The Father showcases the horrors of dementia with standout performances by its lead actors. First-time director Florian Zeller adapts his own stage play with limited settings and cast, but powerfully wrenches at the heart with the psychological turmoil felt by the eponymous character Anthony. Anthony, played by his namesake Anthony Hopkins, has lived in his…
Political rivalry between church and state might seem like a dry subject for a movie, but writer-director Tarik Saleh turns into a compelling drama in Cairo Conspiracy. As well as directing episodes of Westworld and Ray Donovan, Saleh directed Chris Pine in the 2022 actioner The Contractor. So he knows his way around intrigue. Cairo…
From cabaret to comedy, music to dance, theatre to the visual arts and a lot more, diversity is the key to the 2025 Melbourne Fringe Festival. That was on display at the opening night gala at the Capitol Theatre, which gave us a taste of the almost 500-strong show lineup in this, the festival’s 43rd…
In 2012, a cute, foulmouthed teddy bear – that for all intents and purposes was human, only smaller and hairier – and his “thunder buddy” were the talk of the town. In the States Ted, co-written and directed by and featuring the voice talent of Seth McFarlane alongside Mark Wahlberg as John became the highest…
I entered the theatre really wanting to like the new Australian comedy The Last Parma Night, but I am afraid I didn’t even get close to doing so. In fact, I struggled greatly with it. It suffered from a slow start and, in my eyes, it never gained a foothold. The storyline concerns a bloke,…
– Haute Couture – Only in cinemas from 30 June 2022 We have 10 double in-season passes thanks to Vendetta Films. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE Esther is at the end of her career as Head Seamstress at Dior Avenue Montaigne workshop. One day, she gets her handbag stolen in the…
The straightforward plot of Baltasar Kormakur’s Beast sees big game poachers wipe out a pride of lions, only for one to get away and go rogue. To elaborate, Dr Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) has taken his two daughters from New York to visit his old friend Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley) in South Africa. Tension is…
The decidedly quirky drama-musical Music marks the directorial debut of Sia. She also co-wrote the screenplay (with Dallas Clayton), based on her own short story, and penned the songs that feature prominently. Music (Maddie Ziegler) is on the autism spectrum and never parts from her headphones. She constantly listens to – you guessed it –…
Disney gives The Lion King a Jungle Book treatment, turning animation into a blend of live action and computer-generated imagery. The visual effects are spectacular. If you haven’t seen the 1994 original cartoon version, I suspect you’ll be satisfied with this 2019 representation of the story of young Simba’s rise. Director of The Jungle Book,…
Imagine a well-spoken woman of a certain age describing the sex life of slugs, before transitioning to elaborate upon a swap and trade social media platform. That is what you get at Theatre Works’ Explosives Factory with Rough Trade, which happens to be the moniker for a quirky, private Facebook group. Unlike Marketplace, the exchange of money…
