Trigger warning: Sexual abuse and some coarse language Before we start off this review, let’s point out the elephant in the room. The film was co-written by Max Landis, who is now known for the various accusations of emotional and sexual abuse from eight separate women. Since then, lead actress Chloe Grace Moretz has said…
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Whenever one thinks of animation studios, the main ones one would think of would be either Disney and Pixar from the West and Studio Ghibli overseas. Then on the lesser known side, there would be studios like Laika and Aardman studios. But there is one that is even more obscure and that is called the…
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The filmography of playwright/director Kornel Mundruczo is quite interesting from a first glimpse. The standout feature is the fact that his works are usually political parables disguised as genre fare. His last two films White God and Jupiter’s Moon delved into the horror/sci-fi genre but were more about the examination of the inner workings of…
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Penguin Bloom follows the story of the Bloom family, a happy and adventurous troupe who are led on many treks by the outgoing matriarch Sam (Naomi Watts). All appears well as they are holidaying in Thailand until a once-in-a-lifetime accident occurs; leaving Sam paralysed and confined to a wheelchair. Seen as a shadow of her former…
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There are genre conventions that we see all the time in film that whenever they show up, we cannot help but smile at the sight of it. One of them is seeing the hero succeed in their journey; another is seeing the protagonist triumph over oppression and adversity and another is seeing a zombie getting…
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When news of the latest project by writer/director Marie-Castille Mention-Scharr was announced, this reviewer was intrigued yet quite trepidacious [sic]. The premise of the story itself is inspiring but the casting of the titular role can be seen as quite problematic. The major reason for being is because of the lack of proper representation for…
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In America 1964, the audience is introduced with its four main players. Renowned boxer Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) had just defeated Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion of the world; Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is still fighting for the cause for Black people; pop musician Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom…
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Jessica Barden stars as Ruth Avery, a high school student who lives in Jackson, Ohio with her older brother Blaze (Gus Halper). She is intelligent and resilient but due to her living conditions, she is looked down upon by people at school to the point that she has to resort to stealing books (i.e. Madame…
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Six Australian films have been chosen for the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). As one of the biggest publicly attended film festivals the TIFF has close ties to the US film industry. This poses a good chance of expanding the range of Australian film making to a world-wide audience, like former Toronto premieres (e.g….
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Aussie actor Simon Baker’s feature film and directorial debut Breath will have its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), featuring as part of the event’s Contemporary World Cinema program. Breath stands alongside Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country and Violeta Ayala’s Cocaine Prison, two competing Australian films. “There is no doubt that TIFF sets Australian films on the…
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Australian distributor Sharmill Films has revealed they will be bringing three more films from the Toronto International Film Festival to Australia: Frantz, The Ornithologist, and Heal The Living, will join Lady Macbeth on the Sharmill Films 2017 release slate. Frantz is the latest film from French director François Ozon. The film is set in the wake of the…
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Australian distributor Sharmill Films have acquired standout Toronto Film Festival offering Lady Macbeth. The film is a Gothic tale of a young woman trapped in a marriage of convenience in 19th century England. Much like the original Lady Macbeth, her actions leave in their wake a maelstrom of murder, mayhem and mystery on a country estate….
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Sing, the latest film from Illumination Studios (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets) had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, ahead of its Boxing Day release. The animated film sees Buster, a koala, holding a singing competition in his home town in order to save his theatre. Sing stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese…
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A few weeks ago The Iris posted about a new musical from Whiplash director Damien Chazelle. This week, a new trailer for La La Land was released, giving us a a good taste of the anticipated film. It seems the film is attracting attention from industry insiders ahead of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with organisers suggesting…
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Writer and director Simon Stone and actors Odessa Young (Looking For Grace) and Ewen Leslie (Dead Leslie) will be appearing in the Q&A sessions for their new film, The Daughter. The sessions will be moderated by film critic David Stratton and film and media editor Michael Bodey, with preview screenings being held at Palace Verona, Sydney and Palace Cinema…
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