Author: Kimberley Veart

What To Watch: The Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (22nd – 24th September 2014)

Monday Men in Black 3, Ch. 7, 8.30pm AEST A time-travelling action film, Men in Black 3 (2012) features Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin and is a good fun way to spend a Monday night. The third instalment of the popular MIB series has Agent J (Smith) travelling back in time to…

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Film Review: Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case (Denmark, 2013)

Ai Weiwei is a fascinating figure, both as an artist and as one of China’s most influential and outspoken dissidents. Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case portrays the oppression and danger that Weiwei encounters as he continues his political activities. Andreas Johnsen’s quietly important documentary picks up where Alison Klayman’s 2012 Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry left…

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What To Watch: The Iris’ Weekly TV Picks (15th – 17th September 2014)

Between digital free-to-air and Foxtel, it’s at a point where it’s hard to choose what to watch on a given night. So we thought we’d take the task on ourselves and filter through the best TV of the week. Twice a week, we’ll deliver our picks for the days ahead. We kick things off with…

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DVD Review: Taped (The Netherlands, 2012)

Taped is a Dutch thriller that is gripping from the very first frame to the last. Brutal and breathless, it’s not hard to see why director Diedrik Van Rooijen has been chosen to helm the remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic The Birds. There are certainly elements of the Hitchcock style in Taped. The film…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: Abuse of Weakness (France, 2013)

Abuse of Weakness, the latest offering by French filmmaker Catherine Breillat, is an intriguing and compelling film that unflinchingly portrays Breillat’s own curious story. The autobiographical film is based upon Breillat’s experiences, beginning with her suffering a stroke in 2004 and following her through the long recovery process and adapting to life partly crippled. During…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: National Gallery (USA/France, 2014)

This beautiful documentary offers an insight into the daily life of the National Gallery in London. Unfolding over three hours, Frederick Wiseman with his characteristic unobtrusive touch allows conversations and activities to unfold in real time, giving the viewer the ability to observe in true ‘fly-on-the-wall’ style. The impressive collection housed by the gallery is…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: For Those Who Can Tell No Tales (Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2013)

  For Those Who Can Tell No Tales is a provoking film, which serves as a poignant reminder to Australian tourists about the often silent and traumatic histories that haunt the European cities they visit. The exposure of this past forms the central premise of the film, based on the experience of Australian performance artist…

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Film Review: Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater (USA, 2014)

This documentary is essential viewing for budding filmmakers and young creatives alike. A quiet, patient film by Gabe Klinger, it explores the friendship and work of filmmakers Richard Linklater and James Benning. Combining filmed discussions between the pair over a few days together in Texas and extensive archival footage, Double Play: James Benning and Richard…

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