Beyond Biopic: Cooper's "Maestro" Dances with Genius & Oscar Buzz | S02E25

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First on Film and Entertainment and with
me is Peter Krauss. I'm Alex first,

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and it is an exciting time of
the year. Happy honoker to all

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our Jewish listeners. I hope that
the year ahead will be much more positive

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than what we've experienced in recent times, and our hearts go out to anybody

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and everyone that's been affected on either
side of the conflict. And having said

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all of that, it's just horrible
to behold what's happening to the world,

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Beta Grause, it is good morning, Alex, and yes, it is

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just awful. Hopefully there'll be some
sort of peace agreement and the hostages will

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be returned as soon as possible.
Absolutely, it's just diapening for a week

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after week. We speak about it, the world speaks about it, and

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unfortunately, whether there's going to be
a solution or whether we'll just be a

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disquieting type of peace, whatever it
is. Don't want any more lives lost.

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That's the key to all of this. And we also don't want to

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be pigeonholed as the enemy, which
is you know, the pr war is

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an important part of war these days, and the mistruths that have being spoken,

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I mean that that is deeply concerning, deeply concerning better. Yep,

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it is. Now let's talk about
how exciting it is and why it's exciting.

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This time of the year, we
are shown the films that are going

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to be OSCAR nominated. I know
the Oscar nominations haven't been announced, but

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a lot of the films we are
seeing. We were very fortunate you and

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I beta to attend the Nova Christmas
Party on what date was it? Thurs?

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Thursday? Was last week? Yeah, And I mean, hats off

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to Natalie Millo. She's been doing
it brilliantly for so long at Doway end

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of the film industry. When I
started, it was she and also Alan

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Finney. They were the two who
were particularly influential, and my heart goes

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out to both of them. You're
around the same era, So were they

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the two big influences on you as
a young critic? Yes, I agree

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with that. I think both of
them because of the Longford Cinema at Natalie

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rand and Allen being so important with
the Australian film institutes and then actor intel

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On. Yes. Absolutely. Now. Natalie, in her short address ahead

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of seeing a really Fine Movie,
talked about the opening imminent opening of another

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cinema Chaine. Is it Brunswick?
Did you mention I've just gone blank East

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Brunswick. Yes, six screens,
six screens, wonderful, wonderful. She

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with a partner and I'm not sure. Do you know the date in terms

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of opening early next year? I
think Christian actually said it was January eleventh.

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They pushed it back from just before
Christmas. So and it's meant to

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be a combo food and film.
So that's gonna be nice. That'll be

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lovely for people. I don't live
anywhere near there. You live with very

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very thin walls. Wherever the walls
go up, it's cardboard, isn't it.

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I think walls? That is correct? Absolutely, yes, yes,

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straight from the forest. Yeah.
Haul them on the back of a pickup

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truck that's about one hundred and three
years old. Is that what it's all

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about? Better? Exactly? God
say no, that is one of them.

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So we're seeing some magnificent movies.
I should say, there's people.

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It's interesting the gravitation is towards Boxing
Day. Now, do you think Boxing

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Day is still like does everybody rush
out those who are not going to the

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cricket, those who are not going
to the Boxing day sales, so they

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all rush out to go and see
movies on Boxing Day. Is that what

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we're supposed to believe? Yes,
because that seems to be still the biggest

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box office period from Christmas Day,
Boxing Day to New Years But because of

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the actors strike and because of the
changes in release patterns and so on,

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I think some films were pushed back
to January and so on, so that

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might increase the box office in January. Well, just for the sake of

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being true to what you've just said, let's talk about the movies in brief

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terms that are opening now. We've
seen a number of these and we can't

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there'll be some embargo, so we
can't talk about them quite yet. But

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anyone but you, which is a
Sony release. There's Aquaman and the Lost

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Kingdom, which is Warner Brothers Migration, which I believe is an animated feature

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from Universal Poor Things, which was
the movie that Peter and I saw on

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Thursday. Extraordinarry movie from Disney Studios. Wish is an animated feature from Disney

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One Life. Now I've already spoken
with you about that, Peter that I'm

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not sure have you seen that yet? That was the opening of the British

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Film Festival. Really strong film,
so Anthony Hopkins one of the featured in

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that. That opens officially on Boxing
Day after having been in the British Film

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Festival. Two Tickets to Greece from
Pallas and the new Woody Allen movie from

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Charmel Films Couter Chants. So that's
one, two, three, four,

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five, six, seven eight movie. That's that's about part of the course

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seven or eight usually each year.
And then then you've got Next Goal Wins

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on the first of January from Disney. And you've got Dream Scenario, the

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Nick Cage movie. I'm not sure
you've seen that yet, Peter, because

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that was during the day screening from
then you have seen it, Oh you

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have seen it to really okay,
So yeah there. So they're the films.

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And then you've got Ferrari, which
is Enzo Ferrari's life story, if

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you like, from Road Show on
the fourth of January, Night Swim which

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we haven't yet seen from Universal,
and this coming week we'll go to see

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The Boys in the Boat from Warner
Brothers. So they're the movies that you

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can look forward to. A number
of those, I would imagine will be

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featured prominently in some of the awards, especially Four Things, which is quite

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a remarkable movie. But let's start
today with a film that if you've got

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Netflix, you'll be able to see
this from the twentieth of December, so

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it's only today's the tenth so we're
talking about ten days away. Not bad

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at all, but if you want
to see it in the cinema, you

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can see it right now. And
I'm talking about Maestro. Now. This

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is an important movie inasmuch as it's
the follow up for Bradley Cooper as a

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director, and I mean he made
quite a splash both in terms of starring

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and directing. A Star is born. Have to believe that's now five years

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ago. Wow. And this is
a movie, Maestro, about Leonard Bernstone

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and his wife, and it's impressionistic
rather than sort of a biography in the

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traditional sense of the word. It's
It's interesting because there are a number of

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directors that were associated with this,
I think initially Martin Scorsese and then Steven

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Spielberg, and then when Spielberg pulled
out due to his work schedule, basically

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brad Cooper took it on and he
also wrote the piece with Josh Singer.

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Josh Singer has wrote an acclaimed writer. He was responsible, among other movies,

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for Spotlight, So it's got really
strong pedigree. Talking about pedigree,

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is there a better actor going around
than Kerry Mulligan. We don't see a

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lot of her. When we see
her, she's always excellent. And between

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her and Brad Cooper, you've got
really stars, absolute stars who are masters

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of their craft. This is one
hundred and twenty nine minutes in duration.

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It's em rated. And I suppose
that there isn't an American conductor composer that

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would be better known than Leonard Bernstein? Would there be? Pet I mean,

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he sort of was fated the world
over for his talent when we're talking

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about is a pianist, a teacher, and author as well as a conductor

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and composer. And for those who
don't recall when he passed away again hard

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to believe, twenty three years ago, nineteen ninety he died. He was

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born in nineteen eighty, so they
lived to the age of seventy two,

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and he enjoyed a really close and
loving relationship with his wife, who was

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a Costa Rican Chilean actress called Felicia
Monteleegra con Cohn, so there was Jewish

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heritage there. She was noted for
her theatrical roles on an off Broadway and

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for her performances in televised dramas,
but behind the scenes everything was not always

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rosy, and despite fathering three children
with Montealgra, who doated on Bernstein,

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he was more attracted to men than
women. He and his wife had an

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understanding, but there were times when
acting upon his impulses caused her frustration and

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distress. But the pair always connected
on an intellectual level and they did enjoy

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many happy times together. So this
is an artistic retelling of their lives,

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primarily focused on him, and it
starts as Bernstein gets his break, his

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big break at the age of twenty
five. That's when, due to circumstances,

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he steps in at the last moment
without reversal to lead the New York

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Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, and it
made national headlines the following day. Bernstein

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simply loved being around people he couldn't
even countenance, and I found this rather

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rather interesting. He couldn't even countenance
having the toilet door closed, so he

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was adored. He was fated wherever
he went, and he loved being the

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center of attention. Maestro paints Bernstein
as a man in constant motion, this

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bundle of pent up energy. There's
a scene towards the end of the film

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which shows him conducting an orchestra in
a cathedral with Wanton Abandon. It's draining

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a full body and mind experience and
it goes to the core of Bernstein's being.

