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,…
John Sturges’ classic 1960 western The Magnificent Seven made stars out of Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and James Coburn (who all later appeared in Struges’ epic WWII adventure The Great Escape in 1963). Sturges’ film was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1954 film The Seven Samurai, regarded by some critics as the greatest action movie…
If today’s media call is anything to go by, those attending one, several or all of the Australian Pops Orchestra’s concerts over the next fortnight are in for a special treat. Maestro John Foreman AM is looking to spread joy, happiness and optimism over the festive season. He will be doing so with his magnificent…
It’s a small world after all in Downsizing. In the not-too-distant future, Norwegian scientist Dr Jorgen Asbjonsen (Rolf Lassgard) comes up with a radical solution for over-population. He and his colleagues have figured out a safe way to shrink people down to 12 centimetres, thus reducing their footprint on the world. Paul Safranek (Matt Damon),…
Australian lawyer, journalist and comedian James O’Loghlin draws on his time as a legal aid lawyer in the 1990s as the basis of his new novel Criminals. The book revolves around three characters, connected by an armed robbery, an event which causes each of them to reconsider their lives and move in new directions. Dean…
For those unfamiliar with John Steinbeck’s classic 1937 novella Of Mice and Men, a strumming pre-show soundtrack accompanying the rustic bunkhouse staging (Bill Haycock, designer) plants Ad Astra audiences firmly in its Depression-era California setting. Lighting also warms us to the tender take at the heart of the story as we meet is main characters,…
Noni Hazlehurst delivers an inspired performance in the slice of life piece Mother. Homeless and shoeless, she plays the character Christie. Christie married Lenny (who we don’t meet) because both were lonely. They had a baby, but Lenny is critical of Christie because she drinks – a lot and frequently. Christie channels their conversations. There…
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;…
About Endlessness is the sixth film from Swedish auteur Roy Andersson, and, according to some suggestions, possibly the last of his career. It is his first film since 2015’s A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence, (which I must admit, I loathed) and is pretty much in the same style as the rest…
9 to 5: The Musical is energetic, sassy and colourful. What isn’t lost in this bright and breezy production though is the underlying point of it all. To see it played out makes one wince, just as it should. Franklin Hart Jnr (Eddie Perfect) is the misogynistic and pompous CEO of Consolidated Industries. He rides rough shod…
