nDir ected by Jake Kasdan\, this comedy breaks the conventional school movie stereotype\, delivering a raunchy tale about adults behaving like childr en. The film undoubtedly exploits Diaz’s sex appeal but a little naughti ness works well for a film that’s about romance in a decidedly unromanti c workplace. While flicks like these can be a bit hit-and-miss\, Bad Tea cher delivers some genuine laughs. In addition to the two charismatic le ads\, Segel delivers a solid performance in what little time he’s given on-screen\, as does Phyllis Smith as Elizabeth’s unlikely friend Lynn. \ n\nUnashamedly vulgar yet enjoyably light hearted\, Bad Teacher will cer tainly get you thinking\, ‘What about the children?!’\n\n\n\n\n- Ruohan Zhao URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111001.html#film-2540 SUMMARY:Bad Teacher LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111001T132200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111001T114700Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111001T114700Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2541 DESCRIPTION:'Why don't you wish in one hand\, and s**t in the other? See which one fills up first.'\n\n\nAnd that is one of the more polite lines in this filthy adult Christmas carol. From the twisted mind of director Terry Zwigoff comes a yuletide film that has vomited all over the front of its fluffy red suit. \n\n\nBilly Bob Thornton is Willie\, an alcohol ic\, lecherous\, vulgar safe cracker who\, with his foul-mouthed Christm as elf\, Marcus (Tony Cox)\, rob department stores every Christmas. This Christmas\, however\, things might be a little different since a very s pecial kid (Brett Kelly) has taken a shine to him and Willie has also so mehow attracted the interest of a very naughty girl with Santa issues (G raham). Supported by the late\, great Bernie Mac as a private eye that w ants in on the racket and John Ritter (in his last screen role) as a bef uddled store manager\, Bad Santa is so foul it is funny.\n\n\nThornton w as allegedly drunk for most for the shooting of the film and that just m akes his performance all the more enjoyable. A true holiday classic for the dirty old man (or woman) in all of us\, I dare you not to find it ra ucously funny and downright satisfying to see a drunk Santa punch his el f in the balls.\n\n\n- Daniel Eisenberg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111001.html#film-2541 SUMMARY:Bad Santa LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111005T105100Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111005T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111005T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2542 DESCRIPTION:Many years before “Underbelly” became a buzzword for Australi an TV drama re-enactments of life in Melbourne and Sydney’s criminal und erworlds\, English novelist Graham Greene wrote “Brighton Rock”\, a grit ty portrayal of the life of a young teenage hoodlum named ‘Pinkie’. Set originally in 1939\, between the First and Second World Wars\, and first filmed in 1947 with Richard Attenborough in the lead role\, this 2010 i nterpretation transplants the story to the 1960s\, amidst the gangland w ars between the British ‘mods’ and ‘rockers’.\n\nThe film serves as scre enwriter Rowan Joffe’s first directorial effort and he’s aided by a tale nted cast made up of both up-and-comers and veterans. Sam Riley provides tension and menace in the central role of Pinkie\, a desperate petty mu rderer and criminal gang leader who seduces an innocent waitress named R ose (Riseborough\, another rising star) in an attempt to silence her aft er she happens upon incriminating evidence linking Pinkie and his gang t o a revenge killing. \n\nHelen Mirren and John Hurt add their considerab le weight to the drama\, playing friends of Rose who try to look after h er. Phil Davis\, a mainstay of Mike Leigh’s films\, also provides his di stinctive touch in a supporting role. All in all\, a stylishly atmospher ic and ominous re-interpretation of Greene’s novel.\n\n\n\n\n- John Roge rs URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111005.html#film-2542 SUMMARY:Brighton Rock LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111007T105100Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111007T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111007T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2543 DESCRIPTION:Eric Bana continues his attempt at making a name for himself internationally as ‘that crazy-come-angry tough guy in high concept acti on flicks’ (which admittedly to date only really includes Star Trek and\ , at a bit of a stretch for different reasons\, Hulk\, Munich and The Ot her Boleyn Girl). This time around he plays a crazy ex-CIA bloke who has hidden away in the snowy wilderness of Finland\, training his daughter Hanna (Ronan) to be the ultimate assassin in order to exact his revenge on corrupt CIA agent Marissa Wiegler (Blanchett).\n\nNow seventeen\, Han na has had no real contact with the outside world since she was two year s old. Setting out to kill Wiegler\, she mistakenly kills a body double and is forced on the run. Using a fake cover provided by her father\, Ha nna goes on the road with an unsuspecting couple – Sebastian (Jason Flem yng) and Rachel (Olivia Williams) – whose child she has befriended\, and slowly unravels the mystery of her family’s history.\n\nHanna is a tens e European action-thriller from director Joe Wright who is best known fo r his dramatic films\, Atonement and Pride & Prejudice. He brings with h im an excellent sense for storytelling\, one that is frequently absent f rom tentpole action releases\, and manages to handle the action admirabl y (hardly a surprise as a number of the more breathtaking scenes in Aton ement certainly hinted he was capable of stepping over to the genre). Es sential viewing for anyone who enjoyed the Bourne films and action/thril ler fans generally. \n\n\n\n\n- Adam Gould URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111007.html#film-2543 SUMMARY:Hanna LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111007T125500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111007T110600Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111007T110600Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2544 DESCRIPTION:The second of the film trilogy based on the Robert Ludlum nov els of the same name\, The Bourne Supremacy picks up from The Bourne Ide ntity with Jason Bourne (Damon) attempting to live a new life with girlf riend Marie (Potente). Putting it delicately to avoid spoilers for those of you who have yet to see it\, another botched assassination attempt l aunches Bourne back into the topsy-turvy world of spies\, action\, decei t and betrayal – or in other words: business as usual.\n\nThe Bourne Sup remacy is an edge-of-your-seat nail-biter of the highest calibre with sp lit-second timing attributable to director Paul Greengrass’s unmistakabl e style. Matt Damon\, as usual\, is impeccable and one of the most relia ble actors working today. Brian Cox\, Karl Urban\, Julia Stiles and Joan Allen round out the cast and make worthy antagonists and allies. Unfort unately\, as the second of a trilogy\, we are left without a complete re solution as Bourne ends the film still seeking answers to unresolved que stions about his identity and past.\n\nNevertheless\, this is a cracker of a movie. I know you’ve probably all seen it\, but as with the rescree ning of The Bourne Identity last semester\, a second (or third) viewing loses nothing. Come along and enjoy.\n\n\n\n\n- Bob Warn URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111007.html#film-2544 SUMMARY:The Bourne Supremacy LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111013T104200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111013T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111013T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2545 DESCRIPTION:After promoting his latest book "Certified Copy" at a press c onference\, British author James Miller (Shimell) takes an impromptu day trip with French gallery owner Elle (Binoche) through Tuscany. They disc uss art\, relationships and truth\, the latter becoming a fluid notion a s the day goes on...