Like it or not, race has long been a theme – and a flashpoint – in American cinema. Films like The Birth of a Nation and Gone With the Wind presented a distinctly white – even outright racist – view of the issue. Things began to change in the 1960s with films like Guess Who’s…
Hero or villain? Murderer? Campaigner for a democratic Russia? These are just some of the triggers in Citizen K, a fascinating documentary about Mikhail Khodorkovsky. He was once Russia’s richest man (head of the oil giant Yukos) but now lives in exile In London. As you can imagine, Russian president Vladimir Putin features prominently. This…
Set in Geelong, Undertow is a psychological drama about grief, loss and toxic masculinity particularly within the AFL. It also serves up a raw portrait of a woman suffering a breakdown following an emotionally traumatic event. The title references the turbulent emotions at play in this domestic drama. Claire (Laura Gordon) is a photojournalist who…
A look at a way of life that’s all but gone, Honeyland focuses on a pragmatic and resilient woman who faces an unexpected challenge. Nestled in an isolated mountain region deep within the Balkans, Hatidze Muratova – a woman who has never married and is in her mid 50s – lives with her ailing 85-year-old…
White hot rage built in me the longer Todd Haynes’ latest film, Dark Waters, went on. This is a shocking story of corporate greed at the expense of humanity. It’s a slow burn. Nothing happens quickly. Obstacle after obstacle is put in the way of full disclosure and redress. The film has much in common…
Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s film Force Majeure (2014) marked his arrival as a filmmaker of note. Americans Nat Faxon and Jim Rash wrote the screenplay for The Descendants (2011) and directed The Way Way Back (2013). But it seems the European sensitivities of Östlund’s film have been a little lost in translation in Faxon and…
It may follow the playbook, but The Way Back still grips tightly. Back in high school, Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) had everything going for him. A basketball phenomenon, he could have punched his ticket to college or even the pros. Instead, he chose to walk away from the game, forfeiting his future. Jack’s glory days…
A harrowing dramatic story about a troubled relationship between a son and his alcoholic father, Honey Boy features a series of stellar performances. From a screenplay by Shia LaBeouf, director Alma Har’el brings to life a young actor’s stormy childhood and early adult years, as he struggles to reconcile with his father through cinema and…
Brooklyn, 1957. Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton) is a private investigator who suffers from Tourette’s syndrome. He also has an eidetic memory for detail which makes him perfect for the job. Once an orphan, Lionel was taken under the wing of private investigator Frank Minna (Bruce Willis) who became his mentor and something of a father…
A delightful Indiana Jones-like mystery, Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears features colourful characters, lavish costumes and magnificent locales. While this is her first time on the big screen, stylish private detective Phryne Fisher built a solid following in books by Kerry Greenwood, which date back to 1989. Phryne also appeared in three series…
