There are probably many people like Dr Jess Ting in the world, just going about their work but, because of their empathy and dedication to making a difference, they change people’s lives.
Continue readingBorn to Be (2019)
StandardTag Archives: 4.5 stars
Kuessipan (2019)
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Kuessipan sneaks up on you. For awhile it feels like a familiar story of race and class and wanting freedom from the confines of family and community as you teeter on the precipice of adulthood.
Continue readingThe Killing of Two Lovers (2020)
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Having just watched Black Bear (2020), which explores gender roles in its arty maelstrom of a story, The Killing of Two Lovers shows how to nail it. Robert Machoian immerses us in the head and heart of husband and dad David as his marriages crumbles.
Continue readingBloody Nose, Empty Pockets (2020)
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This quite astounding docudrama by brothers Bill and Turner Ross seems to coalesce all that is precious and precarious about the US on the brink of the 2016 election that saw Trump come to power and the lives of the powerless crumble.
Continue readingThe Australian Dream (2019)
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Image via http://www.peninsulacinemas.com.au
I left Stan Grant’s measured and important exploration of Australian racism feeling somewhat shattered and profoundly moved. It is a narrative made personal by the journey of AFL star, Adam Goodes. Continue reading
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
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Image via http://www.indiewire.com
I’ll declare a bias upfront: I’m a Taika Waititi fan. From Boy (2010) and Eagle vs. Shark (2007) to What We Do in the Shadows (2014) and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016), his dry, droll, irreverent humour never fails to win me over. He even made a superhero movie watchable with Thor: Ragnarok (2017) mostly not taking itself too seriously. Continue reading
The Extraordinary (Hors Normes) (2019)
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Image via http://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org
I wasn’t expecting to love this feature, by writer directors Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, so much. Their huge hit The Intouchables (2011) achieved all the right notes of feel-good, odd couple drama with a social subtext and rarely overplayed its hand. It felt like an elegant and understated Hollywood pic though and it is unsurprising that it was re-made in 2017 as The Upside (which I can’t bear to watch). I was expecting the same with The Extraordinary and so was unprepared for its social and emotional depth and understated authenticity. Continue reading
National Theatre Live: Fleabag (2019)
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Image via http://www.maketheswitch.com.au
Having just watched Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Crashing (2016) (available on Netflix), I am now a big fan of her vulnerable, heartfelt comedy. The two seasons of her TV show Fleabag (2016-17) are on my to-watch-list, delayed only by the need to purchase them. It seemed apt to see the one person show that began Fleabag’s story and thank goodness for Cinema Nova for screening National Theatre live versions of hit shows, including this one. Continue reading
Jinpa (2018)
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Image via miff.com.au
Pema Tseden’s gorgeous and enigmatic Tibetan road movie has the bleached understatement of Sergio Leone and the lush intimacy of (producer) Wong Kar Wai.
Greener Grass (2019)
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Image via miff.com.au
What a delight this wacky film is, steeped in saturated pastels and sharp, contemporary satire. Continue reading
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