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And as I mentioned, this is
the follow up to A Star is

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Born. It's art house in style. It's as much about look and feel,

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and I think you can read into
that bohemian lifestyle as it is about

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substance. There's a quote at the
beginning of the movie which I think sums

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it up very well as a film
as well, as Bernstein said, a

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work of art does not ques answer
questions. It provokes them. Right,

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It doesn't answer them, it provokes
them. And Cooper and Mulligan make this

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mesmerican insightful combination the start and development
of their love story. It's so natural

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that their first kiss in a dark
and old theater. There's feet, there's

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passion, there's conviction in their collective
portrayals, and Mulligan ensures Missus Bernstein is

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seen as no lightweight character. However, she takes more of a back seat

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Cooper's The show Pony. He plays
Bernstein as a man constantly in thinks for

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affirmation, which he inevitably receives.
Then forty five minutes in the mood shifts

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appreciably as Missus Bernstein calls out her
husband for quote unquote getting sloppy with an

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outward display of affection for the same
sex, and later he addresses rumors again

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in quotation marks with his eldest daughter. It's a really perfect vehicle to showcase

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Bernstein's intoxicating music. Maestro features really
well known works of gears as well as

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more niche pieces and visually, Matthew
Liberty, who was responsible for cinematography on

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the While, among many many others
in his repertoire, captures an affluent lifestyle

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with distinction. I mentioned stylistically,
it's impressionistic as a film moves from black

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and white to color to reflect time
shifts. The start of it's effectively in

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black and white and then moves to
color. Maestro then really is a feast

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for the senses. Beater I reckon
it's going to hold particular appeal to those

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with an artistic bent, and it's
in cinemas now available on Netflix on the

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twentieth of December. Did you appreciate
it and do you agree with me that

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it's not going to be an everybody's
film? I very much liked the film

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and appreciated a great deal because of
its impressionistic, as you say, approach

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to Bernstein's life rather than Burnstein.
I again, did they say I thought

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they said Bernstein, and maybe I'm
mistake. I was listening very carefully.

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It was always Bernstein Burnstein. Oh
yeah, I mean when you think of

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a Stein of beer stv. I
M you don't say Stein, but yeah.

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But names can often get mispronounced or
mangled or whatever. Spelling of names

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is an interesting one too, But
in this case, right, it is

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like beer Stein was going yeah,
okay, So look. I was very

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impressed by this. In fact,
it was a spiel and Scorsese who both

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approached Cooper to direct the film because
they were so impressed with the way he

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directed A Star Is Born. Did
think that he was going to be initially

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directed By my reading of it suggested
that it was going to be a Steven

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Spielberg film, but then he found
there was conflicts, et cetera. That's

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right, Yeah, and it's only
then that basically Tooper said to what's his

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name, Stephen Spielberg, what's his
name? Sorry, that this is my

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take on it. I've really got
a good handle on it, and he

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very much does. There's no question
about that. It's very It's highbrow stuff,

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though, isn't it. I mean, the intellectual rigor in this movie.

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Well yes, but it's also a
love story and I think that's where

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people will connect with it because it
does focus to some extent on his music,

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but it does dismiss some of his
key compositions, including the music he

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can post for on the Waterfront,
which is mentioned but not even heard,

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and there's a few other compositions he
did, although I must commend Cooper for

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only having Bernstein's music in the film. Yeah, there's no other compositions or

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anything like that. No. I
think that's it's a really brilliant representation.

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It's amazing, how because Brett there
was never any question about Brad Cooper's talent

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as an actor, but before he
did A Star is Born, nobody knew

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he could direct, and with that
there was a wonderful piece of work as

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well, and it's fascinating that this
has got a music bent. Whilst he

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obviously was aware of by West Side
Story and I was a youngster, Brad

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Cooper, I believe he didn't really
have a good handle on He had to

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do a lot of research in it. That research really shown up in this

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movie, isn't it, Peter.
That's exactly right. But don't forget he

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this shallow sequence in Star Is Born
is what convinced Spielberg to have Cooper as

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the director of Maestro. So he
knows music as well and stands and I

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like the way he uses a sort
of almost swirling camera work in a lot

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of the scenes, but also he
uses two aspect ratio, so he's a

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bit like Wes Anderson. So he
starts and finished with the normal thirty five

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mil aspect ratio, and then most
of the film is in the Academy four

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point three, which is sort of
slightly boxed in sort of ratio. And

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because I was so carried away by
the movie, I wasn't even cognisant of

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that was that aspect in both the
color and black and white or was this

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it was? It was the Academy
ratio. It first morphs into that in

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black and white, and after we've
seen the widescreen version of the first sequence

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of the film, and then it
stays in black and white in that Academy

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ratio until it then just wolfs into
color when because what happens is what Cooper

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has done is this film is about
snapshots about different time periods. So it's

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not necessarily a continuous narrative. It's
a narrative that has particular time periods and

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segments attached to it. And I
think that's what also makes it quite effective.

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And I must say the way he
treats Bernstein's bisexuality is actually quite effective

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because it shows how he also Bernstein
was torn between his sort of male and

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female designers, etc. And I
mean, I actually got the impression that,

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hey, I've got an understanding,
I can do what I want.

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So, as I said, I
thought that Kerry mulligan plays the back seat

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role and plays it extraordinarily well.
But she's somebody who doesn't want to necessarily,

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she's not backward in coming forward,
but she was happy to be behind

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the scenes and so on. But
clearly there's a pivot point in the movie

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where whereby she's had enough and I
really don't want to spoil the surprise for

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people, but when she calls him
out, she also then has an epiphany

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later on about you know, is
he that needs to change or she that

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00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:37.240
needs to change in terms of mindset? And so I was thinking, it

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00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:41.160
goes to color, what about forty
five minutes in something like that or something

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like that. Yes, yeah,
and then but then does the aspect ratio

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go to traditional cinema screen when it
goes to color? That was what I

216
00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:56.359
know. No, it stays at
academy ratio until the very last scene of

217
00:17:56.400 --> 00:18:03.000
the film, which I think was
that conducting in in London. That was

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that at the the converted the cathedral. Yes, yes, yes, that

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was an that If there's one scene
in the movie that sums up his energy,

220
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that is it. It wasn't an
extraordinary scene. It was in fact,

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he studied Bernstein's conducting methods and especially
conducting at that cathedral and you know

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what that was shot at one take? Wow. Really the the other aspect

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that they've aged him very well,
They've aged both of the actors very well.

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I thought, the do you know
which cathedral that that is in?

225
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Because it's stunning. I think I've
seen it, but I just don't don't

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recall. I honestly, I didn't
look it up either, do you know.

