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Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Film review: Nicolas Cage is brilliantly cast in The Surfer
The Surfer ★★★★☆ A sport, a way of life, a philosophy for living: surfing lends itself to extravagant myth-making, which The Surfer (15A) is happy to lean into as the movie opens, with our eponymous hero (played by Nicolas Cage) informing his estranged son (Finn Little) that life's crucial moments are a lot like encountering a massive wave: 'You either surf it,' he says, 'or you get wiped out.' But when the Surfer returns home to surf the remote beach at Luna Bay, he discovers that the shore has been colonised by the Bay Boys, led by the guru-like Scally (Julian McMahon), and that a culture of 'localism', which refuses entry to non-natives, is tacitly encouraged. Outraged at being denied the right to surf, the Surfer refuses to leave, setting him on a collision course with Scally and his thugs. Nicolas Cage is brilliantly cast here, playing an ostensible tough nut who privately mythologises a gilded past in which surfing equalled freedom and endless possibility; now, separated from his wife, and desperate to put his old life back together, the Surfer is trying to reinsert himself into the exclusive world of Luna Bay by buying his childhood home. But our hero, we fear, is doomed before the story even begins: a dreamer given to exotic fantasies of the perfect life, he is prone to delusion even before dehydration, heatstroke and the Bay Boys' escalating aggressions cause his grip on reality to loosen. Irish director Lorcan Finnegan ( Vivarium) blends the Surfer's fever-dream into a stunningly beautiful landscape, heightening the effect of the increasingly surreal episodes as the disorientated Surfer plunges deeper into paranoia; meanwhile, the cultivated Scally, who likens his followers to Shaolin monks, is gradually revealed to be an erudite exemplar of toxic masculinity. A vivid account of a fragile man's attempt to regain his paradise lost, The Surfer is a powerfully poetic drama. theatrical release Ocean with David Attenborough ★★★★☆ Ocean with David Attenborough Ocean with David Attenborough (G) sets out to explore 'the last great wilderness of open ocean,' a realm, Attenborough tells us at the outset, that is 'almost entirely a mystery.' Who better to guide us through the murky depths than Attenborough himself, who, at 98 years young, is one of the planet's greatest living treasures. He may be considerably frailer now than he appeared in his very first outing (the film employs old footage of the young naturalist frolicking in the sea), but his passion for the natural world remains undimmed. Almost inevitably, Attenborough isn't simply revealing the ocean's hidden wonders; this film also serves as a warning about climate change, and about the existential crisis being caused by the industrialised fishing of an increasingly scarce resource; but it also sounds a hopeful note, demonstrating how quickly the ocean can bounce back if afforded the opportunity. If Ocean does prove to be, as Attenborough suggests, his final film, it is a fitting testament to his life's work. theatrical release The Wedding Banquet ★★★☆☆ Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran in The Wedding Banquet Set in Seattle's Asian-American LGTBQ community, The Wedding Banquet (15A) is a droll farce about doing whatever it takes to survive. Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone) are trying to conceive; their best friends Chris (Bowen Yang) and Min (Han Gi-Chan) are desperate to prevent Min being dragged back to Korea by his wealthy, conservative family. And so Min proposes – literally – that he should marry Angela, with her 'dowry' being the cost of the latest round of Lee's fertility treatment. Andrew Ahn's film revels in subverting expectations – Angela's 'Tiger Mom' May (Joan Chen), for example, is outraged that her darling lesbian daughter would even consider marrying a man – and the script is littered with dry one-liners ('Queer theory takes all the joy out of being gay.'). For a film that satirises conservative attitudes, however, The Wedding Banquet is itself excessively polite and restrained; it's fun, but it might have benefited from a little more irreverence. theatrical release
Times
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Surfer review — Nicolas Cage saves this pretentious thriller
Nicolas Cage's trademark Gonzo energy is the vital spark in this dense thriller, rescuing the film from its own pretensions. It's a bonkers sun-scorched psychodrama about a middle-aged beta-male divorcee trapped in a car park from hell, metres away from a paradise beach in southwest Australia. Cage's character, known only as 'the Surfer', has come to Luna Bay (actual location: Yallingup Beach) to bond with his semi-estranged son, seal a nearby property deal and reinvigorate his hollow, lonely dad existence. Unfortunately a group of local 'surf gangsters' — called the Bay Boys and led by the charismatic Scally (Nip/Tuck's Julian McMahon) — have other ideas. They ban the surfer from the beach, steal his shoes and phone, and confine him to the car
The Courier
05-05-2025
- The Courier
Fife paedophile jailed again for downloading child abuse files
A 'hardened' Fife paedophile was caught downloading twisted child abuse files just months after being released from jail. Deviant Paul Scally, 45, began downloading vile files in November 2023, having only been liberated from prison that July. Scally was subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order during some of his offending, having previously jailed a decade ago for sex offences against a child. He was labelled a 'hardened offender' by the sheriff who jailed him again and ensured he will be under social work supervision once he is released. At an earlier hearing at Dundee Sheriff Court, prosecutor Joanne Ritchie said: 'Police executed a search warrant at the home of the accused on August 29 2024. 'The accused was not present and entry was forced with the assistance of a council joiner. 'A full search was carried out and three items were seized from the accused's bedroom floor. 'They were two hard drives and a laptop. Child sexual abuse material was found.' A total of 24 video files were found, with a run-time totalling more than five-and-a-half hours. They featured girls as young as four being sexually abused. Scally, who has been on remand since September 2, admitted that between November 2023 and August 2024, he took or made and possessed indecent images of children at his home in Newburgh. His solicitor Calum Harris said: 'He's clearly built up a record of similar offences. 'Ultimately the number of images and videos found is fairly low. 'He has spent a significant amount of time in custody.' Sheriff Gregor Murray jailed Scally for 20 months and placed him on the sex offenders register for five years. The sheriff backdated Scally's sentence to September and ordered him to be subject to post-release supervision for a year. He told Scally: 'You have a brief but highly analogous record of offending. 'You were only released from custody in July 2023. You almost immediately commenced offending again. 'It's quite clear you're a hardened offender who has no intention of desisting.' Agency worker Scally was sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted in 2015 of sexual offences against a child under the age of 13. Then, in 2022, he admitted flouting notification requirements that come with being on the sex offenders register by jetting off to Canary island Fuertaventura.
