This wonderful short animation takes place in a ‘destroyed world’ where the the only glimmer of hope is in the memory of a forgotten past.

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A film about a horrendously obese girl who has two kids, with Mariah Carey in it and produced by Oprah. Sounds awful and at first, I couldn’t be less interested, but it turns out, I couldn’t be more mistaken. Based on the novel Push, it’s a tight and intelligent script realised by dedicated actors and exquisite direction. Even Mariah Carey is pretty good, but an American comedian known as Mo’Nique, who plays the mother of Precious, will win the best-supporting actor Oscar, or I will eat my shoes. While ‘Precious’ tells one of the most uncomfortable and confronting stories to make it to the screen, it resists being all gloom with some great comedy moments. Too many films work on a moral code where every character gets what they deserve. ‘Precious’ reminds us that the world isn’t fair, there’s no point waiting around for everything to balance out and still, there’s room for hope.

Often a film revolves a major action or series of events, while at the centre of the Italian film Quiet Chaos, is a mammoth but not uncomfortable hole. When a TV executive’s wife suddenly dies, he takes to spending his days outside his daughters school, but instead of his life falling apart, his friends and relatives come to console him, and faced with his calm, they end up revealing their own difficulties.

His lack of grief is incomprehensible to many. However, the way he slowly deals with this trauma is an interesting meditation on some of the different ways there are to deal with loss. Based on the best-selling Italian novel by Sandro Veronesi, it’s a curious film that doesn’t come with any big hits, but lingers in the memory like a long walk through a national park that you’ll always remember — maybe for the light, the scenery or the weather, you’re not entirely sure.

The best films are built on brilliant ideas, and the script behind this science fiction thriller was so good, it was able to succeed despite a lack of star power or a big budget. A movie like this reaffirms my little remaining faith in the industry, but it’s a phenomenon that’s all too rare. District 9 begins with the arrival of a ship full of starving aliens, who are stored in a military-guarded slum in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The title and theme were inspired by events that took place in District Six, Cape Town during the apartheid era, but are comparable to any of the thousands of refugee camps around the world. Political posturing aside, it’s also a gripping story with constant twists as the bureaucrat assigned to relocate the aliens, derogatorily referred to as ‘prawns’, to a camp outside the city becomes infected by alien DNA.

Actual footage from inside Burma, shot by Burmese, many of whom ended up in jail or tortured by Burma’s oppressive military regime. The material is shot using small handycams by Burma’s VJs (Video Journalists), then smuggled out of the country and broadcast back into Burma via satellite and offered free to the international media.

The video in the film centres around marches by monks through Rangoon in September 2007, protesting against the governments treatment of the people. Historically the monks stay out of politics, so there is hope that the marches will spark a revolution. As no foreign media is allowed in the country, all that the outside world knows of these protests comes from the video journalists, and the images beamed back into the country help to inspire further protests. It’s a compelling documentary from inside one the world’s most brutal regimes.

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This is not an enjoyable film, but it is excellent. Immediately after watching Samson and Delilah, I thought it was awful. Exactly because I thought it was awful, a week later I’m convinced it’s brilliant. There are many different types of films. Some are immensely entertaining, but immediately forgettable. Like Avatar. Others stick with you, no matter how much you wish they wouldn’t, because they show you a truth about the world that you wish wasn’t so spot on. Samson and Delilah is based around the real-life experiences of director Warwick Thornton and present a part of Australia that most people, myself included, suspected existed, but really wish it didn’t. Now, what the hell do we do about it?

I don’t get who decides what movies are shown where, and at what times. The new Twilight film is crap, stars androgynous mannequins, and is based on an even worse book by a bible-bashing lunatic. However for a couple of months I could see it at any megaplex at nearly any hour of the day. Then Fantastic Mr Fox arrives – a film based on a far superior book by an acclaimed director, starring a world-renowned vocal cast, and it’s not on anywhere but a few arthouse cinemas after 4pm. So I had to wait until the weekend.

