RED ROCKET (MA15+)THE ONE THAT LAUNCHES A NEW STAR****RENT ONLYFile this uniquely arresting and utterly authentic comedy-drama under “should not work at all, but works in every way.” The centrepiece of a raw, rough’n’ready affair is the totally astonishing lead performance of Red Rocket’s unheralded star, Simon Rex. This ex-rapper-turned-actor throws himself into his character as if his life depends on it. Which is more than apt, as that character spends the entirety of the movie shifting from one state of desperation to another. Rex plays Mikey, a former adult film star who has had to leave the glitz and glamour of LA and return to his very small and very poor home town in Florida. While this irrepressible chatterbox – honestly, you have not heard a character talk so quickly, directly and disarmingly in a movie for a long time – looks for his ticket out of oblivion, the notoriety of his past life keeps both hindering and helping his quest in wildly unforeseen ways. Rex’s dynamic display and the arresting atmosphere pouring off the screen amount to an experience completely different to everything else currently in release. Cinematic thrillseekers need to see this ASAP.THE GODFATHER COLLECTION (M)THE ONE WHERE TWO OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD … IT’S PERFECT*****BINGE, FOXTEL, PARAMOUNT+Now we have reached the fiftieth anniversary of its original release, The Godfather: Part 1 remains one of the greatest movies of all time. Period. Same goes for the equally exquisite Part II, if you’re wondering. Part III? Not in this lifetime. All titles have been lovingly remastered so that future generation can bask in the magnificence of those peerless first two chapters of the saga. These were the first productions to take us inside the inner sanctum of the Mafia. For so long, the movies had depicted gangsters as sharp-dressing, toothpick-chewing, violin-case-carrying thugs. There had to be a lot more to these people than that, and director Francis Ford Coppola showed it to us – the strangely noble code of honour, the backroom politicking, the intense family ties, and last but not least, the heartless animal instinct that took hold when survival was called for. The elaborate screenplays also sustained an astonishing amount of vivid characters, brought to life by a top-flight group of actors. Marlon Brando and a fresh-faced Al Pacino led from the front, and all the others followed. MOONFALL (M)THE ONE THAT LOSES THE SPACE RACE*RENT ONLYThis deliriously wrongheaded disaster movie is definitely the summer’s must-see for the so-bad-it’s-kinda-good crowd. All you need to know is that the moon is on a collision course with Earth. In fact, it will be here in a fortnight or so. Therefore the Head of NASA (Halle Berry) and a disgraced ex-astronaut (Patrick Wilson) had better mount their own unofficial rocket ride into space to save all mankind. Seriously, there is stuff happening in this motion picture that doesn’t just defy all knowledge associated with logic, science and human behaviour. It merrily gives everything a two-fingered salute and blunders on towards one of the most jam-droppingly stoo-pid movie endings of the 21st century. Amazing, in all the wrong ways.THE INVISIBLE PILOT (M)THE ONE THAT JUST KEEPS TAKING OFF****FOXTEL, BINGEOn the strength of the extraordinary first episode which dropped earlier in the week, this three-part documentary from HBO is a definite must-see. Advance knowledge of the twisty, turny and utterly bizarre true story explored here should be kept to a minimum. All you need to know going in is that in September 1977, a daredevil Arkansas crop-duster pilot named Gary Betzner disappeared in circumstances that were baffling to authorities and highly traumatic for his family. The wrinkle here is that a body was never found, and the recollections of friends and family who knew Betzner well still don’t seem to add up, almost 50 years later. Watch this one cold and you will be rewarded with a cracking yarn: one that is certain to be optioned as a Hollywood feature in the near future.THE BUBBLE (M)THE ONE THAT SELF-ISOLATES THE LAUGHS***NETFLIXHere comes a movie which bravely uses the first planet-wide pandemic of 2020 to pivot into comedy territory. If the writer-director here was not Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), this ungainly combo of Covid-19 paranoia and showbiz satire might not have turned out so good. Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) plays Carol, one of the stars of a long-running series of action flicks. Carol and her castmates (played by the likes of Keegan-Michael Key, Leslie Mann, David Duchovny and Iris Apatow) are trapped inside an iso-bubble at a fancy British hotel while their bosses try to figure out how to complete the blockbuster and get everyone home. The movie improves from the halfway mark after a slightly sluggish start, so stick with it if you’re beginning to have your doubts.APOLLO 10-1/2: A SPACE AGE CHILDHOOD (PG)THE ONE THAT WINS THE SPACE RACE****NETFLIXA funkily animated coming-of-age story set in the suburbs of Houston, Texas in the summer of 1969, centred around the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. This is such a beautiful movie, with a look, feel and sophistication of storytelling that will connect strongly with high-schoolers. Older primary schoolers who love all things to do with space and rockets will also fall under the spell of this beguiling piece of NASA nostalgia. A quick note about the captivating animation techniques used here: the movie was shot with ‘real’ human actors, then each frame of footage was illustrated. From the makers of the Oscar-winning Boyhood, and featuring the voices of Jack Black, Milo Coy, Zachary Levi.
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