Genres

Visitors Review

Mdln DeHond 2013-05-14 18:17:00

Soap comedy plot

I had high expectations as this rated almost 8 here. The movie takes ona few unhappy marriages and off course adultery all over the placewhich doesn't bother me from a moral point of view, don't get me wrong.The plots remind of bad comedies and soap operas but played serious.It gets ultimately silly with the forceful unnatural plot twists tohave them all ending up in Berlin or a conference chasing each otherand acting out since they are finally away from home.It's not funny, it's not moving, it's just nothing. I could hardly sitit out. Some very bad story writing and acting here. At 1st i ratedthis 6 but while writing i changed my mind and rate it 5.

G Dunne 2013-05-14 07:29:16

Insightful Story, Delightful Humour

Separation City is a well-crafted story from Tom Scott, script writerand Kiwi cartoonist. The acting from leads Joel Edgerton, DanielleCormack and Rhona Mitra is convincingly nuanced, complemented by anumber of fine supporting roles. Simon (Edgerton) and Pam (Cormack)'smarriage has become largely functional under the pressures of raisingchildren plus the demands and long hours of his job in a governmentminister's office. Cellist Katrien (Mitra) and artist Klaus (ThomasKretschmann)'s relationship on the other hand has been rendereddysfunctional by his straying attentions. The story has a distinctiveNew Zealand setting, with a universal appeal as a gentle skewering ofthe highs and lows of marriage and relationships, leavened with Scott'strademark humour.

AlienByChoice 2013-05-08 17:48:14

An interesting perspective, let down by lazy directing

One of the few romance/comedy-dramas where I could empathise with theprotagonist, Separation City delivers an interesting and surprisinglyrealistic view on love, romance and life in general. That's not to saythat I haven't heard it all before, however it was delivered in a frankyet not "in your face" manner, making this movie stand out from dozensof other films on this subject. Having said that, the movie reallysuffers from lazy directing. It also doesn't help that being a NewZealand movie they had to cast at least one New Zealand lead, and withall due respect to Danielle Cormack, she was out of her depth here,particularly when surrounded by the ever brilliant Thomas Kretschmann,as well as Rhona Mitra and Joel Edgerton. The scene at the beachtowards the end of the film really exposes her weakness as an actress,although part of the blame lies with the surprisingly weak dialogue inthat scene, which was not characteristic of this movie, I must add. 3 comments about this movie can help me illustrate my frustration withit:1) The narration. Overly elaborate, at pains to explain every littlenuance, every feeling, it felt as if the director didn't trust theactors to deliver the message through their acting. I wonder if theyever tried screening it without the narration just to see if the movieholds up on its own, because I'd bet it would. 2) Lazy directing. (here be spoilers). An example of this is Klauspainting a pohutakawa tree back in his apartment in Berlin, withKatrien's voice-over telling us that he is painting landscapes of thedistant shores. Wouldn't it be better to embed a flourishing pohutakawasomewhere in the movie so that once back in Berlin and painting it, theviewer would recognise it and understand Klaus is painting a NewZealand landscape? (spoilers END) 3) Why was Mike Minogue (Errol the Fireman) in this film and what didhis character contribute is beyond me.Overall not a bad effort, I definitely agree with the message itconveys, but I do hope they release a director's cut version with nonarration or at least significantly reduce the amount of it.7/10

jhainey 2013-05-08 03:17:47

I loved this film

At last a New Zealand film about real people in real situations. Thisfilm is written by Tom Scott a political journalist and one of NewZealand's best loved satirical cartoonists. His own real lifeexperiences are evident throughout the film as the characters move fromone hilarious situation to another. Set mainly in Wellington, NewZealand's capital and home of parliament, it shows the beauty ofWellington and the real New Zealand character. The actors are verybelievable and so funny that I was laughing out loud in the theater. Myonly complaint was that it wasn't longer. This is a great film aboutfriends and the frailty of familiarity. It has great insight and willtouch all who see it. My suggestion. Just get out and see it.