\n\n\nBinoche won Best Actress at Cannes last year f or this role\, and she deserved it\, as this is her best performance sin ce The English Patient. The movie is like a middle-aged Before Sunrise/S unset\, with a role-playing quirk thrown in (which I won't reveal\, but will advise that you'll need someone at the end of the movie to debate t he question 'Were they or weren't they?'). As for those among you who\, for their cinematic experiences\, like a bit of intelligence and challen ge mixed in with emotional engagement and entertainment\, this film is o ne that you will no doubt want to discuss afterwards.\n\n\nAlmost an ant i-Eat Pray Love\, it seems to me that award-winning director Abbas Kiaro stami has attempted to make an insightful comment on the fragile foundat ions that most emotional relationships - both short and long-term - are based on. All it takes\, it seems\, is for a little bit of self-absorbed indignity to start rocking the boat. Certified Copy is one of the best films released so far this year. See this with someone you either love a nd/or respect the intellect of.\n\n\n- Travis Cragg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111013.html#film-2545 SUMMARY:Certified Copy (Copie conforme) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T090600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2547 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nGoofy stars as a North Ame rican cowboy transported to Argentina to become a gaucho\, his South Ame rican counterpart. During the Second World War\, the US Government felt it would be wise to strengthen ties with Latin America\, and this short (derived from the short feature Soludos Amigos) was a result of Walt Dis ney's government-sponsored goodwill tour of the region.\n\n- URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111014.html#film-2547 SUMMARY:El Gaucho Goofy (Short Film) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T110400Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T090600Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T090600Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2548 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nThe year is 1873 and\, in the Arizona desert\, a stranger (Craig) with amnesia awakens. With the o nly clue to his identity a strange\, futuristic shackle on his wrist\, h e wanders into the nearby town of Absolution\, ruled over by the iron-wi lled Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). When spaceships piloted by extra-terrestr ials suddenly and violently attack\, however\, the stranger the town ini tially rejected soon becomes their only hope for salvation. Aided by an elusive traveller (Wilde)\, he joins forces with former enemies - includ ing Dolarhyde\, local outlaws and Apache warriors - in order to survive a showdown against an enemy unlike anything they've ever known.\n\n\nDir ected by Iron Man's Jon Favreau\, and produced by a remarkable collectio n of directors in their own right (including Ron Howard and Steven Spiel berg)\, it should come as no surprise that the film is a visual and spec ial effects treat. Scenes of dusty\, sepia-tinted western towns being bl own apart by blue-toned\, phosphorous spacecraft easily join the ranks o f 'things I never thought I'd see' and are simply a sensation to behold. \n\n\nCraig\, in steely 'Bond' mode\, is solid as the film's mysterious lead and Ford has fun as the grizzled\, temperamental Dolarhyde. But whi le there are also plenty of acting chops on offer - in the form of suppo rts Sam Rockwell and Paul Dano - this is\, first and foremost\, a summer blockbuster of the highest degree. Unashamedly\, the ultimate name of t he game is quality action and special effects\, and on both counts Cowbo ys & Aliens delivers.\n\n- Bryan Pike URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111014.html#film-2548 SUMMARY:Cowboys & Aliens LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T125200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T111500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111014T111500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2546 DESCRIPTION:Lucy (Browning) is a university student living a distant\, ap athetic life. Embarking on numerous endeavours to make money (including a research experiment which opens the film and sets a confronting vibe t hat reverberates throughout)\, Lucy treats herself with an indifferent\, self-destructive attitude. Her one friend\, Birdmann (Leslie)\, is an a lcoholic and it is only with him that she is able to engage on some kind of emotional level.\n\n\nThroughout the course of the increasingly surr eal film\, Lucy's new job - that of a Sleeping Beauty\, a girl rendered unconscious and placed naked in a room for clients to do whatever they w ish to - becomes more and more disturbing for both the viewer and Lucy\, as she starts to question what is happening to her while she is asleep. \n\n\nThis is the first film from acclaimed writer Julia Leigh\, who was personally mentored by fellow director Jane Campion (The Piano)\, and m arks the entry of an interesting and unafraid director. Emily Browning s teps back from her Sucker Punch role to deliver a brave performance that is simultaneously beautiful\, devastating and utterly riveting. Sleepin g Beauty is not for the faint-hearted\, but\, as a film that focuses on some of the darker portions of human nature\, will stay with the viewer long after it has ended.\n\n\n- Alex Henry URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111014.html#film-2546 SUMMARY:Sleeping Beauty LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111015T110200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111015T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111015T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2549 DESCRIPTION:It is fitting that Robert Redford’s latest directorial effort \, The Conspirator\, should be the debut film of the American Film Compa ny\, a company formed to produce films specifically about American histo ry. Indeed\, the film is set against the backdrop of a volatile post-Civ il War Washington\, in the wake of one of the most infamous moments in A merican history: the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. \n\nAft er eight people are arrested in connection with the assassination and ch arged with conspiring to murder the President\, Vice President and Secre tary of State\, rookie lawyer Frederick Aiken (McAvoy) reluctantly agree s to defend the only woman arrested\, Mary Surratt (Wright). Surratt own ed the boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and others met to plan the ir respective assassinations. Though initially believing Surratt to be g uilty\, Aiken gradually uncovers the shocking truth behind her arrest. I n the face of an enraged nation desperate for revenge\, Aiken must find a way to save Surratt’s life and ensure that true justice is served.\n\n Based on a true story\, the film brings together an all-star cast\, whic h includes McAvoy\, Wright\, Kline\, Tom Wilkinson\, Danny Houston\, Ale xis Bledel\, Evan Rachel Wood and Justin Long\, among many other familia r faces. If you love American history\, or are fascinated by the legal\, political\, social and moral ramifications of the Lincoln assassination \, then come along to the ANU Film Group to experience a first-class cou rtroom drama.\n\n\n\n\n- Majella Carmody URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111015.html#film-2549 SUMMARY:The Conspirator LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111015T132500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111015T111700Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111015T111700Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2550 DESCRIPTION:--------------------------------------------------\n\n\n** AN UFG 45th Anniversary Screening **\n\n\nThe ANU Film Group first began re gular screenings in 1966 - 45 years ago - in the Physics Lecture Theatre on the ANU campus. Since then\, the ANUFG has since seen a venue change (to the current Coombs Theatre) and multiple upgrades to our screen\, p rojectors and sound system\, in addition to reaching a record high of ov er 2000 members in 1999.\n\n\nTo Kill a Mockingbird was one of the first films screened by the Group in 1966 (programmes published at the time s till exist\, and are archived at the National Library) and is being re-s creened this semester in commemoration of our 45th year. \n\n\n--------- -----------------------------------------\n\n\nTowards the end of his li fe\, Gregory Peck described To Kill a Mockingbird - which won him a Best Actor Academy Award in 1962\, pushing out Peter O'Toole\, nominated for his debut role in Lawrence Of Arabia and beginning his run as the most nominated person never to win - as his favourite of his many films and t he one of which he was most proud.