Absolutely everything! Well, when they are done well that is. One fresh example is They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson’s recent, extraordinary and awe-inspiring documentary presenting World War I footage. Painstakingly restored with colour and realistic sounds added, this film is composed entirely of archival footage from the British National Museum and a soundtrack … Continue reading War Films, What Are They Good For?
Rocketman (2019, Paramount Pictures) Directed by Dexter Fletcher. Written by Lee Hall. Featuring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Stephen Graham and Bryce Dallas Howard. After eying the trailer for Rocketman earlier this year, I had a cynical supposition that it was only attempting to jump on the bandwagon of success that greeted Bohemian Rhapsody … Continue reading The One Review: Rocketman (2019 Dexter Fletcher)
Background In 1993, Czechoslovakia dissolved into two independent states: Czech Republic (made up of the Bohemia and Moravia regions) and Slovakia. The 20th Century up until that point had been a turbulent time for the former country. After World War I, it gained independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and grew into a socially and economically … Continue reading The European Masterpieces Part 4: Closely Watched Trains (1966 Jiří Menzel)
Avengers: Endgame (2019, Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. Music by Alan Silvestri. Featuring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Brie Larson, Don Cheadle, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner and Gwyneth Paltrow (but the … Continue reading The Two Reviews: Avengers: Endgame (2019 Russo Brothers)
Us (2019, Monkeypaw Productions and Blumhouse Productions) Written and directed by Jordan Peele. Music by Michael Abels. Featuring Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Evan Alex, and Tim Heidecker. The brilliant Jordan Peele returns to the director’s chair with another horror film. This time about a family holidaying in Santa Cruz, California … Continue reading The Two Reviews: Us and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
This may be an easy question, but what do Tom Cruise, Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton all have in common? They are of course famous for doing their own stunts, but also they have each broken ankles whilst creating such stunts. The Cruise-meister recently broke his ankle on the set of Mission Impossible – Fallout … Continue reading Looking at Buster Keaton: The Marvel of Early Cinema
The 2019 French Film Festival of Australia is in its 30th year now. It is the largest film festival dedicated to French cinema in the world and is presented by the Alliance Française of Australia. The festival will screen French films across many Luna Palace Cinemas in Perth from mid-March to mid-April, as well as … Continue reading Review Special: The 2019 French Film Festival of Australia – Advanced screening of The Sisters Brothers
Akira Kurosawa (黒沢 明 1910 – 1998) was a master of film craft, and one of the greatest directors of all time. He grew up in Tokyo, watching silent films from around the world and going to see traditional and modern Japanese theatre. He became a painter, and in his 20s got into script writing, … Continue reading Akira Kurosawa – A Master of Film Part 4: I Ran…in Dreams
Roma (2018, Mexico and US, on Netflix in Spanish with subtitles) Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Featuring Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Jorge Antonio Guerrero, Marco Graf, Daniela Demesa, Diego Cortina Autrey, Carlos Peralta and Verónica García. As you may have heard, Roma is the highly acclaimed, award season favourite from Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón. It … Continue reading The Two Reviews: Roma and Cold War
Shoplifters (2018, Gaga Pictures Japan) Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Featuring Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka, Kairi Jō, Miyu Sasaki and Kirin Kiki. I have always found the award winners from the Cannes Film Festival to be a far better representation of the best films from around the world than the Oscars. Winners of the … Continue reading The Two Reviews: Shoplifters and The Favourite
