Jean Reno. The ever-calm actor is usually associated with roles such as a police detective, a gangster or an assassin. The quiet-looking Frenchman has a specific appearance that fits perfectly with such roles. Strange but true. I have only recently seen the film Léon: The Professional. Without a doubt the very best that Jean Reno…
A taut, tense drama-cum-thriller that doesn’t let up from start to finish, 99 Homes concerns a ruthless businessman and his questionable ethics, and a single father facing eviction. You could sum it up with the words “sleeping with the devil”. Andrew Garfield plays Dennis Nash, a tradie who simply isn’t getting by. He lives with…
I felt uncomfortable about reviewing WandaVision while episodes were still dropping on Disney +. The series was so, well… unexpected, that I didn’t think I could grasp it until it was finished. Now it is finished, I’m still not 100% sure I’ve “got it” fully. If you’ve spent time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (the…
Undoubtedly one of the finest contemporary musicals and one I never tire of seeing because of its brilliant songs, narrative arc and passionate portrayals, Jersey Boys is back to delight anew. I first saw it at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne in 2009 and then again in 2013. Clint Eastwood directed an on-screen version. Now,…
A cavalcade of song, movement and colour, Shake Rattle ‘N’ Roll breathes new life into the sounds of the ‘50s and ’60s with entertainment aplenty. A poised and polished cast of five singers and eight dancers light the fuse and keep it burning for more than two hours. The pretence is the re-creation of famous, gravelly voiced…
In The Saturday Paper, author Charlotte Wood describes her latest novel, The Natural Way of Things, as a “sledgehammer”. “I like things that are subtle and elegant, but I’ve written a sledgehammer.” (The Saturday Paper, October 24, 2015) I can’t think of a better way to describe this novel. Reading Wood’s book was a visceral experience, creating tension…
A lot of environmental documentaries are earnest and well intentioned, but they also tend to be a little dull and are often preaching to the converted. Which makes this fascinating, revealing and provocative warts and-all look at the origins of the environmentalist activist group Greenpeace all the more interesting when compared to most other environmental…
Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical sizzles, with powerhouse performances and a rousing score. There’s palpable excitement and anticipation in the theatre even before the metaphorical curtain rises. Once it does, Cruel Intentions is energetic and electrifying, oozing with sensuality and sexuality. It is slick, moving along at pace and milking the copious double entendres and physical interaction that…
The slack rock from Wimps is a take back to simpler times when talking about your wretched living quarters, being the older and wiser one at a party or the temperature in the basement was the “it” thing. Those unassuming topics are what drives Suitcase and its quick undertone of punk that is smart, funny…
Writer and director Mike Mills (20th Century Women) makes superb, insightful films that tap into the human condition … and now here is another. C’mon C’mon is a remarkable, sensitive work about tapping into your feelings. Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, who – along with a few colleagues – is making a radio documentary. They are…
