For Conrad Valmont (Jason Bateman) this was apparently the longest and most painful week. For me this was the longest and most painful movie experience. Anyway I have a strong dislike for a voice-over that begins with “This is …” followed by the name of the main character. This is usually already a bad omen….
“This is the way the world ends; this is the way the world ends.” The final line in August: Osage County, taken from a poem by T S Eliot, is an apt conclusion to this damning portrayal of American culture and history. Considered one of the great 21st Century American plays, August: Osage County bares…
In these days of instant communication, you have to come up with a pretty good reason for a road trip. The creative team behind Kodachrome have done so by going old-school. The result is a film yearning for a golden past that – perhaps – never existed. Matt Ryder (Jason Sudeikis) is a music executive…
When reviewing a new Stephen King book, you can only really compare such rich work to that of his own. There is no other writer, past or present, quite like him. King is the gold standard, the literary bar, a unique category. A problem other authors would no doubt like to have. If It Bleeds…
It is Melbourne 2042 and artificial intelligence has evolved. Melanie Chan Wing Lam (Jing-Xuan Chan) has died (it appears to be suicide), leaving behind an empathetic robot therapy dog (also voiced by Chan). Wing Lam neatly packed all her belongings into large plastic storage bags, while her home shrine, where incense is burning, remains chock-a-block…
I’ve never particularly been interested in climbing a mountain, and after seeing this dramatic feature about a tragic attempt to climb Mt Everest in 1996, I have even less interest. Although paradoxically many who watch the film may somehow be inspired to take up the challenge. Since Edmund Hillary conquered Mt Everest in 1953, replicating…
Either Venice Beach in L.A. is a tiny place at the ocean. Or Bruce Willis knows how to move around with incredibly speed. Because the pace at which he pops up in different places is impressive. Fortunately, it’s not full naked on a skateboard the whole time, because that wasn’t a pretty sight. Just like…
As a fan of both art and history, I’ve heard the story of Han Van Meegeren several times. And I have to say director Dan Friedkin crafts a mostly (one glaring exception aside) accurate and compelling version of the story in The Last Vermeer. You may know of Van Meergeren as the so-called “most successful…
Forty-eight beautiful swans gracefully gliding across the stage in unison in Melbourne’s premier theatre is simply awe-inspiring … overwhelming (I was all but brought to tears). This is undoubtedly one of the most majestic balletic productions I have been privileged to witness. I plead with you to do all you can to secure a ticket…
There’s barely a moment’s let-up in the tense, action thriller Retribution. Matt Turner (Liam Neeson) has worked as a financier for Nanite Capital for 18 years under its CEO Anders Muller (Matthew Modine). Work drives Turner. He and his family live in luxury in Berlin and he drives a luxury car. He has little time…
