Run rabbit, run rabbit

Because I think you deserve to see my purple lipstick in moving form, here's my video review of Rabbit Hole.

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Down the Rabbithole

It has been eight months since married couple Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie's (Aaron Eckhart) young son was killed after he ran out on to the road in front of their house. The couple's relationship, though loving, is strained as they struggle to find purpose in their life minus the apple of their eye. Becca struggles to cope with the news that her sister is pregnant and lashes out in a parental grieving group. After a failed attempt at trying to reignite her career, she unexpectedly starts a friendship with the teenager who was driving the car that hit her son that fateful day - Jason (Miles Teller). Howie, desperate to move on, tries to push Becca into starting a family again and instead ends up developing a bond with a woman in their grief group. But as the results of their actions play their course, they begin to edge ever so slightly out of the dark tunnel of grief they were lost in.

Rabbithole is directed by John Cameron Mitchell and is based on a play of the same name by David Lindsay-Abaire. Cameron-Mitchell has swapped the visually confronting material of his last film Shortbus, which attempted to integrate realistic sex scenes into mainstream cinema, for emotionally confronting material in this mature drama. He has a charming visual style, which positions dialogue laden scenes against simpler ones that rely on images and movements to get the message across. It's used to great effect here, namely when Becca is shown frozen in front of her son's drawings on the fridge or when Jason is sketching his comic book. Cameron Mitchell also slips in some dark comedic moments, which provide a humorous reprieve from the heavy themes. For a film that examines grief and the nature of loss, it's reliant on solid performances from the ensemble cast - particularly Kidman and Eckhart who are both convincing as parents experiencing grief in very different ways. Although Kidman scored a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, Eckhart is just as deserving (arguably more so) as his portrayal is gutsy and relentless. The standout is undoubtedly newcomer Teller as the quiet and thoughtful teenager still haunted by the accident. His interpretation of the character is stoic and powerful, creating some of the most moving moments in the film. Dianne Wiest, Tammy Blanchard and and Sandra Oh are also strong in minor roles.

Despite Rabbithole's merits, this is territory we've been before. The film's examination of parental love and the full reach of grief isn't any more insightful than films with similar themes such as The Sixth Sense, Dead Man Walking, My Sister's Keeper, Beaches or The Lovely Bones. It doesn't shed any new light, lead us to any new realisations or make us feel any differently about what is clearly a horrible experience to go through. Although the performances are solid, the technical aspects well handled, by the end of the film you can't help but ask; other than providing a snapshot of one particular couple's experience of grief, what was the point?Rabbithole is out Thursday, February 17.

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And all that jazz

Faster than Fellini but not as quick as Chicago, director Rob Marshall's big screen adaptation of Broadway musical Nine will leave you divided.

On one hand, it's a visual feast with crisp, clear camera work and a dynamic cast. On the other, the time between musical numbers drags and the storyline is linked together clumsily. The audience were equally as undecided about whether to hate it or love it. While one couple walked out of the film after 15 minutes, another group were cheering and clapping right up to the end credits.

Nine follows Italian film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his relationship with the women in his life when he gets writer's block in the lead up to the filming of his new `masterpiece' Italiano. Marshall has assembled what will undoubtedly be the best cast of the year, with Day-Lewis supported by Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren and Fergie (from Black Eyed Peas fame).

The women are the stars of this film and they keep it afloat, with Fergie's ferocious performance of the song Be Italian the standout number. She belts the hook line with such emphasis you are sure her vocals will bring the set down around her. A real surprise is Hudson, who makes an impressive transition from comedienne to musical star as the sexually charged reporter. There's nothing wrong with the performances as a whole; Dench punches, Cruz purrs and Cotillard is poised but the vein in Day-Lewis' forehead has more personality than Kidman's character.

While 2007's reimagining of Hairspray gained fans from the most unlikely of places, Nine will do little to convert if you are not already a fan of the cinematic musical. For every Cinema Italiano there's a lacklustre musical number like My Husband Makes Movies and sure, the costumes are exquisite but a sparkly corset doesn't make up for the dull scenes linking the musical numbers.

It lacks the pop of Marshall's Oscar-winning version of Chicago and those expecting the same vivacity will be disappointed.

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A step up from working at the drive thru . . . .

It’s a sad, sad world we live in when the only work a Pulitzer-prize winner can get is putting together the script for a Spider Man movie. Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is in final negotiations with Colombia pictures to write the screenplay for Spider Man 4 with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst back to reprise their roles. For those unfamiliar with Lindsay-Abaire’s work he won four Tony’s for his play `Rabbit Hole’ which debuted on Broadway in 2006, starring Cynthia Nixon. The same play also took out the 2007 Pulitzer. My initial thought was, why the hell would a Pulitzer prize winner want to write the script for a Spider Man movie? Has he not seen the previous efforts? They’re craptastic specimens of popcorn cinema at its worst and the script is insignificant to the director who instead focuses on flashy special effects, immaculate set designs and expensive costuming. Honestly, given the effort in the last Spider Man movie Helen Keller could do a better job at writing the script for Spider Man 4. To confirm his status as a complete sell out Lindsay-Abaire is currently writing the script and lyrics for the Broadway adaptation of Shrek (I smell another Pulitzer coming on). `Rabbit Hole’ is also being made in to a film for 20th Century Fox with Nicole Kidman (yawn) in the lead role.

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Nicole Kidman

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