The Last Station
Anne Murphy
A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things.
Anchored with a passionate but philosophically-conflicted relationship between a husband and wife, "The Last Station" is a sweeping period piece that manages not to overwhelm with historical trappings. The a story is engrossing where, given the subject, it could have been rather dour. The players resist melodrama; there's an almost capricious tone that makes this film a pleasure to watch. It's not revealing too much to say the last station is the end of line.
Balibo
Anthony Macali
War correspondent Roger East and the young Jose Ramos-Horta travel to East Timor to investigate the murders of the Balibo Five in 1975.
"Balibo" is a deeply engrossing true story that will instil anger and distress. The film unfolds in many flashbacks, inspiring a common curiosity and sense of duty with reporter Roger East, who is diligent in his quest for the truth. To its credit, the narrative focuses on facts and details, avoiding opportunities to exploit the many emotional elements and presenting a fairly unbiased account. The power of its confessions will strike at the hearts of all Australians.
My Week with Marilyn
Anne Murphy
Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier's, documents the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during production of The Prince and the Showgirl.
There's not a lot of plot to get lost in just an intimate week with the movie star we remember for her reputation for being as fragile as she was glamorous. "My Week with Marilyn" is an engaging in-depth character study. The lead actor delivers a spell-binding and authentic portrait of the screen legend as complex woman who shone in front of the camera and struggled with insecurity behind the scenes. Not only gentlemen will prefer this blonde.
Mao's Last Dancer
Wendy Slevison
Based on the autobiography by Li Cunxin, who was plucked from a poor Chinese village by Madame Mao's cultural delegates and taken to Beijing to study ballet.
This movie tells an extraordinary tale of passion, sacrifice and political tug-of-war, centred in Communist China and the United States in the late 70's. With all the elements of a grand saga, this story of a modest and unassuming young man discovering his love and talent for ballet is both absorbing and incredibly moving. His fight for choice, at immense personal cost, is inspiring and unfortunately still very relevant in much of the world today.
Che: Part 1
Andrew O'Dea
In 1956, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and a band of Castro-led Cuban exiles mobilize an army to topple the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.
This film is an austere portrayal of the mechanics of Che and his guerrilla war rather than an account of the man himself. His political and social ideals are interwoven - and impressively not championed - as we traverse the sumptuous Cuban landscape and share in his experience that was the armed struggle of the revolution. A stylish overture of sorts opens the film, and it sets the tone for the sprawling and vividly authentic epic that is to come.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Anne Murphy
The story of how an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy.
Is "Exit Through the Gift Shop" documentary or mockumentary? Cleverly constructed and provocative, the film is absorbing as 'documentary', but the tongue-in cheek acerbic tone deftly tilts the balance back to 'mockumentary'. This creatively told story manages to be both an homage to street art and, at the same time, a caustic commentary on the mainstream art world - cynical to say the least. Viva la revolution, as long as you do the required thing and exit through the gift shop.
- Genre » Documentary Biography Comedy
- Release » Limited 24 Jun 2010
Tyson
Wendy Slevison
A mixture of original interviews and archival footage sheds light on the life of Mike Tyson.
This documentary is an extraordinary account of the life of Mike Tyson, told entirely by Tyson himself. No topic is off-limits, and Tyson had no say over what footage made the final cut. It is an astonishingly honest insight into a man often seen as simply a brute. He is surprisingly humble, astute, compassionate and endearingly unsophisticated. The boy from Brooklyn - child criminal, brilliant boxer, convicted rapist, recovering addict - hides nothing, takes responsibility for everything, and unexpectedly inspires admiration, empathy and emotion.
- Genre » Documentary Biography
- Release » Limited 26 Jul 2009
- Festival » MIFF 2009
Che: Part 2
Andrew O'Dea
In 1967, 'Che' leads a small partisan army to fight an ill-fated revolutionary guerrilla war in Bolivia.
