Elegant production design, a big name cast and twists aplenty characterise Death on the Nile, a new take on the Agatha Christie classic. After five killings, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) solves the crimes, but not before all stand accused. We’re introduced to Poirot’s extraordinary mind through his remarkable instincts on the battlefield during World War…
Who doesn’t love their pet or pets? Many of us dote over them as if they were the most precious and prized member of the family. I know my wife certainly does. So the idea behind The Secret Life of Pets – what pets do behind closed doors when humans are not within earshot –…
In the days before the pandemic (remember them?), hype swirled around Disney’s adaptation of Artemis Fowl, the much-loved YA novel by Eoin Colfer. Originally slated for a (northern) summer release, COVID-19 torpedoed those plans and Disney moved it straight to its new streaming platform, Disney +. In hindsight, that could have been a wise move….
In 2000, a film with a modest budget and a cast of up-and-coming young actors began production of a franchise that would last 15 years. Inspired in part by a Vibe magazine article on street-racing clubs, the action-thriller chronicled the exploits of a crew deep in the underground racing scene of East Los Angeles. They…
Aladdin is loosely based on a tale from “One Thousand and One Arabian Nights”. This lavish production features magnificent sets and costumes. But this live-action version doesn’t measure up to the spectacular 1992 animation. The streets of Agrabah are home to Aladdin (Mena Massoud), a lovable street rat who is eager to leave his life…
It’s taken a while, but the hit show of the just-passed US summer, Mr Robot, is now available in Australia. Mind you, if you’re hoping this intriguing and unsettling show will turn up on network TV after the next collection of cat videos, you’ll be disappointed; as it’s currently only available via on-demand provider Presto….
Science fiction is a genre that leaves room for ideological visions and fictional future scenarios. A technological fantasy story, as it were. In Arrival this is more applicable on a human level. In this case it’s the effort of humanity to communicate with an alien civilization. That’s fiction enough already. We’re not even capable of…
The sensitive and affecting film Adam takes a close up look at two women from a poor Casablanca neighbourhood caught in an emotional maelstrom. Abla (Lubna Azabal) is a dour widowed mother who can’t get over the untimely death of her husband. Meanwhile, Samia (Nisrin Erradi) faces the imminent birth of a child alone and…
William Shakespeare’s light-hearted comedy As You Like It is one of the playwright’s most regarded pastoral plays. Before we get to the simple forest life of Queensland Theatre’s lively production, however, we are first opened to its treacherous duchy court, for all the world is, of course, a stage. The story is of Rosalind (Emma…
Funny, irreverent, crude, witty, clever, lyrically and vocally adept … and I did mention darn funny, at times hilarious, didn’t I? The Book of Mormon is one of the most anticipated musicals to be staged in Melbourne has opened to much merited fanfare. This religious satire now, well and truly, deserves a long stay here. …
