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Three men who have been held in detention on Manus Island tell their stories in an affecting graphic novel style of virtual reality. Continue reading
Virtual Reality: Inside Manus (2017)
StandardGlory (Slava) (2016)
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Glory grabbed me from its first realistic scenes to its devastating ending. Described as Capra-esque and a black comedy, this is anything but; intense, understated and bleak, it is a powerful drama about what is lost when corruption and greed win out over humanity. Continue reading
Dark City (1998)
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What a ride! Dark City is like a glorious pastiche of sci-fi; the production design is Blade Runner if it was set in Adelaide, the villains are Nosferatu goth boy band wannabees and the hero is a 90s Humphrey Bogart if he wandered into The Matrix. Continue reading
My Happy Family (2017)
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This rich tapestry of a film had a golden thread running through it of one woman’s life. It was so absorbing and finely-crafted that I forgot I was watching a film. Continue reading
A Fantastic Woman (2017)
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The sublime Daniela Vega holds the screen from start to end in this delicate exploration of marginalisation and grief. Continue reading
Free and Easy (2017)
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This quirky fable about modern day China charmed me with its surreal drollness and allowed a few quiet moments for a catnap. Continue reading
Starstruck (1982)
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“He’s got body, he’s got soul, I’m torn apart without him…” I knew every word of every song and I was itching to get up and dance during the Pioneering Women screening of this delightful and very Australian musical. Continue reading
Japanese Girls Never Die (a.k.a.Haruko Azumi is Missing) (2017)
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Daigo Matsui directed Wonderful World End (MIFF 2015) and Our Huff and Puff Journey (MIFF 2016), both films I enjoyed for their mix of kawaii cuteness with social gravitas. Japanese Girls Must Die treads a similar path but feels more laboured and less whimsical in its telling. Continue reading
Yourself and Yours (2016)
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This is rather delicate and oddball offering from Korean director Hong Sang-soo poses more questions than it answers but provides enough threads to pull together into a satisfying exploration of love and relationships. Continue reading
The Song Keepers (2017)
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Naina Sen’s radiant documentary about the funny and spirited women (and a few men) of the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir stole my heart. Continue reading
