‘The Last Vermeer’

Based very loosely on a true story, director Dan Friedkin’s debut feature had a blank canvas with thrills, spills, courtroom drama, illicit love affairs, spies and wartime resistance at its disposal. Sadly, the resultant mess is stolid storytelling, stilted dialogue and unconvincing performances.

Post-World War II Amsterdam and art dealer Han Van Meegeren (an effete Guy Pearce) is charged with collaboration with the Nazis and selling a valuable Vermeer painting to Goerring for enormous personal gain. Captain Joseph Piller (Claes Bang), a former Dutch Resistance member, finds himself investigating the case. Emotions are high in the city where collaborators are publicly executed on the streets. The blood of the overly-privileged Van Meegeren is demanded. But things are not necessarily what they seem.

A mostly wasted, multi-national (but no Dutch!) cast struggle with a bland and stoic telling. It looks good in the decadent and tasteful Van Meegeren chambers, but as the seeming truths unfold, so opportunites with courtroom grandstanding and exploration of ethics are diluted, losing any impact. A damp, oily rag.

Rating: 40%

Director: Dan Friedkin

Writer: John Orloff (Anonymous, A Mighty Heart), Mark Fergus (Children of Men, Iron Man), Hawk Ostby (Children of Men, Iron Man) – based on the book by Jonathan Lopez

Main cast: Claes Bang (The Square, The Girl in the Spider’s Web), Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential), Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, The Girl in the Spider’s Web)

‘Lawless’

Based on a true story, three brothers in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia find their bootlegging Prohibition business threatened by new special deputy Charley Rakes, brought in by the corrupt new District Attorney. Shares in the profits and bribes are the expected payback. The Bondurant family, headed by legendary Forrest (Tom Hardy), just ain’t interested.

Written by Nick Cave and directed by John Hillcoat, there’s a significant Australian influence in the Blue Mountains storyline of booze, violence and crime. Add Guy Pearce as the malignant slimeball Rakes, Jason Clarke as middle-brother Howard alongside Mia Wasikowska as the love interest for the youngest of the three, Shia LeBeouf and it’ll give you an indication.

Shot in muted tones with the only flash of colour provided by ex-Chicago exotic dancer Jessica Chastain, Lawless is a dialogue-rich narrative interspersed with moments of extreme violence and unpleasantness. It’s a film full of impressive performances – but it’s a film that does not quite live up to expectation. Almost, but not quite.

Rating: 65%

Director: John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road)

Writer: Nick Cave (The Proposition, The Road) – adapted from the book by Matt Bondurant

Main cast: Tom Hardy (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises), Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential, Holding the Man), Jason Clarke (Chappaquiddick, Terminator Genisys)

‘Disturbing the Peace’

What was the point? This leaves you asking – why? And what on earth was Guy Pearce thinking, agreeing to star in such a templated, paint-by-numbers film?

Bikers invade a small town targetting the delivery of casino money to the one bank. Guy Pearce, the marshal who hasn’t carried a gun since he left the Texas Rangers after a tragic shooting, is the one person in their way.

A lacklustre, almost laughable script; cheap action sequences; amateurish acting; underdeveloped characters and aimless direction (York Alec Shackleton) leaves Disturbing the Peace as a basic waste of time.

Rating: 10%

Director: York Alec Shackleton (Kush, 1 Out of 7)

Writer: Chuck Hustmyre (End of a Gun, House of the Rising Sun)

Main cast: Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential, Memento), Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Now & Then), Kelly Greyson (Broken Memories, Woodlawn)

‘Mary, Queen of Scots’

The age old story of the bitter rivalry between Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth that led to the eventual execution of the Queen of Scotland. Theatre director Josie Rourke chooses to portray the story mainly from Mary’s perspective.

Returning to Scotland at the sudden death of her 16 year-old husband King Francis II of France, a young Mary (Saoirse Ronan) immediately lays claim to the English throne of the Protestant Elizabeth (Margot Robbie). Plots abound in the dour castles of Scotland and courts of England as each of the women choose to act on or ignore the different advice given by courtiers, lords and lovers.

Each feared and fascinated by the other, a complex Elizabeth is relegated to a supporting role in the adaptation of John Guy’s novel as a magisterial Saoirse Ronan dominates proceedings. It’s a turbulent time of betrayal and conspiracy. Yet Mary, Queen of Scots is a more pensive discourse than a full-blooded confrontation, a muted, suprisingly claustrophobic telling that, whilst holding interest, cries out on occasions for a little more action.

Nominated for 2 Oscars in 2019 (costume & make-up).

Rating: 59%

Director: Josie Rourke (Coriolanus)

Writer: Beau Willimon (The Ides of March, TV’s House of Cards) – adapted from the novel by John Guy

Mian cast: Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, Lady Bird), Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad, I Tonya), Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential)

‘Holding the Man’

From life to the page to the stage to the screen, Holding the Man is something of an iconic modern Australian love story. The fact Tim Conigrave and John Caleo died young from complications due to AIDS makes it a tragic love story. Yet, with all its rich source material, the film version fails to effectively engage.

The first problem is there is no convincing chemistry between the leads – a fine performance by the vulnerably arrogant Ryan Corr as Tim is diluted by a doe-eyed lap dog Craig Stott unconvincing as the private school footie-captain. Add a split timeframe into somewhat episodic narrative (the two were together for 16 years between 1976 and John’s death in 1992 – Tim died three years later just 10 days after completing the book) results in a long film that is not 100% clear where it sits – schoolboy romance, love story, political agitprop, social commentary. Result is it falls between too many stools. Disappointing.

Rating: 53%

Director: Neil Armfield (Candy, The Castanet Club)

Writer: Tommy Murphy (TV’s Devil’s Playground) – based on the book by Tim Conigrave

Main cast: Ryan Corr (The Water Diviner, Where the Wild Things Are), Craig Stott (Macbeth, Ghost Team One), Anthony LaPaglia (Mental, Balibo), Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker, L.A. Confidential)