Epoch Times
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
‘The Surfer': Nicolas Cage Goes Full-Tilt Gonzo
R | 1h 40m | Drama, Mystery, Thriller | 2025 Regardless of the issues he has in his personal life (excessive spending, tax debt, five marriages), few can deny the acting talent of Nicolas Cage and his seemingly tireless work in front of the camera. Some naysayers claim Cage's financial woes are why he works so much, which could be true. However, from my perspective, Cage just likes what he does for a living and prefers to stay busy. A fever dream psychological thriller, 'The Surfer,' finds Cage riffing on his 'paranoid persecuted victim' mode. Cage's character lands not too far from his roles in 'Raising Arizona,' 'Red Rock West,' 'Mandy,' and 'Dream Scenario.' The unnamed title character is equal parts optimistic, proud, unwavering, and more than a tad bullheaded. Exterior Chamber Piece The action takes place entirely at a parking lot and the Australian beach it overlooks. 'The Surfer' has a baked-in claustrophobic air that makes it play out like an outdoor chamber piece. Irish director Lorcan Finnegan ('Vivarium' and 'Nocebo') and his fellow countryman, first time feature writer Thomas Martin, slowly amp up the dread factor right out of the gate. Director Lorcan Finnegan (L) and Nicolas Cage on the set of "The Surfer." Roadside Attractions The Surfer and his teen son (credited only as the Kid, played by Finn Little) arrive at the fictional Luna Bay, where the Surfer grew up. After reaching the sand, they are told in no uncertain terms that if they don't live there, they can't surf there. Not wanting to be there to begin with, the Kid implores his father to leave, but the Surfer refuses. When told the same thing by Scally (Julian McMahon), the Surfer only digs in deeper. He tells Scally he's buying his childhood home (which is visible from the beach) in mere days, but no dice. The irresistible force has met the immovable object. Test of Wills For the next hour, 'The Surfer' becomes a test of wills between the Surfer, Scally, and the dozen or so members of Scally's gang dubbed the 'Bay Boys.' Mostly young beach bum types with foul mouths and questionable hygiene, the Bay Boys taunt the Surfer at every turn. This includes, but is not limited to, defacing his Lexus, stealing his belongings, and beating him whenever he encroaches their space, meaning everywhere. Scally (Julian McMahon, C) and the Bad Boys confront the surfer, in "The Surfer." Roadside Attractions The Surfer has separate yet equally disquieting encounters with the Bum (Nic Cassim) and the Cop (Justin Rosniak). He's now convinced there is a giant conspiracy looking to bring him down, which is understandable, but not entirely true. A combination of his own misplaced ego, perceived humiliation, past errors, summertime heat, dehydration, and some major league Bay Boy gaslighting is slowly but surely driving the Surfer mad. Related Stories 1/15/2024 10/13/2023 With many of Finnegan's framing choices, and an odd, up-tempo, light jazz score by composer François Tétaz, the movie carries an unmistakable 1970s-era exploitation genre vibe. This becomes even more apparent with the overlap of subplots. A quick glance at some of the early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes will reveal that many of them (mostly positive) contain the phrase 'toxic masculinity.' A term that came into vogue in the last five or so years, this intentionally negative catch-all description is beyond overused, and that's the case with these reviews. David Fincher This collective knee-jerk labeling could be because there are only four female speaking roles in the movie (one of them off-screen), and that most of the men behave like … well, men. A huge, thoroughly out-of-left-field (but very welcome) third act twist negates most of the alleged 'toxic' qualities. This is the point where Martin (non-spoiler spoiler ahead) tips his hat to two David Fincher movies: 'The Game' and 'Fight Club.' The Kid (Finn Little), in "The Surfer." Roadside Attractions Charged with appearing in all but two of the movie's 100 minutes, Cage spends close to half of that time performing solo, or only in the company of animals. This isn't quite as easy as it might initially sound. Acting is mostly reacting; not having another human to interact with and moving silently to one's own voiceover is something most actors can't pull off with conviction. Cage's performance here easily ranks among his all-time Top 10. 'The Surfer' isn't a movie for all or most tastes. It's blunt, raw, in your face, and unforgiving. It's also strangely cathartic and freeing. Sometimes one has to be broken in order to feel whole and complete. The film opens in theaters on May 2. 'The Surfer' Director: Lorcan Finnegan Stars: Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Nic Cassim, Justin Rosniak Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes MPAA Rating: R Release Date: May 2, 2025 Rating: 4 stars out of 5 What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to
