This biopic of athlete and WWII survivor Louis Zamperini is something of a labour of love for Angelina Jolie. This is her second fiction feature as a director following 2011’s drama In the Land of Blood and Honey, which was set against the backdrop of the Bosnian war, and Unbroken shares a number of similar…
Some names need no introduction. And when it comes to the world of fashion, Pierre Cardin is one of those. But what’s behind the name motivates filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes in their documentary The House of Cardin. This reverential doco sources both archival footage and contemporary interviews, including with Cardin himself (he…
British singer Amy Winehouse found success through her songs and won numerous Grammy Awards in her brief career. She was a talented musician who succumbed to her demons and vices, and suffered from depression, addiction and even mental illness. She died from alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the height of her success. She was just…
Justice or revenge? If someone close to you was murdered, what would you want and what would happen if you didn’t get what you wanted? That conundrum is at the heart of this thriller. I like a good police whodunit, an involving mystery that entangles you until the final frames. You might think you have…
The Safdie brothers – Josh and Bennie – had success with their gritty crime drama Good Time. That film featured one of Robert Pattinson’s best performances. Now they bring us another tense, slow-burn thriller in Uncut Gems. Infused with their usual street-savvy edge, the film builds to an unexpected finale. The brothers bring a gritty…
Comedies about sex and coupling have long been big business in Hollywood because, let’s face it, sex sells and most envisage finding a Mr or Ms Right with a happily ever after ending – be that realistic or NOT! So give it up for yet another rom-com on the subject. When we are first introduced…
Not being able to conceive when one is desperate to start a family can cause major rifts in a marriage. Infertility affects about one in six Australian couples of reproductive age. That is the starting point for a world premiere work by Australian playwright Ron Elisha, which originated from a feature article in The Australian Weekend…
The wonderful observational documentary Pick of the Litter follows five cute puppies on their journey to become seeing eye dogs for the non-profit organization Guide Dogs For The Blind. Every year in America some 8,000 dogs enter into a rigorous training program to become seeing eye dogs, but less than 30% make the cut. The puppies…
Updating classic fairytales is nothing new (see: Shrek). And, of course, the musical has been around for as long as movies have had sound. So combining an updated take on Cinderella with a pop-laden musical would seem to be a guaranteed winner. But somehow director Kay Cannon (Blockers) and her team have created a by-the-numbers…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 1 November 2024. I Just Need To Conquer This Mountain is an album of late night reflections on goodbyes, grief, new beginnings, and an important friendship that underpinned Sarah Blasko’s childhood, and finds one of Australia’s most revered songwriters…
