manders_steve Reviews

tick, tick... BOOM! (2021)

Another take on the joys and sorrows of seeking to be a high flying artist

[7/10 · 24 January 2022]

This film is said to be pretty closely based on Jonathan Larson's life and experiences, best known for the hit musical Rent about New York's bohemian scene. He is nearing 30, and is beset with the age old questions of balancing or choosing between mostly mutually exclusive alternatives - pursuing the artistic dreams he loves, or the stability of well paid employment, and the different friendship and social circles both could deliver.

I found the ticking clock timebomb wearisome and irritating as portrayed, although I suppose this is what Jonathan felt. The endless repetition of worries from procrastination about the yet to be written one most important song the new musical needed was equally irritating - perhaps it touched a raw nerve personally.

But the solution to this, when the electricity goes off late in the last night before the workshop to introduce the show to possible financiers, producers and others is just so good. I've no idea if it's true, but I would love it to be. Jonathan goes to a swimming pool to cool off (mentally as well as physically) then sees the staves with the song's score on the bottom of the pool, intertwined with the lines of the tiles . The 30' depth marker transforms into a treble clef. He sings it underwater (OK, not possible, but who cares) and the gaping void in the show is filled.

To me its challenge was in the breathless urgency about just about everything, that somehow didn't seem justified. But when the poor Jonathan's life trajectory is revealed, I felt a bit guilty about being so impatient and judgemental.

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Great acting couldn't save the storyline at such a slow pace

[7/10 · 23 January 2022]

You never know what Olivia Coleman will turn up as next. This time, she's a depressive divorced mid 40s academic Leda Caruso holidaying alone in Greece. A large, noisy and insensitive family destroys her relaxation on the beach and her obsessive observations bring back painful memories of her self-perceived inadequacies as a mother. I'm not too sure why she didn't just go somewhere else along the gorgeous beach to get away from them, but of course, there'd be no story line for this film at all!

The interesting part is Jessie Buckley filling in the earlier back story as the younger Leda. It's a pity they don't look more convincingly like the same person 20 years apart in age, and it took me a while to work out who the younger Leda was. The locale settings were great, and Olivia's tentativeness holidaying alone was convincing. But I couldn't help feeling I was looking at Queen Elizabeth II surreptitiously nicking off from the palace and trying out holidaying alone in Greece, particularly when she smiled that careful QEII smile. At least that would explain why she was so reticent to reveal much, but I suppose good old British reserve could do the same thing.

Dakota Johnson was great as Nina, the mother in the noisy family who stirred up all these reminiscences and memories.

I found it slow. If it engendered the level of emotional engagement for you I suppose it was after, it might be OK. But adding it all up, I can't say I found it a great experience. It might have been better in a real cinema rather than Netflix at home. But somehow I doubt better picture and sound would have addressed the main shortcomings. In fact, they might have made them more obvious.

No Time to Die (2021)

One of the best Bond films, realigning for the times

[9/10 · 22 January 2022]

This last Daniel Craig Bond film is one of the best on so many levels. All the action, special effects, technical toys and gimmicks, unexpected twists, exotic locales, heroes you can believe in, baddies to despise, they are all there. But it is beautifully balanced, nuanced and quite poignant at times.

Director Cary Joji Fukanaga and co-screenplay writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (with Fukanaka) owe a lot to concepts borrowed from Dr Who, where the retired Bond has been replaced by a black, female 007. The way this unfolds lands the film firmly in current times and sensibilities, and I think should make it age well.

If you haven't seen a Bond film for a while (or ever), this a great one to find. I think it will firmly set the scene for the next, which could well have more substantial turning points hinted at in this one.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Watchable, but sadly the parody didn't envelope me

[6/10 · 22 January 2022]

The base storyline, of possibly credible scientists trying to warn a mostly indifferent world of impending doom from a comet several times bigger than that that which finished off the dinosaurs isn't bad. But the overwrought performances from Leonardo DI Caprio and Jennifer Laurence as the scientists lost it for me. It was just too obvious, the satire and parody paper thin. The Trumpian self interested malevolence of Meryl Streep as the US president Orleans almost rescued it, egged on by the oily opportunism of Peter Isherwell as entrepreneur Mark Rylance, who reminds of another less desirable side of inadequately fettered power and influence. Together they allow possible personal gain to thrust disaster into the jaws of possible success. The manipulation of news magazine TV showed little that was new but provided yet another example of how readily so many can be conned by so few.

