Documentary I’m Wanita is one of those films that reveals a fascinating character living in our midst who most people, including this reviewer, knew nothing about. The film details the remarkable, troubled but courageous life of country singer Wanita Bahtiyar who is referred to as ‘Australia’s Queen of Honky Tonk’. Like its subject, the film has an engaging mix of
Read moreThe 355 attempts to combine the kinetic action and espionage of Mission Impossible with the female solidarity and empowerment of Charlie’s Angels and Gunpowder Milkshake. Unfortunately, this pedestrian film falls short as an action film, fails to say anything particularly original or profound about the role and status of women in action movies and lacks the ebullient fun of the
Read moreBoogie Nights, The Master and Magnolia director, Paul Thomas Anderson seems to have been imbibing a few Cameron Crowe films if his latest effort, Liquorice Pizza is any indication. An unusual ‘teen meets older woman’ romance and homage to the California of the 1970’s, this film is apparently based on the life of actor/ producer Gary Goetzman. The plot of
Read moreFor many, the Wachowski’s original 1999 Matrix movie – which depicted a freedom fighting cyber hacker named Neo (Keanu Reeves) battling to free humanity from a computer simulated world – was a sensation. Many talked about being blown away by its hyper-kinetic action sequences and never-before-seen computer generated special effects which included a slow-motion style known as ‘bullet time’. A
Read moreOnly a Marvel Comics scholar could keep up with all the phases and ages off the Marvel universe and its equivalent cinematic incarnations. Even non-superfans, however, will have probably heard that Spiderman: No Way Home is the first film in what’s known as the Marvel multi-verse. Yes, there’s now multiple universes of Marvel films coming at us. While that might
Read moreThe name Wes Anderson has almost replaced the word ‘idiosyncratic’ in the dictionary, so distinctive is his filmmaking style. With their meticulous framing, candy-coloured story book images and oddball, ‘fractured fairy-tale’ humour, Anderson’s films have carved out an indelible niche in modern cinema but also divided audiences. Few could object to his films’ exquisite cinematography and art direction but for
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