One of the most creative and mind challenging works I have seen, Phantasmagoria revisits the past in order for the central character to move forward. Briony (played by Bernadette Trench-Thiedeman, Meg Dunn and Elnaz Shessgelani) is an artist – a woman whose difficult personal relationships as an adult have been informed by her upbringing. That has everything…
Political correctness and sibling rivalry get a decent working over in Stay Woke, the brainchild of Aran Thangaratnam. Sai (Kaivu Suvarna) is a 25-year-old of Sri Lankan origin who is involved in medical research. He and his girlfriend, 22-year-old Kate (Rose Adams), a pharmacist, are invited by his older brother Niv (Dushan Philips) to join him and…
In Matt Reeves’ dark vision, The Batman, Gotham City is a cesspool of evil and corruption. For two years Bruce Wayne – a.k.a. The Batman (Robert Pattinson) – has been trying to clean it up, but to no avail. The situated has deteriorated further. Promises of renewal and change have not materialised. Now a madman…
Truth or fiction? I greatly appreciated the intensity and mystery in Lili Horvát’s film Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time. The director brings intrigue and I was genuinely left speculating as to what was real and what might not be. Brilliant neurosurgeon Marta Vizy (Natasa Stork), meets the man of her…
Writer and director Mike Mills (20th Century Women) makes superb, insightful films that tap into the human condition … and now here is another. C’mon C’mon is a remarkable, sensitive work about tapping into your feelings. Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, who – along with a few colleagues – is making a radio documentary. They are…
Based on a true story, Hive tells of the tragedy of the aftermath of the war in Kosovo in the late 1990s. Specifically it focuses on its impact on the village of Krusha e Madhe. The film follows one woman, Fahrije Hoti (Yllka Gashi). Her husband disappeared seven years earlier, leaving behind not only her,…
If you aren’t a fan of either the Foo Fighters or shlock horror, you can give Studio 666 a wide berth. The band gather around a boardroom table and their record label CEO Jeremy Shill (Jeff Garlin) enters with expletives flying. He tells them he’s in debt up to his eyeballs and the Foo Fighters…
Great energy, a strong score, big voices, creative staging and impressive lighting design distinguish Tommy circa 2022. The story still packs punch. Tommy has seen and experienced too much in his young life. His mum, Mrs Walker (Amy Lehpamer) and dad, Captain Walker (Matt Hetherington) were very much in love, when his dad was sent off to war,…
A brass band is the connection between two fascinating and compelling unrelated personal stories that are part of a double bill known as Stardust + The Mission. First up is the tale of Victorian trumpeter and bandleader Col Brain, as told by his grandson Joel Carnegie. Joel, who was only two when Col died, chanced upon a…
The modern Indiana Jones clone Uncharted is a rollicking, fun-filled adventure. Nathan Drake was brought up in an orphanage with his older brother Sam, who was constantly getting into trouble. When Nathan was little, Sam took off but promised to stay in touch. He does that through the occasional postcard from an exotic place. Sam…
