An intricate and cleverly woven tale of naïveté and deception, Xavier Giannoli’s period drama Lost Illusions reminded me of Dangerous Liaisons (1988). Lucien de Rubempre (Benjamin Voisin) is a budding poet working at a printing factory in provincial France in the 1820s. He is feted by noble woman and patroness Louise de Bargeton (Cecile de…
Minions: The Rise of Gru is an origin story and an ode to the music of the ‘70s. The year is 1976. A bored teacher asks the children in her class at elementary school what they want to be when they grow up. Gru (voiced by Steve Carrel) is certain – he wants to be…
Come Rain or Come Shine is a charming, funny and smart romantic musical comedy, which unfolds over a nearly three decades. Set in London, 19-year-old Ray (Angus Grant) is a massive fan of Ray Charles, something he bonds over with fellow student Emily (Gillian Cosgriff). Older style music is their collective passion, much to the chagrin of…
A contemporary interpretation of the dastardly deeds of King Henry VIII, Six rocks. Its pop vibe is a sure-fire winner. The six wives of the Tudor sovereign are presented as modern-day heroines, complete with costumes and “moves” that would be at home in a superhero movie. They have all been wronged (two were beheaded, two divorced, one…
Elvis lives. Well, not quite. But Baz Luhrmann has breathed new life into the legend around consummate performer Elvis Presley, the best-selling solo recording artist of all time. Elvis the movie unfolds as a hero and villain story. The hero is obviously Presley (Austin Butler), an artist with a prodigious talent and the villain is…
In 2018, singer and actor Janelle Monáe released a concept album called Dirty Computer. Its release was accompanied by a 45 minute long narrative film starring Monáe and Tessa Thompson. The film explained that people were called computers and the “dirty” computers were people who had run foul of the system, people who were different,…
Love is in the air, but there are those who have other ideas. That, in a nutshell is the premise of Harlequinade. Based on commedia dell’arte – an early form of professional theatre, originating in Italy and popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries – the piece was created in 1900 by Marius Petipa. He choreographed some…
Kaleidoscope is a maze of mirrors that had me totally flummoxed. Set up in the forecourt of Arts Centre Melbourne, the outside multicoloured panels give you not a jot of an idea of what awaits you inside. Long vertical mirrors greet you at every turn. Rotating prisms, mood lighting and music add to the experience. As you…
– Haute Couture – Only in cinemas from 30 June 2022 We have 10 double in-season passes thanks to Vendetta Films. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE Esther is at the end of her career as Head Seamstress at Dior Avenue Montaigne workshop. One day, she gets her handbag stolen in the…
Men is the third feature film from Alex Garland, best known for Ex Machina and for writing the novel The Beach, which was the source of the Danny Boyle film starring Leonardo Di Caprio. This is a creepy and unsettling film that subverts many of the usual tropes of the horror genre and is more…
