The well-being of a brilliant seven year-old is on the line in the feel-good weepy Gifted. Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising his spirited young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) in a coastal town in Florida. Though Mary is a child prodigy, Frank’s intends that she lead a normal life. His aim is thwarted…
There is a decent yarn to be told in Jasper Jones, but with the story the filmmakers had to work with it didn’t quite shake out that way. Based on the Australian best-selling novel by Craig Silvey, this is the tale of Charlie Bucktin (Levi Miller), a bookish boy of 14 living in a small…
Greek tragedy done Scottish style, Sunset Song is tortuous to sit through. This is Terence Davies’ (Distant Voices, Still Lives) intimate epic of tragedy and love set at the dawn of the Great War. It is about a young woman’s endurance against the hardships of rural Scottish life, based on a novel by Lewis Grassic…
He calls Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre his second home and why wouldn’t he because audiences love him here every time he tours. Put simply, David Strassman is in a stratosphere all his own when it comes to ventriloquism. In his hands and with his vocalisation, his puppets come to life. They are naïve, antagonistic, impudent and oh so…
A great sense of fun and a rich array of talent are on show as Muriel’s Wedding The Musical hits town. Toni Collette endeared the socially awkward Muriel Heslop to Australia in PJ Hogan’s 1994 film, Muriel’s Wedding. Collette may have left big shoes to fill, but 23-year-old Natalie Abbott has stepped into them with…
Superbly written by Jane e Thompson, Fierce is a beautiful nuanced play that highlights gender disparity in sports. I was riveted throughout. Suzie Flack is better than other female AFL footballers. She doesn’t want to play in the women’s league. Rather, she’s intent on competing against men. And she gets her chance to do so,…
The hype has been enormous, but does Barbie, the movie, live up to expectations? Well, some elements do and others not so much. The film is populated by the Barbies and Kens of Barbieland, where women rule the roost and men trail in their wake. The chief Ken (bleach blonde Ryan Gosling, with a six-pack…
Thirty years on Nick Enright’s play about young men and youths callous disregard for the fairer sex continues to resonate. Trash talk and surf culture go hand in glove in the fictitious seaside working-class suburb of Blackrock. After 11 months away, arrogant Ricko (Bailey Griffiths) – who others look up to – returns and resumes…
– Back of the Net – Only in cinemas from 11 April 2019 We have 5 family (admit 4) in-season passes thanks to Umbrella Entertainment. *(Tickets valid in Australia only)* Watch the trailer HERE For American teenager Cory Bailey (Sofia Wiley – star of The Disney Channel’s top rating show, Andi Mack), attending the Harold…
What a delightful turn of phrase Oscar Wilde had. His wit and playfulness are there for all to see in the verbiage-dense An Ideal Husband. In case you’re not familiar, the play deals with blackmail and corruption in high society. And doesn’t this sterling 11-string cast do it justice! They have loads of fun with…
