Finding love and keeping the flame flickering is difficult enough for any couple. But the couple in Patricia Cornelius’ Love are two rough-as-guts junkies. Tanya (Tahlee Fereday) fell in love with Annie (Carly Sheppard) the moment she set eyes on her in jail. That love was reciprocated. Annie dreams of a better life with Tanya…
Inspirational. Damon Gameau makes compelling and engaging documentaries (That Sugar Film really struck a chord). Importantly, he delivers his messages in a decidedly different manner. He puts himself at the centre of the docos and makes them relatable. Apart from consulting experts, they feature his family. In the case of 2040, particularly his four-year-old daughter,…
An inspired production involving top talent, slick staging and creative costumes, David Bowie’s fantasy Lazarus – his final project before his death in 2016 – is a revelation. Entering the Playhouse at Arts Centre Melbourne, I had no idea what to expect. Sure, I admired Bowie’s musical prowess, but I would hardly say I was…
Fun, feisty and politically incorrect, Me and My Left Brain is a throwback to a different era. The film is a charming, if sometimes heavy-handed, boy-meets-girl story. Arthur (Alex Lykos) is in love with Helen (Chantelle Barry). He seeks advice from his best friend Vivien (Rachael Beck) but is constantly hounded by a voice in…
A compelling story of struggle is enhanced by highly creative staging, sound effects and lighting. Set over 20 years (from the 1940s to the ‘60s), Cloudstreet isn’t just another play – it’s a look inside the consciousness of two Australian families. Tim Winton’s novel won the Miles Franklin Award in 1991. Nick Enright and Justin…
Life is tough for a pair of adult sisters in Little Woods. Ollie (Tessa Thompson) and her estranged sibling Deb (Lily James) live in the economically depressed fracking town of Little Woods, North Dakota. Deb has a young son with a deadbeat dad (James Badge Dale). Mother and son live illegally in a caravan that…
You can’t say you don’t know what you’ll get with a John Wick movie, because that was very much established in the last two installments. The story starts with bloodied and retired super assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) just minutes away from having a $14 million bounty put on his head. He has killed a…
The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You is exhilarating teen angst from start to finish. Sixteen year-old Connor (Harry Tseng) is perpetually angry. He reflects on the good times with his parents – who love him dearly – but by and large those are distant memories. Now he’s constantly in trouble, not just at…
Stick five strangers together in a room for a week and see what comes out the other end. Are they themselves or acting out some fantasy to form a shield of protection or anonymity? If the latter, how long before the shield is lowered? Intolerance, disinterest and antagonism are par for the course in Malthouse’s…
Poms is a comedy in which senior citizens act like teenagers. Martha (Diane Keaton) has cancer. So she sells up her belongings in the city and retreats to a sprawling retirement community where residents are promised the time of their lives for the rest of their lives. But Martha isn’t your typical resident – she…
