The early-20th Century struggle for women’s suffrage in Britain is given earnest, if somewhat pedestrian, treatment by director Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane) in Suffragette. The film ticks a lot of boxes, but never quite elevates itself beyond many other solid British period dramas. The film’s release hasn’t been particularly well-timed. With the aftermath of the…
Not a new concept but so unacknowledged! Yes, the middle aged woman is pretty much invisible. If you’re over 40 and female, one could rob a bank, steal a car or murder someone and likely no one would ever think it was you. Can You See Her chronicles the effects of loss and how age…
Liam Neeson brings his Taken persona to the lead role in the action-drama Honest Thief. He plays ex-marine, Tom, who went on to become a successful bank robber. Tom looted 12 small-town institutions of more than $9 million over eight years. But a year ago he stopped – because he met Annie (Katie Walsh), who…
Isn’t the cover of Holly Ringland’s debut The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart gorgeous? The inside is just as lovely, too – it’s beautifully designed. There’s been a lot of hype about this book so I was looking forward to reading it for myself, and the idea of women living and healing together through working…
An unquestionable highlight of winter in Melbourne is Lightscape at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Now in its fourth year, it is bigger and better than ever, with many new and captivating light installations up above, in the trees and on the ground. It is a true A-lister, suitable for the whole family and how many…
Slapstick humour abounds in MTC’s revival of Noel Coward’s outrageous comedy Hay Fever. Set in an English country house in the 1920s, the play deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family and their outlandish behaviour. Each invites a guest to spend the weekend, without initially telling the others. Sorel (Imogen Sage) and…
Latest figures in Australia, the US and the UK reveal that one in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. So how do you create a movie on this topic that is watchable and relatable and enjoyable? That was the challenge confronting the filmmakers responsible for Miss You Already. This dramatic comedic romance…
Melbourne International Arts Festival was first staged in 1986 under a different name – Spoleto Melbourne – and has carried several other names since. Covering dance, theatre, music, visual arts and multimedia, as well as free and outdoor events, it is held every October. The 2019 Festival runs from the 2nd to the 20th of…
Madame is a romantic comedy set in Paris. But this one misses the mark and then some. Anne (Toni Collette) and Bob (Harvey Keitel) are a wealthy American couple in a waning marriage. They move into a manor house in the City of Light, where affairs are commonplace. While preparing a luxurious dinner for friends, Anne is…
A surfeit of truisms comes to mind when describing what is behind the teen-awakening flick, Before I Fall. They include “you really don’t know what you’ve got until its gone”, “make the most of each day” and “make each moment count”. What’s the expression? This is Groundhog Day (the Bill Murray movie) all over again….
