Film
Interview: Michael Fassbender and the cast of Black Bag on character motives, script specificity, and trusting Australians
A top British intelligence officer faces the ultimate test of loyalty when he investigates a critical security breach in Black Bag, a riveting spy drama from Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh. An insightful and stylish take on a classic genre (you can read our review here), Black Bag amps up suspense and tension in a…
Film Review: Black Bag; Steven Soderbergh’s witty espionage thriller delights in its narrative twists
Whilst Black Bag sets itself up as a spy thriller in slightly the same vein as the (former) Brangelina vehicle Mr. & Mrs. Smith, with the two supremely charming (and, let’s face it, beautiful) leads dancing around the question of whether or not two spies in a marriage can stay truthful to one another, director…
Interview: Mike Leigh on Hard Truths, his collaborative process, and the enduring power of independent film
A titan of British cinema, Mike Leigh brings his signature blend of realism and emotional depth to Hard Truths, further solidifying his reputation as a chronicler of contemporary life. Delving into the complexities of everyday existence, Hard Truths stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste as a woman tormented by anger and depression, hypersensitive to the slightest possible offence…
Film Review: Hard Truths; Mike Leigh’s tragicomedy earns our compassion in spite of its cantankerous protagonist
At the centre of Hard Truths, the latest tragicomedy from writer/director Mike Leigh, is a woman who seemingly seeks conflict in each of her interactions, making her personal relationships challenging in the process. The woman – the embodiment of someone who tests patience and will, but still earns enough love from those that she hasn’t…
Interview: Sally Aitken on her documentary Every Little Thing, the interconnectedness of nature, and its importance in the wake of the Los Angeles fires
Every Little Thing follows retired writer and teacher Terry Masear over a summer as she takes in and rehabilitates injured hummingbirds. Shot with stunning close-ups of the birds against the backdrop of Masear’s storied life, this film is a mediation on human-animal relationships and our capacity for care. Bringing this stunning story to the screen…
Interview: Spit director Jonathan Teplitzky and star David Wenham on their Gettin’ Square sequel; “I love having the permission to be an idiot.”
22 years on from its predecessor premiering at the Brisbane International Film Festival, Spit, the long awaited sequel to Aussie crime comedy Gettin’ Square, kicked off its proceedings last month at the AACTA Festival, where director Jonathan Teplitzky and Johnny “Spit” Spitieri himself, David Wenham, introduced the film before it toured across the country on…
Film Review: Spit; David Wenham provides a masterclass in comedy in amusing, poignant Gettin’ Square sequel
Whilst the 2003 Australian crime comedy Gettin’ Square has its loyal fans and critical acclaim to its name, it severely underwhelmed at the Australian box office upon its release, leading the very existence of Spit to be quite an anomaly in itself. A two decades-on sequel to a flop genre flick is not the usual…
Interview: Daniel Henshall on working with “genius” Bong Joon Ho on Mickey 17 and silently channeling Mick Jagger
Australian actor Daniel Henshall is no stranger to working with the genius that is Bong Joon Ho, having collaborated on 2017’s science fiction comedy Okja. Now, the two are reuniting on the director’s eagerly anticipated Mickey 17, the first since his historic Oscar win in 2020. Mickey 17 tells of an unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes…
Film Review: Mickey 17; Expect the unexpected from Bong Joon Ho, with Parasite follow-up anything but safe cinema
In some ways it’s unfair for Mickey 17 to use director Bong Joon Ho‘s Oscar-winning Parasite in its marketing, as this bonkers sci-fi effort is quite far removed from that aforementioned satirical thriller, and may lure audiences into a false sense of security. Of course, being a Bong picture, satire is still utilised, but waiting…
Interview: Keke Palmer on her new film One of Them Days, breaking generational curses, and “vibing” with SZA
Across television, film, music, literature and live theatre, Keke Palmer has rarely left a stone unturned. And she’s certainly not looking to give up the exploration any time soon. With the release of One of Them Days, not only is Palmer headlining alongside the Grammy-winning SZA, she’s flexing her big boss energy as one of…
Film Review: One of Them Days is a spirited genre vehicle elevated by the charming duo of Keke Palmer and SZA
When it comes to the tried and tested buddy comedy, chemistry is key. Keke Palmer, arguably one of the most mega-wattage charm possessors currently working, and R&B music starlet SZA prove quite the dynamic duo in One of Them Days, an extremely spirited genre vehicle that they continually elevate when it occasionally gives in to…
Elyas injects a sense of heart into its multiple bouts of choreographed brutality: Alliance Française French Film Festival Review
Whilst it’s been two decades since French director Florent-Emilio Siri dipped his toe in the action genre with the 2005 Bruce Willis vehicle Hostage, it’s evident he hasn’t lost any flair for such, with his relentless Elyas touching on topical themes whilst proving rousing as an exaggerated vehicle in the same vein of a Liam Neeson…
Interview: Alliance Française French Film Festival CEO Frédéric Alliod on curating this year’s program; “I have to understand the audience and the cultural differences we might be playing with.”
