A story of aspiration and achievement, the documentary Dawn Raid is a ripper. Dawn Raid Entertainment became an institution in New Zealand in the late ‘90s and noughties. Co-founded by a couple of young big guys from South Auckland who met at business school – but only completed about a year – and didn’t have…
The decidedly quirky drama-musical Music marks the directorial debut of Sia. She also co-wrote the screenplay (with Dallas Clayton), based on her own short story, and penned the songs that feature prominently. Music (Maddie Ziegler) is on the autism spectrum and never parts from her headphones. She constantly listens to – you guessed it –…
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart takes a detailed and profound look at the legacy of the Bee Gees. In my opinion this is one of the finest music documentaries yet made. It charts the brothers’ meteoric rise to stardom and the many highs and lows that followed. Hearing the hits…
While music videos are often a stepping stone to bigger things, the concert film is another level. Ever since Martin Scorsese helmed The Last Waltz in 1978, many acclaimed filmmakers have tried their hand at this niche genre. And now it’s Spike Lee’s turn as he weaves his magic around David Byrne’s American Utopia. Byrne…
Movies about music have had a rough trot recently. From the sugary Trolls: World Tour to the super-serious Echo in the Canyon, for me at least, few have inspired (except maybe Bill & Ted Face the Music). Now director Nisha Gantara (Late Night) dives into a music industry fantasy/rom-com with The High Note. But the…
Okay, a few caveats. I am most definitely not the target audience for Trolls: World Tour – because I’m not 8 years old. That disconnect makes reviewing this film difficult, because what I see isn’t what an 8 year-old sees. The character design alone made me nauseous; but they’ll love it. The film operates on…
Although billed in some quarters as “Hamilton: The Movie”, the Hamilton now streaming on Disney + is more of a filmed version of the stage production. Director Thomas Kail (Fosse/Verdon) captures a 2016 performance of the groundbreaking musical at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York. The performance features the original Broadway cast, including Lin…
Could Stan’s new series Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist mark the birth of a new sub-genre – the comedy-soap-musical? It certainly gets props for trying something new. But having gone out on a limb with the concept, the producers quickly scamper back to safety as the series falls into some very tired tropes. Austin Winsberg – who…
Imagine you’re the partner or child of a soldier who’s sent off to war. How would you feel? Military Wives is inspired by the true story of a group of women in that situation. In this case, their partners were deployed in Afghanistan. Kate (Kristin Scott-Thomas) and Lisa (Sharon Horgan), are in a power struggle….
Energetic, colourful and captivating, this is up there with the very best productions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS and I have had the good fortune to see several of them. A massive cast of 87 (plus an alternative 13 “kitten” chorus) and a 16-piece orchestra breathe new life into a show that was first staged in…