Even if you find it as underwhelming as I did, it's worth hanging on for, or skipping forward to, the last 10 minutes. How President Orleans gets her comeuppance is a true delight.

Corpus Christi (2019)

An engrossing complex film that should leave you wondering about our relationships with each other, ourselves, your beliefs and priorities

[8/10 · 7 January 2021]

The high level plot summary doesn't do justice to this film, as the complexity of the people, issues and situation cannot be simply summarised in a few sentences - they become a glib betrayal of the depth and power of this beautifully told story.

While it's set in current time Poland and its Catholic Christian background and ethos, the themes are universal and not tied to any particular belief system (or lack of any). Bartosz Bielenia is the central Daniel, who I found totally mesmerising in the wide variety of roles his life as portrayed covers. The other main roles are well handled, if at times a bit heavy handed with intentions too obvious. The settings look convincing, and the often low light suited the logic of the situation and mood. There are some violent scenes, some which I found unnecessarily graphic, detailed or long lasting, but that may be partly my sensitivity.

I think this is a fine film, telling a truth-based story I wasn't aware of with sensitivity and insight that more than justifies the length and the bit of effort subtitles require.

Nomadland (2020)

An engaging, haunting insight into alternative lifestyles - making the most of disadvantaged people caught up in USA's inequality

[8/10 · 7 January 2021]

This revealed a slice of American life I wasn't aware of - nomadic working houseless (not homeless) generally older people moving around smaller towns and regional areas of the US. We follow Fern (Frances McDormand) on her travels from place to place, job to job, friend to friend in her mostly reliable, well worn van, surrounded by people living similar lifestyles playing themselves. The seamless interaction of Fern with scores of non professional actors being themselves is quite revelatory, giving a genuineness to the ups and downs of the realities portrayed.

It slips easily between encouraging highs and depressing lows, mostly seeing the positives in things I mightn't have felt or agreed with. There's a lot about independence against limiting personal options from well intentioned or charity imposed support, and the financial reality most of these people confront constantly, brought into focus when something central goes wrong, such as major vehicle mechanical issues or serious illness. It's easy to get swept up into the portrayal of these folks' lives, experiencing a bit of their joys and sorrows.

They seem to have a lot of time to consider their options and priorities, the times when a path forward isn't obvious or won't start till the weather turns or something else out of one's control happens. This is reflected in the gentle pacing of the film, and some could well find it slow, possibly irritatingly so. The locations, camera work and lighting are delightfully evocative, revealing what you'd expect to see - sometimes hope to see, in gorgeous low evening and morning light, and at other times the challenges of freezing temperatures, pouring rain and muddy or dusty roadsides.

It's a thoughtful, considerate film, which I'd recommend if you like character and story based cinema.

True History of the Kelly Gang (2019)

Truth has little to do with it

[2/10 · 17 January 2020]

This really was awfully disappointing. I've read and enjoyed Peter Carey's book of the same name that supposedly the film was based on, but there's a lot in the film I don't recall from that book, nor did some of it align with my general understanding of the saga of Edward Kelly.

It seemed to have been laid on with a trowel, eschewing subtlety for heavy handed sensationalism. Many of the settings didn't look right for the hills of Beveridge through to the north eastern Victorian high country.. Maybe it's a story that would better suit say 6 x 1 hour episodes rather than trying to jam it into 2½ hours and failing. The young and adult Ned Kelly were not believably the same person.

I liked Essie Davis as Ellen Kelly, and Josephine Blazier as Kate Kelly was convincing. Thereafter the roles failed to convince, let down by the screenplay, the settings and the lack of alignment with the generally accepted understanding of what happened.

