ALSO SHOWING
RAMS (12) ★★★★★
THE trailer seems to tee up a feelgood comedy, one of those knockabout affairs about quirky underdogs rallying together for a common cause.
But there’s much more to this gentle Aussie remake of the 2015 Icelandic film of the same name. It tells the story of two brothers who live on neighbouring farms but haven’t spoken for years.
When their parents died 40 years ago, the Grimurson brothers – sensible Colin (a perfectly cast Sam Neill) and his bitter, older and far more drunken sibling Les (Michael Caton) – ignored a woolly will and simply cut the family farm in half.
The cause of their falling out is never really explained – communication between the rival sheep breeders is largely restricted to grunts and steely glares across a barbed wire fence.
However, the brothers’ relationship sours further when Colin informs the authorities that Les’s prized ram has succumbed to a highly infectious disease. When health officials order a culling of their flocks, a metaphorical plague descends on both their houses.
Both men have dedicated their lonely lives to maintaining the bloodline of the Kalgan, a hardy breed established by their father to flourish in Mount Barker’s unique microclimate. But can the brothers stop butting horns?
ALL MY LIFE (12) ★★★★★
ASPIRING chef Solomon Chau (Harry Shum Jr) doesn’t know the meaning of love until he meets Jenn Carter (Jessica Rothe).
The attraction is instant and they move in together. Solomon orchestrates an elaborate flash mob proposal and Jenn tearfully accepts, to the delight of their inner circle of friends including Amanda (Chrissie Fit), Dave (Jay Pharoah) and Kyle (Kyle Allen).
As the couple plan their dream wedding with Solomon in charge of catering, the groom-to-be suffers crippling stomach pains and is rushed to hospital. A scan reveals that he has advanced liver cancer.
Refusing to give up on their dream of fairytale nuptials before Solomon loses his battle, the couple set up a crowdfunding page in the hope they can raise enough money to bring the wedding date forward.
Based on a heart-breaking true story that demands more than one sniffle into a tissue before the end credits, All My Life hits the requisite emotional beats without straying too far from predictability.
From February 12 on Amazon Prime Video