I was totally overwhelmed by the grandeur, elegance and excitement in Colette – undoubtedly one of the films of the year. Keira Knightley stars as the title character, a French novelist whose provocative debut in the written word was falsely credited to her larger than life husband (a role filled by Dominic West). After marrying…
Two years ago, we were treated to The Play That Goes Wrong and that was a riotous success. Now the same crew has done it again, with Peter Pan Goes Wrong; a silly but audacious take on J M Barrie’s Peter Pan. A dozen actors deliberately flub their cues, misbehave, run wild and have the audience…
Corny but endearing, Bumblebee gives a young audience exactly what it’s after in a continuation of the Transformers’ series. With Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) in the lead, it could actually be the best of the breed (which now extends to six films dating back to 2007). The year is 1987. The Autobots, led…
Jennifer Garner returns to the big screen in Peppermint. This by-the-numbers crime actioner features a vigilante seeking revenge. I counted one surprise in the entire film. The criminal justice system fails Riley North (Garner). She and husband Chris (Jeff Hephner) have a 10-year-old daughter, Carly (Cailey Fleming). While they may be struggling to make ends…
Tina Arena (Chicago) excels as the ill-fated Eva Perón in the revival of Evita at Arts Centre Melbourne. Acclaimed Brazilian operatic baritone Paulo Szot is her husband, Argentinian president Juan. Bringing the threads together as an energetic narrator is Kurt Kansley (The Lion King) as Ché, who represents a cynical member of the public. Also…
One of the most energetic pieces of theatre I’ve witnessed, Perpetual Frustration Machine is performance art combining circus with a dystopian underbelly. When we enter the theatre, the four cast members – Debra Batton, Adam O’Connor-McMahon, Seth Scheuner and Stephanie Benson – are engaging in a series of activities. They’re exercising on a mat, cleaning…
A wicked soundtrack and a bodacious storyline underpin Sorry to Bother You. And this subversive comedy hits many of the right notes. This is the kind of movie you’ll either love or hate. It definitely pushes boundaries. It’s fantasy, but it is also endearing. The film follows telemarketer Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield) on a journey…
Samuel Langhorne Clemens – a.k.a. Mark Twain – visited Australia in 1895. Advertising posters labelled him the funniest man in the world and audiences loved his sense of humour. Chris Wallace, the man responsible for the book, music and lyrics in Huckleberry: A Musical Adventure, isn’t credited. But he “frocks up” as the great man…
