When Gelato Messina launched its first Brisbane store back in March 2017, it was a long time coming, with the chain not only an established favourite in Sydney and Melbourne, but scooping up its creaming wares in Coolangatta already. Now the ice cream wizards are giving dessert-loving Brisbanites another fix — and giving its existing West End shop a sibling — with a second location due to open in Fortitude Valley this month. Come 5pm on Thursday, March 21, gelato fiends will want to head to James Street's Ada Lane, as part of the revamped precinct surrounding The Calile Hotel. That's where Messina will be slinging the same frosty treats that fans know and love, just on the other side of the river. Like its other stores around the country, Messina Fortitude Valley will feature 40 flavours that are churned fresh on the premise, including a set range and a lineup of inventive weekly specials. There is one difference, however. Messina now has a new type of cabinet, which has only been rolled out to its Canberra venue so far. While that mightn't sound all that exciting, the new style means that you'll be able to get a better look at the gelato while you're trying to decide which flavour (or flavours, admit it) to devour. The cabinets have a glass lid, of course, but will keep its precious cargo protected from air, wind and moisture. Messina Fortitude Valley will also sell the chain's full range of gelato cakes, which were just given a revamp before summer. In the future, you might be able to pick up a bottle of Messina's own milk — sourced from its jersey cows in country Victoria — in store as well. Decor-wise, apart from the new cabinet, expect concrete exteriors and a small outdoor seating area. And for Messina aficionados fond of its creative pop-up menus, the brand has another March treat for Brisbanites, thanks to a new 'Take My Breath Away' sundae that'll only be available at this year's Brisbane Ice Cream Festival. Find Messina Fortitude Valley at Shop RW11, Ada Lane, 48 James Street, Fortitude Valley from Thursday, March 21, open from 12pm daily.
If any month could be crowned as one of wonder, it'd have to be December. The festive season has us all pondering what Santa will bring, and what the new year might hold. Plus, we're all rewatching It's A Wonderful Life as Christmas approaches. At the Brisbane Powerhouse, though, that's not where the end-of-year festival of wonder ends, but where it begins. Since 2014, the venue has been adding to the onslaught of amazement and cavalcade of celebration with an event designed for the astounding, joyful and curious. That'd be the aptly named Wonderland, which unleashes its second serving of burlesque, circus, cabaret, music, comedy, poetry, theatre and variety shows from December 3 to 20. Your jaw will be agape, your mind alive with happiness and possibility, and you'll be feeling truly wonderful — particularly if you head along to our ten picks of the festival. Top image: Studio Impressions.
Fancy your skills as an amateur sleuth? Fond of playing How to Host a Murder and Cluedo? Well, now you can take your penchant for murder-mystery game playing to the next level, by really getting into the thick of a detective plot. Journey out to the heritage-listed Woodlands Mansion just outside of Ipswich, where you'll get entwined in a theatrical, interactive event that's part performance, part fine-dining experience. You'll be entertained, intrigued and enjoy a full evening of extravagance and educated guesses. We don't think the culprit will be Mrs Peacock, in the study, with a candlestick — but the only way you'll know for sure is by going along. May 8, 15 and 22, 6.00pm. This is one of our top five picks of the Anywhere Festival. Check out the rest.
When the first Wednesday in June rolled around this year, something was missing. Usually, that's Sydney Film Festival's night of nights — the annual cinema showcase's opening night ahead of 11 more days of movies. But, due to COVID-19, that wasn't the case in 2020. Back in March, SFF cancelled its physical event, then announced an online replacement a month later. Dubbed Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition, the digital-only event isn't quite the same as watching film after film (after film after film) at the State Theatre or Event Cinemas George Street, of course. Still, running from June 10–21, it's a chance to watch 33 movies that you mightn't otherwise get the chance to see — and for audiences Australia-wide to join in. This time, you're just doing so from the comfort of your couch. That should be a familiar feeling thanks to the past few months; however, you're not going to find SFF's 2020 batch of films in your current Netflix queue. On the agenda: ten movies made by female filmmakers from Europe, ten Australian documentaries covering a broad range of topics and 13 shorts — including three as part of SFF's regular Screenability program that highlights the work of filmmakers and creatives with disability. That's a sizeable at-home offering, so we've watched and reviewed ten titles from the feature lineup. Now, all you need to do is nab an online pass, pop some popcorn and get viewing yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFJxW46F0YQ SEA FEVER With Sea Fever, first-time feature director Neasa Hardiman gifts viewers a richly atmospheric thriller set within the claustrophobic confines of an Irish fishing trawler. It's a film with a clear cinematic lineage, tracing back to everything from Alien and The Thing to The Abyss. It's also a movie with a timely premise purely by accident, with this isolation and contagion-focused affair first premiering in 2019 long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. More importantly, though, this is an unflinching, smart and suspenseful examination of not only extreme behaviour in close quarters, or of an attack by a monstrous organism from the ocean's depths, but of the discomfort humanity feels when easy answers aren't forthcoming. Also impressive: Hermione Corfield (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi) as student scientist Siobhan, whose arrival on the Niamh Cinn-Oir coincides with a treacherous decision by its captain Gerard (Dougray Scott). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fXQm4ZLlFg FORCE OF HABIT The most striking thing about Force of Habit, a Finnish anthology film that interweaves six shorts into one potent portrait of everyday female life, is just how commonplace its scenarios are. In one, a teenager on a bus is harassed by loutish, entitled boys. In another, a young woman is forced to fend off unwanted sexual attention from a male friend. In yet another, a husband reacts more strongly to his wife's response to being groped publicly by a stranger than to the latter altercation itself. Also examining workplace politics and gossip, legal and bureaucratic barriers, and the normalisation of women as victims that's perpetuated by entertainment, this powerful feature is so filled with recognisable situations that he overall point stressed by filmmakers Alli Haapasalo, Anna Paavilainen, Reetta Aalto, Jenni Toivoniemi, Kirsikka Saari, Elli Toivoniemi, and Miia Tervo — that, for society, instances like these have just become habitual and accepted — proves absolutely searing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-Npj2cIbYs MORGANA Many a big-screen drama has stepped into the existence of a middle-aged woman unhappy with the state of her life. But fiction couldn't conjure up anything as distinctive, empowering and intriguing as Morgana Muses' tale — with the Albury housewife leaving her husband and small town behind in favour of a feminist pornography career that's earned her acclaim and attention from Melbourne to Berlin. Indeed, it's no wonder that filmmakers Isabel Peppard and Josie Hess were eager to document Morgana's story and share it with the world, including her resolute determination to bravely put herself first, express her own desires, and create both sex-positive and age-positive erotica. Candid and complex, Morgana is the type of subject that all filmmakers wish they could stumble across, as Peppard and Hess continually show in their engaging film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwQAqW9GW0k&feature=emb_logo CHARTER In Norwegian disaster films The Wave and The Quake, Ane Dahl Torp battled natural forces. As Alice in tense Swedish drama Charter, she battles with the natural maternal instinct to spend time with and protect her children — fighting against her soon-to-be ex-husband (Sverrir Gudnason) who, in an act of retaliation for her unhappiness, won't let her even see her distressed young son Vincent (Troy Lundkvist) or angry teenage daughter Elina (Tintin Poggats Sarri). Amanda Kernell's sophomore feature after the similarly involving Sami Blood, Charter tasks its protagonist with making drastic and difficult choices while trying to evaluate what's right for both herself and her kids. Following Alice's exploits from Sweden's rural climes to the sunny surroundings of Tenerife, this deeply felt film offers not only a blistering showcase for its lead actor, but a perceptive exploration of a parent's continual quest to do what's best even when faced with imperfect options. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roAM3tZvJvU&feature=emb_logo THE SKIN OF OTHERS Douglas Grant was an ANZAC soldier, a prisoner of the war and, during his time in Germany's Halbmondlager camp during World War I, a driving force in helping his fellow detainees. He was a draughtsman, radio journalist and human rights activist as well, fighting for the fair treatment of his fellow Indigenous Australians almost a century ago. As a child he was also taken from the scene of a North Queensland massacre during the frontier wars, brought up by a Scottish couple and, though treated well by his adoptive parents, considered an 'experiment' outside of his home. Alas, Grant's story isn't as widely known as it should be, so Tom Murray's comprehensive and informative documentary The Skin of Others recounts the crucial details — as aided by lively recreations of Grant's life starring late Australian actor Balang (Tom E.) Lewis (Spear, Goldstone, The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith) in his final film role. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsB8RFnFFGM A PERFECTLY NORMAL FAMILY In her sensitive and affecting debut feature, writer/director Malou Reymann examines a situation that's close to her heart. Following the pre-teen Emma (Kaya Toft Loholt) as her father Thomas (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) becomes a woman, the Danish filmmaker draws upon her own story, with Reymann standing in her protagonist's shoes when she was the same age. Dramatised on-screen, the result is a thoughtful and intimate drama that charts the sudden change to Emma's world, and to the soccer-loving girl's relationship with the now football-abhorring Agnete. As well as serving up nuanced, naturalistic performances that convey the full emotional spectrum traversed by Emma and her older sister Caroline (Rigmor Ranthe) as life as they know it changes, A Perfectly Normal Family purposefully refuses to simplify the complicated family dynamics that arise from Agenete's transition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-m8HSGrQMM&feature=emb_logo ZANA Also informed by its director's own experiences, Antoneta Kastrati's Zana interrogates the fallout of life-shattering conflict, specifically the lingering impact left by the Kosovo War. A decade afterwards, Lume (Adriana Matoshi) still struggles to cope — particularly with the expectation that she'll bear her husband Ilir (Astrit Kabashi) more children after their young daughter was killed during the combat. Her overbearing mother-in-law (Fatmire Sahiti) shuffles Lume between various healers and mystics, blames superstitions and the supernatural, and even endeavours to motivate her fertility by encouraging Ilir to take a second wife; however, Lume's scars of loss and pain run deep. Matoshi is exceptionally moving as a woman haunted several times over — by her grief, the war, societal expectations and her lack of agency — while Kastrati and Casey Cooper Johnson's script doesn't shy away from Lume's all-encompassing trauma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d37ZkjGDSks&feature=emb_logo WOMEN OF STEEL SFF's annual showcase of Australian documentaries often skews locally not just on a national but a more intimate level. That's the case with Women of Steel, which heads to Wollongong, to the city's steel industry and into a monumental battle for equality — with women forced to fight for their right to be employed at the steel works after being routinely told that there were no jobs available for them. Through both recent and past interviews, as well as a treasure trove of archival clips, director Robynne Murphy steps through the ups, downs, ins and outs of a movement that she was a part of forty years ago, which gives her film an impassioned and vital feel. In addition to chronicling a chapter of local history that many mightn't be aware of, her documentary also sets Wollongong's Jobs for Women Campaign in context in terms of societal norms and changes, both at the time and over the decades since. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLF2zVhsLMg A YEAR FULL OF DRAMA For theatre aficionados, being paid to watch every stage production performed over the course of a year is the stuff that dreams are made of. For 21-year-old Estonian resident Alissija, it's a job — one that specifically advertised for someone who'd never been to the theatre, that requires her to move away from her family to live in Tallinn, and that thrusts her not only into a new field but also firmly outside her comfort zone. It's easy to see why filmmaker Marta Pulk wanted to document this unique story; however she couldn't have predicted Alissija's revelatory reactions to her year-long gig, her existential malaise and her overall journey as she traipses between 224 shows in 365 days. A documentary that's intricately tied to one person, one industry and one country, yet also overwhelmingly universal in its coming-of-age themes, A Year Full of Drama more than lives up to its title. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tABY6w6py6Q&feature=emb_logo THE LEADERSHIP From gender equality to climate change, The Leadership charts a course through a sizeable array of topical subjects. While this jam-packed documentary touches upon everything from toxic workplace behaviour to the destruction of the natural world, it actually focuses on the Homeward Bound program — which takes talented women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics on a 20-day intensive leadership course while sailing around the Antarctic, with its maiden voyage overseen by Australian leadership expert Fabian Dattner. That trip was notable in a plethora of ways, as Ili Baré's debut feature documentary lays bare. There's so much to cover, so many viewpoints to explore and such a wealth of data to share that The Leadership often feels like it could go in any direction; however when it unpacks the challenges facing Homeward Bound's first participants and facilitators, it does far more than serve up familiar messages amidst scenic icy landscapes. Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition runs from June 10–21, with all films available to stream online. For further information — and to buy virtual tickets — visit the festival's website.
Bon Iver is on their way to Australia for their first national tour in 14 years with the trailblazing indie rock act hitting stages across Sydney, Hobart, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide in February and March of 2023. The tour will kick off on Friday, February 17 in Sydney at the Aware Super Theatre next to the ICC Sydney. Brisbane and Melbourne will also receive standalone shows on the tour — Melbourne's first Bon Iver show in 11 years — with shows popping up at the Riverstage on Thursday, March 2 and Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday, March 4. There will also be three festival appearances on the tour — Tasmania's Mona Foma on Tuesday, February 21, Perth Festival on Sunday, February 26, and WOMADelaide Festival on Friday, March 10. [caption id="attachment_746634" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MONA/Rémi ChauvinImage courtesy of the artist and MONA Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia[/caption] Bon Iver is one of three acts revealed to be heading up next year's edition of WOMADelaide. Alongside the blissful falsetto of the Wisconsin band, Florence and the Machine and Gratte Ciel's Place des Anges will be appearing at the festival which is returning to Botanic Park in Adelaide between March 10 and 13. Florence will also be appearing in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland throughout March as part of her world tour supporting her latest album Dance Fever. It's exciting news for Bon Iver fans after the band was forced to pull out of a run of shows originally slated for 2020 due to the pandemic, as well as a headline appearance at the cancelled Bluesfest 2021. This tour will mark the first time for Australian fans to catch Bon Iver's latest album i,i live and marks the influential artist's first return to Australian shores since a run of four sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid 2016. Presale tickets are available from 9am, Thursday, August 25 with the code JELMORE. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bon Iver (@boniver) Bon Iver's Australian tour will take place between Friday, February 17–Friday, March 10. Presale tickets will be on sale from 9am, Thursday, August 25 through Handseom Tours and general sale tickets will be available from 9am, Friday, August 26. Top image:danieljordahl
For much of the past year, Brisbanites have become accustomed to staying home — and to the Queensland Government telling them to do just that via lockdowns and other restrictions. But, another message has begun filtering through from the state's powers that be. Now, with life slowly returning to normal, the government is encouraging everyone to take local holidays. First, it announced a Cairns Holiday Dollars scheme, giving out 15,000 $200 vouchers for folks heading for a getaway in the tropical north region. Already in April, the government has advised it's handing out 36,000 more vouchers, this time valued between $100–$200, and covering Brisbane and The Whitsundays. And, it has just revealed that the Cairns scheme is being extended as well. Already have a tropical north holiday in the works, and didn't nab a voucher the first time around? Another batch of 5000 will be made available, all worth $200. This time, though, you'll need to already be holidaying in the region. And you won't have to apply or go into a ballot like last time, with the Queensland Government instead using Facebook's audience targeting tools to reach folks already vacationing in the area. If that's you, you could nab a voucher to use on tourism experiences in the tropical north region, which also includes the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands. The vouchers can only be spent on tourism experiences and attractions, and will enable you to get up to 50 percent off your booking, maxing out at $200. And, they'll need to be used between Tuesday, May 4–Friday, June 25. When the first set of Cairns Holiday Dollars vouchers were announced, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that the scheme could be extended, which is clearly what's happening now. If you'd rather plan a vacation somewhere else in the state, you might want to cross your fingers that other regions get the nod next — the Gold and Sunshine coasts haven't been covered by the program so far, for instance. The 5000 new $200 Cairns Holiday Dollars travel vouchers will be made available to tourists already in the region, for use between Tuesday, May 4–Friday, June 25. For further details, head to the Cairns Holiday Dollars website.
When you've already got 2023's Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner and Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion recipient on your lineup, what comes next? If you're the Brisbane International Film Festival, you fill out your program with impressive flicks from fests around the world, and featuring beloved talents. Two big standouts: All of Us Strangers, as led by Fleabag's Andrew Scott and Aftersun's Paul Mescal — plus Taika Waititi's new movie Next Goal Wins. Both sit on a bill that'll show River City cinephiles 42 features and 18 shorts across 11 movie-filled days in from Thursday, October 26–Sunday, November 5, taking over various Reading, Dendy and Five Star cinemas. Accordingly, BIFF will see the two of the internet's boyfriends grace its screens in the newest effort directed by Weekend and Lean on Pete's Andrew Haigh — and then come to a close with a Michael Fassbender (X-Men: Dark Phoenix)-starring soccer comedy based on the 2014 