Before I watched this LEGO movie, I knew only two of Pharrell Williams’ songs, being the hits Get Lucky and Happy. I suspect many who will see Piece by Piece will know many more. Now, having watched this animated documentary, I’m far better informed. The film paints Pharrell as a man-child who felt he didn’t…
A hard working wife and mother has her life is turned upside down in Michal Aviad’s Working Woman. Orna (Liron Ben Shlush) is happily married to Ofer (Oshri Cohen). They have three young children. Two months ago, Ofer opened a restaurant, but the business is struggling. Middle-aged businessman Benny (Menashe Nov) offers Orna work selling…
Much-buzzed-about band Whitney have released their debut album, Light Upon the Lake, on Secretly Canadian via Inertia. This follows on the heels of recent inescapable single “No Woman” and a notable trip to SXSW. Light Upon the Lake marks the culmination of a short, but incredibly intense, creative period for the band. Whitney was born…
Sick of Masterchef? Over The Block? Can’t bear to think about the wave of reality TV coming our way in the next few weeks? Then UnREAL is for you. This scripted show (screening on on-demand provider Stan) takes a cynical look behind the scenes of a reality TV show that is absolutely, definitely not The…
Great Lake Swimmers know their lane and stay in it during their most recent LP, A Forest of Arms. That lane is aptly described by the album’s title; triumphant and scenic, the band sticks to that aesthetic for album’s entirety. The Toronto-based band members presently include Tony Dekker (vocals, guitar), Erik Arnesen (banjo, guitar), Joshua…
A whip smart script, pacey dialogue and a couple of stellar performances distinguish this pulsating drama. Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), an Olympic-level skier who was forced to abandon her sport after a devastating injury. With law school on hold, Molly takes a job that introduces her…
As the director of Borat and Bruno, Larry Charles can hardly be accused of playing it safe. So it is again with Dicks: The Musical. This is a hard-swearing, politically incorrect comedy, which will delight those sick and tired of woke. Dicks is the cinematic adaptation of the musical stage play F…ing Identical Twins: The…
As an arts lover and reviewer, I try to enter a theatre without knowing anything about the production I’m about to see. It’s usually possible by steering clear of promotional guff. I like to be surprised and hopefully engaged by what I see through fresh eyes. In that way, I feel I can tell whether…
It is 1991 and materialism lives. There’s tension in the house when four people spend time together in a chalet on Mount Buller, which the wealthy and bombastic owner – a psychologist and author – has just won as part of a bitter divorce settlement. He has had a Jacuzzi newly installed smack bang in…
A new Australian musical, Bloom hits the right notes. The delivery of effective aged care remains a contentious issue that has brought great consternation to many, before, during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Writer Tom Gleisner has taken that and run with it to create a humour-filled portrait of a facility for the third generation in desperate…
