Once upon a time, there was just music. Now the music scene has devolved into so many genres and sub-genres (avant-garde Norwegian deep trance, anyone?), it’s hard to keep up. Echo in the Canyon is a well-made but niche documentary about one of these sub-genres – specifically the Laurel Canyon sound of the 1960s. To…
Stunning. A masterpiece. The Brutalist is a richly woven tale of pain and perseverance. It is the film of the year that, at the very least, deserves the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. Three hours 35 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission (with a countdown clock built into the movie one hour…
Sharing a house with friends and/or strangers can be anything but straightforward. Sometimes, mighty testing, in fact. So it is in the new Australian musical Share House, which is simply delightful. Former classmates Lucy and Jane are as different as chalk and cheese. Now young adults, they have been living together for what seems like forever. Bossy, at times…
First, a big caveat. I realise this documentary about a pioneer of early cinema will have a limited audience. But Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché was total catnip for me. So I know my enthusiasm for this film may not be widely shared. But for anyone with a love for cinema in…
Every now and then I come across a completely unknown film I don’t really expect much from, despite the presence of a well-known sounding name, but which nevertheless pleasantly surprises me. The Vanishing is a thriller pur sang. A fictional story about a true event, namely the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in 1900 who…
Slow moving but compelling, Felix and Meira is a Canadian drama concerns a young, unhappy Hasidic wife and mother, Meira (Hadas Yaron), who wants more out of life than the cards she has been dealt. She finds the strictures of her ultraorthodox upbringing are choking her vitality. Meira likes lively popular music – much to…
Three Cs describe Hir: confronting, colourful and comedic. By the way, the title is a gender-neutral pronoun. One character also likes being addressed as “ze”, as distinct from “she” or “he”. After three years in the Marines picking up shattered body parts on the battlefield, Isaac is looking forward to coming home and sleeping in his own bed….
Comedies featuring strong women can be funny and risqué like Bridesmaids or patchy and disappointing such as Like a Boss. Best friends forever Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel (Rose Byrne) are both happily single. They live together and one even puts toothpaste on the other’s toothbrush. They run their own small cosmetics company – a…
Believe me, I’m an avid fan of Jason Statham and won’t refuse to watch a film in which his muscularity appears. In addition, I also realise that a real Jason Statham movie won’t ask much effort from your brain. Most of his films are brainless movies in which a lascivious, well-formed beauty occurs from time…
I first came across Lauren Chater through her cookie-themed book reviews at The Well Read Cookie and started following her writing journey. I was mildly envious when she went on a research trip to Estonia, excited when I heard that her historical novel The Lace Weaver was accepted for publication, and thrilled when I received a copy for review….