"Che: Part 2" is the culmination of a fascinating journey that marks Che's ultimate downfall. This film maintains the authenticity of "Part 1", albeit with a darker, more pensive tone. It evokes a sombre sense of impending doom whilst remaining as historically faithful as possible, refusing to glamorise its subject. This uncompromising approach is refreshing, and the lead actor's enigmatic performance is truly worthy of encompassing the man who is arguably the most iconic figure of the 20th century.
The Iron Lady
Tom Jones
A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Romance or political drama? "The Iron Lady" could be shelved under either genre as it depicts the political rise and fall of Margaret Thatcher against the backdrop of her mourning the passing of her husband. There is a nice balance of both plotlines and the inclusion of real footage adds conviction to this film. The performance of the lead is so convincing it's like a Madame Tussauds figure coming to life. Thatcher herself endorsed 'doing something' rather than trying to be 'somebody'. With that in mind, do something... go and see this film.
Charlie Wilson's War
Anthony Macali
A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
A man hidden from the radar, Charlie Wilson is an amazing character with cause against the Soviets that rivals his passion for women and whiskey. The movie is propelled by the charisma of its lead characters, and all-star cast who delightfully play off one another. There are also many moments in the story that frighteningly resonate with the politics of today. This film is about Charlie's success, America's failures and the causalities along the way.
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Anne Murphy
A look at Germany's terrorist group, The Red Army Faction (RAF), which organised bombings, robberies, kidnappings and assassinations in the late 1960s and '70s.
This film covers some of Europe's political history in a time of protest and radical activism. The era is faithfully reproduced in what is a technically well-crafted, interesting movie. Depicting real people and events, the tone is necessarily violent and ruthless. It becomes increasingly confronting as the terrorists' motivation fails to be explained, and their actions consequently lack meaning. A complex story about the extremism of idealists without ideals.
Howl
Anne Murphy
It's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece, Allen Ginsberg's Howl, is put on trial.
Real transcripts of an interview with the poet, his epic poem, and his publishers obscenity trial are all threaded together and linked with clever CGI to create "Howl". Censorship and freedom of speech are perennially rich themes but aren't allowed to become pretentious as the work is dissected by lawyers and academics. This is an intellectual and engrossing look at the voice of a discontent generation, and the movie perfectly captures the mood of the time with howls of rage, passion and despair. Uninhibited baying with delight.
Creation
Andrew O'Dea
English naturalist Charles Darwin struggles with his revolutionary theories on evolution.
"Creation" provides an interesting perspective on one of the most influential scientists of all time. Rather than visiting the genius of Darwin's theory, this film is more of an intriguing portrait into the man himself. It dissects themes of faith and religion versus science while exploring Darwin's great inner turmoil and his terrible battle with spirituality. Although some might consider it not as highly evolved as it could've been (given the subject matter), a solid script and an absolutely outstanding performance from the lead actor make this movie an enjoyable watch nonetheless.
The September Issue
Courtney Slevison
A documentary chronicling Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the highly anticipated 2008 fall-fashion issue.
"The September Issue" is an engrossing look at the world of high fashion, with renowned ice queen Anna Wintour at its centre. As the issue begins to come together five months before its release, what makes this doco so entertaining is observing the inter-office bickering and Wintour's minions quivering under her inscrutable eye. Unexpectedly intriguing, this film is interesting viewing that anyone, despite their level of interest in fashion, can appreciate.
- Genre » Documentary Biography
- Release » Limited 01 Aug 2009
- Festival » MIFF 2009
Moneyball
Andrew O'Dea
The story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
"Moneyball" is intelligent filmmaking that takes an unlikely subject and makes it interesting. It's a testament to the solid direction and brilliance of the scriptwriters that a story about the business of baseball could be so captivating. You can't help but be drawn in as it explores the opposing philosophies of intuition versus statistics, bolstered by that feel-good sentiment of rooting for the underdog. An entertaining movie that covers all the right bases, this one is right on the money.