The Alliance Française French Film Festival (AF FFF) has arrived as its 2025 programme of groundbreaking French cinema sets to dazzle audiences across Australia. Now in its 36th year, the largest celebration of French film outside France will play until the 27th April this year. Festival-goers are invited to embark on a unique cultural journey, featuring…
Win tickets to see Robert Pattinson in Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17
Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures Australia we have 5 double digital in-season passes (Admit 2) to giveaway to Mickey 17, written and directed by Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) and starring Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo, in Australian theatres from March 6th, 2025. The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has found himself in…
Win tickets to see Mike Leigh’s award-winning tragi-comedy Hard Truths
Thanks to Mushroom Studios, The Reset Collective and Think Tank Communications we have 5 double digital in-season passes (Admit 2) to giveaway to Hard Truths, the multi-award-winning tragi-comedy from famed director Mike Leigh, in Australian theatres from March 6th, 2025. The story revolves around Pansy, a hypersensitive woman who constantly criticizes her husband Curtley and…
Interview: Joe Williams on the unexplored aspects of parenting in new documentary Seen; “It’s not being critical of parents. It’s just having the opportunity to be able to make it different.”
Seen is a groundbreaking feature-length documentary that not only explores the transformative power of personal healing for parents, but also delves into the scientifically supported effects of such healing on parenting and its impact on child brain development. By focusing on the unexplored aspect of parents confronting their own childhood coping mechanisms, Seen is poised…
Win tickets to see Keke Palmer and SZA in the wild buddy comedy One of Them Days
Thanks to Sony Pictures Australia we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see the US box office success One of Them Days, starring Keke Palmer and Grammy Award-winning songstress SZA, in Australian cinemas from March 5th, 2025. Best friends and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) are about to have One of…
The Melbourne Women in Film Festival unveils its electrifying 2025 program
The Melbourne Women in Film Festival (MWFF), a vital home for the championing of female filmmakers, has today unveiled its electrifying 2025 program, featuring an impressive lineup of over 40 world-class features, shorts, and special events. The ninth edition of the festival is set to disrupt, challenge, and inspire filmmaking in a showcase of the…
Grand Tour fantastically voyages through real and unreal Asia: Perth Festival Review
In Anthony Bourdain’s travel & food series, Parts Unknown, he goes to Portugal to join his boss’s traditional pig-slaughter feast; it’s a beloved event in much of Europe. In the morning, they have the whole family come around – a good thirty or forty people – before six strong men hold the pig and slit…
Film Review: I’m Still Here is an engaging drama carried by the proud performance of Fernanda Torres
Whilst there were many movie-goers that may have been surprised at hearing Fernanda Torres‘s name being called at this year’s Golden Globes as the recipient of the Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama) over the likes of Nicole Kidman’s acclaimed turn in Babygirl and Angelina Jolie’s seeming front-runner presence in Maria, once I’m Still…
Interview: Inside writer/director Charles Williams on subverting the expectation of a “prison” movie
Transferred from juvenile to adult prison, Mel is taken under the wing of both Shepard, Australia’s most despised criminal, and Warren, a soon-to-be-a-paroled inmate. The paternal triangle that forms between them becomes their undoing. From Cannes Film Festival-winning director Charles Williams, Inside is a tale of emotional dynamics within the prison system, spearheaded by a…
