A pianist from an ice cream parlour (Connor Dariol), a psychologist (Shamita Siva) and a physicist (El Kiley) get together. No, that’s not the beginning of a bad joke, not even when I tell you the three come from different time zones. The pianist was born 148 years ago … and is, not surprisingly, dead. The psychologist believes…
A romp, The Importance of Being Jewish showcases playwright Rob Selzer’s insight and wit. For the past 30 years, architect Ray (Joe Tigel) has been happily married to couples’ therapist Rosh (Natalie Shostak). They are social Jews (as distinct from religious), but are delighted their strong-willed lawyer daughter Tara (Romi Freedman) is about to marry a fellow…
Vincent Peltier’s (Jerome Commandeur) life is on the line in the often-hilarious French comedy Employee of the Month. When travelling through the Ecuadorian jungle, he’s captured by a hostile tribe. It is up to the chief of the tribe (Jean-Louis Loca) – who doesn’t trust white people – to decide his fate and it looks…
She’s rude, belligerent and overbearing, and proud of it. She’s crippled and ailing, drinks like a fish and has been a war photographer. She’s Ruth (Charlotte Rampling), a straight-talking English woman, and the central character in Matthew Saville’s film Juniper. It’s 1992. Ruth is visiting her son Robert (Martin Csokas) and grandson Sam (George Ferrier)…
The title Murder Party has both sinister and fun overtones. In reality, what you get with this movie is a highly orchestrated game, in which death is the central component. Fear of being knocked off drives the action. Jeanne Chardon-Spitzer (Alice Pol) is a highly stressed, 35-year-old architect. While successful, she frets about each potential…
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister and Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop – the great hopes for the ALP and the Coalition. At least that is how they are presented in part in the political spoof Gone Girls. It is a cleverly written and performed work that is part fact and large part fiction. They entered…
The fantasy romance Press Play concerns two young people who fall in love, before their happily-ever-after is struck by a boulder. For some time, Chloe (Lyrica Okano) has been keen to set up her best friend Laura (Clara Rugaard) with her stepbrother Harrison (Lewis Pullman). He works in a record store run by Cooper (Danny…
Arrogance, entitlement and indulgence meet desert justice in The Forgiven. This rich and textured movie by John Michael McDonagh (Calvary) is based on Lawrence Osborne’s eponymous 2012 novel. Medical specialist David Henninger (Ralph Fiennes) and his wife Jo (Jessica Chastain) spend a lavish weekend with old friend Richard Galloway (Matt Smith) in Morocco. The location…
A boss oversteps the mark and the consequences are devastating in Ron Elisha’s incendiary Unsolicited Male. For the past two years Wendy (Kym Valentine), now 38, has been personal assistant to accountant Zeke (Russell Fletcher). She enjoys her job. Middle-aged Zeke has been good to her, grateful for how she has managed to transform the office. One night,…
Denver 1978. 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames) is a school kid who is a decent baseball pitcher. It looks like he is about to strike out big hitter Bruce (Tristan Pravong), but after two strikes Bruce goes all the way. Clearly happy with himself, while riding his bike home a black van looms ominously and Bruce…
