The Past is Unwrapped in Joel Edgerton’s The Gift

The Gift opens on ominous shots of an abandoned, modernist mansion, grey stone and brown wood gleaming dully in the afternoon L.A. sun. Soon, Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall), a professional couple from Chicago, will be escorted through the hollow house by a real estate agent. But for now it lies dormant, the…

Only God Forgives (2013)

Only God Forgives is not a pleasant experience. Watching it is akin to letting viscous ichor fill your veins. It’s like a David Lynch take on a spaghetti-western tale of revenge; the deep rumbling bass tones, thick shadows and vibrant, hellish reds channel Lynch’s style. The dark, labyrinthine corridors that contain Julian (Ryan Gosling)’s Bangkok…

Grimes – Genesis

Once again I seem to have picked the wrong horse in Triple J’s Hottest 100: it seems inevitable that “Oblivion” is going to outperform “Genesis” by a significant margin, which is a shame as the latter is by far more interesting. “Genesis” feels unique; though it’s clearly the sum of familiar parts – a meandering,…