As a society we really have stuffed some things up completely. Anyway, once in a while a director gets everything right, and while Wes Anderson has made some impressive films, none are better than Fantastic Mr Fox. The animation, the story, the jokes, the characters, the everything. Based on the Roald Dahl book, everyone seems to be arguing about whether it’s a movie for children or adults. It’s for both. It’s for neither. It’s so good who cares. Take the kids to see it if you want though, they’ll love it.

If you haven’t already seen Tyson, James Toback’s documentary of Iron Mike, do so immediately. Toback’s lack of editorial lets one of the most fascinating athletes ever speak in his own surprisingly introspective and articulate words. Toback heightens the manic contradictions in Kid Dynamite’s personality with schizophrenic, split-screen editing, creating a film that has a profound impact both emotionally and aesthetically.

For a small country so close to Australia, so many of us know way too little about East Timor. Balibo makes it clear that the small nation was invaded by the Indonesians over thirty years ago, while Australia let it happen. This well paced, passionately acted portrayal of the events centres around the death of five young Australian journalists. Experienced Australian journalist Roger East tries to find out what happened to them, with the help of Jose Ramos Horta, who is still a pertinent figure in East Timorese politics. Anthony Lapaglia gives a spirited performance as East, who at one point comments, “Thousand of little brown people die; nobody back home (in Australia) is going to care. But five Australian journalists are killed and that’s front page news.” Which helps explain why their deaths were kept covered up for three decades. [read about more Australian pop culture at The Colour]

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Spike Jonze, director of indie classics Adaptation and Being John Malkovich, teams with novelist Dave Eggers to bring the Maurice Sendak picture book to the screen. It’s a curious film, following the young Max as he flees from his home after a fight with his mother, to the land of the wild things. The creatures are wonderful, with James Goldolfini of The Sopranos superb as the lead beast.

What’s great about this film is that it exists in a world with childlike rules and games, but adult messages. In the land of the wild things nobody worries about food and days are spent building forts and throwing dirt, however the stresses seen in all groups and relationships are there. They’re also much easier to analyse without the clutter created by more ‘mature’ people. Also the soundtrack by Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in awesome.

In surf culture circles, the second half of 2009 belonged to Modern Collective. Six of the world’s most innovative surfers taking on world-class breaks suited to aerial surfing. This is no Endless Summer soul-search; it’s a film about the new generation of surfers creating a new style of surfing. Throwing ridiculous airs is hardly a new thing, but the stuff these guys are going for – and landing – has been blowing minds. Surf magazine execs scrambled for early viewings, and as they held clandestine meetings in darkened apartments around director Kai Neville’s MacBook Pro the opinions were unanimous; the game has been changed, for good. This is the biggest surf film release in years, possibly decades.

We’ve been drip-fed video segments and photos, have seen exclusive interviews and the surf art aspect of the film is well understood. It promised to break the surf film mould and be as much of an art project as it is a surf film. And for the most part, Modern Collective has succeeded in just that – beautiful cinematography and some incredible rhythmic editing places this a good cut above a standard surf film composition. There’s some nice cultural inclusions too, so the surf travellers out there will recognise a handful of locations. After having watched it a few times through, the only disappointment is the soundtrack; it’s that soul-less electro synth pop stuff that’s just oh-so-cool right now but will be oh-so-forgotten in a year’s time. It’s completely mismatched to the visuals. Anyway, that’s a small point. In every other way, this film is absolutely incredible.

Chris Rock’s new documentary, Good Hair, is a surprisingly candid look at African-American hair culture. Rock manages to bring to light underlying self-image issues, racism, and the global reach of the black haircare industry through interviews with black celebrities — Al Sharpton, Maya Angelou, Raven-Symone, Ice-T, and many others — and his journeys to Atlanta (where the Bronner Borthers hairstyling competition takes place) and India (where much of the hair that gets made into weaves comes from). Though Rock occasionally overreaches with the scope of his film, it is still a funny, light-hearted, and honest look at a prominent facet of American culture.

The new Jane Campion movie, Bright Star, starring Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw is a cracking period drama based around the much-feted romance between renowned 19th century poet, John Keats, and his mistress, Fanny Brawne, which tragically ended when Keats died prematurely at the age of just 25.

