Our Idiot Brother - Movie Poster

Our Idiot Brother

3.5 Anne Murphy

A comedy centered on an idealist who barges into the lives of his three sisters.

"Our Idiot Brother" is like movie popcorn, light and enjoyable without being really filling. The indie style production is as amiable as the affable main character; it is a comedy with charm. The focus is the special relationships between siblings, close, affectionate, and then relentlessly honest. The plot comprises small family interactions rather than dramatic action. The everyday trials of being part of a family are action enough to hold interest and the film does not stray into over sentimentality. Quite an intelligent idiot.


Drive - Movie Poster

Drive

3.5 Anthony Macali

A Hollywood stunt performer who moonlights as a wheelman discovers that a contract has been put on him after a heist gone wrong.

"Drive" is an odd little film about a man, his car, and a story that happens in between. By day, our enigmatic driver is quite reserved, and we watch his encounters with trepidation and a pop soundtrack. By night, the base is turned up, and we're placed in the seat next to him evading the police with great thrill. The middle stint might be slow going, but be warned… the violence revs up, and we have no idea where the story is headed. It's the quiet ones you have to watch.


George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Movie Poster

George Harrison: Living in the Material World

4.5 Anne Murphy

Inter-cut with archive material, friends, family and associates of the musician tell the story of his life and how spirituality became such a major part of it.

ou might guess that this renowned musician had a extraordinary life but it takes the spotlight shone by this exceptional documentary to reveal just how remarkable his life and times were. It helps that much of the history is told to camera by the subject in his own words, and those close to him lovingly colour in the detail. Ultimately this is an affecting and moving portrait of a man whose guitar gently wept.


Midnight in Paris - Movie Poster

Midnight in Paris

3.0 Stefan Bugryn

On vacation in Paris, a married man slowly falls in love ... with the city itself.

Imagine you're a writer, and you get the chance to travel back in time to have a conversation with the world's best writers. 1920's Paris with Ernest Hemingway? Pretty cool huh? "Midnight in Paris" rides on this highly original concept, and keeps both the dreamers and thinkers happy. If you're a lover of fine culture, you can't go wrong with this film. The Parisian backdrop will have you in awe; the cinematography is amazing. Not the director's best work, but certainly worth a watch. Tres bien!


TT3D: Closer to the Edge - Movie Poster

TT3D: Closer to the Edge

3.5 Anthony Macali

The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is the greatest motorcycle road race in the world.

"TT3D" champions a truly unbelievable event, where riders risk their lives simply to win. The 3D may have been good in concept, but doesn't add a great deal to the buzz experienced when watching the terrifying speeds of the Tourist Trophy. At times it's almost sickening to watch, and the film thankfully shies away from some of the more confronting images in its long history of accidents. It allows us to explore the unrivalled passion of the participants and their remarkable attitude in the face of death. A race larger than life.


Red State - Movie Poster

Red State

3.0 Stefan Bugryn

Three young teenagers get more than they bargained for when they accept an online invitation for sex.

"Red State" is a bit weird, but weird in a good way. It's a real genre bender. The films begins as your average teen horror, then reverts to action, before finishing off as a comedy - all with socio-political undertones! Just as you think you know where it's going to turn, it hits you with a different twist. Characters are chopped, changed and dropped like flies. The plot thickens more than the blood that is spilled. An interesting state to be in... whatever it may be!


Project Nim - Movie Poster

Project Nim

4.0 Wendy Slevison

The story of Nim, a chimpanzee who was the subject of a 1970s experiment to see if an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised like a human child.

This is a brilliant telling of a harrowing and complex tale. Initially captivating due to the very cute subject, the mood soon shifts as we learn more about the arrogant and shameless exploitation of this remarkable animal, with no regard for any consequences. As Nim grows and becomes unmanageable due to his size and strength, he is cruelly discarded. You could hear a pin drop in the cinema as the audience absorbed his appalling plight. "F" for the Project; "A" for this film.


Cave of Forgotten Dreams - Movie Poster

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

4.0 Anthony Macali

Werner Herzog gains exclusive access to film inside the Chauvet caves of Southern France.