Philby-3 2013-05-06 00:06:30

Adultery right down under

Simon (Joel Edgerton) is married to Pam (Danielle Cormack), the womanof his dreams but seven years of marriage have passed since their happywedding day at Pukerua Bay, near Wellington, New Zealand. Two childrenhave arrived with all the attendant stress and sleep deprivation, andthe dream bride is now not so interested in sex. Simon falls for thebeautiful Katrien (Rhona Mitra from Boston Legal), a cellist and friendof his wife who, goaded by his infidelities, has just left her husbandKlaus (Thomas Kretschmann), an artist. Simon's and Katrien's attemptsat adultery are thwarted until Simon, a ministerial staffer, travels toa conference in Berlin with his cabinet minister boss, the improbablynamed Archie Boyle (Alan Lovell), where the story comes to a climax, soto speak. Afterwards, everyone is engaged in picking up the pieces.Watching a film about adultery is rather like witnessing a car crash inslow motion. You know someone is going to get hurt and there's nothingyou can do about it. Here, writer Tom Scott, the brilliant NZcartoonist and satirist, has made it so funny that you almost forgetabout the pain. The film, directed by Paul Middleditch, has a lot offlaws – ineffective use of the narration device, uninformative openingsequences, a failure to tie things up (consider Klaus's painting of apohutukawa tree shown near the end – only NZers will associate it withthe land of the long lost vowel), and some naff acting. Nevertheless Ienjoyed the film immensely. Some of the set pieces are hilarious – themen's group meetings, Simon's frank conversations with his more worldlybest mate Harry (Les Hill), and the antics in Berlin (Les Patterson andBazza McKenzie definitely have their NZ equivalents). The locationshots in and around Wellington are glorious – the crew should becommended for their patience in waiting for those rare windlessWellington days, though they did not always get what they wanted.As Rhona Mitra is drop-dead gorgeous it is not hard to feel some (male)sympathy for Simon, who does make an effort to resist her charm. Theiraffair is indeed an accident and painful for both. On discovering theaffair, Pam storms off, but her bond with Simon is stronger than itfirst appears. It's not easy, but trust can be restored despite whatthe doomsayers tell us.Joel Edgerton is effective as a man swept along by strong feelingsdespite his better judgment and Rhona Mitra is fine as the other woman.Danielle Cormack was not so convincing as the wronged woman. ThomasKretschmann makes a thoroughly dislikeable Klaus – arrogant andcallous. I liked Les Hill as Harry the pub philosopher but he isprobably an acquired taste eg "there's no such thing as prematureejaculation, only delayed orgasm."Like many NZ films the comedy here does not always neatly complementthe more serious themes. This, I think, stems from the antipodeantendency to make light of near or actual disaster, an attitude embodiedin the phrase "she'll be right". New Zealanders are optimists,opportunists and great improvisers, but not ones to ponder the meaningof life. Errol the fireman (Mike Minogue) does ask the question in themen's group. He is met with an uncomfortable silence.

Jon Michaels 2013-05-05 11:57:37

Fresh insight on relationships

Just saw Separation City in my home town (and where the movie is set)of Wellington, New Zealand. Wellington looks great, and overall it is athough provoking story, and refreshingly offers up the male point ofview on long term relationships.There are some great gags, the first half of the movie produced plentyof laughs. The second half delivers quite nicely with farcicalelements, but with plenty of emotion as well.The acting is pretty good, the direction good (if a littleunimaginative), and the script does well to capture some unique maleexperiences that I haven't seen in cinema before.The only thing I really didn't like were the terrible voice-overs. Attimes they worked, but other times they were completely redundant andspoiled the moment. I really hope that they edit out about 90% of thenarration before this film is released internationally.but those are only minor criticisms - overall, it's a good film,engaging and enjoyable, and with a fresh insight into modernrelationships.