The White Crow (2018)

A fascinating insight into the early life of Rudolf Nureyev and the politics of the cold war

[8/10 · 2 August 2019]

I once heard David Stratton say that one of the greatest joys of film it its ability to transport you to other worlds for a couple of hours - immersing in something totally away from routine normality. Well, this film did that for me - to the world of competitive professional ballet dancing in post WW2 Soviet Union. It opened the door to how young Rudolf gained his start, the various companies he danced with and trained in, the challenges of life in soviet era USSR, the cold war and political trepidations of defection to the west.

Ukrainian dancer Oleg Ivenko is just wonderful as the adult Nureyev, all the more surprising in his first film role which required him to learn Russian, improve his English as well as emulate one of the most famous and flamboyant dancers of all time. Ralph Fiennes is featured as the gently spoken dance teacher Alexander Pushkin as well as directing the film. I thought the film captured the challenges of the professional dance world admirably, and Nureyev's well known headstrong approach to dance, life and everything was clear for all to see.

There are a lot of time shifts from Nureyev as the adult to child and adolescent, but the changes generally supported the storytelling and there were enough clues as to where we were.

The lack of direct reference to issues of Nureyev's homosexuality has been commented on by some; its absence didn't occur to me as an issue, because there was plenty going on and adding another major strand could well have pushed the film from the "possibly a bit too long" territory to "outlasted its welcome".

Kona fer í stríð (2018)

Too much going on, but a great view of Iceland in a quirky tale

[6/10 · 8 July 2019]

Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir is the gritty, determined environmental campaigner Halle in this sensitive exploration of environment vs heavy industry. There are the familiar issues of employment vs environment, who really benefits from development, the harshness, loneliness and tedium of traditional lifestyle contrasted with western comfort from employment and town life, and the relativities of power between big business, government, the police and ordinary people. Halldora really earned her fee in the things she had to do in the great Icelandic outdoors, which is as much a star of the film as the leading characters.

Halle's humanity is carefully explored through her leadership of a local community choir (some beautiful singing along the way too) and her extraordinary relationship with her sister. Without her, I doubt the film would have worked. She portrays the complexities and compromises Halle faces thought the film exquisitely.

Her environmental activism is sorely tested when she learns she has been successful in adopting a four year old Ukranian girl. Nika (Margaryta Hilska) was orphaned when her grandmother died, her parents having been killed previously in a war. To me, the film ran out of time to tell this part of the story well, and ends somewhat abruptly with Halle and Nika, part of a busload of air passengers, wading through a flood in Ukraine. Any connection between Ukraine and Iceland was lost on me.

There is a traditional Icelandic folk band that appears regularly and a trio of traditionally clad Icelandic singers who similarly turn up unexpectedly which provided some comic relief, as well as some insight into Icelandic folk traditions.

This film is worth some of your time if you want a good look at Iceland, the landscape and some of its folk traditions. But I thought the story bit off more than it could chew in the 1.75 hour running time.

Storm Boy (1976)

Most of this classic has aged well and deserves another look

[7/10 · 23 June 2019]

I recall this film very fondly from my late teenage years and was keen to revisit it, partly in preparation for a stage play adaptation we will be seeing shortly. I had studied the book at school and saw this film once in 1976 or 1977 in its first release.

I found it remarkably fresh and almost as captivating as back then. Greg Rowe as the young Mike (Storm Boy) and David Gulpilil as Fingerbone, the Aboriginal youth who befriends him is his lonely isolation were just as convincing. Somehow Peter Cummins's 'Hide away Tom Kingley still didn't quite ring true, despite the obvious challenges in such a reclusive role. I'm not sure the school scenes worked as well as they could have done either. But Tony Allison's national park ranger portrayal is wonderful, with the challenging handling of the same issues rangers face today.

But it does shows what telling the story truly, without trying sugar coat the darker bits can be so effective and provides lasting impressions.

