What an engaging, charming and heart-warming film! David Stratton: A Cinematic Life opens up the life history and passion of one of this country’s most revered reviewers. Cinema has always been an obsession for the English-born Australian critic David Stratton. Filed in a ring binder labelled “1946” on a shelf in his office he can,…
You want to go to hell? Then just watch Hellboy. That’s probably a bit harsh; although you certainly won’t get those two hours – which can definitely be better spent – back. From the pages of Mike Mignola’s seminal work, the legendary half-demon superhero Hellboy (David Harbour) travels England to battle a trio of rampaging…
I have fond memories of Twister (1996), starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. Even though plot points may differ, I felt like I was getting a repeat dose in Twisters. This is a special effects movie, with romance thrown in for good measure. Perhaps it will resonate more strongly with those that haven’t seen the…
I’m a sucker for twisty thrillers, and You Sent Me a Letter by Lucy Dawson proved to be exactly that. Here’s the blurb: At 2 a.m. on the morning of her fortieth birthday, Sophie wakes in the darkness of her bedroom – and finds a stranger watching her from the foot of her bed. The intruder…
The title LIMBO – The Return may imply more of the same sort of circus stuff as seen in previous Strut & Fret works. However, the reality is far from it with this 100-minute show. Indeed, having toured 17 countries, the original award-winning LIMBO has come back, re-imagined and more jaw-dropping than ever, full of…
A deeply distressing reality piece, Capharnaum pulls at the heart strings. The title translates to chaos and that’s what this film is about – surviving amid chaos. Zain (Zain Al Raffa) is a mistreated 12-year-old Lebanese boy. After being jailed for committing a violent crime, Zain sues his parents – mother Souad (Kawthar Al Bankole)…
If you’ve heard of the slow cinema movement, Kelly Reichardt could be considered its high priest. Her exacting, often dramatically beautiful films are the antithesis of, say, modern superhero movies. Often set on the American frontier, her work features long static shots and minimal dialogue. And Reichart’s new film, First Cow, follows much the same…
Families – you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. In short, that is what playwright David Williamson is playing with here … and it gets mighty hot in the kitchen. Well-to-do, widowed family matriarch Monique (Tracy Mann) is looking forward to celebrating her three sons’ birthdays, all of which happen to…
Teenagers have it tough. Physical and emotional changes can wreak havoc. So imagine how much harder it would be if your parents decided these changes were just “wrong” and the only solution was isolation and religion. One teenager has to face just that dilemma in The Miseducation of Cameron Post. This beautiful and moving film…
M Night Shyamalan subverts the usual expectations of the fairy tale visit with kindly old grandmother with this mix of horror and uncomfortable black comedy. The subdued horror film The Visit marks a return to form of sorts for the Sixth Sense filmmaker, whose last couple of films were the awful The Last Airbender and…
