In Dog, a traumatised veteran, Riley Rodriguez (Eric Urbiztondo), has died. His parents want the specially-trained dog that worked alongside him to take pride of place at his funeral. That means a 2,400 kilometre road trip with the canine – a Belgian Malinois named Lulu. But through eight tours and seven years on the front…
An original English and Yiddish adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s short story Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy, Kadimah’s full length play is a lively representation of the spiritual and moral dilemma at the heart of the tale. Co-developed, co-written and directed by Gary Abrahams, it is based upon the religious tenet that women cannot study the Torah…
I couldn’t think of a more appropriate name for a cliche-riddled film that fails to ignite than Off the Rails. When Anna she dies of cancer, she leaves European rail passes for her three good friends to revisit their past adventures. Each of the middle-aged women have their issues. Cassie (Kelly Preston), who plays a…
Pierre Anthon is a massive thorn in the backside of his classmates in year 9. Just one utterance changed their perspective of the world and now they are out to prove him wrong … and they will stop at nothing to do so. Anthon, who we never meet, says “nothing matters” and even as a youngster he…
Early on in Susanna Nicchiarelli’s Miss Marx, the writer-director makes it clear she considers her subject to be a kind of punk rock icon. Pity then that her film largely shuns that angle and instead meanders into becoming another tepid costume drama. The film ostensibly features a fiery feminist icon, but it plays out as…
Truth or fiction? I greatly appreciated the intensity and mystery in Lili Horvát’s film Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time. The director brings intrigue and I was genuinely left speculating as to what was real and what might not be. Brilliant neurosurgeon Marta Vizy (Natasa Stork), meets the man of her…
Writer and director Mike Mills (20th Century Women) makes superb, insightful films that tap into the human condition … and now here is another. C’mon C’mon is a remarkable, sensitive work about tapping into your feelings. Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny, who – along with a few colleagues – is making a radio documentary. They are…
Based on a true story, Hive tells of the tragedy of the aftermath of the war in Kosovo in the late 1990s. Specifically it focuses on its impact on the village of Krusha e Madhe. The film follows one woman, Fahrije Hoti (Yllka Gashi). Her husband disappeared seven years earlier, leaving behind not only her,…
Although Cyrano de Bergerac was a real person, most of the works that bear his name stem from Edmond Rostan’s 1897 play. Film versions of the story date back to 1900, but recent efforts include Roxanne (1987) with Steve Martin, and Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) with Gerard Depardieu. But the latest has a more circuitous…
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a masterpiece from absurdist playwright Edward Albee. It’s a treat for lovers of his provocative works that look at the human condition with all its flaws and extremes. Queensland Theatre presents the State Theatre Company South Australia production of the play with its original cast and it sure does…