227
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No, it's one I've not heard
of. So it was what you

228
00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:53.400
would, Oh, I guess maybe
I haven't seen it. It's I presume

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you've. I mean you've gone to
Europe many times. But the churches,

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the cathedral rules that are amazing.
Architecturally, they are amazing, the height

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in them and the space and the
windows and so on, and it just

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I thought that was the one of
most intoxicating movies scenes in a movie I've

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seen this year. Yeah, it's
been That was really special, wasn't it.

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Yes, absolutely absolutely, I mean
the whole thing was very well directed.

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And what also impressed me is that
at the end credits, we've seen

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two things, or seeing here two
things. One is the real Leonard Bernstein.

237
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And secondly, most of the music
he composed for Candide, which is

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such a fantastic score, is featured
at the end credits. So it hats

239
00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:52.240
off to Cooper for doing that.
I just wish he had included a bit

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00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:55.359
more of some of his earlier music, including, as I mentioned, on

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the Waterfront and so on. He's
never seen without a cigarette in his hands.

242
00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:03.759
Yes, the whole I was like, oh my god, the quit

243
00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:07.400
campaign really needs to get onto this
movie. They like it is just it

244
00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:14.640
it's horrible to see as a vehement
non smoker. I understand it's reflecting a

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00:20:14.680 --> 00:20:18.400
time period. I've spoken to you
about this before, Peter, that when

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I go along to theater so often
in an enclosed space, they smoke and

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00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:30.279
it's driving me. It drives me
nuts because it stinks. And I know

248
00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:33.440
that these are herbal cigarettes, but
yes, the jury is out on whether

249
00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:40.400
they're dangerous as well. So they're
imperiling their lives as actors potentially, and

250
00:20:40.440 --> 00:20:45.279
they're imperiling our lives as people who
go along and see theater without wanting to

251
00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:51.119
get a gobthap. So it's interesting. I mean, I don't they don't

252
00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:56.039
contain anything carcinogenic, goes Herbal Reino, So yeah, no, they're quite

253
00:20:56.039 --> 00:21:00.640
safe because they're used a lot in
movies and so on, and and I

254
00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:06.160
don't think there's any problem with them, but it's I don't. Can you

255
00:21:06.200 --> 00:21:10.880
think of a movie where there was
smoked more I can't than Maestro, Oh

256
00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:15.440
my goodness, Romance and cigarettes comes
to mind immediately. Okay, well,

257
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was there a character that didn't smoke
in my stroke like a right of passage,

258
00:21:22.359 --> 00:21:26.759
wasn't it? He was, But
unfortunately there's the sad aspect of that

259
00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:33.319
in Dancer Carry Mulligan. Yeah,
well not just Carry Mulligan, her character

260
00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:34.359
me. No, yeah, but
no, no, no, not not

261
00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:41.680
just it was Also, if I'm
not mistaken, didn't Burnstone dire mesothelioma,

262
00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:47.640
which again could have been contributed to
by cigarettes. Yes, I might be,

263
00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:52.799
but because he died well, relatively
young at seventy two, as mentioned

264
00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:56.799
at the outset. It's interesting how
much conversation this movie does spark because there

265
00:21:56.799 --> 00:22:02.680
are so many aspects to it.
Right where we've talked about the artistic representation

266
00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:06.799
we've took. Oh, the cinematography. I was like, he's one of

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00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:11.039
the great cinematographers, Matthew Liberty.
You look at his CV. Oh my

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00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:12.960
golly, it's it's it's huge.
He did Blake Swan, didn't he?

269
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I think, from yes, unst
other things, and he's it's it's interesting

270
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because I mean, let's be honest, they lived a pretty luxurious lifestyle,

271
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didn't they. Yes, it shows
that off. So nicely. You know

272
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it's and you've got the outdoor shots. You've got the indoor shots that equally

273
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compelling that the home that they share, that going out of sort of open

274
00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:45.319
fields, all of that stuff is
is very very special. I got to

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say that I got an incredibly favorable
impression of Felicia montilgra Cohn to Kerry mulligan

276
00:22:55.200 --> 00:23:03.000
character. She she really is incredibly
patient and a very talented, seemingly in

277
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her own right. Because had you
seen any of her worker I hadn't.

278
00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:11.839
I wasn't familiar with her as a
d Karen Mulligan in an explanation, No

279
00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:15.359
no, no, no no,
I'm talking about the felsa Plici. No

280
00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:18.640
no, no, no. I
hadn't, hadn't heard of it. No,

281
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no. Mulligan is one of my
favorites of all time. Whenever I

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long to see pictures that it's interesting. There's a number of actors that can

283
00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:34.279
assume the identities of the characters they're
playing, and that's the that's the sign

284
00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:40.039
of a great actors. There's many, but our own Kate Blanchette is a

285
00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:44.359
good example of that. Nicole Kidman's
another one. We're looking at this and

286
00:23:44.839 --> 00:23:47.799
there are so many, but Kerry
Mulligan is at the top of the pile.

287
00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:52.640
She's just fabulous. So I mean, I don't this is not going

288
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to be a big audience film though
it's only in selective cinemas, and as

289
00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:00.960
I mentioned, it's going to go
to Netflix on the twentieth. You know,

290
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I'll be fascinated. I suppose some
people will see it because of Brad

291
00:24:07.319 --> 00:24:15.440
Kuber and I wonder whether if you
expecting a mainstream performance then you might be

292
00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:19.200
surprised. Correct, Yes, I
think so, But I don't know.

293
00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:23.960
I think this film has certain qualities
that will see it hang around even though

294
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it's going to Netflix. And it's
interesting to compile going to Netflix. But

295
00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:32.559
I just what I'm saying is I
don't think it's going to ad broad base

296
00:24:32.599 --> 00:24:37.599
a bill. I'm not so sure
about that. Well, I just think

297
00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:41.880
people the impressionistic nature of it will
not be will not appeal to some people.

298
00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:47.039
That's what I'm getting at, right, some people impressionism, and other

299
00:24:47.160 --> 00:24:49.920
others find it hard to take well. As I said, it is also

300
00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:53.519
a love story. It's also Bradley
Cooper, who does appeal to a lot

301
00:24:53.519 --> 00:25:02.319
of people. And I think that
the storytelling is fairly strong, so a

302
00:25:02.359 --> 00:25:07.720
bit like Tar, which also ended
up having a reasonably strong audience, a

303
00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:12.880
wider audience before it went to streaming. I think people will gravitate to Maestro

304
00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:18.720
because they'll appreciate even though it might
be, as you say, perhaps for

305
00:25:18.759 --> 00:25:22.200
a slightly older audience, but that
doesn't matter. I think it does have

306
00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:26.240
a lot of mainstream appeal. Well, I saw it only on Friday,

307
00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:37.039
and it was a very old audience. I just yeah, that's fine.

308
00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:41.960
I think I think that Tar is
probably more accessible than this, to be

309
00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:47.599
honest, that's my take. I
found it accessible because I really related to

310
00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:51.839
it. But yeah, I hope
it does well because it really deserves to.

311
00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:53.319
It's a terrific film. So what
are you going to give it out

312
00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:57.720
in? Maestro emerated one hundred and
twenty nine minutes. Oh yes, excellent

313
00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:00.759
film. Nine out of ten.
Yeah, I agree with you. I

314
00:26:00.759 --> 00:26:03.799
agree. I was giving it eight
and a half ish maybe nine, So

315
00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:07.920
yeah, similar sort of territory.
So it makes it one of the big

316
00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:12.000
films of the year in terms of
scores, and hopefully we'll hear more about

317
00:26:12.039 --> 00:26:17.400
it. But good on Netflix sort
of obviously they're pouring a lot of money

318
00:26:17.400 --> 00:26:18.960
into making really good films. I'm
not sure what the budget on this would

319
00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:22.079
have been, but it wouldn't have
been would have would not have been slight.

