Every six to twelve months, we begin looking at a new series of films chosen by age, genre, directors or what have you.
Conflict, Confusion and Connection in Somersault In the same way that Miley Cyrus wears scrunchies and pigtails with thigh-high latex, Somersault perfectly captures that same contradiction between sexuality and juvenility. Heidi (Abbie Cornish) makes a mistake by “fooling around” with her mother’s boyfriend, in her fumbling search for affection and adulthood. When she’s sprung, the …
Bitches Gonna Bitch, Stitches Gonna Stitch Taking “small town hole” status to new extremes is Dungatar, the childhood home of Myrtle Dunnage (Kate Winslet). Within the first ten seconds of The Dressmaker the viewer understands that she had left, but is now returned, and that a ripple of memories lie unsettled, ready to be …
When You Give Advice That Turns Out to Be Shitty and They Come to Get Payback If a good thriller makes you just as excited as it makes you bite off your fingernails, then you’ll love Money Monster. The key facts you need to know? Live television. Narcissistic, rich presenter. Gunman. Hostage situation. Bombs. …
Roller Derby and Bruises the Size of Your Face I love any movie with an underdog and a hidden talent. Bliss (Ellen Page) certainly checks both of these boxes in the delightfully entertaining Whip It, directed by Drew Barrymore. Stifled by a small-town life where roads lead to dead-ends, Bliss and best friend Pash (Alia …
“I Know Kung Fu!” Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) drifts through his life, publically as a corporate worker, and secretly hunched over his computer as the hacker Neo. He exists with a nagging, desperate feeling that something isn’t right. This can’t be all there is. He is correct, as he finds out when confronted by …
In A Five Star Life, Reviewing Hotels Has More Perks Than Reviewing Movies Conjure in your mind a dream job. Does it include travel, flexibility and money? Think about success. Does this mean excelling in your career? Financial security? Surely then, real success extends beyond occupation to also include life goals. Perhaps a home, friends and …
Life Lessons In An Education This is, hands down, one of my favourite movies (meaning I’ve seen it more times than I can count). Set in London in 1961, schoolgirl Jenny is seduced by the perceived worldliness and glamour of an older man. Seeing him as an escape from her mundane existence, Jenny undergoes …
Heart Pumping Action In New Aussie Film Project Eden: Vol. 1 This is an Australian-made film that is practically bursting at the seams with cinematic force. It is designed with the very purpose of being watched at the movie theatre: drenched in sound, surrounded by tense bodies hidden in the darkness, gasping together as …