Enter the "The Cave of Forgotten Dreams" and your world will be shaken. The walls are lined with stirring visuals, from bison and leopards to horses as clear as the day they were born. The fact these paintings are over 30,000 years old simply defies belief, marking a passage of time that pales our existence. There are a number of questionable guests filling the running time, but it's a joy to share in their wonder and commentary of such a dazzling discovery. This historical documentary is haunting and undeniably breathtaking.


Hobo with a Shotgun - Movie Poster

Hobo with a Shotgun

4.0 Stefan Bugryn

A homeless man turns himself into a shotgun-toting vigilante, blasting away the mindless crime that surrounds him.

You know exactly what to expect when you walk into a movie titled "Hobo with a Shotgun". It's B-Grade action juiced up on steroids, with a million gallons of blood, but that's the fun of it! The one liners would put any cheesy 80's flick to shame, and the body count would make any action hero blush. Some people will walk out after ten minutes, others will talk about it for ten years. Just like the Hobo says, it's kinda' like goin' on a car ride to hell... and you're riding shotgun.


The Eye of the Storm - Movie Poster

The Eye of the Storm

4.0 Wendy Slevison

A woman used to controlling everything in her life chooses her time to die.

If you've ever doubted what Australian cinema is capable of producing, see "Eye of the Storm". Adapted from the book of the same name, every facet of the crafting of this film is of the highest quality. Featuring a cast of acting nobility who deliver their roles with meticulous insight, superb cinematography and assured direction, the story unfolds with unrelenting potency. As the complex relationships and palpable tensions intensify, you are left feeling that you have indeed been through the eye of a storm, but there is also the exhilaration of having been a witness to the tempest.


20 Cigarettes - Movie Poster

20 Cigarettes

3.0 Anne Murphy

An assistant film director working in Iraq finds himself caught up in a suicide attack.

This movie tells the autobiographical story of its director with a lighter touch than a documentary might have allowed. Iraq is shown as a place where soldiers and peace-keepers are wondering what they were doing there. Injury is graphically depicted, providing a palpable experience of the horror of war. A strong but very watchable political statement is made by bringing a personal story to the big screen. The cigarettes provide an interesting device to contrast everyday life with a day in a war zone. Smoking.


A Quiet Life - Movie Poster

A Quiet Life

3.5 Anne Murphy

The story of a man with a dark past, that inevitably catches up with him.

Mystery is slowly brewed as the story behind the main character is revealed. Initially the plot is vague, and the viewer must sit with some uncertainty as to what is happening on the screen. The lack of story structure is a clever device that adds to the mounting suspense. Tension is maintained amid a seemingly routine domestic situation, and there are ominous hints that all is not as it seems as the violence starts to escalate. "A Quiet Life" is a well-constructed, gripping movie experience... shhh.


Escort in Love - Movie Poster

Escort in Love

3.5 Anne Murphy

When her husband dies in a car accident, Alice is left with a massive debt and the risk of losing her son so she turns to the oldest profession in the world.

Working as an escort is sometimes painted as an overly rosy career choice when portrayed in a movie. Thankfully, the annoyance of that plot hook is diffused in "Escort in Love" by the comic scenes it generates. There is also a couple of interesting side themes around social inclusion and diversity which compensate. This film is easy to like and enjoy, thanks to the congenial characters. Love the escort.


Lost Kisses - Movie Poster

Lost Kisses

3.0 Anne Murphy

A girl in the deprived outskirts of a Sicilian city becomes a local celebrity to her community when word spreads that she just might be able to perform miracles.

"Lost Kisses" uses cynicism to explore our faith in the inexplicable, and satirically mocks our need to keep up appearances. While not taking an overt stance on one side or the other of religious belief and our desire for miracles, there's a lot going on under the surface-line of the story. It's a pleasure to be allowed to draw your own meaning. A peck on the cheek.


Sorelle Mai - Movie Poster

Sorelle Mai

3.0 Anne Murphy

The director's family is filmed over a 10 year period acting in film roles rather than biographic depictions to create an experimental and dramatic work.

"Sorelle Mai" is an interesting movie that follows the hopes and mostly thwarted dreams of a brother and sister. What makes it really interesting is knowing what the director attempted and the scope of the project. For those sitting in a cinema it's not obvious how ambitious the film-making is, and for the average viewer the slight narrative may be insufficient to captivate. Appreciate this one for being well crafted. Sisters are doin' it...