The photography and locations are just brilliant, as are the pelicans. In fact, the capturing of these locations as they were in the mid 1970s is probably even more important now, given the environmental degradation the Coorong has suffered over the 40 years since then, with greatly reduced water flows into the lower Murray and probably declining water quality as well.

That Sugar Film (2014)

The predictability is almost compensated by interesting and well presented research, and a likeable led actor

[6/10 · 23 June 2019]

Damon Gameau sets out to discover the truth about sugar in human diets in an entertaining and revelatory way. Damon, a healthy man, takes on the challenge to live for 60 days consuming processed food that could be expected to be reasonably healthy, but with at least 40 teaspoons of 'hidden' sugar per day. Although he consumes a similar level of calories per day, the difference that a highly sugar rich energy source has on him is disturbing. How so much sugar can be hidden in foods that many people would assume are generally 'healthy' is disturbing. Possibly more disturbing is how in certain locations and settings not exceeding 40 teaspoons of sugar per day proves difficult.

Damon Gameau proves a likeable and relatable host and self-selected subject in this expose. It provides a lot of research evidence to explain and provide evidence for his conclusions in an entertaining and relatable way.

There is mention of how in I think the 1960s or 1970s American healthy living research concluded that fat was the culprit, but that a British doctor or researcher concluded around the same time that sugar had more to answer for. I think more exploration of that thesis, what the British conclusions were and how they were reached would have been interesting. But more interesting would have been exploration of how the generally accepted scientific conclusion became accepted, and how it persisted for so long would have added a lot.

The biggest challenge for me was the predictability, after Morgan Spurlock's coverage of similar issues with McDonald's in Super Size Me. This focussed on sugar, rather than the multiple issues in Super Size Me but the trajectory is very similar.

Rocketman (I) (2019)

A no holds barred trip through the highs and lows of Elton John's life and music

[8/10 · 20 June 2019]

This is a beautifully executed and apparently no limits applied cinematic journey through Elton John's life and music. I doubt it would have been so successful without Elton's role as executive producer - without his agreement, few directors and producers would have been brave enough to include some of the material shown. And the film is so good as a result of that.

As with most musical bio-pics, one's enjoyment of this film is heavily influenced by your liking or otherwise of the subject's music. And there is a lot of music in this, beautifully captured by Taron Egerton who did all his own singing.

Unless you're a close follower of Elton John's life and music, there is likely to be a lot of things you didn't know, even if you might have guessed. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it brought back many great memories of 1970s and 1980s parties accompanied by Elton's distinctive songs, and a couple of wonderful concerts from that era and later.

The locations, cast and pace of the film worked well, and it had a wonderful ring of authenticity. If you have choices in cinema, opt for the one with the best sound system, because the sound track makes a lot of demands in this area.

Top End Wedding (2019)

An enjoyable if predictable trip through Australia's Top End

[6/10 · 4 June 2019]

Miranda Tapsell leads us on a merry dance through all of the Northern Territory's most famous and scenic sights, from Nitmilik Gorge to Kakadu to the Tiwi Islands. There are credits to the Northern Territory Tourist Bureau, and they more than got their money's worth.

The story line is a bit predictable, but it is told with enthusiastic good nature and has a couple of less obvious twists that overall it hung together well enough that I didn't mind. It is the Miranda show and she inhabits the character so easily I wonder whether aspects of it might be slightly autobiographical. Gwilym Lee as fiancé Ned is a pleasant, slightly uncomfortable fish out of water in what to him must be such a strange environment. The extras, Aboriginal people in various places and particularly on the Tiwi Islands, give it a goodly dollop of authenticity and provides a reflective backdrop for many of the story's aspects.

In some ways, it's a bit like a visual equivalent of a musical - a not terribly plausible or important story that ties together not songs but images and impressions of Australia's Top End and the people that live there. If you've never been, this might just inspire you to go.

