OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews
The Weight
(MA). 113 minutes. Opens in cinemas September 17.
After the outstanding Train Dreams (now available on Netflix), comes The Weight, and while not as good, still proves to be strong entertainment.
Set in Oregon in 1933, the story centres on Sam Murphy (a terrific Ethan Hawke), who is imprisoned after trying to defend himself against assailants who turn out to be cops, separating him from his young daughter Penny (Avy Berry).
In prison, he is offered early release by Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe, finally choosing some good roles again) if he takes hundreds of thousands worth of gold cross country before Roosevelt and his G-men get their hands on them.
With a handpicked group of inmates, Murphy begins the journey, but the further it goes on, the more dangerous it gets.
Working from a solid script, director Padraic McKinley builds an excellent atmosphere, and combined with strong performances, creates a fascinating texture, helping counter the familiar plotting (which feels like a mix of The Wages Of Fear (1953) and The Defiant Ones (1958)). A quietly powerful film that deserves to find an audience.
RATING – ****
Practical Magic 2
(M). 130 minutes. Now showing in cinemas.
Nostalgia is a powerful feeling, and cast and crew try to weave that spell to box-office success with Practical Magic 2, yet another long belated sequel that offers no genuine reasons why it should exist. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as Sally and Gillian Owens, witches in a long family line of witches, who live with the curse that any man who loves them will die.
Sally’s now grown daughters, Kylie and Antonia (Joey King and Maisie Williams), have been under an amnesia spell since they were little, unaware of their family powers so they may be free of the
curse.
That doesn’t prove to be the case, as Kylie’s new love, Gideon (Xolo Mariduena), falls into a coma after a near-fatal accident.
Aunt Jet and Franny (Dianne Weist and Stockard Channing, also returning), possessing the Book Of Raven, want to reverse the curse, which will lead Kylie, Sally and Gilly to London, where they will meet Ian Wright (Lee Pace) and Tom Lockland (Solly McLeod), who will both play a part in the family’s history and future.
Akiva Goldsman again is on hand to adapt an Alice Hoffman novel, this time aided by Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, and disappointingly retreads over familiar ground, veering from the supernatural, to comedy, to family sentiment, and like the original, nothing sparks, with all plot points and character arcs painfully predictable and emotionally empty (the final showdown amusingly reminded me of Ghostbusters, with a similar use of crossing the streams to defeat the villain).
Guiding this flat script is director Susanne Bier, who is best known for her dogme films Open Hearts (2002), Brothers (2004), After The Wedding (2006) and In A Better World (2010), films everything in admittedly striking, widescreen close up, but mistakes the lightweight material as something more substantial, unnecessarily protracting the film to well over two hours. Performances are dull, with many cast members either wasted or going through the motions.
Practical Magic 2 is a chore to get through, but maybe fans of the original may embrace it a little more positively.
RATING – **
Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger
(MA). 124 minutes. Now showing in cinemas.
I have to admit, I was never a fan of the group when they took the world by storm in the 90s, but this extremely well-crafted concert documentary is surprisingly entertaining, immersive and cinematic, making the band’s return a heartfelt experience rather than a detailed, historical document.
Following Oasis as they reunite to tour the world in 2025, directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern want to encapsulate why the group mean so much to these now middle-aged fans, who now have children who have grown up listening to their music, and love the songs and their lyrics, reinterpreted due to the modern world they live in.
Interviews with Noel and Liam Gallagher, Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs and other band members, talk about how they feel reteaming, while fans, old and young, discuss what it means to be able to experience Oasis live, many for the first time.
The concert footage is incredible (both visuals and sound wise), while the structure is compelling due to the involvement of renowned British screenwriter Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises, Locke).
I am perfect evidence that you don’t have to be a fan to enjoy this film (just make sure you aren’t offended by frequent profanity), and unlike many documentaries, this is best experienced on the big screen.
RATING – ****
Aaron Rourke