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At a time when mainstream cinema seems to be getting more palatable and boring, it’s fantastic that an artist is still making films that challenge and confuse. Writer and director Lars von Trier is an excellent filmmaker. The cinematography throughout this movie is phenomenal, in particular the first scene and selected close-ups. It’s also a tight script, where the tension does not abate for a moment. I’ve seen a few arthouse movies that just weren’t good enough to make it mainstream. Lars von Trier has the skills but chooses to confront, and for that reason his films will be discussed for decades, instead of months.

Tim Burton was an Executive Producer on this. It’s a bit of a worry when the biggest name attached to a film is one of the people who put up some money to get it made. Wes Craven’s name has been bastardised in a similar way, and last week I saw Hellride, which had Quentin Tarantino as an Executive Producer. It rocketed into my top five worst films ever. Anyway, back to 9 and the dark colours and detail of the animation does closely resemble a Tim Burton film.

A machine, created by man, has killed off humanity. All that is left are nine little creatures, created by a scientist, and it’s up to them to kill the machine. By being pitched more at an adult audience, it’s actually a great film for older kids, who I don’t think are shown enough respect by recent animations. The plot itself isn’t complicated enough for adults, but that said, there’s plenty worse out there. It looks amazing and afterwards, you feel like you’ve been hugged.

When I was just wee speck on the great tapestry of life (yes, an even wee-er spec than I am today), the highlight of my bat day was watching the title sequence to the original batman series. Not only did it herald thirty minutes or so or ‘pwoowwww’ action, but the menacing rumbling of the theme song was usually the perfect panacea to another dreary Wellington morning. But times have changed. Wellington is now one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet. And the classic Batman TV series has since been spun off into a handful of tepid movies. Blah. ‘Kttaannnng!’

One of the best pieces of art I’ve ever witnessed, this film articulates the pitfalls of communism and in the process answers one of my own longstanding questions: ‘What happens when a solid alternative political theory is put in to practice in a capitalist society?’ It’s a reconstruction of the history of the United Red Army faction, which had its roots in the 60s when Japanese students protested America using Japan as a staging base for its war in Vietnam.

Director Koji Wakamatsu is faithful both to the facts and those involved, portraying extremist students not as monsters or lunatics, but reasonable and idealistic students willing to die for their beliefs. The different murders, hijackings, robberies and the final siege are all faithfully reproduced, and while three hours long, seldom have I ever been so gripped or deeply affected by any film, either fact or fiction.

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Seldom has organised crime been so honestly and unflinchingly portrayed. The lives and role of Italian crime families in America has been often chronicled, but Gomorrah looks at modern crime families in Naples and Caserta by focussing on five different stories. It’s gritty, violent and engrossing, as each story touches the other and builds the tension. Broader in its scope than the Brazilian film, City of God, it’s also just as good. The most affecting art gives us a lens through which to make sense of the world and the statistics listed at the end of this film remind us that the action in Gomorrah is not fiction, but a dramatisation of the truth.

Dock Ellis and The LSD No-No is a short animated film by Brooklyn illustrator James Blagden: ‘In June of 1970, Dock Phillip Ellis Jr., a major league pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, threw a no-hitter while high on acid and Benzedrine. Featuring a narration by Dock himself, The LSD No-No is the telling of this legendary tale, straight from the horse’s mouth’.

A documentary about one of the world’s most famous fashion designers? Hmm. Not a film I’d ever choose to see, but sometimes we do what we don’t want to in order to make friends happy. It’s called compromise apparently, and the experience reminded me that any material, if well structured and presented, can make a decent film. The filmmakers follow the over-tanned Valentino Garavani and his long-term lover and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti.

They bicker like an old married couple, trading bitchy comments and eye rolls, however they also share some wonderfully tender moments. In the background, the business has recently been sold and there’s constant speculation that Valentino will soon be forcibly retired. It’s also fascinating for the behind-the-scenes look at how designs come to be dresses, how fashion shows are put together and the way the industry operates, including the extreme bitchiness and opulence.