320
00:26:22.599 --> 00:26:30.599
And they, I mean, how
long will it take for streaming services

321
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to overtake the major studios into the
OSCAR wins? Right? Because I mean

322
00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:40.920
there seems to be more and more. I was delighted that we had the

323
00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:45.480
Barbie Oppenheimer phase of twenty twenty three
where people went back to cinemas because it's

324
00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:51.519
wonderful to see something on the big
screen. But obviously that streaming service is

325
00:26:51.559 --> 00:26:53.640
a real threat to the major studios, aren't they in terms of bringing out

326
00:26:53.920 --> 00:27:00.119
OSCAR nominated films. That's absolutely right. I mean Amazon is doing this and

327
00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:06.599
and Apple, etc. So yes, but again that's fine because that means

328
00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:11.680
they're investing in quality films, in
good scripts so that they get a cinema

329
00:27:11.759 --> 00:27:15.079
release first before they then go on
the strengthing services. Exactly. So you

330
00:27:15.119 --> 00:27:19.759
are on j A eighty eight FM
twenty four hours a day programming, there's

331
00:27:21.079 --> 00:27:25.119
intelligent listening hopefully a bit of music
as well to keep everybody entertained. If

332
00:27:25.160 --> 00:27:30.880
you want to be a member,
don't hesitate, go to j air dot

333
00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:34.240
com. Do ay, and you
are going to then be able to subscribe

334
00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:38.400
for fifty four bucks a year.
So that is a good thing to do

335
00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:45.799
at jdash air dot com dot au
is your site. So enjoy the listening

336
00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:49.599
and express your appreciation with a few
coins, so to speak. Now,

337
00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:52.599
I wanted to go from the sublime
to the ridiculous? Can we do that?

338
00:27:52.680 --> 00:27:56.440
You know, go for it?
Yeah, Well, it's kind of

339
00:27:56.440 --> 00:28:03.559
interesting that we talked about a really
highly intelligent movie and that is well,

340
00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:07.839
it is for the intelligence here in
Maestro, and we go from that to

341
00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:14.480
Dix the Musical. Now, I'm
pleased that this is an audio rather than

342
00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:18.359
a visual representation because there are some
lines in some language that's used in Dicks

343
00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:25.599
that is going to mortally offend people
who are not rite proclivity beta. And

344
00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:29.759
this is only an eighty six minute
movie. It's rated ma A for very

345
00:28:29.799 --> 00:28:33.960
good reason. And well it is
quite some movie. I mean, you've

346
00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:41.160
got to approach Dix the Musical with
an open mind. If you do,

347
00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:45.519
you can revel in it. Otherwise
you could be shooting off an angry email

348
00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:49.799
to the Australian Classification Board having the
temerity. Do we even consider registering the

349
00:28:49.799 --> 00:28:56.759
movie. Well, it is that
sort of film, there's no question.

350
00:28:56.279 --> 00:29:03.920
And look, the guy who directed
Borat and Bruno, Larry Charles, he

351
00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:07.000
could hardly be accused of playing it
safe. And so it is with this

352
00:29:07.079 --> 00:29:15.160
one. It's a hard swearing,
politically incorrect comedy which will delight those sick

353
00:29:15.160 --> 00:29:19.799
and tied of woke. Right.
So it's the cinematic adaptation of a musical

354
00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:25.359
stage play. And I can't even
pronounce the first word of that musical stage

355
00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:30.160
play on this family program, Peter. Let's just call it effing Identical Twins

356
00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:33.039
the musical that was the name of
it. Yep, I'm sure you didn't

357
00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:37.720
see it in the theater, did
you? No? I just missed it.

358
00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:42.640
I'm not sure that it's actually played
here in Australia anyway. I don't

359
00:29:42.640 --> 00:29:47.279
think it has. It's by Aaron
Jackson and Josh Sharp, and let's just

360
00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:52.119
say they are not backward in coming
forward. So it features an off the

361
00:29:52.119 --> 00:29:56.200
wall script in which those two Jackson
Sharp fill the principal roles and they play

362
00:29:56.519 --> 00:30:03.200
twins, Trevor and Craig. Good
Old Trevor and Craig were separated at birth.

363
00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:08.240
Neither of whom know that the other
actually exists, and individually they're highly

364
00:30:08.359 --> 00:30:15.720
sexed heterosexuals and they're mighty successful in
business. When their two companies merge,

365
00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:19.160
they meet one another for the first
time since they were in the crip,

366
00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:25.720
and without knowing who the other is, they are immediately competitive. Once the

367
00:30:25.799 --> 00:30:30.480
penny drops, though, that they
are in fact brothers, they become inseparable.

368
00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:34.920
Both were brought up in by individual
parents and they had a plan for

369
00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:40.559
their folks to get together again.
Only well, as it's saying, guy

370
00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:44.640
goes that the best laid plans of
mice and men, and it turns out

371
00:30:44.680 --> 00:30:48.319
that they are How do I put
this nicely? They've got fruit loops for

372
00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:56.000
parents, Peter. That's they've got
iced vovos on top of fruit loops.

373
00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:00.720
Now, the mum, whose name
is Evelyn played by Megan All speaks to

374
00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:08.559
inanimate objects. Of course, Yes, she's wheelchair bound, and there's no

375
00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:15.200
nice ways say. She lost her
vagina, very careless of her, I

376
00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:21.599
kid you, not so. The
dad Now, at this point, I

377
00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:26.039
think a lot of people are switching
off the radio less dote, please persecuere.

378
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:30.599
Now, the dad, whose name
is Harris played by Nathan Lane made

379
00:31:30.599 --> 00:31:36.279
it his life's journey to care for
a pair of ugly, bizarre, caged

380
00:31:36.359 --> 00:31:44.440
creatures with sharp teeth. Yes,
these are manufactured things, and he actually

381
00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:51.319
drops the news that he's gay.
This whole exercise in togetherness is overseen by

382
00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:59.319
a homosexual Asian figure that calls himself
God, so that he's a character.

383
00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:02.920
All of of his eet as well. Very colorful anyway. If all of

384
00:32:02.920 --> 00:32:08.119
what I've said sounds like deranged clap
trap, it is, but it's also

385
00:32:08.200 --> 00:32:13.960
ridiculously funny at times. It's forever
pushing the envelope. It's always done tongue

386
00:32:13.960 --> 00:32:17.599
in cheek, and this is a
movie that sets out to offend and provoke

387
00:32:19.880 --> 00:32:23.400
musically. Out of the songs through
which part of the plot unfolds are quite

388
00:32:23.480 --> 00:32:27.720
melodious, so I think some of
them are really strong. The talent,

389
00:32:27.799 --> 00:32:30.359
by the way, is a wow
of the time. I didn't think i'd

390
00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:36.279
be saying, having given the description
that I have, but somehow an elegance

391
00:32:36.279 --> 00:32:42.920
about most of Lane's portrayal, even
though his monster's first approach is extreme to

392
00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:47.200
say the least, and that includes
deliberately spitting into the creatures faces. Now

393
00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:52.400
I wouldn't call that elegant. You
will get context in terms of that remark

394
00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:55.079
about spitting into the faces of the
creatures if you go along and see the

395
00:32:55.119 --> 00:33:00.759
movie. Megan Malalley, while she
plays up her demented characterized, I quite

396
00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:07.200
like the boys one upmanship, but
they're bonding reaches furious heights. God is

397
00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:12.119
portrayed by Bowen Yang. He's never
quite God. I don't think he's ever

398
00:33:12.200 --> 00:33:15.160
quite looked like he has in this
movie. Or is it God, he,

399
00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:22.200
she, it they whatever portrayal of
God. I also appreciated Megan the

400
00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:29.799
Stallion's role as the twins new feminist
boss Gloria. She won't stand for any

401
00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:35.640
nonsense. She's quite a powerful figure. So yeah, what more could I

402
00:33:35.720 --> 00:33:43.359
say? This is a film that
will polarize, punfully intended. What what

403
00:33:43.400 --> 00:33:46.240
do you have to say? Will
Dix? Have you standing to attention?

