Three time Oscar winner Oliver Stone’s (Platoon) latest outing, Snowden, is a look at one of the most polarising figures of the 21st century. He is the man responsible for what has been described as the most far-reaching security breach in US intelligence history. In 2013 Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) quietly leaves his job at…
Occasionally you encounter a low-budget film with overwhelming visual looks – like Kill Command – and that despite the limited budget. Besides that, you can also enjoy some successful performances and a narrative which is entertaining enough. It’s not very original however – we’ve seen enough films with sophisticated technologies doing crazy things because of…
No this is not a remake of the fluffy and lightweight 1966 rom-com that starred Elvis Presley as a part-time NASCAR driver. Rather, this is a raucous, at times bawdy and crude Ocker comedy along the lines of Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, Dimboola, Stork and even the more recent A Few Best Men. There’s…
There is a mythological link between storks and babies in many cultures. A quick search of the Internet reveals references by the Greeks, Germans, Chinese, Egyptians and Israelis, to name but a few. Regardless of the veracity of those myths, that is the starting point or, perhaps that should read “flying point” at the heart…
There are not that many times that you can say you saw an artist when but that is how I have always been with The White Stripes as I caught them opening for Sleater-Kinney in 2000 supporting a very new De Stijl record on the Sympathy For The Devil label. Hell, even the ticket listed…
One of the prospects that drew director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) to this famous story was the opportunity to give a new generation a glimpse at what happened to launch this extraordinary phenomenon. The baby boomers grew up with The Beatles and their children perhaps only know them vicariously through their parents. As the…
The Red Turtle is a dialogue-free animated film from the renowned Studio Ghibli, which has given us Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away. But this is an international co production between France and Japan, and is the first non-Japanese film produced by the revered animation studios. This is a richly emotional and resonant exploration of…
A mighty confusing psychological thriller, The Girl on the Train partly suffers by overdoing the signaling of time frames on the screen. It takes ages to figure out just what is going on and by then you can’t help thinking it is all too hard. Devastated by her recent divorce, Rachel (Emily Blunt) spends her…
An attractive and engaging feminist film that allows us – the audience – to really care for the characters, La Belle Saison (which translates as Summertime) is also a period piece. The year in 1971. Delphine (Izia Higelin), the daughter of hard-working farmers, moves to Paris to break free of the shackles of her parents…
There may be nothing more painful to experience than pure unadulterated grief. Which is why many will choose to pass on the latest album from Australian post-punk rocker Nick Cave and his band The Bad Seeds, as Skeleton Tree, from start to finish, in tone and style, is a funeral dirge. And it’s not like…
