After the Wedding (2019)
This is mostly an excuse for Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore to flex their acting muscles.
Suburbicon (2017)
George Clooney, a regular Coens collaborator, knows the notes but he can’t master the music with his latest film, Suburbicon.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
Kingsman: The Golden Circle has as much unapologetic stupidity and unabashed absurdity as its predecessor … but, sadly, it’s an order of magnitude less fun.
Freeheld (2015)
Freeheld is an uneven drama that frequently veers from tragedy to drudgery. Which is a shame, since its true story – of homosexual policewoman, Laurel Hester – is both fascinating and vital. Arriving hot on the heels of the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the US, this otherwise unremarkable film represents a missed opportunity. The film chronicles cancer-stricken Hester’s (Julianne Moore) fight…
Double Feature: The Congress (2013) and Maps to the Stars (2014)
Comparing David Cronenberg’s Hollywood satire Maps to the Stars with Ari Folman’s Hollywood satire The Congress is an effective demonstration of how originality and quality don’t always go hand-in-hand. Of the two films, The Congress is far and away the most original, draping an overabundance of ideas offer a scaffolding constructed out of equal parts…
Still Alice (2014)
One of the unfortunate consequences of Australia’s long-delayed exposure to Oscar contenders is that the critical narrative around these films has coalesced long before they screen here. So it is with Still Alice, which the majority of critics have described as some variation of overly sentimental Alzheimer’s weepy that will win Julianne Moore the Oscar.…
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014)
Mockingjay – Part 1 is unsatisfactory not simply because it’s telling half a story, but because its ideas are given neither sufficient depth nor a sufficiently engaging narrative to wrap around them. Much like fellow threequel Matrix Revolutions, it trades the diverse visual palette of its predecessors for drab bunkers and ruins painted in endless…
Non-Stop (2014)
Non-Stop brackets a thrilling middle sequence between two disappointing – but thankfully brief – acts. Your enjoyment of the film will depend pretty much entirely if you can forgive the silliness of the final act. But make no mistake, this whole film is remarkably silly – that’s the point! It’s simply that the second act’s…
What Maisie Knew (2013)
What Maisie Knew presents a unique perspective on domestic drama, telling the story of a bitter divorce and strained custody battle through the eyes of seven-year-old Maisie. This point-of-view keeps the film from feeling conventional despite its well-worn subject matter, but it also keeps the audience from gaining a deep insight into its characters. The…
Brisbane International Film Festival: Don Jon (2013)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut, Don Jon, demonstrates sparks of clever filmmaking. The film’s construction is deliberately repetitive, using recurring rituals (church, Sunday lunch, gym, jackin’ it to internet porn) that change to highlight the growth of its (unlikable) characters. It also mines humour from these subtle variations – generally at the expense of its Jersey-Shore-esque…
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