404
00:33:46.279 --> 00:33:53.200
Peter? Okay, moving round long, I won't cock it up. No.

405
00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:58.680
If we talk about the film,
I mean from the outset, it

406
00:33:58.799 --> 00:34:04.480
makes it very clear this is gay
musical and it's over the top and there's

407
00:34:04.519 --> 00:34:07.320
nothing subtle in this film at all. Although there are some very funny lines

408
00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:13.639
throughout the film, and Joss Up
and Aaron Jackson have done, I think,

409
00:34:13.679 --> 00:34:19.039
a really clever job in making this
a very outlandish, out there sort

410
00:34:19.079 --> 00:34:25.159
of film with two excellent cast members, Migia Malayia and Nathan Lane. It's

411
00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:31.480
interesting those Sewer boys, as Nathan
Lane beats them, they're actually puppets.

412
00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:37.159
And at the end of the film
there's an excellent post credit sequence where we

413
00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:42.840
see behind the scenes and outtakes and
so on, and we see the actual

414
00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:50.119
puppets and obviously they used visual effects
to erase the link between the puppets and

415
00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:53.679
the puppet masters behind them. Look, this is a very funny film.

416
00:34:53.760 --> 00:34:59.119
Yes, it is very offensive at
times. It's also very sexual at times,

417
00:35:00.119 --> 00:35:05.440
and it has something to say about
I suppose inclusion. I mean,

418
00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:13.360
it's the it's the best film about
identical twins after the one with Arnold swartzenw

419
00:35:15.119 --> 00:35:21.039
Yeah. Look, there's a lot
to like about this film. It's fast

420
00:35:21.079 --> 00:35:25.599
moving, very colorful, very offensive
and a lot of fun. Yeah exactly.

421
00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:29.440
So what are you going to give
it out of ten? Look?

422
00:35:29.480 --> 00:35:35.119
I really enjoyed it. It's I
mean, it's obviously is for particular tastes

423
00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:37.559
and so on, and it does
get a little bit over the top.

424
00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:44.880
Of times, especially no, well
especially having the no I won't even talk,

425
00:35:44.960 --> 00:35:47.599
I won't even make Look, I'll
give it seven out of ten,

426
00:35:49.559 --> 00:35:52.440
seven out of ten. Okay,
yes, I'm going to give it seven

427
00:35:52.440 --> 00:35:54.320
out of ten as well. I
mean that's a that's a pretty good mark.

428
00:35:54.400 --> 00:35:59.760
Let's be honest for a movie of
this sort of milk. Let's let's

429
00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:05.400
earned to another film which came out
last week, The Old Oak. Now.

430
00:36:05.679 --> 00:36:08.480
I think we spoke about it in
relation to the British Film Festival sometime

431
00:36:08.519 --> 00:36:12.159
ago, did we not? I
can't remember with that is correct because he

432
00:36:12.199 --> 00:36:14.679
said it was the media screening.
Yes, that was the media screening.

433
00:36:14.719 --> 00:36:20.440
But nevertheless, I think it's worth
mentioning again. Now it's M rated,

434
00:36:20.440 --> 00:36:24.000
it's one hundred and thirteen minutes,
and xenophobia is at the heart of this

435
00:36:24.039 --> 00:36:29.800
one. It's the fifteenth collaboration between
the director Ken Loach and the writer Paul

436
00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:34.239
Lavity. Now, the director said
this is going to be his last film

437
00:36:34.360 --> 00:36:37.920
because he's what well into his eighties. Is he something of that? Eighty

438
00:36:37.039 --> 00:36:43.440
two? I think right, Okay, Look, whether it is indeed you

439
00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:45.519
know, well, only time will
tell. But the title, by the

440
00:36:45.519 --> 00:36:49.000
way, the name of it's the
name of a pub in the northeast of

441
00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:52.920
England, which is a popular watering
hole that's seen better days and it's operated

442
00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:58.400
by a down to earth publican called
TJ. Ballantine. Dave Turner plays him,

443
00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:02.320
who's struggling to make ends met like
most residents of the impoverished town.

444
00:37:04.360 --> 00:37:07.119
It's never recovered since the demise of
the mining industry. And we're talking at

445
00:37:07.159 --> 00:37:13.400
twenty sixteen. By the way,
you've got an influx of Syrian refugees that's

446
00:37:13.440 --> 00:37:17.320
not welcomed and that adds pressure.
It changes the dynamic. One of the

447
00:37:17.360 --> 00:37:23.000
refugees is a respectful young woman called
Yarra played by Ebla Mary. She speaks

448
00:37:23.599 --> 00:37:29.599
very English, very very well,
and she learned the language while volunteering to

449
00:37:29.639 --> 00:37:32.960
help foreign nurses as she and her
family lived in a refugee camp for a

450
00:37:32.960 --> 00:37:39.000
couple of years after escaping her war
torn nation. Her father, who was

451
00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:45.079
a tailor, was taken by the
state sponsored militia and is now missing,

452
00:37:45.599 --> 00:37:52.119
presumed dead. Yara's most prized possession
is actually the camera that her father gave

453
00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:55.119
her, and when she exits the
bus on arriving in her new home,

454
00:37:57.000 --> 00:38:04.039
the camera's taken toyed with and broken
buy an outspoken local who's upset that she's

455
00:38:04.360 --> 00:38:08.639
taken his photo from the bus window, and that sets in trainer chain of

456
00:38:08.679 --> 00:38:16.639
events. It sees kind hearted but
determined Yarraw interact with and befriend TJ Balentine,

457
00:38:16.400 --> 00:38:22.239
the publican, and I should say, eventually many others in town as

458
00:38:22.239 --> 00:38:25.840
well, and in doing so,
TJ Balentine cops the ire of many of

459
00:38:25.880 --> 00:38:30.079
the bar's regulars, including a mate
that he went to school with, and

460
00:38:30.119 --> 00:38:36.800
this fallout bubbles over after TJ agrees
to fix up the pub's shabby back room,

461
00:38:36.880 --> 00:38:40.519
which has laid dormant for twenty years, and the purpose of doing so

462
00:38:40.719 --> 00:38:45.599
is to facilitate integration. But that
comes at a cost, and as the

463
00:38:45.639 --> 00:38:51.840
movie unfolds, we find out more
about Yara's family and TJ's own personal struggles.

464
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:57.039
It's gritty, it's working class.
That's I mean that describes ken Loach's

465
00:38:57.079 --> 00:39:00.360
body of work. It's a movie
that tugs at the heart strings AT's presenting

466
00:39:00.519 --> 00:39:05.800
both hardship and hope. I thought
the key characters were very well established.

