Film: Green Border (Zielona Granica) There is sadly more truth to this utterly realistic black and white co-production than most movies that carry the label “based on a true story” contain. That fact can be tough to tolerate in a movie that is as distressing as it should be covering the helpless and often ill-fated ..read more

An annual accomplishment I enjoy sharing is the volume of motion pictures released in Australia I have seen. As of now, that number for 2023 stands at 166 films with around 30 movies still to be seen on my watch list! But that will begin to change in 2024! Perhaps this can be considered a New Year’s resolution of sorts, but I am opting for quality over quantity in 2024 and also more carefully selecting the movies I watch according to both personal taste and reliable word of mouth rather than seeing endless spin-offs and sequels out of self-directed obligation. The motivation for this chan ..read more

Written and Directed by Emerald Fennell Starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, and Archie Madekwe Emerald Fennell’s follow-up to her Oscar-winning writing and directing debut feature, the gutsy and tremendous Promising Young Woman, is another gutsy and tremendous film experience that takes viewers on an all-new mesmerising and unforgettable journey. As is the case with many movies, Saltburn is especially one where the less you know prior to seeing it, the more you are guaranteed to get from it! Its opening sequence retrospectively collates a summa ..read more

Written and Directed by Ari Aster  Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Denis Ménochet, Patti LuPone, Armen Nahapetian, Hayley Squires, and Parker Posey Beau Is Afraid takes viewers down a dark, demented, and winding road filled with fear, paranoia, and heartache. The premise is quite simple. Over the course of the next three hours, Beau will travel for several hours to his mother’s hometown of Wasserton and reunite with her. However, because of our titular character’s steeping insecurities, both Beau and his audience are held captive in an unsettl ..read more

I’m not sure about you, but soon after the final covid lockdown ended, life gradually became non-stop hectic! Somehow, I think I got rather used to the slower pace of daily life and having far less to do than usual! Though I miss having a less busy lifestyle and wish I had more time for more movies, I certainly do not miss watching those dreaded press conferences where snap lockdowns intended to last for just days were extended by weeks, months even. Hallelujah then that those days are now well and truly past! Despite the busier year, especially the last 6 months, I still managed to watch 156 ..read more

Written and Directed by Ruben Östland Starring Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Buric, Alicia Eriksson, Dolly De Leon, Vicki Berlin, Sunnyi Melles, Iris Berben and Henrik Dorsin When it comes to observing human behaviour and interactions, and deriving biting satire and thought-provoking themes from this, one of the most mesmerising filmmakers in the business is two-time Palme d’Or Winner, Ruben Östland. His two most recent films in particular come to mind, the Oscar-nominated The Square (2017) and possibly my slight fave, Force Majeure (2014). These two excellent films w ..read more

Directed by Jerrod Carmichael Starring Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott I begin this review feeling conflicted and, on the fence, as to what my final assessment of this dark comedic drama is, hoping that my next words will bring me closer to a more decisive conclusion. To have almost the entire film take place over the course of the last day two best friends choose to be alive after committing to their suicide pact by day’s end could be acknowledged as a brave venture, but certainly comes with its risks. There is a lot to applaud in how On the Count of Three addresses the life events t ..read more

Directed by Tom Gormican Starring Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan, Lily Mo Sheen, and Tiffany Haddish The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is Nicolas Cage’s 105th film! Of those 105 movies, I’ve personally watched about a quarter of them. Admittedly, I can barely remember most the ones I have seen and am unforgivably yet to watch Nicolas Cage in some of his most iconic roles, including his Oscar-winning performance in Leaving Las Vegas, Con Air and Raising Arizona.  I also wouldn’t label myself a Nicolas Cage fan. To clarify, I don’t dislike or avoid the actor, but seeing Cag ..read more

As another pretty average year finds itself gone by, I sum up the movies that are among the best I’ve seen in 2021 and make mention of some unforgettable moments & stellar performances. In a sense, it’s been a somewhat underwhelming year for film. Although I watched an impressive total of 163 movies released in Australia in 2021, only 28 of these have disappointingly received 4 or more stars from me. In brighter news, despite the pandemic delaying the release of several major titles worldwide (Were we ever going to see No Time to Die released!?), our website statistics have again surpassed ..read more

Director Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) StarringIssa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Paul Sparks and Anna Camp I’m a true believer that something good, or of value, can always be derived from an unwelcome experience. I think almost all of us can agree that this global pandemic we’re currently living with is an unwelcome experience in an abundance of ways. So, what does this new action comedy The Lovebirds have to do with any good can we take from the Coronavirus you ask? Well, Paramount Pictures originally scheduled The Lovebirds to be theatrically released in April 2020, but sold the rights to Netfli ..read more