The Australian International Documentary Conference unveils 2025 program
The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) has announced its full program for its 2025 event, with over 40 sessions, more than 115 speakers, and 90 industry decision makers taking place in-person at ACMI in Melbourne / Naarm, from 2nd to the 5th of March, 2025, with an online-only international marketplace between the 6th and 7th…
The Alliance Française French Film Festival reveals full 2025 programme
The Alliance Française French Film Festival (AF FFF) has unveiled its 2025 programme of groundbreaking French cinema. Now in its 36th year, the largest celebration of French film outside France will arrive in Australia from 4 March – 27 April 2025. Festival-goers are invited to embark on a unique cultural journey, featuring captivating stories of…
Win tickets to see the Oscar nominated drama I’m Still Here
Thanks to Sony Pictures Australia we have 5 double in-season passes (Admit 2) to see the Oscar nominated drama I’m Still Here, starring Fernanda Torres in her Golden Globe nominated role. Brazil, 1971. Brazil faces the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. Eunice Paiva, a mother of five children, is forced to reinvent herself after…
Interview: Robbie Amell, Kevin Claydon and Phil Moniz on exploring their unique sport in Racewalkers; “We knew for the movie to work, it’s funnier if we don’t make fun on it.”
Will could never compete in the sport he’s always loved: racewalking. While struggling to find respect as a coach, Will’s fortunes change when he spots a burnout baseball pitcher, Matt, with the most impeccable racewalking stride he’s ever seen. Together, Will and Matt team up, face the challenges of a sport that doesn’t want them,…
Racewalkers celebrates both its titular sport and the power of male friendship with organic comedy: Slamdance Film Festival Review
As ridiculous a sport racewalking may seem – Aussies are sure to have images of Jane Turner and Glenn Robbins powerwalking with all their might come to mind – writing/directing duo Phil Moniz and Kevin Claydon lace such with a tenderness and respect that allows audiences to laugh with the sport’s quirk rather than at…
Interview: Claes Bang on playing the legendary folk hero William Tell; “We definitely felt a responsibility to say something that we thought was meaningful.”
Regardless of what stories you’ve heard about William Tell, there’s one consistent note to his tale surrounding his son, a crossbow and an apple. A legendary folk hero of Switzerland, his tale has been told many times across many mediums, and Danish actor Claes Bang is the latest to embody the legend. Under the direction…
Interview: Andrea Arnold on the painful experience of making Bird; “All my films start with some kind of image that bothers me.”
Academy Award winning director Andrea Arnold has always honed a unique voice in the landscape of cinema. From her short films Milk and the Oscar celebrated Wasp, to her distinctive take on the classic Wuthering Heights and the experimental American Honey, no project is like another, and she’s continuing such a filmic outlook with her…
Film Review: Bird fuses its harsh naturality with a sense of magical fidelity
Similar to the naturalistic, almost documentary-like aesthetic she laced her film American Honey with, writer/director Andrea Arnold approaches Bird with a realism that, for the majority of its 119 minute running time, rarely lets up to allow audiences a proper escape from the poverty-stricken housing estate setting it largely sits within. Unfolding through the eyes…
Film Review: The Monkey; Absurdist horror flick favours giggles and gore
After last year’s Longlegs became a breakout success and lent a certain elevated air of relevance to writer/director Osgood Perkins‘ name, there’s understandably a level of expectation surrounding his follow-up, The Monkey, especially with the added gravity of being based off a Stephen King short story and having the producer credit of James Wan (Saw,…