A Star Is Born (2018)

Competent but unengaging

[5/10 · 26 April 2019]

I quite fondly recall the Barbra Streisand Chris Kristofferson version of this story from the late 1970s and so was interested to see how Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper fared. Sadly, I just didn't find it captivating or particularly enlightening, particularly Bradley Cooper as the ageing and falling from grace and favour Jack Maine.

The story is well known and predictable, and so I suppose the challenge is to find something new to show or say, or some musical performances that blow you away. I couldn't find either of these to enliven its slow feeling 2¼ hours.

The Favourite (2018)

A wonderful depiction of the powerplays inside a royal court

[9/10 · 26 April 2019]

This period piece focusses on Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) of Great Britain's latter days, in the early 1700. Her frailty leads to her governing role and responsibilities largely being taken over by a friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz). The royal applecart gets well and truly upset when a new servant, Abigail (Emma Stone) comes to court. Sarah helps Abigail find her feet at the court, where her former aristocratic position in society assists her blossoming friendship with the Queen. The interplay of these three characters, all brilliantly portrayed is the heart of the film, and one where the outcome really is more than the sum of the parts.

I wasn't familiar with Queen Anne (except as the inspiration for furniture legs) and so it opened new ground, both politically but also socially in the implied lesbian relationships between the three women.

One thing this period drama gets correct that so many do not is the lighting. At night, the film is dark, really dark, with a few spluttering candles, lamps and firelight. It makes the intrigue of dark corners and whispered secrets come to life.

Olivia Colman won that year's Oscar for Leading Actress, which I suppose she deserved, but I would have found it hard to say which of the three main characters was the lead and which were supporting roles. It sets a high bar for this film genre.

Monsieur Mayonnaise (2016)

A quirky look at Melbourne cultural icons' experiences in Europe in the latter part of WW2

[7/10 · 16 November 2018]

Mirka Mora and her former husband Georges were Melbourne icons in the hospitality and modern visual arts fields. From their arrival in Melbourne in 1951, having left Paris in 1947 for New York, they became leading lights in local artistic and hospitality circles, championing Bohemian lifestyles and French cuisine.

This impressionistic documentary film was co-produced and written by Trevor Graham, but is dominated by their son Philippe, an established New York based graphic novelist, artist and maker of horror films. It reports Philippe's findings when he looked into his well known parents' past. He travels to many of the locations involved, sets up his easel and paints cartoons for the graphic novel; interviews as many of the people who were significant in his parents' lives and decisions as he could find (many had passed away) and intersperses the result with original film excerpts, photographs and his own impressions.

The tale is hauntingly sad, a personal insight into how one family and those surrounding them made the most of very little in the horrors of the second world war in France, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Truth can be stranger than fiction, and the sheer lucky twists and turns, supported by their humanity and selflessness underpins the story.

All people appearing do so as themselves, and Phillippe's decisions on approach and selection is refreshing and quirky. I found it a highly impressionistic film, unpredictably jumping around, but told the story in a very relatable way. It provides shocking insights into the awfulness of world war two through specific people's eyes and experiences.

It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the film, and it seemed longer than it was, particularly the earlier sections. I think I may have been expecting more recent material and more about their time and lives in Australia, but it is mostly about their experiences before they arrived. I don't think it will matter if you know a lot or nothing about Georges and Mirka Mora - the film tells the story without assuming prior knowledge.

Muriel's Wedding (1994)

Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths shine

[7/10 · 28 October 2018]

It's quite a while since I'd seen Muriel's Wedding, and it remains to me a strangely satisfying film despite the inherent sadness of the plot and the unlovable nature of many of the characters and themes. To me, picking the jaunty Abba songs was a masterstroke, because it lightened the tone considerably, provided a backdrop that nearly everyone seeing the film would know and most would relate to positively.

Toni Collette demonstrated what an amazingly versatile actor she is, and the chemistry between her and Rachel Griffiths (Rhonda) to me is what makes the film. Bill Hunter (Bill Heslop) nails the awful unlovable Aussie blokey father role, which provides a rationale for how the premise of the film arose. It provides a lot of issues to think about, from the scheming local councillor Heslop, through Muriel's high school "friends" to the South African Olympic swimmer who needed an Aussie bride to become an Australian citizen and be able to leave South Africa.

