Film Reviews
The Spierig Brothers’ latest “based on a true story” horror movie Winchester is a cinematic checklist of every dreadful ‘haunted house’ cliche, every formulaic competent that’s been implemented by other, better genre entries.
With its sheer amount of ‘Straight to DVD’ film sensibilities, Den of Thieves is as generic as bank heist thrillers come, and at a bloated 2 and a half hour run-time as well.
Double Lover is a loving and surprisingly artful homage to the genre’s masters, equal parts a silly and stylish trashy erotic thriller with enough twists and turns to delight any mainstream audiences.
A frenetic, fantastical but frustrating piece of work, Jupiter’s Moon will be remembered not for its rather woolly handling of serious subject matter, but for a couple of excellent performances, and the stunning images and sequences.
Paperback is a romantic comedy, which isn’t terribly funny or romantic, falling flat because it is trying to make you root for the terrible parts of its main character.
Like the old maxim about waiting all day for a bus only for two to…
Chinese-Australian co-production Guardians of the Tomb is one of the most cliched, dull and shamelessly corporate creature features you could possibly imagine.
Small Town Crime delivers the goods with a layered story, enthralling mystery, classic and evocative but innovative action, and a cast and crew devoted to a singular artistic vision.
Saturday Church is a story of hope and redemption and yet another “need to see” tale, of a group of people deemed “different” by society, that ends up proving how alike we all actually are.
Abe & Phil’s Last Poker Game boasts a trio of fantastic performances, particularly from Landau in one of his finest turns in his final film, and contains just enough laughs and dramatic themes to overcome Weiner’s rookie missteps.
If you enjoy French cinema, Lover For a Day won’t disappoint you: with its black and white picture, the dramatic, intricate, sensual love story, and its earnest dialogue that comes across even sweeter to English speakers, this movie is a must-see.
From the riotous to the poignant, Sally Potter’s The Party taps into the state-of-the-nation with a smart, sharp comedy populated with hilarious characters and brought to life by a truly fantastic cast.
Director Rebekah Fortune’s Just Charlie is an empathetic transgender coming out tale that slowly becomes a moving story of self-acceptance.
Becoming Jessica Nigri documents Nigri’s uniquely devoted cosplay, delving into what it means to her in addition to the idea of cosplay in general.
Amid the rubble that is The Commuter, there is an entertaining enough film to provide respite during the Winter blues, just don’t expect too much.