Penelope Cruz

Film Review: Ferrari needs a tune-up if it wants to be considered an enjoyable ride overall

Compared to the other “exceptional man” biopics of the last year (Oppenheimer, Maestro, Napoleon), Michael Mann‘s Ferrari is, sadly, the least interesting.  Whilst it doesn’t take an entirely traditional narrative – the film only shows us a certain chunk of the man’s life – and Adam Driver does his best with his showy role, to…

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Film Review: The 355 masks its genre simplicities with a willing cast and an escapism attitude

Whilst there’s nothing remotely original about The 355, that certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of fun to be had with this slice of pure escapism fluff that manages to mask its simplicities with a willing cast and a scrappy, can-do attitude. Outside of directing, Simon Kinberg has a rather enviable resume.  He served as…

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Sydney Film Festival Review: Pain and Glory (Spain, 2019) is one of Pedro Almodovar’s best films

Viva Almodovar! If that opening didn’t clue you in, I am a huge fan of the work of acclaimed Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar. His filmmaking is an extravagant blend that is both wondrously idiosyncratic and entertainingly melodramatic; capped off with a colourfully vibrant eye. Even his supposedly disappointing films have won me over time,…

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Film Review: Everybody Knows (Spain, 2018) is an inferior, yet effective entry from director Asghar Farhadi

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi has made some of most critically acclaimed dramas in the 21st Century. Garnering awards from many festivals, including winning two Oscars for Best Foreign Film, it is a testament to Farhadi’s impeccable storytelling about the social, gender and class differences in modern Iran as well as his assured hand in telling…

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The Assassination Of Gianni Versace Star Darren Criss Coming To Sydney

What does fashion legend Gianni Versace, Glee alum Darren Criss and Sydney, Australia all have in common? Well in order to promote the launch of The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story on Foxtel, star of the series Criss will be heading down under to Sydney. Criss is best known for Blaine Anderson from…

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Film Review: Murder On The Orient Express (USA, 2017) beautifully captures the essence of Agatha Christie’s material

With its classic style, striking ensemble, and lack of action-heavy set pieces, Murder on the Orient Express may be a little too refined for modern audiences versed in the ways of today’s distraction-centric filmmaking where bigger and louder equals better. Despite the film being void of any staple action moment, Orient Express still delivers on…

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Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded Murder on the Orient Express gets first trailer

The classic Agatha Christie 1934 murder mystery novel has again been given to big-screen treatment, this time with Kenneth Branagh at the helm as both director and playing the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Set aboard the famous train in pre-World War II Europe, fingers are pointed when an unlikable billionaire is murdered on the carriage. As…

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