With the Academy Awards just a week away, a film with no less than six Oscar nominations is sure to generate a decent amount of interest. Nebraska is a contender for Best Picture alongside major films like Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle, and film lovers should count it among the Oscar nominees they…
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There is no shortage of feminist criticism available on the world wide web these days (Lip included, of course), but Brodie Lancaster is one feminist writer doing things the old-fashioned way. Brodie is the Melbourne-based founder and editor of Filmme Fatales, a zine that brings a feminist perspective to cinema and the filmmaking industry. She…
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When Christmas rolls around each year, my mind inevitably drifts to a magical place of woolly reindeer jumpers, lavish office parties, Death Cab for Cutie, Chinese food and a good dose of family drama… a place known, of course, as The O.C.. Is there a better television show to revisit at Christmas? I think not….
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New ideas come and go in cinema, but it seems that some stories will never cease to provide inspiration. Even as technology continues to change the boundaries of filmmaking, fairy tales are not going out of fashion. In recent years, the enduring fascination with such stories has been seen in movies like Snow White…
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Its opening weekend has been reported as a letdown at the box office, but onscreen, this new Australian film is anything but underwhelming. Drift has the all the realism and heartache we expect from local storytelling, and supporting the Australian film industry is only a fringe benefit of forking out for a ticket. The film…
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Historical movies can be some of the best storytelling on offer. Recent films such as The King’s Speech and Lincoln have shown the amazing results that can come from the dramatisation of real events. However, sometimes a movie which promises fresh insight into important historical figures can simply provide an uninteresting journey down memory lane. Unfortunately,…
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The name Alfred Hitchcock and his movie Psycho are legendary in the history of Hollywood. For movie buffs and casual cinema-goers alike, a film about the man himself and his personal struggles while trying to fund and make Psycho is an interesting prospect. Based on a book about the making of the classic horror movie, Hitchcock…
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the story of a group of teenage outsiders trying to find their place in the world, while dealing with the realities of growing up and being different. At the centre of the film is newcomer to the group, Charlie (Logan Lerman), who has just started high school. Charlie…
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With 2 Days In New York, Julie Delpy has delivered a sweet and funny second instalment to the story of her character Marion, whose rocky love life and wacky family provide both humour and food for thought. First introduced in 2 Days In Paris, this time Marion is in New York. While the characters are…
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To Rome With Love is a collection of stories set in the beautiful Italian capital, with a brilliant cast and a good dose of Woody Allen humour and storytelling to its name. These stories have no noticeable connections other than their setting, but the city of Rome is captured in such a way that ensures…
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Move Past It tells a tragic story of a deeply unhappy young woman, in a very clever and thought-provoking way. It is a short film that was written and directed by Adelaide filmmaker Cameron Crothers. With haunting narration that is sparingly used, the skilful use of images does the rest of the storytelling. The colours and…
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Your Sister’s Sister begins with an intervention. It’s a year after the death of Tom, brother of Jack (Mark Duplass) and ex-boyfriend of Iris (Emily Blunt). Some friends get together to remember him and Jack ends up drunkenly yelling at the one making a heartfelt speech. Iris decides it is time to step in and…
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Hope Springs opens with Kay (Meryl Streep) sheepishly attempting to suggest she and her husband of thirty-one years might like to share the same bed for once— a feat at which she fails miserably. This moment just about sums up her marriage to Alfred (Tommy Lee Jones), which has become predictable, unromantic and bereft of closeness of…
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As an Australian film with a star cast, festival acclaim and lots of hype, expectations have been high for The Sapphires. Based on a true story, the film follows four Indigenous women who travel to Vietnam during the war to perform for US marines. It has has been anything but a disappointment since it opened last…
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