Movies
Cousins
Kiwi produced dramatic motion pictures have always intrigued Australian audiences, notably because of their culturally diverse themes and dramatic elements. Cousins is their latest offering, adapted from the classic novel penned by the highly praised Maori author Patricia Grace. The story centers on three young female indigenous cousins who are separated shortly after World War […]
Heroic Losers
From Argentina comes this heist caper reminiscent of American feature film Ocean’s 11, which stars Ricardo Darin heading an ensemble cast of Argentine performers unrecognisable to Australian audiences. As a financial crisis shatters the country’s economy, a corrupt counsellor steals the money of a group of up-and-coming co-operatives, hiding the stash in an underground vault. […]
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Be afraid! Be very afraid! This is the arresting and ultra-frightening second sequel to The Conjuring (2013) and the eighth instalment in The Conjuring universe, which should have horror film enthusiasts screaming and gasping for air while literally sitting at the edge of their seats! Unlike the first two films, this is not set in […]
Lapsis
This is quintessentially a low budget film which audiences will either love or hate – there’s no in between. The story follows Ray, a delivery man who takes on an unprotected gig economy job (contract jobs performed by individual operators) cabling to support himself and his sick brother. Initially prosperous he soon learns that multi-billion-dollar […]
My Name Is Gulpilil
My Name Is Gulpilil is the life story of, and narration by legendary Indigenous actor David Gulpilil as he struggles in his senior years against seemingly terminal lung cancer and its debilitating effects and treatments. This documentary is an unvarnished account of David’s life starting out as “full-blood” boy hunting, tracking, and dancing in Arnhem […]
German Film Festival 2021
Film festival enthusiasts should be delighted to learn that even though COVID-19 has disrupted film production in Germany, there are still 30 titles (27 of which are Australian premieres) that will screen at this year’s German Film Festival. Opening night attendees can expect a small 30-minute reception with a glass of wine, German delicacies and […]
Death Of A Ladies’ Man
Occasionally a cinematic oddity surfaces which leads audiences to ask, was this film actually enjoyable? The Canadian/Irish co-production Death Of A Ladies' Man is quietly humorous, bizarre, and placid viewing, but unquestionably belongs in this category. Sam (Gabriel Byrne) has been an alcoholic womaniser most of his life when he suddenly commences having strange hallucinations […]
Spiral: From The Book Of Saw
Helmed by Chris Rock Spiral: From The Book Of Saw is the ninth iteration in the Saw film series and looks to act as a soft reboot/offshoot of the franchise. At the core of the film's story is Detective Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks (Chris Rock) as he tracks, and attempts to apprehend, a Jigsaw copycat murderer […]
EMA
When someone says the words ‘art film,’ something like EMA should come to mind: A colourful, arresting visual aesthetic, freewheeling sequences in which dance substitutes dialogue, and a constant sense of unabated sensuality. The film is a psychodrama about the eponymous character, a contemporary dancer, reckoning with both her divorce from the director of her […]
Finding You
Audiences should not be surprised if, shortly after the film has commenced, they get a nagging feeling that they’ve seen all this before. It’s the story of Finley Sinclair (Rose Reid), a young American student who, after failing her violin audition to gain entrance into music school, flies off to Ireland and predictably meets Beckett […]
