Film Guide - July 6, 2012

The Dictator. Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest character is a witty one-liner despot who is part Gadaffi, part Hussein and all sorts of crazy. *** HH

Friends With Kids: Two single friends decide to have a baby together but keep seeing other people. This will not end well. ** HH

Rock of Ages: Ensemble cast featuring Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russel Brand and Alec Baldwin in mommy jeans in an adaptation of the Broadway musical. *** HH

Sound of My Voice: A journalist and his girlfriend stumble upon a cult in this psycho-thriller. Too many unanswered questions. HH TG

Set Up: Ryan Phillipe, Bruce Willis and… 50 Cent… in a heist drama. Better than you think. *** HH

LOL: Demi Moore plays Miley Cyrus’s mother in this coming-of-age film set in the well-heeled side of America. It’s bland and clichéd and already starting to date. ** TS

Mad Buddies: Leon Schuster teams up with Kenneth Nkosi for a slapstick road trip movie. Crass humour and poo jokes abound. *** if you’re a six-year-old boy; * if you’re not. TS

Younge Goethe in Love: German director Philipp Stölzl’s film falls gently between the stools of high-brow camp and genuine seduction by its many period charms, fine actors and lovely landscapes. The highbrow pedigree is mostly window dressing for a commercial period romance about Germany's literary giant. *** HR

Being Flynn: Under-utilised cast in a story about a fraught father son relationship. ** DdB

Madagascar 3: Europe’s most wanted: Bright, highly detailed with a gorgeous set piece which sees the Bronx zoo escapees join the circus. *** TS

Men In Black 3: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and now Josh Brolin kick alien butt and save the world – as usual. *** HH

One Day on Earth: Fascinating documentary that draws together footage filmed on one day in every country on the earth, that shows the interconnectedness of life. (Review on Monday)

Press Pause Play: A Swedish documentary with English subtitles which looks at how the digital revolution has unleashed the creativity and talent of people in an unprecendented way and questions whether this means better art, film, music and literature or drowns out true talent in a digital ocean of mass culture. (Not reviewed, screened at the Labia)

Prometheus: Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created for the Aliens quadrilogy, but this time he goes back to before the beginning. Luscious cgi scenery, gorgeous creature design and the scares are real. *** TS

Snows of Kilimanjaro: An elderly French couple’s ordered life is thrown into disarray when they are burgled. The problem is compounded when they realise they’ve been robbed by someone they know. (Not reviewed)

Snow White And The Huntsman: A beautifully lensed retelling of the favourite fairy tale goes for a dark edge. We know the story so it’s all about the gorgeous look. *** TS

The Avengers: Iron Man, The Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor, Captain America and The Black Widow fighting a badass Loki and his relentless army. ‘Nuff said. *** HH

The Consequences of Love: An introverted man finds his life changes completely when he is attracted to a barmaid. *** TS

The Jammed: An Australian thriller about trafficking, governmental deportation and the sex slave trade in Melbourne, inspired by real events. (Not reviewed)

The Lucky One: Nothing compared to The Notebook, but Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling still try to pull off the romance for the cameras. ** TG

The Romantics: Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes and Candice Bergen in a New England posh wedding romcom. (Not reviewed)

The Rum Diary: Johnny Depp brings to life the novel of legendary journalist Hunter S Thompson’s pre-gonzo days. *** TG

What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Expecting more from this movie, based on the fact that it has a stellar cast and is a New York Times best-seller, will see you labour through unrealistic and almost farcical plots. ** DT