Max Gillies is a living treasure who brings frustration, despair and humour to three fine pieces involving men at the tail end of their lives. In turn, they are excerpts from A Stretch of the Imagination by Jack Hibberd, Samuel Beckett’s Eh Joe and On the Harmfulness of Tobacco by Anton Chekov. In the first,…
I don’t read about a play or musical or film before seeing it. The reason: I want the art form to speak for itself. But taking that approach to Laundry Shoot! is problematic because the narrative is far from straight forward. This is what I could make out after seeing the 70-minute play before reading the program….
Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi writes and directs gritty slice-of-life dramas and The Salesman, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, continues that fine tradition. The moral quandary at the heart of this picture is what helps maintains interest. Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and his wife Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) are a middle class couple –…
King Henry VIII certainly had a way with the ladies! After all, he had six marriages, all to varying degrees of success. But it was his last wife, Catherine Parr (Kate), who had a way with the king. The Last Wife by Kate Hennig is a faintly historical drama/comedy set in a contemporary context. The…
In May, Palace Cinemas will once again bring the best of American independent film to Australian screens with American Essentials. Twenty films will make their Australian premiere—many hot on the heels of their world premieres at A-list festivals around the world—as the three-week festival tours five cities, celebrating the latest indie treasures in narrative feature…
Anybody who has persevered through sweaty struggle to pull on a leotard will be immediately in awe of the premise at the core of debase productions’ Boyle and Waters in Leotard. It sees performer/creators Bridget Boyle and Neridah Waters sharing the stories behind vintage leotards of all shapes and sizes. From their entry to the stage,…
There’s barely a moment’s let-up in the tense, action thriller Retribution. Matt Turner (Liam Neeson) has worked as a financier for Nanite Capital for 18 years under its CEO Anders Muller (Matthew Modine). Work drives Turner. He and his family live in luxury in Berlin and he drives a luxury car. He has little time…
With an introductory nod to J.C. Williamson’s premiere season of Annie in Melbourne in 1978, this intoxicating, family friendly musical sizzles and sparks anew. All the elements – music, performance, staging, choreography, lighting and sound – come together seamlessly and make for a delightful night at the theatre. Despite being set during the Great Depression,…
From loathing to liking … I can’t recall too many movies I have seen where my predilection has swung so appreciably. But that was the case with Victoria, slow burn material shot in point of view style (think extensive use of hand held camera) from the perspective of the lead character. So, patience is ultimately…
What is there to say about a book that has the name of action movie star Keanu Reeves and multi-award winning new-weird fantasy writer China Miéville (known for The City and The City, Embassytown and Perdido Street Station among others) on the cover? No matter what the subject matter, The Book of Elsewhere is a…