\n\n\nAnd it is easy to see why. His d ignified and inspirational portrayal of Atticus Finch\, the stalwart and quietly principled Southern US lawyer defending a black man against a c harge of raping a white woman\, set the tone for all such similar narrat ives and has never been bettered. The film arrived at just the right poi nt in history to make a significant contribution to changing attitudes i n support of President John F. Kennedy's human rights campaign aimed at the desegregation of the then-bigoted southern social order.\n\n\nAdapte d from writer Harper Lee's 1960 mega-selling Pulitzer Prize-winning nove l of the same name\, the story is told by Finch's young daughter 'Scout' (Mary Badham) who is initially oblivious to what is occurring about her but soon earns a new measure of respect for her placid\, unassuming fat her. Noteworthy also is that this was Robert Duvall's first role in a fe ature film.\n\n\nTo Kill a Mockingbird is a beautifully paced\, exquisit e rendition of 1930s southern America and a very worthy 'book-end' to Ge t Low\, Duvall's latest role\, also set in the American South and on the programme this semester. Movies simply do not get better than this - NO T to be missed.\n\n\n- Bob Warn URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111015.html#film-2550 SUMMARY:To Kill a Mockingbird LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111016T084600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111016T070000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111016T070000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2552 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\n** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BE YOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING HAS BEEN POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DATE AND WILL NOW BE SCREENING ON SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER AT 6 PM. FOR MORE DETAILS\, CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/6472/screening-cha nge-soul-surfer-priest-on.html[HERE].**\n\n\nThe 'underdog sporting triu mph' formula is foolproof - so foolproof\, I imagine\, that many writers and directors feel it's cheating to use it unless it's based on a true story. This true story involves Bethany Hamilton (Robb)\, a teenage Hawa iian whose arm is bitten off by a shark but who nevertheless goes on to become a surf champion.\n\n\nI liked the movie much more than I liked it s heroine. To be honest\, I was on the side of Malina\, the 'bad' surfer (Sonya Balmores\, who obligingly never wears any colour other than blac k) - Bethany is so chirpy and upbeat and blonde that you're grateful for a counterweight. Either way\, a conclusion has been contrived (presumab ly by real events) that allows us to exult\, regardless of which surfer we were pegging for.\n\n\nOver the end credits we see the real Bethany\, who could scarcely be less like the actress playing her: she has all th e charming geekishness of a teenager with a hobby\, and it's no longer a mystery why everyone seems to like her.\n\n\nI can't avoid mentioning t hat she's a Christian\, who made it a condition of granting screen right s that her faith not be downplayed. I dreaded the kind of film that coul d result from this\, but my fears were unrealised: despite the presence of a preacher as Bethany's mentor\, Soul Surfer itself does not preach. (Even the preacher scarcely preaches. I was surprised to find her the ea siest character to like\, in a Julie Andrews sort of way.)\n\n- Henry Fi tzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111016.html#film-2552 SUMMARY:Soul Surfer LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111016T102800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111016T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111016T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2551 DESCRIPTION:** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL\, THIS SCREENING H AS BEEN POSTPONED FROM ITS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DATE AND WILL NOW BE SCR EENING ON SUNDAY 16 OCTOBER AT 8 PM. FOR MORE DETAILS\, CLICK http://www .anufg.org.au/read/6472/screening-change-soul-surfer-priest-on.html[HERE ].**\n\n\nBased on a Korean graphic novel of the same name\, Priest star s Paul Bettany as a nameless Warrior Priest who learns of his niece's (L ily Collins) kidnapping by vampires\, goes into exile and breaks his vow s in order to rescue her. Deftly mashing together the Western genre with horror and action elements\, this is a one-of-a-kind apocalyptic action movie\, mixing religious themes with martial arts and a whole lot of ki lling.\n\n\nDirector Scott Stewart was a senior staffer at a visual effe cts company and it shows\, with a wealth of stunning CGI and special eff ects shots on display. The eye-candy includes a Blade Runner-esque city under totalitarian dominance by the all-powerful Church\, a wasteland wi th massive statues\, remnants of a world before the Vampire Wars\, and a fast-paced\, breakneck train ride.\n\n\nFor action buffs\, the movie ha s plenty to offer\, as physics are broken with abandon and fights happen with great regularity. The alternate world of the film is also inhabite d by some welcome faces: Bettany's character is accompanied on his quest by his niece's sheriff boyfriend (Gigandet) and a former Priestess (Mag gie Q)\, while Karl Urban is suitably menacing as the Priest's primary o pponent\, a mysterious ex-Priest who now fights on the side of the vampi res.\n\n\nFor an easy night's entertainment\, Priest has a lot going for it: sleek visuals\, a fast-paced\, genre-blending storyline and well-ch oreographed action by the bucket load. Best of all\, at less than 90 min utes in length\, the film does not outstay its welcome.\n\n\n- Alex Henr y URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111016.html#film-2551 SUMMARY:Priest LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111019T101600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111019T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111019T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2553 DESCRIPTION:A French documentary team chooses four newborn babies in four locations – San Francisco\, Tokyo\, Mongolia and Namibia – and follows each one through the first year of its life.\n\nI admire their nerve. Th is kind of thing requires a huge investment of time and resources\, and the return on this investment will be hundreds of hours of footage that only might contain a story. If there’s no story\, the producers still ha ve to release a movie. I think this is what happened: the hoped-for reve lation that would tie everything together never arrived\, but is in itse lf an interesting result\, fascinating to watch play out on the screen. \n\nIt turns out that there’s nothing particularly enlightening or amazi ng that happens in the first year of a child’s life. Or rather\, there i s\, but it’s all happening inside the child\, invisible to cameras at th is stage. Across different cultures\, the babies all resemble one anothe r\; the parents all resemble one another (with the exception of fathers – and the main difference here is that the American and Japanese fathers are present most of the time\, while I’m not sure we ever see the Namib ian father)\; even the other animals featured in the film resemble one a nother (and the babies). Basically\, this is a nature documentary\, but with a focus on domestic animals like humans\, rather than wild animals. There’s even music by Bruno Callais\, who seems to have scored every Fr ench nature documentary since 1996. I think he’s required to by law.\n\n \n\n\n- Henry Fitzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111019.html#film-2553 SUMMARY:Babies (Bébés) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111020T105400Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111020T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111020T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2554 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\n** DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BE YOND OUR CONTROL\, 'GREEN LANTERN' WILL NOW BE SCREENING ON THURSDAY 20 OCTOBER AT 8 PM. FOR MORE DETAILS\, CLICK http://www.anufg.org.au/read/6 479/recent-screening-changes.html[HERE]. **\n\n\nImitation is the sincer est form of flattery. Pioneering science-fiction author E.