It put director PJ Hogan on the map, was a box office and critical success, as well as establishing Toni Collette. Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh with 3.5 stars.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

An uplifting behind the scenes look at Queen

[7/10 · 28 October 2018]

I really enjoyed this re-creation of Queen and Freddie Mercury, which provided unexpected insights. It balanced music performance, Farrokh Bulsara's family life, the up and downs of professional musician's lives, their managers and the challenges of maintaining relationships really well, and mostly deserved its 2 hour 15 minutes running time.

II'm a child of the mid 1950s, remain a regularly performing amateur musician, and I've found Queen's music entertaining, interesting, technically competent and full of substantial themes. This film focuses on the 1980s and music and issues of that era, and if you don't have interest or appreciation of those issues, you may find the film slow or irrelevant. I felt the first third could have been tightened without losing the narrative.

The visual presentation is terrific and took me back to that era. I recall watching the 1985 Live Aid for Africa concert on a little TV of that time, and the film recalled all the buoyant positive emotion of that spectacle.

The casting is terrific, and no one stood out to me as inadequate. Rami Malek looks and sounds like Freddie Mercury - a tribute to the casting and the dozens of musical and technical coaches listed on the credits. Plus, and probably more importantly, Rami's hard work over months if not a year or two.

The screening structure and dialogue writing are top notch, and both contribute to some really funny moments and overall believability. As Myth Busters Adam and Jamie might say, "It's plausible".

If you recall Queen and the music from that era fondly, I expect you'll love it. Otherwise, there's a fair bit to think about in its treatment of gender relationships, sexual preferences and current issues. But it's primarily a band film, and your enjoyment might be similar to your affection for this band's music.

I've rated it 7 considering a broader audience. Queen aficionados will doubtless rate it higher.

Ladies in Black (2018)

Nostalgic comedy drama nails the essence of 1959 Sydney retail characters

[8/10 · 28 September 2018]

This is a total delight from go to whoa. The casting was flawless, the storytelling flowed beautifully and the locations, settings costumes and total feel of the post WW2 era just sang. The scenes and settings look the part, with 1950s era cars, trams and streetscapes. The writing and editing all work a treat - not too detailed, nothing superfluous remaining.

The casting and role portrayal is a great strength throughout. Starting with the heroine Lisa (Angourie Rice) who has just the right blend of youth, inexperience, curiosity, determination and a great desire to grow up, and Julia Ormond as Magda, who runs the exclusive gowns department and introduces Lisa to her European immigrant family and friends, to Shane Jacobson and Susie Porter as Lisa's parents; Rachel Taylor as Fay, one of the retail sales staff and Vincent Perez as Stephan - they all are just so believably right in their roles, evolving as the story unfolds.

It deals a lighthanded cast on the sexism and role assumptions of the era, providing some substance about issues to consider among the mostly lighter moments. Shane Jacobson melded his role from reactionary newspaper typesetter to reluctant supporter of his daughter with some beautifully judged scenes of support from his co-workers when they discover Lisa's HSC results as they are being prepared for newspaper publication.

Bruce Beresford and Sue Milliken adapted Madeline St John's novel 'The Ladies in Black' and, as with many Beresford films, the writing is a great strength. I was familiar with the story from the Melbourne Theatre Company's stage version in 2016 but felt the film version's greater exposure of the all the characters' lives in their homes and other locations worked better than the stage play, which concentrated more in the retail store.

The film captured the European migrant influx with all the suspicions of the new arrivals, contrasting conservative Aussies with sophisticated Europeans, with central characters including Lisa and Fay caught in the middle.

Bruce Beresford has directed some 30 feature films plus TV and opera credits, with some very popular and well regarded films including Breaker Morant (1980), Driving Miss Daisy (Oscar for best picture in 1989), and Mao's Last Dancer (2009). This is in a similar class in my opinion.

