Reviews of two more films that screened during the Gold Coast Film Festival – Agent Elite (Australia) and Cockneys Vs. Zombies (England).
Agent Elite
The story is certainly entertaining – Agent E7685 (otherwise known as Alex) is forced to fend off multiple assassins after the death of her mentor Montgomery Lomax (an excellent Mirko Grillini). The motive is clear – E7685 is too valuable an asset to simply destroy, as we see she has progressed through rigorous training to become one of the agency’s most valuable products. There’s definitely some great plot elements here which is essentially the vehicle to another action sequence – i.e. the various agents coming to capture her, how Alex gradually becomes ruthless and the idea of breaking a soul and spirit down and ‘re-building’.
However, the quality of the image was slightly grainy and there were a few exposure and contrast issues which, in the long run, detracts from its desire to pass as a high-quality action film but ultimately the story is entertaining enough to keep you interested.
Cockneys vs. Zombies
Fans of Sean of the Dead watch out – Cockneys vs. Zombies has everything you need for entertainment. Funny old people, moody young people, hoards of the flesh-eating undead and a hilarious script make for a rollicking good time. Whilst the whole zombie genre is a bit overdone, and Cockneys vs. Zombies probably won’t stick out from the glut, doesn’t mean there’s no fun to be had.
To save their Grandfathers foreclosed nursing home, cousins Terry, Andy and Katy decide to rob a bank and come up with the cash. Little do they know, once they exit the bank the East of London has been overrun by nasty zombies. While the folks in the nursing home barricade themselves inside and fend them off with eggbeaters and spoons, Terry and the new gang (including hostages and a steel-plated psycho) try to make their way back and rescue the old folks.
That’s about all there is to it really – the platform is perfect for wisecracks, there’s loads of hilarious unexpected flashbacks (again, very Sean of the Dead-esque), they riff on typical ‘cockney’ traits such as the old ‘frog-and-toad’ analogies and everyone just seems to be having a good time. The acting is also top-notch but the accents are so enjoyable that poor performances probably would have gone unnoticed. And the gore is surprisingly hardcore. Not for the faint of heart but definitely some brainless fun. (The pun was begging to be made.)
The Gold Coast Film Festival closes on the 28th of April with a screening of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead – for more information visit www.gcfilmfestival.com
– Danielle Muir
