A charming Australian comedy about a serious subject, H is for Happiness is a surprising gem. Set in the West Australian coastal town of Albany, this is a feel-good film for all ages. Writer Lisa Hoppe adapted My Life as an Alphabet by Barry Jonsberg for the screenplay. The film tells the story of a…
Noah and The Whale’s 2009 concept album The First Days of Spring is easily one of my favourite releases of the last 10 years. Its sprawling dissection of frontman Charlie Fink’s break up with Laura Marling is a true masterpiece. So when Fink’s promo around his new solo album Cover My Tracks likened it as…
In keeping with Disney’s want of late, Lilo and Stitch is a heartwarming live action version of the animated feature that was released in 2002. Lilo Pelekai is a cute six-year-old scallywag, who runs to the beat of her own drum. A loner, she has been profoundly affected by the tragic loss of her parents…
There was merriment aplenty at the Alex Theatre on the opening night of the Australian premiere of Around the World in 80 Days, the epic adventure adapted by Toby Hulse and based on the novel by Jules Verne. Directed by Terence O’Connell and starring Ian Stenlake, Pia Miranda and Grant Piro, the trio plays 39…
Released at probably the worst possible time (hello to everyone in lockdown), Quibi experienced a relatively soft launch into the crowded streaming market. Designed with the commuter or otherwise time poor/mosquito attention span person in mind, Quibi delivers up short episodic treats of drama, pop culture and news updates daily – that is, if you…
REBEL is a musical that delves into one man’s journey to discover his true self. It is an exploration of family, community, music and being queer in the USA in the 1940s to 1960s. The story is set in a New York bar in 1969, where cowboy Davey (Maxwell Simon) narrates his life as a…
Writer-director Celine Song delivers a stunning debut with Past Lives. This thoughtful, compelling film gives a fresh voice to the migrant experience, while also working as a contemplative character study. Song’s previous experience was as a staff writer on the fantasy TV series The Wheel of Time. This film bears little relationship to that series….
The thing I like about the Limelight on Oxford is that the audience enters the theatre via the stage. Hence, we tread the same boards as the actors. It gives us an additional dimension from which to inhale the atmosphere of the production, besides ambience, lighting and comfort. So, we’re off to a good start…
Joaquin Phoenix is ideally suited to fill the role of an inveterate drinker who pays a horrendous price for his addiction, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot. Phoenix frequently tackles more obtuse material and appears to revel in it. The last day slacker John Callahan (Phoenix), who lives in the US city of…
Sweet Country is the sophomore feature film from indigenous filmmaker Warwick Thornton, best known for his award-winning 2009 drama Samson and Delilah. Although this is only his second feature film, he’s been busy with short films, television projects and documentaries like We Don’t Need A Map, which premiered at the Sydney International Film Festival in…