467
00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:08.440
Dave Turner quite a natural as a
man who has had to turn his life

468
00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:12.639
around but nearly didn't make it.
Although I've got to say to you,

469
00:39:12.679 --> 00:39:15.079
Pet, and I remember mentioning this
to you when we saw the screening,

470
00:39:15.440 --> 00:39:19.880
I struggled to reconcile that narrative thread
with the empathetic soul that we see the

471
00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:24.559
fact that he was, I don't
know, a different man altogether. Yeah,

472
00:39:24.599 --> 00:39:30.360
it didn't kind of I found that
hard anyway. Ebla Marry makes a

473
00:39:30.400 --> 00:39:35.119
favorable impression as the measured Syrian who
wants the best for everyone. Hers is

474
00:39:35.159 --> 00:39:38.159
a rather low key portrayal of a
woman who's experienced a great deal of pain

475
00:39:38.360 --> 00:39:45.360
and heartbreak. Claire Rogerson impressed me
as the enthusiastic Laura. She works with

476
00:39:45.480 --> 00:39:52.000
Yarrow and TJ to propagate the Syrians
integration into the community. And look whilst

477
00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:57.639
I did, I appreciate and was
quite moved by the old oak. This

478
00:39:57.679 --> 00:40:01.719
is where you and I I differ. But I could feel myself being manipulated.

479
00:40:02.039 --> 00:40:07.119
I could foretell the chess pieces being
shifted for dramatic effect, which I

480
00:40:07.159 --> 00:40:10.519
wish I couldn't, because the best
movies allow me to go on the journey

481
00:40:10.559 --> 00:40:15.960
without being conscious of going on the
journey. Still, I wouldn't say you

482
00:40:15.960 --> 00:40:20.199
should take that to mean I questioned
the film's intent or the focus on the

483
00:40:20.239 --> 00:40:25.280
evocative subject matter. I applaud that
it remains emotionally wrought the Old Oak throughout,

484
00:40:25.360 --> 00:40:30.000
and it does carry a message of
the benefits of integration and solidarity.

485
00:40:30.119 --> 00:40:34.159
So a bit of a mixed bag
for me and the Old Oak. Did

486
00:40:34.159 --> 00:40:37.760
you have any concerns similar to mine
or not? No, I didn't.

487
00:40:37.880 --> 00:40:44.920
I accepted the publican's character that he
has changed and wants to fit in with

488
00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:49.840
the community a tetra despite his past. I didn't find that a problem.

489
00:40:50.119 --> 00:40:55.440
And yes, Kinloaches is such a
working class focused filmmaker and his films always

490
00:40:55.440 --> 00:41:04.039
have a social conscience to some extent
to have a positive arc in his film,

491
00:41:04.119 --> 00:41:08.000
so that there's some sort of hope
or redemption or whatever for the people

492
00:41:08.039 --> 00:41:12.719
in his films. And I think
that works very well in The Old Oak,

493
00:41:12.840 --> 00:41:20.360
especially bringing these two disparate communities together. And he is very critical of

494
00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:28.199
this older community that is so entitled
and feels as if any foreigners or refugees

495
00:41:28.320 --> 00:41:31.599
or whatever are going to disrupt them
and shouldn't be there and so on,

496
00:41:31.880 --> 00:41:37.159
and he finds a way of trying
to look at that reconciliation aspect and I

497
00:41:37.159 --> 00:41:42.239
think he does that quite effectively.
So No, I really enjoyed this film.

498
00:41:42.239 --> 00:41:46.119
I think it's another excellent film from
ken Loach, and he is such

499
00:41:46.159 --> 00:41:52.320
a good filmmaker insofar as and one
of the few that does look at working

500
00:41:52.360 --> 00:42:00.400
class and downtrodden sort of existences and
trying to make a positive energy out of

501
00:42:00.440 --> 00:42:07.639
those and to give messages to audiences
about understanding these sort of perspectives. So

502
00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:12.880
I was very impressed with The Old
Oak, and I hope he does make

503
00:42:12.920 --> 00:42:16.400
another film. Well, I hope
so too. Look, it's one of

504
00:42:16.440 --> 00:42:20.159
those things that obviously you've got to
have the energy to be able to go

505
00:42:20.239 --> 00:42:23.639
from go to woe when you're making
movies, and an age unfortunately does get

506
00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:28.079
to people at some points of time. So yeah, that is the way

507
00:42:28.119 --> 00:42:30.880
it is. But Okay, what's
your score is probably going to be higher

508
00:42:30.920 --> 00:42:36.480
than mine for The Old Oak?
What do you think? Yep, really

509
00:42:36.559 --> 00:42:38.199
liked it? Eight out of ten
from me really okay, six and a

510
00:42:38.199 --> 00:42:43.760
half to seven because of the reservations
I add otherwise a little bit hang on

511
00:42:43.800 --> 00:42:47.920
somebody coming through your more basic to
cloudboard boxes. What's going on? You

512
00:42:47.920 --> 00:42:52.760
know? The coming to take me
away? Hard at traffic report as we

513
00:42:52.800 --> 00:42:58.239
go. Yes, exactly, Oh, Gollie, Now we should we've talked

514
00:42:58.239 --> 00:43:02.079
about one risk a movie, we
should probably talk about another one, which

515
00:43:02.119 --> 00:43:07.400
is quite funny. Actually, it's
called Bottom Loops and this is an MA

516
00:43:07.639 --> 00:43:13.480
rated movie, also came out Thursday
before the most recent one. It's ninety

517
00:43:13.480 --> 00:43:19.320
two minutes and it's low brow comedy
and it's some PJ played by Rachel Sennett

518
00:43:19.480 --> 00:43:25.599
and Josie ao at Abiri. They're
besties. They're also gay, neither popular

519
00:43:25.639 --> 00:43:30.239
at school. Still, PJ is
ready to go with the flow, but

520
00:43:30.760 --> 00:43:35.639
Josie, well, she's not.
She's convinced that she'll never basically have sex,

521
00:43:36.119 --> 00:43:40.679
and the latter has arise on a
cheerleader called Isabelle played by Vanna Roseloo,

522
00:43:42.039 --> 00:43:50.119
who's dating the school's arrogant, womanizing
jock called Jeff Nicholas Galazini. Meanwhile,

523
00:43:50.280 --> 00:43:57.480
PJ is taken by Isabelle's statuesque and
beautiful friend, Britney played by Kaya

524
00:43:57.559 --> 00:44:06.280
Gerber, and as events transpire,
Josie hobbles Jeff literally hits him, and

525
00:44:06.320 --> 00:44:10.760
Obel's end. Basically, Jeff is
chasing Isabelle. They head of an annual

526
00:44:12.000 --> 00:44:16.199
Greatge footy match against the school's fierce
rivals, and that's when this whole thing

527
00:44:16.239 --> 00:44:21.639
happens. And in defending herself in
front of the school's principal who's played by

528
00:44:21.679 --> 00:44:27.800
Wayne Pierre, Josie with Pj's backing, concoct a plan to start a girl's

529
00:44:27.800 --> 00:44:31.920
self defense class. Now they also
don't deny a suggestion that they spent the

530
00:44:32.039 --> 00:44:37.880
summer in juvie in juvenile attention,
and they win the support of classmate Hazel

531
00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:43.119
Callahan played by Ruby Cruz and late
also a teacher, Mister g played by

532
00:44:43.159 --> 00:44:47.880
marsh Ron Lynch, who is going
through a divorce. So it is that

533
00:44:49.079 --> 00:44:52.400
fight Club moves into full swing,
leaving more than a few bruises quite literally,

534
00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:57.960
bad language and jive talk apart of
the course in what is quite an

535
00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:02.480
outrageous offering, I actually thought of
book Smart and Polite Society. Did you

536
00:45:02.519 --> 00:45:07.480
think of any other movies while watching
this? Well, if we're talking about

537
00:45:07.519 --> 00:45:10.360
the director m O Zeligman, I
also thought of her the previous film Shaver

538
00:45:10.440 --> 00:45:15.159
Baby. Yeah, yes, it
is the work of Seligman, and she

539
00:45:15.440 --> 00:45:19.719
made a huge splash with that one. She wrote Bottoms with Rachel Senate,

540
00:45:20.039 --> 00:45:24.880
who starred in Suva Baby and Emma
Seligman is also the director of this one.