Sweet Country (2017)

The law on trial in Australia's white settlement frontier - and the message remains relevant

[7/10 · 3 September 2018]

This was billed as an Australian western, and I suppose that is descriptive of the white settler - Aboriginal frontier setting in the Northern Territory in the 1920s. Hamilton Morris plays Aboriginal station hand Sam, who knows he is in deep trouble when he shoots and kills a white neighbour who threatens his and his wife's lives, in a drunken, psychopathic rage.

The frontier law is on trial here, and overall it doesn't scrub up as well as you might hope. Sam Neil is the neighbourly Fred, a devout Christian chap who precipitates the events by going to town for a week or two. The philosophical clash between Sgt Fletcher (Bryan Brown) who rounds up a posse of assistants to locate Sam, and Matt Day's Judge Taylor who tried to uphold the law without fear or favour despite the location and situation, was a highlight for me. Tremayne Doolan, as the teenager Philomac was a standout among a very strong cast.

An engrossing, deeply disturbing film showing again that Australia has a lot to be ashamed about in the way our white ancestors treated the original inhabitants. It appears likely that the story is an amalgam of many similar incidents all over the country, rather than being closely based on any one incident. The characterisations of Sam, Sgt Fletcher and Judge Taylor told a well known story to be told more pointedly than other attempts.

The title is an ironic twist on the harshness of the desert and scrub depicted. The landscape is a real star, shot in outback South Australia and made all the more evocative by the absence of a music soundtrack - the silence says heaps. For me, the overall pace of the film contributed to that sense of outback - but if you've never been in that sort of country, it might seem slow or too subtle.

Working Class Boy (2018)

The true background story - not pretty, but totally the real deal

[7/10 · 2 September 2018]

This is a fine documentary style film that tells Jimmy Barnes' background life story. It does it really well, using recent footage shot with all the people involved that are around to tell their versions. It is interspliced with historic footage, including amateur home video, promotional material and professional TV and film sections. There's a lot from Glasgow, and I reckon we Aussies should be really thankful that Jimmy and family made the journey - not only that we have his substantial contribution to our lives, but they must have had better opportunities and weather here too.

There is a fair bit of music, mostly light folk soul rock style. If you're after serious Barnes rock'n'roll, you'll be disappointed. If you are a Cold Chisel fan hoping for lots of head splittingly loud rock, don't bother.

I found it readily engaging, and probably easier going than Jimmy's book of the same title which I enjoyed reading, but which took a bit more effort. I'd say the film got the level of detail I was interested in right: the book, while well written and edited, I found a bit long on detail I didn't quite need.

Brothers' Nest (2018)

Real brothers' chemistry seals a brothers in arms deal

[8/10 · 2 July 2018]

Shane Jacobson emerged as a seriously reliable performer in film and musical comedy in the last decade here in Australia. Through Kenny, the port-a-loo entrepreneur, the chubby chap that many of us Aussies had enjoyed on the musical stage was brought to broader knowledge.

I may have misunderstood the attractions of 'stars' - not just that their role will be convincing, more that their presence says 'This must be OK or I wouldn't have signed up."

It's somewhat like that with 'Brothers' Nest', but more so. Shane and his real life big brother Clayton have the relationship in this family muck-up story that cannot be acted - it just has to be innate and honed over decades of brotherly rivalry to work this well. The setting, in a western Victorian farmhouse, shot mostly at dusk, overnight and dawn looks the real deal it is.

The story is about family relationships - intense, marginal, commonly held and individual, stemming from not so happy families, divorces, new unions, strengths but mostly weaknesses. It isn't pretty, and if your family isn't like this, you'll probably be thankful, but it really does have a lot to say.

It's a small cast, and the two bothers plus Kim Gyngell as their step father leave little space for the others, but all click satisfyingly. They are all believable in their roles.

The billing was 'black comedy' but I'd allocate this to the thriller category. Few laughs, personally or in our cinema, and virtually none out loud. But it seriously held my attention.

Give it a go - it's good.

I, Tonya (2017)

So much better than I expected

[8/10 · 20 May 2018]

I recall the Tonya Harding - Nancy Kerrigan figure skating 'incident' from its brief period of saturation coverage in the news and sports pages, and I approached this film with a bit of trepidation. Maybe it would be a sequence of overacted clichés, or unending fairly dreary skating. But I need not have worried. It is wonderfully written and cast, and you just couldn't invent people and stories like those portrayed. I don't know how faithful to the facts it is, but I very soon stopped wondering as I was carried along by the story, the characters and the overall tightness of the whole production.

I thought Margot Robbie, was great in the Tonya role, and Allison Janney as her driven mother LaVone must have made nearly all of us appreciate our own mothers so much more. With ex-husbands like Sebastian Stan's Jeff, and body guards like Paul Walter Hauser's Shawn, plus her mother, it's amazing Tonya got as far as she did. The film's material states that Margot Robbie did all her own skating sequences, with some four months' intensive training. I'm sure this helped her embody Tonya's unwavering desire to make her mark on the sport, particularly (as she said) I don't have much else.

The film is a wonderful blend of documentary, biting satire and social commentary, all held together by the competitive figure skating world. You don't need to know or care about figure skating. The total package just fairly whizzes along.

Gurrumul (2017)

A unique insight into a unique performer

[7/10 · 20 May 2018]

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu was an iconic Australian Indigenous singer songwriter, musician and performer, from remote Elcho Island. Blind from birth, he was said to be able to play most musical instruments he picked up rapidly and effortlessly, including his signature left-handed playing of a standard right-handed guitar, held upside down.

This film provides enormous insights into the culture and priorities of Australian Aboriginal societies, which are said to have endured for some 40-60,000 years in relative harmony with the land. Quite an achievement, when you consider what a mess us whitefellas have made in less than 300 years.

The film doesn't shy away from difficult moments, nor from the challenges faced by remote indigenous societies where English may be their third or fourth language. The inclusion of archival home movie footage and recent interviews with community and family members added to the reality. I don't think the film quite got to a satisfactory explanation of Gurrumul's extraordinary relationship with bass player, manager and collaborator Michael Hohnen. I'd seen glimpses of this when seeing Gurrumul perform live, with Hohnen's gentle assistance; I didn't understand it then, and frankly still don't. But there's little doubt to me that without this relationship, none of us would be aware of an extraordinary talent.

There's about the right amount of music - enough to make you seek it out if you're unfamiliar with it and you like what you see. The film does underline the vast gap between Indigenous and European culture and sensibilities, and in my view it has to be approached with an open mind, as it may not conform to common expectations. But this is a strength, as long as you can let it in.

Shine (1996)

Geoffrey Rush deserved that leading role Oscar

[8/10 · 20 May 2018]

Coming back to a fondly remembered film after many years can be revelatory - sometimes recalled greatness remains, or even appears enhanced; in other cases, it's more like a bottle of not very good red kept far too long. But Shine, the story of just about world famous pianist David Helfgott, to me is firmly in the first category. The story was just as compelling and engrossing as I recall from the promotional fund raising screening in 1996, all proceeds to The Melbourne Chorale.

This was the role that launched Geoffrey Rush's film career internationally, and the film world is the richer for it. Mueller Stahl is totally believably awful as David's overbearing father, where his child prodigy's achievements are the totality of his world. Noah Taylor as the adolescent David and Alex Rafalowicz as the child prodigy are wonderful in these roles, and the visual continuity is convincing. This provides a logical lead in to Helfgott's mental health issues in his early adult life, where he is seen in various institutions in London and Australia.

The editing, where Rush is seem playing parts of the scores he can manage, with cuts to other pianists is convincing, and as a medium level player, Rush's visible upper body looks like he is playing most, if not all, of those difficult notes.

If you haven't seen it and are interested in the psychology of performers, in classical piano music, or just a well told tale, make the effort to dig Shine out. I don't think you will be disappointed.