\n\n\nE. "Doc" Smith wrote a series of classic space opera novels about the Lensmen\, an interplanetary police force who use their coruscating coloured lenses to amplify their thoughts into tangible outcomes. By comparison\, the G reen Lantern Corps of the DC comic book series are an interplanetary pol ice force who use their green coloured rings to amplify their thoughts i nto tangible outcomes. \n\n\nLike many superhero films before it\, Green Lantern is an origin story\, chronicling the evolution of Hal Jordan (R eynolds) from a cocky and frivolous test pilot to a responsible defender of truth\, justice and the American way from the evil intergalactic vil lain Parallax (Sarsgaard).\n\n\nIn order to bring the numerous worlds of the Green Lantern universe to life\, the production utilised computer-g enerated effects to a level that essentially dwarfed the efforts of all existing superhero films. This caused a slight ruckus amongst fanboys of the original comic\, who were horrified that Hal Jordan's Green Lantern costume would not be made of traditional fabric\, but instead generated by CG throughout the film. One benefit of this approach\, however\, was that the ever-reliable Geoffrey Rush was able to be included in the fil m after principal photography was finished\, since his character of Toma r-Re was to be completely computer generated - placing Rush in good comp any amongst an already-talented cast including Lively\, Tim Robbins\, Ma rk Strong\, Angela Bassett and Michael Clarke Duncan.\n\n\nPart science- fiction space opera\, part superhero epic\, Green Lantern is a sensation al and lavishly produced film that needs to be seen to be believed.\n\n- Richard Hills URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111020.html#film-2554 SUMMARY:Green Lantern LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111021T103700Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111021T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111021T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2555 DESCRIPTION:Dale Arbus (Day)\, Kurt Buckman (Sudeikis) and Nick Hendricks (Bateman) are three friends who come to the conclusion that their lives would be a whole lot less miserable if they each killed their respectiv e bosses. They enlist a ‘murder consultant’ (Jamie Foxx) from a seedy ba r (where else?) and start their mission… with catastrophic – though not always intentionally – effect.\n\nThe result is Horrible Bosses\, a hila rious romp featuring a star-studded cast – Kevin Spacey\, Jennifer Anist on and a near-unrecognisable Colin Farrell star as the titular targets – entertaining a fantasy most people have dreamed of at least once or twi ce (don’t deny it). Their mishaps along the way are both numerous and am using\, as the audience roots for them in their effort to ‘take care’ of a smarmy corporate businessman (Spacey)\, a slimy company heir (Farrell ) and\, much to the other two friends’ bemusement\, a sultry dentist (An iston) who constantly sexually harasses Dale.\n\nThe talent on display i s a veritable who’s who of great comedians\, especially among the three murderers-in-the-making\, all of whom have had outstanding comedic runs on television. Director Seth Gordon of King of Kong documentary fame ens ures that the film’s outrageous plot proceeds with a light\, humorous to uch and that the cast – A-lister or otherwise – bring their A-game to wh at is one of the funniest films of the year.\n\n\n\n\n- Alex Henry URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111021.html#film-2555 SUMMARY:Horrible Bosses LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111021T123600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111021T105200Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111021T105200Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2556 DESCRIPTION:As a result of cutbacks arising from the Global Financial Cri sis\, three high-flying\, obscenely wealthy corporate executives at fict ional company GTX are faced with the unthinkable: being unemployed.\n\n\ nFor Bobby Walker (Affleck)\, unemployment means losing the taken-for-gr anted trappings of his former life\, to the detriment of his wife and so n. Phil Woodard (Cooper)\, on the other hand\, reacts with anger and hop elessness\; the pervasive joblessness throughout the country coupled wit h his age means that he will likely never work again. The fall is furthe st\, however\, for Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) who essentially built GTX from the ground up. Over the course of a year\, the varying ways the three men cope results in a film that is both tragic and uplifting.\n\n \nA fitting companion piece to the factual documentary Inside Job (also screening this semester)\, The Company Men is a solid first feature from writer-director John Wells. The cast is exceptional\, with my only quib ble that the three main characters are so inherently unlikeable that it can be hard to sympathise with them at times. If anything\, the film's t rue hero would have to be Costner's relatively minor role as Bobby's dow n-to-earth brother-in-law\, who offers him work as a carpenter.\n\n\nOn the other hand\, if you enjoy a truly hiss-able villain then the downsiz ing CEO of GTX\, James Salinger (Craig T. Nelson)\, is it. After a ruthl ess cost-benefit analysis\, Salinger then lacks the guts to fire the thr ee executives himself and instead delegates the dirty deed to his mortif ied HR manager (Maria Bello).\n\n\n- Richard Hills URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111021.html#film-2556 SUMMARY:The Company Men LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111022T083400Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111022T070000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111022T070000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2557 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nAs a child\, Tom Popper ne ver saw much of his adventurer dad\, who spent most of his time travelli ng the world. Now\, as an adult\, Tom (Carrey) is a driven and successfu l realtor\, who unfortunately has trouble keeping track of the important things in life – including his divorced wife (Gugino) and two children. When his father dies\, he unexpectedly leaves Tom a crate containing a single penguin sent all the way from Antarctica. Due to a minor shipping issue\, however\, more penguins eventually arrive and before he knows i t Tom has not just one\, but six penguins on his hands. Tom soon finds t hat the cold creatures may be just the key to warming up his relationshi p with his family\, and goes all out to turn his pristine Manhattan apar tment into a snowy winter wonderland – all whilst attempting to juggle h is job\, a zoo official (Clark Gregg) bent on getting the birds and the possibility of even more penguins on their way.\n\nGiven the film’s subj ect matter and target audience\, you’d expect Carrey’s performance to be more typically unrestrained\; but he keeps it surprisingly low-key\, in stead allowing the spotlight to shine on his black-and-white scene-steal ing co-stars. And just in case you were wondering\, the penguins on-scre en are in fact real Gentoo penguins\; the film was shot on a refrigerate d soundstage\, with computer-generated counterparts only employed for tr ickier shots. With a level of dedication and heart that most films of th e ‘family comedy’ genre distinctly lack\, Mr. Popper’s Penguins makes fo r an enchanting time at the movies for you and your loved ones – avian o r otherwise.\n\n\n\n- Adrian Ma URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111022.html#film-2557 SUMMARY:Mr. Popper’s Penguins LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111022T104500Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111022T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111022T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2558 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nIn present day San Francis co\, Will Rodman (Franco) has created a drug that helps the brain to rep air itself\, a potential cure for Alzheimer's disease. Excited at the po ssibilities\, he begins conducting tests on apes\, beginning with a sing le test subject named Caesar. Will takes Caesar home to monitor his prog ress and quickly discovers that the drug does more than just repair brai ns\; it can improve them too. Caesar's brain mutates and increases his c ognitive ability to that of human intelligence.\n\n\nUpon presenting his findings\, Will is forced to return Caesar to the company's labs for fu rther testing\, and the research then goes horribly wrong. Now suffering at the hands of his new carers\, Caesar escapes from captivity and rele ases Will's drug to all the other apes at the facility. The mutation spr eads rapidly amongst apes all across the city and\, soon enough\, they r ise up to begin their revolution for supremacy\, igniting a war between humans and the apes.\n\n\nRise of the Planet of the Apes is not a contin uation of the previous series of films but rather an origin story for a new series\, and director Rupert Wyatt goes all out in order to ensure i ts success. He's aided by a diverse cast that includes John Lithgow\, Br ian Cox\, Slumdog Millionaire's Pinto and Harry Potter's Tom Felton\, in addition to Andy "Gollum" Serkis providing motion capture for Caesar th e ape\, and the result is a big-budget sci-fi spectacle that will appeal to fans of the original series and newcomers alike.\n\n- Matthew Aucket t URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111022.html#film-2558 SUMMARY:Rise of the Planet of the Apes LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111027T104700Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111027T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111027T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2559 DESCRIPTION:To call Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People\, Tristram Shandy\, 9 Songs) an eclectic director is somewhat of an understatement . His latest film\, initially a six part TV series edited down into film ic form\, sees him taking on the role of comedic mockumentarian\, with a mple help from his two wonderful leads Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Play ing slightly exaggerated versions of themselves\, the film follows the t wo across the north of England as they set out to review fine dining est ablishments. This\, however\, is merely a delightful excuse to put two e xcellent comedians across the table from each other and riff on fame\, t heir respective careers and\, in what is the constant highlight of the f ilm\, compare celebrity impersonations. Thanks to Brydon's wealth of car icatures (Michael Caine\, Robert De Niro\, Al Pacino\, and Billy Connoll y to name few) and Coogan's deadpan reactions (and a smattering of impre ssions of his own) these scenes will have you in tears of laughter.\n\n\ nBeyond the raw frivolity of the whole experience\, a certain amount of pathos is sprinkled throughout the film in comparing the (semi) fictiona l life of the big shot but isolated celebrity of Coogan with the more hu mble\, but happy\, Brydon. Winterbottom never lets this get in the way o f a good laugh though and the film is consistently hilarious. So if you' ve ever wondered whether comedians are still funny even if you're just s tuck in a car or a restaurant with them\, The Trip clearly answers yes.\ n\n\n- Daniel Eisenberg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111027.html#film-2559 SUMMARY:The Trip LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T111800Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2560 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nFollowing in the existenti al and philosophical tradition of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odysse y\, celebrated filmmaker Terrence Malick’s latest opus is a musing on th e meaning of life and existence. Within the narrative of a Midwestern fa mily and their struggles in the 1950s\, the film interweaves an epic acc ount of the beginning of the universe and life on Earth\, addressing the human condition with the emotion and poignancy people have come to expe ct from Malick.\n\nSean Penn plays Jack O’Brien\, a man undergoing a dee p existential crisis while trying to repair a strained relationship with his father (Pitt). His memories of his childhood and the contradictory natures of his parents make up much of the narrative. His mother\, playe d by Jessica Chastain\, is a creature of grace\, carefree and empathetic \, whereas Jack’s father follows the way of nature: a stern man convince d of the need for fierce will to survive. Both occupy Jack’s world as he tries to make sense of his place after losing the innocence of childhoo d.\n\nThe Tree of Life has been overwhelmingly applauded for its technic al and artistic quality: Alexander Desplat’s score adds a melancholic\, wondrous tone to the imagery on display\, ranging from incredible shots of nature\, to cosmic images of the universe’s creation and the mundane beauty of the O’Brien suburban home.\n\nA definite contender for next ye ar’s Oscars\, The Tree of Life has already won the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year and is a must-see for any cinemagoer.\n\n\n\n- Alex Henry URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111028.html#film-2560 SUMMARY:The Tree of Life LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T114200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T113300Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T113300Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2561 DESCRIPTION:Four ghosts decide to have a little fun at the expense of pro fessional "Ghostbusters" Mickey\, Donald and Goofy. This was made at the height of the Disney characters' popularity\, and it's great fun\, with every character (even the ghosts) contributing to the wacky silliness.\ n\n\n- URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111028.html#film-2561 SUMMARY:Lonesome Ghosts (Short Film) LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T132400Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T114200Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111028T114200Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2562 DESCRIPTION:The Lamberts have just moved into a big new house. Renai (Byr ne) is a stay-at-home mum and part-time composer\, while Josh (Wilson) i s a teacher\; together they have three children\, including a newborn. A fter a few strange noises on the baby monitor\, along with some creaking ceilings and one comatose child\, their nice life begins to unravel...\ n\n\nAfter I saw this\, I described it to friends as a cross between The Sixth Sense and Paranormal Activity\, with a little bit of Poltergeist and The Orphanage thrown in. Such a description demonstrates that there isn't much original here\, but it's still a lot of fun\, particularly if you like atmospheric thrillers filled with creaking doors (honestly\, d on't they have WD-40 over in America?) and empathic scores. There's also some unintentional fun\; with former 90s ABC Saturday morning "Recovery " classmates Leigh Whannell (who wrote the screenplay) and Angus Sampson appearing as two Ghostbusters-like paranormal agents\, and a demon who looks too much like Darth Maul to be taken seriously.\n\n\nCreated by Wh annell and Wan (the Aussie team behind Saw)\, and produced by Oren "Para normal Activity" Peli\, Insidious has enough boos and jumps - as well as an interesting-enough explanation towards the end that doesn't unravel that much under scrutiny - to be worth a scary night out at Coombs.\n\n\ n- Travis Cragg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111028.html#film-2562 SUMMARY:Insidious LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111029T112600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111029T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111029T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2563 DESCRIPTION:After graduating from the University of Mississippi\, Eugenie “Skeeter” Phelan (Stone) returns home to find that local snob Hilly Hol brook (Howard) has initiated a bill to segregate bathrooms used by emplo yers and ‘the Help’ – their African American servants. An aspiring write r\, Skeeter decides to interview the previously unheard women\, in order to give them a voice to speak out on their struggles in their own words . Initially rejected by both her own community and the maids\, Skeeter f inds that she must work to break down more than ethnic and social barrie rs in order to gain their trust and\, ultimately\, their scandalous tale s.\n\nDirected by first-timer Tate Taylor from his own adaptation of Kat hryn Stockett’s novel of the same name\, The Help is a delightful and em powering film about the never-ending struggle for equal racial rights\, set against the backdrop of the deep and ingrained racism of 1960s Missi ssippi. Although at first glance a drama heavy on sensitive and powerful issues\, the film is lightened by comedic touches\, aided largely by Em ma Stone\, fresh off her success in last year’s runaway and star-making hit Easy A. The incredibly sassy Stone handles the role of the charismat ic and fearless Skeeter with aplomb\, while Howard imbues her character with more than enough abhorrence for us to love to hate her. \n\nA sweet and stirring tale\, The Help will leave you smiling as the credits roll .\n\n\n\n\n- Ruohan Zhao URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111029.html#film-2563 SUMMARY:The Help LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111029T133600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111029T114100Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111029T114100Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2564 DESCRIPTION:Some movies date with amazing rapidity – not aesthetically\, as they remain enjoyable to watch\, but psychologically. Rebel Without a Cause is the kind of thing I have in mind: well made\, involving and no thing whatever wrong with it except that it’s informed by such a weird s ub-Freudian idea of how humans behave that it might as well be showing u s a different species. There aren’t many films like this\, and maybe it was just the prevalence of crackpot theories of psychology in the 20th C entury (from Freud to Skinner) that accounts for them. In any case\, Bab y Doll is the best example I can think of. \n\nBased on a Tennessee Will iams play about a nineteen-year-old sexual tease (Baker) who has a contr act with her husband (Malden) to consummate their marriage on her twenti eth birthday\, the story follows the destructive tensions she unleashes in both her husband and his rival\, a newly-arrived business magnate (Wa llach). It’s overheated and lurid\; it’s like seeing what human beings w ould be like if they’d been grown with artificial haste in greenhouses a nd then loosed onto the world\, like so many triffids. But don’t get the impression from anything I’ve said that this is a bad movie\, or a movi e to laugh at. Elia Kazan directs with supreme confidence and skill\, an d gets his cast to lose themselves\, with conviction\, in their troglody te roles. Nominated for four Academy Awards in 1956\, this is both a fin e film and a historical curiosity\, worth seeing on both counts. \n\n\n\ n\n- Henry Fitzgerald URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111029.html#film-2564 SUMMARY:Baby Doll LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111104T103100Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111104T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111104T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2566 DESCRIPTION:Mel Gibson stars in this bittersweet comedy about a successfu l toy executive\, Walter Black\, who is kicked out by his wife one night after years of growing apart. From here\, Walter descends into a deep a lcohol-fuelled depression that seemingly has no end - until he finds a b eaver puppet discarded in a garbage skip. Deciding to take a break from reality\, Walter distances himself from the world around him by letting the puppet speak for him in all aspects of his life\, including to his f amily and in the running of his company. \n\n\nJodie Foster directs and stars as Walter's estranged wife\, whom he attempts to reconnect with th rough the beaver (voiced by Gibson\, though sounding remarkably like Ray Winstone)\, in order to ultimately bring his dysfunctional family back together. Recent publicity related to Gibson's personal life has rather overshadowed this film\, even to the extent of delaying its release\, bu t the wait was nevertheless worth it with Gibson himself in fine form\, giving an impassioned and harrowing performance. Foster is equally excel lent\, with the younger members of the cast - Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence - providing strong support. \n\n\nIn the end the film\, which given its absurd premise could easily have come off as mawkish or descen ded into broad farce\, emerges as a serious and sensitive portrayal of m ental illness\, a testament to the power of human creativity to overcome adversity. If you enjoyed similar films like Ryan Gosling's Lars and th e Real Girl\, then The Beaver will fit you like a glove.\n\n\n- Bryan Pi ke URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111104.html#film-2566 SUMMARY:The Beaver LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111104T125600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111104T111500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111104T111500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2565 DESCRIPTION:While director Darren Aronofsky may now be best known for las t year's Oscar-winning Black Swan\, it was this\, his second film\, that cemented his status as a director to watch. Based on Hubert Selby Jr's novel of the same name\, Requiem for a Dream is a tale of hopes and desp air (befitting its title) that focuses on four people with aspirations t hat eventually lead them down ugly paths of addiction and self-delusion. \n\n\nHarry (Leto) and Marion (Connelly) are lovers\, hoping to start a fashion store. Their friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) wants to make it big and treat his mother right\, while Harry's mother Sara (Burstyn) is in t he running to go on her favourite game show and takes up a strict dietin g regimen to look her best.\n\n\nThe film deals with addiction in all it s forms\, leading to the characters' downfall and eventual self-destruct ion. Aronofsky uses many creative and surrealistic techniques\, includin g multiple shots in quick succession (over three times more than usual) and progressively shortening scene lengths in order to reflect their inc reasing addictions - all leading to the harrowing final minutes that eve ry viewer will keep with them for a while.\n\n\nRequiem for a Dream is d ark and depressing but essential viewing\, thanks in large part to the f antastically disturbing performances from its cast\, particularly Bursty n\, whose performance netted her a sixth Oscar nomination. The score by Clint Mansell is instantly recognisable and the musical requiem played o ver the closing minutes is a tragic\, fitting end to a hard-to-watch yet unforgettable film.\n\n\n- Alex Henry URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111104.html#film-2565 SUMMARY:Requiem for a Dream LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111105T084900Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111105T070000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111105T070000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2567 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nFun fact: Monte Carlo was originally meant to star Nicole Kidman\, as one of four middle-aged wome n from New Jersey who decide to spice up their European holiday by prete nding to be wealthy heiresses and go off in search of rich husbands. \n\ nHollywood\, however\, decided to take a more ‘youthful’ approach and in stead cast Selena Gomez – Disney Channel mainstay\, pop singer and Justi n Bieber’s current squeeze – in the film’s lead role\, alongside a coupl e of other TV-friendly faces\, including “Gossip Girl” star Leighton Mee ster and Cory Monteith from “Glee”. And\, instead of middle-aged women f rom New Jersey\, we get three young women in Paris on a disastrous vacat ion who\, in a case of mistaken identity\, are launched into the world o f the rich and famous\, courtesy of a British heiress who happens to loo k exactly like Gomez’s character (also played by Gomez\, sporting an int eresting attempt at a British accent). \n\nThe end result is a film that should please the tween in all of us. Okay\, so maybe not everybody at the Film Group still watches “Saturday Disney”… but the recent marriage of a certain royal couple will have no doubt primed us all to believe th at far-fetched tales of everyday girls becoming princesses are\, if not possible\, then at least a little more plausible. Worst case\, you can j ust enjoy the scenic backdrops of Paris\, Budapest and Monaco\, and perh aps even get inspiration for an adventure of your own.\n\n\n\n- Gemma Ru ddick URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111105.html#film-2567 SUMMARY:Monte Carlo LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111105T104600Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111105T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111105T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2568 DESCRIPTION:Thomas McCarthy’s previous films – The Station Agent and The Visitor – cemented him as an independent writer and director with a huma nist touch and a heart-warming sense of character-driven humour\; Win Wi n is no exception.\n\nPaul Giamatti plays Mike Flaherty\, a struggling N ew Jersey attorney whose life is dragging on. He’s trying to keep his of fice open\, his family happy and his extracurricular high school wrestli ng team from continuing on their current losing streak. Through some que stionable business practices\, Mike stumbles upon troubled teen Kyle (Al ex Shaffer)\, who happens to be a great athlete and an amazing wrestler. Just when things are starting to look up for everyone\, however\, Kyle’ s mother emerges from rehab\, flat broke and demanding her son back.\n\n In the same offbeat tone as Little Miss Sunshine\, and with actors like Jeffrey Tambor and newcomer Shaffer rounding out the cast of wonderfully rich characters\, the film is an emotionally uplifting affair with a to ugh edge and thoroughly devoid of sappiness – a refreshing change from m ost comedies. While at its heart is a story often told\, it’s told here with a radical energy\, humour and warmth that elevates Win Win to a tru e winner.\n\n\n\n\n- Alex Henry URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111105.html#film-2568 SUMMARY:Win Win LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111111T110700Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111111T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111111T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2569 DESCRIPTION:Set in the near future when robot boxing is a popular sport\, Hugh Jackman plays Charlie Kenton\, a washed-up former fighter who lost his chance at winning titles when 900 kilo\, two-metre-tall steel robot s took over the ring. \n\n\nNow nothing but a struggling\, small-time fi ght promoter\, Charlie hits rock bottom just as he discovers he has an e leven-year-old son\, Max (Dakota Goyo)\, who wants to get to know his fa ther. Earning his living piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next\, Charlie comes upo n a discarded robot and reluctantly teams up with Max to rebuild and tra in their new championship contender\, giving it (and Charlie) one last s hot at a comeback.\n\n\nA unique and welcome twist on the typical sports drama\, Real Steel is a gritty\, white-knuckle action-packed ride that will appeal to young and old alike\, thanks in large part to the ever-en tertaining and likeable Jackman and dependable director Shawn Levy (Nigh t at the Museum films\, Date Night).\n\n\n- Robert Phantom URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111111.html#film-2569 SUMMARY:Real Steel LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111111T130100Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111111T111500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111111T111500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2570 DESCRIPTION:Charlie Brewster (Yelchin) is beginning his final year of hig h school and things are looking good: he's dating the most attractive gi rl in school and running with the popular crowd. Things appear to take a turn for the worse\, however\, when Jerry (Farrell) moves in next door. Though he seems like a great guy\, Jerry's arrival has conveniently coi ncided with some strange activity in the neighbourhood\, including a spa te of mysterious disappearances. With some help from his best friend\, ' Evil' Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse)\, Charlie comes to an unmistakable c onclusion: Jerry is a vampire.\n\n\nWill anyone - including Charlie's mu m (Toni Collette) - believe Charlie's theory about his new neighbour? To what lengths will Jerry go in order to keep his secret? And how will La s Vegas magician Peter Vincent (Tennant) help Charlie keep Jerry at bay? \n\n\nA thrilling blend of horror and comedy\, Fright Night marks a wel come return to the big-budget Hollywood blockbuster for Colin Farrell\, after a couple of years away filming smaller\, independent films. And it is indeed a welcome return: Farrell invigorates the screen as the myste rious Jerry\, coyly combining his dramatic and comedic abilities to grea t effect. \n\n\nDirected by Craig Gillespie\, the man responsible for 20 07's Lars and the Real Girl\, this film is a remake of the 1985 film of the same name\, and one remake that is arguably necessary\, given the cu rrently dire reputation of cinematic vampires. Fright Night couldn't hav e come at a better time.\n\n\n- Robert Bourke URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111111.html#film-2570 SUMMARY:Fright Night LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111112T110000Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111112T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111112T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2571 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nCharlotte Brontë’s best-kn own work\, her 1847 novel “Jane Eyre”\, has been the basis of countless films\, televisions series and musicals. It has in itself spawned a dive rse enough range of literature that it could even constitute a sub-genre : sequels\, prequels\, re-workings\, re-tellings\, tales told from the p erspective of other characters\, spin-offs and even films based upon the se!\n\n\nNeedless to say\, the cultural impact of Brontë’s timeless stor y has been massive. Yet\, regardless of whether you’ve seen\, read or he ard any or none of its many incarnations\, this particular adaptation – a worthy contender for the long-endeavoured ‘definitive’ version – is on e that absolutely demands viewing.\n\n\nOrphaned at an early age\, Jane Eyre is cast out of her family home and forced to spend her childhood in the strict\, cold care of the sadistic Lowood boarding school. Upon tur ning eighteen and completing her education\, Jane (a fiery Wasikowska) f inds work as a governess for the ward of Thornfield Hall’s master\, Edwa rd Rochester (Fassbender). Intuiting a kindred connection\, Jane and Roc hester soon find happiness in each other. Yet all is not as it seems: Ro chester is hiding a deep\, dark secret that threatens the very foundatio n of their relationship\, and only Jane’s resilient spirit may be able t o uncover the truth.\n\n\nVigorously spellbinding\, director Cary Fukuna ga imbues the screen with all the wild romanticism\, Gothic horror and s immering emotion of Brontë’s novel\, set against a backdrop of painterly landscapes and to a score steeped equally in tenderness and dread. Jane Eyre is not just one of the best literary adaptations ever made\, but a great film full stop.\n\n- Adrian Ma URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111112.html#film-2571 SUMMARY:Jane Eyre LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111112T130200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111112T111500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111112T111500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2572 DESCRIPTION:Fans of Lone Scherfig’s An Education rejoice! The acclaimed S wedish director returns with One Day\, an unconventional romance story c entred on the highs and lows of friendship\, love and life.\n\n\nAfter m eeting on the night of their graduation on July 15th 1988\, two friends make a pact to keep in touch. Emma (Hathaway) is a working class girl wh o dreams of changing the world\, while Dexter (Sturgess) is a wealthy ch armer who wants the world as his playground. Over a period of two decade s\, we see their triumphs and failures as their paths intersect – someti mes in person\, sometimes not – every year on the anniversary of their f irst meeting. As their lives unfold\, “Em” and “Dex” gradually realise t hat what they have been searching and hoping for may very well have been there for them all along.\n\n\nScherfig seems to have a knack for creat ing aesthetically gorgeous films: the cinematography on display here jus t oozes romance and emotion. The fast-forwarding narrative is pieced tog ether seamlessly and sweeps the audience along on a journey through life ’s obstacles\, as the two friends learn to reconcile their hopes and dre ams with reality and disappointment. Hathaway once again assumes her Bri tish accent\, and you may be forgiven for forgetting that she’s an Ameri can. Sturgess is a perfect fit as the handsome and vain Dexter\, as is C larkson as his world-weary mother. In fact\, all the actors populating t he film are note-perfect to the endearing characters created by author D avid Nicholls\, who also adapted his novel of the same name for the scre en. \n\n\nSimply put\, One Day is a must-see film for any romantic or ro mantic-at-heart\, and one that will make for an excellent (date) night o ut! \n\n\n\n\n- Ruohan Zhao URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111112.html#film-2572 SUMMARY:One Day LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111118T105200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111118T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111118T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2574 DESCRIPTION:Though comedies about two opposites undergoing a 'body swap' may seem old hat\, it has never been done as raucously and charismatical ly as in director David Dobkin's (Wedding Crashers) newest film.\n\n \n\ nWritten by the same team that unleashed The Hangover last year\, The Ch ange-Up follows Mitch (the always watchable Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman\ , dead-pan star of cult TV show "Arrested Development")\, two best frien ds who over the years have slowly drifted apart. Dave is an overworked l awyer\, husband and father of three\, while Mitch is a single\, quasi-em ployed man-child who has never met a responsibility he liked - both role s perfectly suited (at least initially) to their actors' respective comi c styles. Following a drunken night out together (and with the help of a magical fountain)\, Mitch and Dave's worlds are turned upside down when they wake up the next morning in each other's bodies. Despite the initi al freedom from their normal routines and habits\, the guys soon discove r that the grass is not always greener on the other side.\n\n\nThe comed y grows from classic fish-out-of-water scenarios and watching two great comic actors squirm by playing against type\, as their characters strugg le to avoid completely destroying each other's lives before they can fin d a way to get their old ones back. Ably supported by Olivia Wilde\, Ala n Arkin and Leslie Mann\, The Change-Up is the latest in a string of fra t-pack comedies guaranteed to raise a smile.\n\n\n- Daniel Eisenberg URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111118.html#film-2574 SUMMARY:The Change-Up LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111118T130900Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111118T111500Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111118T111500Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2573 DESCRIPTION:Roman centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) travels to Britain in o rder to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the Rome’s Ninth Legion – and his father – over twenty years prior. His father was the l ast standard bearer for the ill-fated legion and Aquila hopes to redeem his family’s honour by recovering the legion’s missing golden emblem: th e Eagle of the Ninth. Accompanied by his British slave Esca (Bell)\, Mar cus sets off beyond Hadrian’s Wall\, the northern frontier of the Roman Empire – and the edge of the known world – where the eagle standard was reportedly sighted. What ensues is an action-packed adventure as the two men uncover secret after secret on an increasingly dangerous and obsess ive quest.\n\n\nAs directed by the stalwart Kevin Macdonald (The Last Ki ng Of Scotland)\, The Eagle is less like recent CGI-fests 300 and Clash Of The Titans and more reminiscent of the gritty and sombre mood of Ridl ey Scott’s Gladiator. Unfortunately\, neither visually impressive fight sequences nor an enigmatic plot adapted from Rosemary Sutcliffe’s classi c novel can change the fact that the acting on display by one Channing T atum is occasionally cringe-worthy. Coming off as wooden and even awkwar d at times\, Tatum at least looks the part as the rugged warrior and acq uits himself somewhat in the action scenes. The supporting actors also g o some way to make up for it with some solidly mustered performances\, p articularly from the versatile Bell.\n\n\nAll in all\, an engaging old-s chool adventure laced with mystery and tension that competently throws b ack to the sword-and-sandal epics of old.\n\n\n\n\n- Ruohan Zhao URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111118.html#film-2573 SUMMARY:The Eagle LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111119T084300Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111119T070000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111119T070000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2575 DESCRIPTION:[This is a No Guests screening]\n\nWhen the evil wizard Garga mel (Azaria) discovers the location of the Smurfs' tiny village\, he cha ses them out of it and into a forbidden grotto during the mysterious and supernatural 'Blue Moon'. Falling into a magical portal\, Papa Smurf\, Smurfette\, Clumsy Smurf\, Brainy Smurf and a cluster of other adjective -named Smurfs are magically transported from the Middle Ages to modern d ay Central Park in New York City. Rescued by Patrick (Harris) and Grace Winslow (Mays)\, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their mushroo med village before Gargamel can track them down once again.\n\n\nBased o n the original Belgian comic strip and the beloved 80s children's televi sion series of the same name\, The Smurfs is the first film in the franc hise to feature a combination of live action and CGI animation\, courtes y of Sony Pictures Animation (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs). In add ition to the trusty Harris and the chameleon-esque Azaria\, the film fea tures an all-star motley crew of celebrities providing the voices for th e various Smurfs\, including Anton Yelchin\, George Lopez\, Katy Perry\, Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens and even master chef Wolfgang Puck as Che f Smurf.\n\n\nA family friendly film in every sense\, The Smurfs will de light anyone looking for laughs and little blue people.\n\n- Rob Lidgard URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111119.html#film-2575 SUMMARY:The Smurfs LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111119T104200Z DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111119T090000Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20111119T090000Z UID:anufg.org.au/films/2576 DESCRIPTION:The lovable Kevin James plays Griffin Keyes\, the kind-hearte d caretaker of the Franklin Park Zoo. While Griffin loves working at the zoo\, he is lonely\, having had his marriage proposal recently rejected by the love of his life because of his dedication to his job. Realising that he's more comfortable with a lion than a lady\, Griffin decides to leave the zoo in order to find himself a more glamorous job and a new l ife - one that he can share with the (new) girl of his dreams (Dawson). Every animal in the zoo adores Griffin\, so when they get wind of his pl an\, they panic and come up with a way for him to stay at the zoo AND fi nd a lady. Their plan\, however\, involves revealing their biggest secre t: they can talk!\n\n\nSo\, you guessed it\, the animals must now educat e Griffin on the rules of courtship and finding love... animal-style. Fe aturing the voices of Adam Sandler\, Sylvester Stallone\, Nick Nolte\, D on Rickles\, Judd Apatow\, Jon Favreau and Cher as the various zoo inhab itants\, Zookeeper is silly but satisfying fun. Will the animals be able to help Griffin seduce his dream girl and keep him employed at the zoo? Well\, you'll have to come along to Film Group to enjoy a laugh and fin d out!\n\n\n- Steven Cain URL:http://www.anufg.org.au/filminfo/20111119.html#film-2576 SUMMARY:Zookeeper LOCATION:ANU Film Group END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR