Film Review: The Counselor (2013)
byExpectations are high for The Counselor. It comes from the first produced screenplay by Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest living novelists, whose work…
chris smith
Film Review: Renoir (2012)
byEven though it’s at times too content to cost by on it’s interesting concept and beautiful imagery, and lags a little bit in the second act (perhaps because it has more of an idea than a story), Renoir is still a most enjoyable film that with its account of Jean Renoir’s emergence of passion for cinema, movie buffs won’t want to miss.
Film Review: Once Upon A Time In Vietnam (2013)
byAlso featuring some truly beautiful picturesque imagery, Once Upon A Time In Vietnam is a decent enough movie, it just doesn’t live up to the pedigree of its title, being more Once Upon A Time In Mexico than Once Upon a Time In The West.
Film Review: Mystery Road (2013)
byRich, moving and intricately layered, Mystery Road is just shy of the masterpiece it could have been, but a thrilling movie experience none the less.
Film Review: Upstream Color (2013)
byUpstream Color isn’t a film for the casual movie goer, but those that like more intellectually engaging movies, and willing to be challenged by alternative form and narrative, will be significantly rewarded by this daring, original and heartfelt film.
MIFF 2013: A Quiet Place In The Country (1968)
byScreening alongside classics like Dario Argento’s Deep Red (a masterpiece, and still arguably the high point of the genre) and Tenebrae, as well as Lucio Fulci’s seminal early work Don’t Torture A Duckling, are more obscure items like The Pyjama Case (set in Sydney of all places and starring Ray Milland) and A Quiet Place In The Country.
News: A Conversation with Mark Hartley
byChris Smith recently had a chat with Australian filmmaker Mark Hartley, whose fictional feature debut Patrick, a remake of the 1978 Australian film, premieres at the 2013 Melbourne International Film Festival.
MIFF 2013: Patrick (2013)
byA remake of Richard Franklin’s seminal ozploitation favourite, Patrick is a visually assured fictional feature debut for director Mark Hartley, who previously examined the ozploitation subgenre with his exceptional documentary, Not Quite Hollywood.
MIFF 2013: Outrage Beyond (2012)
byThe main flaw is that the film simply doesn’t bring anything really new to the proceedings, but fans of Kitano and his previous gangster films will no doubt find a lot to like here regardless.
MIFF 2013: Closed Curtain (2013)
byFollowing the documentary This Is Not A Film, Closed Curtain marks director Jafar Panahi’s second movie (co-directed by Kambuzia Partovi) since a six year home imprisonment sentence and twenty year ban on film making was imposed on him by the Iranian government.