541
00:45:25.639 --> 00:45:29.559
It's all about sex and fitting in. It's edgy, its course,

542
00:45:30.039 --> 00:45:35.679
I think it'll delight a younger demographic. And if you think about the two

543
00:45:35.800 --> 00:45:38.199
women are Seligman and Senate, both
in the late twenties, that they've tapped

544
00:45:38.199 --> 00:45:44.920
into the wants of those with primal
needs coursing through their veins. The plotting

545
00:45:45.440 --> 00:45:50.079
hardly likely to appeal to mensa graduates, though, Peter, but then it

546
00:45:50.119 --> 00:45:53.199
was never pitched as such. The
characters are what make the narrative sing.

547
00:45:53.800 --> 00:46:00.119
They stumble, they fumble, and
they bumble their way through their adolescence and

548
00:46:00.280 --> 00:46:07.239
at Abiri are unifying forces. Senators
pj the more polarizing and pushier ed Abiri

549
00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:13.000
is Josie, more respectful and conservative. But Havanna Roselu plays Isabella as a

550
00:46:13.039 --> 00:46:17.400
girl looking for meaningful connection in all
wrong places, and Kay Gerber is well,

551
00:46:17.519 --> 00:46:22.840
I'd call her a pretty adornment as
Brittany, So arguably the most interesting

552
00:46:22.920 --> 00:46:29.719
character is Rachel Callahan. Ruby Cruz
injects an air of mystery into her realization.

553
00:46:30.400 --> 00:46:37.639
Nicholas gallatin Z channels the classic meaththead
in the jock Jeff Wayne Pierre clearly

554
00:46:37.639 --> 00:46:44.800
believes in the bastardized adage nothing exceeds
like excess in breathing life into the principle.

555
00:46:45.400 --> 00:46:47.960
In this movie, I actually warmed
to the torn figure of marsh One

556
00:46:49.440 --> 00:46:52.400
Lynch as a teacher, and I
actually wouldn't mind it seen a bit more

557
00:46:52.400 --> 00:46:57.920
of him in the movie. It
also, this movie Bottoms benefits from this

558
00:46:58.360 --> 00:47:02.480
hip and happening soundtrack. I thought
that created the right vibe. So yeah,

559
00:47:02.559 --> 00:47:07.000
it's am I rated for good reason. What did you think of Bottoms,

560
00:47:07.159 --> 00:47:12.639
Peter? I liked Bottoms. I
thought it was also very clever and

561
00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:15.360
Bottoms comes out on top. Peter, thank you very much. Yes,

562
00:47:19.039 --> 00:47:22.400
it reminded me a little bit of
Heathers and a sort of a gay version

563
00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:30.440
of Heathers with the two young women
and they're plotting and scheming to have relationships

564
00:47:30.440 --> 00:47:34.800
and so on. So the whole
lesbian focus is an interesting one, and

565
00:47:34.840 --> 00:47:43.000
the dumb jocks idea is also quite
amusing because it's stereotypical, but it's taken

566
00:47:43.039 --> 00:47:46.400
to the nth degree in the latter
part of the film. Look, Elizabeth

567
00:47:46.440 --> 00:47:52.840
Banks produced this film, amongst others, and this is I think a very

568
00:47:52.840 --> 00:47:58.800
clever and well written film. Zeligman's
film Shiver Baby had such a great script

569
00:47:59.599 --> 00:48:04.800
about women who meet at a Jewish
wake and so on. It's really clever

570
00:48:05.519 --> 00:48:10.840
writing. And she's continued that with
Rachel in this film Bottoms, and of

571
00:48:10.880 --> 00:48:15.599
course Bottoms refers to being the bottom
of the heap. They are two women

572
00:48:15.639 --> 00:48:21.360
who are regarded as the dregs of
the high school, and so they have

573
00:48:21.440 --> 00:48:25.800
to find a way of achieving something
that will give them some sort of notoriety.

574
00:48:27.599 --> 00:48:31.559
And they certainly do that only as
the film progresses, and in fact

575
00:48:31.559 --> 00:48:37.920
that later in the film it does
get into a fairly violent sort of situation,

576
00:48:37.039 --> 00:48:42.039
which I thought I didn't quite expect, but I thought actually fitted into

577
00:48:42.079 --> 00:48:45.920
the broad satire that this film is
going for. So yes, I like

578
00:48:45.000 --> 00:48:50.159
Bottoms. I think it's a lot
of fun and quite clever, and also

579
00:48:50.360 --> 00:48:55.199
has the credit sequence that you must
stay and watch. For So many films

580
00:48:55.360 --> 00:49:00.280
have been these credits post credit sequences
that it's silly for audiences to walk out

581
00:49:00.280 --> 00:49:04.760
as sit as the first credit starting. It's frustrating because I mean, you're

582
00:49:04.760 --> 00:49:08.159
missing so much good stuff. But
outtakes are particularly amusing. No question,

583
00:49:08.960 --> 00:49:15.880
what would you give bottoms. I
was tossing up between seven and eight,

584
00:49:15.920 --> 00:49:17.360
but I think I'd give it seven
out of ten. Well, there you

585
00:49:17.360 --> 00:49:20.320
go. I did toss up between
seven and eight, and I gave it

586
00:49:20.320 --> 00:49:22.480
a seven and a half. See
that's the midway point, Peter, right,

587
00:49:23.599 --> 00:49:30.199
okay, good man, okay,
am I rated ninety two minutes in

588
00:49:30.320 --> 00:49:36.360
duration. We should probably finish by
mentioning a I don't know. It's that

589
00:49:36.400 --> 00:49:42.760
sort of good sort of film to
finish on because of its family. Did

590
00:49:42.800 --> 00:49:45.960
you see the original Trolls? You
know they sort of it's a franchise,

591
00:49:46.039 --> 00:49:50.360
And did you see the original when
that came out? Yes, I have,

592
00:49:50.440 --> 00:49:53.280
I've seen all three now, ah, yes exactly. I mean I

593
00:49:54.239 --> 00:49:58.079
didn't think i'd like this much as
one as much as I did, I

594
00:49:58.599 --> 00:50:02.639
actually enjoyed it. Did I'm talking
about Troll's Band Together is the name of

595
00:50:02.679 --> 00:50:07.719
the movie. The five Troll brothers
were once part of a highly successful boy

596
00:50:07.760 --> 00:50:12.000
band called Brozone, but that one
came to an inglorious end, and now,

597
00:50:12.000 --> 00:50:15.000
all these years later, getting the
group together again is the only way