documentary of the same name. Also a massive highlight: BIFF becoming the latest Australian festival to show Strange Way of Life, aka the most-anticipated short of the year. As well as featuring The Last of Us favourite Pedro Pascal, the 30-minute flick is the newest work by inimitable Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers) and co-stars Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight). The 2023 fest will open with Uproar from New Zealand — then showcase Palme d'Or-anointed Anatomy of a Fall, French director Justine Triet's (Sibyl) drama about an author (Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann) accused of her husband's murder; Poor Things from The Favourite's Yorgos Lanthimos, which gives Frankenstein a new take; and Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster, the prolific helmer's latest on a lengthy resume that also includes Shoplifters and Broker. Other standouts span May December, which hails from Carol filmmaker Todd Haynes, is led by Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder) and Julianne Moore (Sharper), and dives into a scandal — and also The Royal Hotel from Casting JonBenet and The Assistant helmer Kitty Green, which turns doco Hotel Coolgardie into an Aussie thriller featuring Julia Garner (Ozark) and Jessica Henwick (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery). Hugo Weaving (Love Me) also pops up in that, as well as in The Rooster, which follows a hermit and a cop who form a bond during a crisis. Or, Brisbane movie lovers can check out Housekeeping for Beginners from You Won't Be Alone and Of an Age's Goran Stolevski; German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Submergence) heading to Japan with Perfect Days; Earth Mama, an A24 release by Grammy-nominated music video veteran Savanah Leaf; birth/rebirth, which also riffs on Frankenstein; and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, a documentary about an Estonian log-cabin sauna. Body-horror film Tiger Stripes is set in the Malaysian jungle and won the 2023 Cannes Critics' Week Grand Prize, Riceboy Sleeps spends time with a Korean single mother and her son as they start a new life in Canada in the 90s, and Sunflower spins a coming-of-age tale in the Melbourne suburbs — plus Australia's You'll Never Find Me centres on a caravan resident, a surprise visitor and a thunderstorm. The list goes on, complete with the talk show-set horror Late Night with the Devil; The Ending Goes Forever: The Screamfeeder Story, focusing on of Brisbane's 90s indie-music favourites; You Should Have Been Here Yesterday's look at the early days of Aussie surf culture; the Randall Park (Strays)-directed comedy Shortcomings; and homegrown festive comedy A Savage Christmas. Peering backwards, BIFF's lineup also features retrospective sessions of 1950'sThe Munekata Sisters, 1963's Contempt and 2002's Rabbit-Proof Fence.
Five artists. Three venues. One citywide exhibition that both contemplates history and makes it. That's Resonance in a nutshell, a creative showcase that aims to both reflect and build upon Australia's cultural heritage. Boasting the work of Sara Irannejad, Natasha Lewis Honeyman, Mandana Mapar, Sally Molloy and Camille Serisier, and spanning Old Government House, Newstead House and Miegunyah House Museum, it's safe to say that this isn't your usual curated collection. As the featured creatives respond to times gone by, not only will you trawl through past treasures given a new lease on life, but you'll see Brisbane's historic spaces with fresh eyes.
Whether he's co-writing and starring in sketch comedies, directing two of the best horror films of the past few years, producing an Oscar-nominee or reviving a science-fiction classic, Jordan Peele has amassed an impressive resume. So, whenever he adds a new project to the lengthy list, it's worth paying attention. After Key & Peele, Get Out, Us and The Twilight Zone — and producing BlacKkKlansman, too — he's now lending executive producing skills to upcoming Amazon Prime Video series Hunters. It stars Al Pacino, it's about hunting down Nazis in the 70s and it's inspired by real events. As first glimpsed in the show's initial teaser back in November and now explored in further detail in its just-dropped first full trailer, Pacino plays Meyer Offerman, the leader of a group of Nazi hunters who are intent on stopping a Fourth Reich taking hold in America. They've discovered that hundreds of escaped Nazis are not only living in the US, but have genocidal plans — and Offerman and his vigilante pals plan to thwart this conspiracy by any means necessary. Expect violence, tensions, action, thrills, and a fight between good and evil. Not just calling out oppression, injustice and hatred, but tackling it through film and television is firmly in Peele's wheelhouse, as his filmography shows. Accordingly, Hunters slots in nicely, with a ten-episode first season due to drop on February 21. Fresh from his excellent turn in The Irishman — his first collaboration with Martin Scorsese, somehow — Pacino is in less theatrical, more nuanced mode here. He's also joined by a well-known roster of co-stars, which includes Logan Lerman (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Carol Kane (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother), Lena Olin (Vinyl) and Australian actress Kate Mulvany (Lambs of God) as a kick-ass nun. Check out the full trailer for Hunters below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBGkjmfIzAw Hunters will hit Amazon Prime Video on February 21.
