The harrowing WWII drama From Hilde, With Love is based on the true story of Hilde and Hans Coppi. He was a revolutionary and a communist in Germany when Hitler was in power, learning Morse code to liaise with the Russians. She was a conservative dental assistant who was with another man when he caught…
The 2024 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival returns to Australian cinemas this November with a star-studded line-up. The festival will screen at Palace Cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Byron Bay and for the first time, Ballarat. The curated program features tender dramas, action packed thrillers, comedy, documentaries and retrospectives. And it features…
I’m in awe of what Academy Award winner (for his short Harvie Krumpet) Adam Elliot can do with adult stop-motion animation. His storytelling is quirky and accessible, as shown in his second feature (after Mary and Max), Memoir of a Snail. This is a heartfelt story drawn from personal experiences. It follows a loner named…
A ghostlight is a theatre tradition. One light is left on in the theatre after all the others have been turned off. The image of one light shining in the darkness resonates through Ghostlight, the remarkable new indie film from Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. Ghostlight marks the first directing collab between O’Sullivan and Thompson;…
Donald Trump is one of the most controversial and divisive figures in contemporary American politics at the moment. And he has dominated the political landscape for the better part of a decade. In the lead-up to the 2024 election it’s easy to see why he and his campaign have tried to ban this drama. The…
Documentaries about actors tend to follow a well-worn path. And they often end up being more interested in glorifying their subjects than analysing them. But those charges can’t be levelled at Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, who provide a compelling look at the life and legacy of Christopher Reeve in Super/Man. Reeve, of course, was…
The classic German legend of Faust is transported to the British theatre scene of the 1930s in Anand Tucker’s stylish but dark film, The Critic. Tucker hasn’t directed a feature film since 2010’s Leap Year; but he has two very well-received films on his resume in Hilary & Jackie (1998) and Shopgirl (2005). While its…
The second instalment of the Joker series is, in part, a musical. Who would have thought that, notwithstanding the starring role for Lady Gaga? But it’s hardly mainstream entertainment. Rather, it has the feel of a dark independent film, which I appreciated for the layers within. Like he did so brilliantly in Joker, Joaquin Phoenix…
Best in Show (2000) was a delightful hoot. Now, nearly a quarter of a century on, we have a beaut family movie that again involves canine and human competition. Runt is a full-hearted Aussie comedy concerning a little girl from a salt-of-the-earth country town and the stray she befriends. Runt – the dog – runs…
The boys are back! Sure, the (nearly) 61 year-old Brad Pitt and the 63 year-old George Clooney hardly qualify as “boys” anymore, but their reunion in Jon Watts’ crime-caper Wolfs is still welcome. Their easy charm and almost telepathic on-screen chemistry elevate this amiable romp. I’m going out on a limb and suggest Watts (Spider-Man:…