598
00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:21.840
out for one of the guys who
has actually been kidnapped by impostors. And

599
00:50:22.440 --> 00:50:27.280
that's the plot It's a colorful search
film in the franchise started with Trolls in

600
00:50:27.280 --> 00:50:31.599
twenty sixteen, followed by Troll's World
Tour in twenty twenty, and it starts

601
00:50:31.800 --> 00:50:37.519
Troll's band together with a recap of
why the band split, mentioned that they

602
00:50:37.559 --> 00:50:39.760
came to an inglorious end and it
had everything to do with the older brother,

603
00:50:39.840 --> 00:50:45.840
John Dory, who's voiced by Eric
andre is demanding ways and also his

604
00:50:45.880 --> 00:50:49.559
search for perfection. So each of
the bros then went their own way,

605
00:50:50.039 --> 00:50:53.360
and the youngest of them, called
Branch voiced by Justin Timberlake, left to

606
00:50:53.400 --> 00:51:00.239
care for their grandmother and he basically
was expected to expecting them all to be

607
00:51:00.400 --> 00:51:05.119
reunited, but that never happened,
and now he's all grown up, living

608
00:51:05.119 --> 00:51:09.280
his best life with his dedicated girlfriend, who is a gregarious overtalker called Poppy

609
00:51:09.800 --> 00:51:16.039
voiced by Anna Kendrick. She has
no idea of Branch's past, but that

610
00:51:16.199 --> 00:51:21.440
changes when out of the blue,
he receives an unexpected visit from his oldest

611
00:51:21.480 --> 00:51:23.960
brother, John Dory. In fact, it comes in the middle of the

612
00:51:24.039 --> 00:51:32.400
nuptials between Poppy's best friend Bridget voiced
by Zooey Deschanel and King Gristle Christopher Mitz

613
00:51:32.559 --> 00:51:39.159
mince Class Dory gives Branch the shocking
news that the brother that Branch was closest

614
00:51:39.159 --> 00:51:45.519
to his name's Floyd, voiced by
Troy Seven, is being held captive and

615
00:51:45.639 --> 00:51:50.679
bit by bit drained of his musical
talents, as if that's something you can

616
00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:53.639
drain. But anyway, the nefarious
act has been perpetrated by the hottest new

617
00:51:53.719 --> 00:51:59.320
duo going around, a brother and
sister act called a Velvet Amy Schumer.

618
00:52:00.000 --> 00:52:05.559
It's Velvet and Vanier Velvet voiced by
Amy Schumer and Venier by Andrew Renel's.

619
00:52:06.760 --> 00:52:09.920
Probably the best way to understand this
brother and sister duo, Velvet Vanier,

620
00:52:10.159 --> 00:52:15.679
is to think Millie Vanilli right when
they're impersonating singers. Dave trapped Floyd,

621
00:52:15.719 --> 00:52:22.119
that brother that Branch is closest to
in a blue Diamond, and they drain

622
00:52:22.239 --> 00:52:27.519
his musical ability every time they sing
the streak that the diamond can't be shanted

623
00:52:27.599 --> 00:52:30.199
unless all five trolls are in sync, and that's going to take quite some

624
00:52:30.320 --> 00:52:35.400
doing. John Drury, with Branch
and Poppy already Inte, moves to collect

625
00:52:35.400 --> 00:52:40.079
his other bros, Bruce Dovey,
Diggs and Clay Kit Coody before mounting a

626
00:52:40.119 --> 00:52:45.960
rescue mission and their method of transport. Now, Peter, I dare you

627
00:52:45.000 --> 00:52:50.159
to try that armor, Dillo?
Can you collulate local armor? Dillo?

628
00:52:50.280 --> 00:52:53.840
Please? Right? I'm uber yah, You're very good into it? So

629
00:52:54.039 --> 00:52:59.360
okay? And they're driven there by
the diminutive tiny diamond Keenan Thompson, who

630
00:52:59.400 --> 00:53:05.320
does in sparkle? But is it
a trap? So that's the question that

631
00:53:05.440 --> 00:53:08.320
is asked. It also must be
noted along the way Poppy learns about a

632
00:53:08.400 --> 00:53:14.800
long suppressed family secret when Viva Kamila
Cabello steps into her life. And another

633
00:53:14.920 --> 00:53:20.239
note in the cast is Velvet really
as exploited but smart personal assistant Crimp Zosha

634
00:53:20.480 --> 00:53:25.199
Mamet. The direction is never in
doubt, the family friendly journey well worth

635
00:53:25.280 --> 00:53:29.159
taking, and you can see the
film in isolation. It still hangs together.

636
00:53:29.400 --> 00:53:31.400
You don't need to have seen the
earlier too. I kind of appreciated

637
00:53:31.400 --> 00:53:36.280
the life lessons of the movie dished
out in quite an entertaining way, especially

638
00:53:36.320 --> 00:53:39.639
the trajectory of several key characters that
really grow and mature, full of movement,

639
00:53:39.719 --> 00:53:43.480
color, adventure, and spark,
real energy about it. I think

640
00:53:43.519 --> 00:53:47.119
children will relate to that, not
without humor and byplay. Rainbow Palette is

641
00:53:47.159 --> 00:53:51.920
a bit of a Technicolor dream and
it also thrives on its musical choices.

642
00:53:52.400 --> 00:53:55.719
They're fabulous, many hits, up
tempo pop score, real plass couldn't get

643
00:53:55.800 --> 00:54:00.639
enough of it. Based on Good
Luck Trolls created by Thomas dam film written

644
00:54:00.679 --> 00:54:04.719
by Elizabeth Tippitt, also wrote Troll's
World Tour, directed by Walter Dawn,

645
00:54:05.119 --> 00:54:08.360
who was responsible for the previous two
installments. So there's consistency co direction from

646
00:54:08.400 --> 00:54:12.519
Tim Heightz. Good one for the
young ones and we haven't got a lot

647
00:54:12.519 --> 00:54:15.079
of time, Peter. But did
you enjoy it or not? I did?

648
00:54:15.239 --> 00:54:17.280
I think young children will enjoy it. And I also like the satire

649
00:54:17.440 --> 00:54:22.800
that's in the film for adults about
sending up boy bands and in sync with

650
00:54:22.000 --> 00:54:27.079
Justin Timberlake in there and all that
his voice, etc. So I think

651
00:54:27.119 --> 00:54:31.360
on both levels it's a pretty good
family film for the holidays. Yeah,

652
00:54:31.400 --> 00:54:35.000
exactly. Look, I'm giving it
a seven out of ten. I thought

653
00:54:35.000 --> 00:54:37.519
it was nice. What about you, Yeah, I'd go it six out

654
00:54:37.559 --> 00:54:38.960
of ten. But it's good.
Yeah, No, it's good. It's

655
00:54:38.960 --> 00:54:44.440
worthwhile, folks. That is it. Peter has been done himself proud he

656
00:54:44.480 --> 00:54:47.559
hasn't disagreed with me. Jimny giants
today and next week. You can always

657
00:54:47.559 --> 00:54:52.000
wait for next week and maybe it'll
be a different proposition. Pete. Thanks

658
00:54:52.039 --> 00:54:54.960
so much mate for your input today
and I look forward to doing it all

659
00:54:54.960 --> 00:54:59.519
again with you in the very near
future in seven days in fact. Yes,

660
00:54:59.639 --> 00:55:00.920
thanks as all the best, goodbye, I've rune