We usually picture Tasmania as Australia's sleepiest state — but when they go and pull off a weekend rager in a remote meadow, you've really got to question why we think this. We probably should have realised when they upped festival standards by giving us MONA FOMA. Set in White Hills, a beautiful, forested area about 20 minutes from Launceston, Party in the Paddock brings a punchy list of international and local artists to the island state. When not at the stage, Party in the Paddock's Vibestown is the place to head for gourmet Tassie nosh, comedy, art, yoga, glitter and skateboarding. And, for its sixth year, PITP has stuck an extra day onto the festival — on Thursday night there's a Funk in the Forest psychedelic rave that will continue over to Friday and Saturday nights. PARTY IN THE PADDOCK 2018 LINEUP Gang of Youths GROUPLOVE The Avalanches (DJ Set) Meg Mac Ball Park Music Client Liaison The Preatures Tkay Maidza Holy Holy Aunty Donna Crooked Colours Tired Lion
Stepping into Berlin's Markos Dance Academy on a grey, rainy 1977 day, Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) is a picture of nervous excitement. The former Ohio Mennonite clutches at her meagre belongings with equal parts eagerness and apprehension, her eyes darting keenly. But once she's through the school's doors, she's willing to surrender to whatever comes her way. It's an attitude that everyone watching Suspiria should take note of, for Susie is the perfect viewer surrogate in this delightfully dark, seductive, twitchy and witchy remake. Like the American in Germany pursuing her dream and accepting everything that happens next, giving yourself over to the movie's horrors and charms is truly the audience's only option. If ever a remake yearned to be judged on its own merits, it's Suspiria. After the sun-dappled Italian vistas and melancholic romance of his sublime Call Me By Your Name, filmmaker Luca Guadagnino takes Dario Argento's iconic 1977 film — and really takes to it. Made with evident love for the original, but never trying to slavishly recreate it, Guadagnino's Suspiria is a new dreamlike interpretation of an already dreamlike classic. It's the feverish nightmare you might have after letting the initial flick needle its way into your brain and mix with your own subconscious. Perhaps that's what happened to Guadagnino and his second-time screenwriter David Kajganich (A Bigger Splash). Either way, their protagonist also experiences her own disturbing nocturnal visions, and they're gloriously unhinged. In a city still grappling with the aftermath of catastrophic conflict three decades on, where Red Army Faction terror attacks have become a daily occurrence, bad dreams are the least of Susie and her fellow dancers' concerns. Amid preparations for the academy's latest show — a re-staging of a piece created by head teacher Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton) after the Second World War — their star goes missing. It's with an air of unease that the unsettled group moves forward after Patricia's (Chloë Grace Moretz) disappearance, which the school's teachers link to the far-left RAF's disorder in the streets. Thankfully, newcomer Susie is both willing and able to step into Patricia's shoes, with her breathy passion more than catching Madame Blanc's eye. While Argento's Suspiria teased out its big twist, Guadagnino's version lays it all out on the dance floor from the outset. Rather than a company of dancers, complete with experienced instructors overseeing the next generation, this is a coven. Rather than training for their next recital, they're readying their new sacrifices for a ritual. Removing the mystery around the film's otherworldly elements doesn't remove the mystery from the film, however. With an elderly psychiatrist (an actor credited as 'Lutz Ebersdorf') searching for Patricia with the eventual help of Markos dancer Sara (Mia Goth), there's intrigue aplenty. The intense teacher-pupil, pseudo mother-daughter bond between Susie and Madame Blanc also keeps everyone guessing. Scored to Thom Yorke's moody tunes and edited with a sense of anxiety, Suspiria isn't a character study. It doesn't probe the recesses of Susie's mind to explore what makes her tick, or delve deeply into Madame Blanc's motivations. Instead, it largely leaves its key duo at the mercy of the movie's macabre plot. That's what horror movies typically do, as seen in this year's other dance-horror flick, Gaspar Noe's Climax. Nonetheless, Johnson and Swinton instantly demand the audience's attention, drawing viewers in in much the same way that their characters are drawn to each other. The combination of vulnerability and determination that made Johnson the best thing about the Fifty Shades trilogy is firmly on display, as is Swinton's well-established allure in multiple guises. Everything else that Guadagnino and Kajganich place within Suspiria's frames is also designed to reel the audience in; to encourage surrender, if not willingly then by force. A movie as densely layered as the rhythmic yet jarring dance moves that it thrusts to the fore, Suspiria is laden with intoxicating, inescapable detail. Thematically, it delves into the scars of war, the historical subjugation of women and the way that one childhood moment can shape someone's life. In its aesthetics, it's an all-out horror onslaught that evolves from creepily atmospheric to violently sensual to gleefully bloody (oh-so-bloody!) across its 152-minute running time. The film's strong visuals shouldn't come as a surprise, although not for reasons that original Suspiria fans might expect. