Twenty years ago Lee Tamahori gave us one of the best films to come out of New Zealand with Once Were Warriors, an exploration of masculinity, violence, family and Maori pride. After spending over a decade working overseas with actors of the calibre of Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman and Nicolas Cage on large scale big…
Kriv Stenders’ Red Dog was a feelgood film that captivated Australian audiences way back in 2011. It was a genuine crowd-pleaser and a tear-jerker and also one of the highest grossing films of the year. It proved so popular that are sequel was probably inevitable given how the industry works. But is has taken five…
Another scintillating performance from Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) is one of the distinguishing features of The Edge of Seventeen, a first rate coming-of-age story that also features Woody Harrelson in a memorable role. Growing up is the great equaliser. No matter your family situation, walk of life, or specific personal experience, anyone who has gone…
Intended as a feel-good, calamity film for the festive season, this one tries hard but produces few, if any, belly laughs. Morale is at an all-time low at IT company Zenotek’s Chicago office after its hard-ass, pragmatic interim CEO Carol Vanstone (Jennifer Aniston) announces plans sack 40 per cent of its work force and ban…
Colourful characters, a great soundtrack and elements of The Voice are my immediate reflections when considering Sing, the latest animation from the studio that brought us Despicable Me, The Lorax and Minions. It is the first collaboration between writer/director Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and the founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment,…
From the director of the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom and the critically acclaimed Best of Enemies, comes The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble , a new doco about a renowned international musical collective created by legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It follows a group of diverse instrumentalists, vocalists, composers,…
Of the six veteran rockers invited to play the Desert Trip concerts, dubbed “Oldchella” because of the advanced age of the artists—The Who, The Stones, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Roger Waters— and their presumed fan-base, Neil Young is the only one who’s produced at least an album of new material every nearly every year…
Girl kicks butt and sings a happy tune. That about sums up Disney’s latest foray into fantasy, this time into the Pacific Islands. Moana is an animated feature about an adventurous teenager who sails away from home on a daring mission to save her people. The title character is the 16-year-old daughter of the chief…
A year ago I was totally captivated by The Illusionists 1903 and now the producers of that magic show have teamed up with the award-winning puppeteers from War Horse for Circus 1903. Again we are transported back in time, this time to the golden age of circus, and the sets, settings and costumes reflect that…
Steven Spielberg knows how to bring the magical world of Roald Dahl to life on a screen in a masterly way. Occasionally I need to watch a not too complicated or weighty film. Such a film that takes you to an enchanting, carefree world and to forget about everyday worries for a while. This time…
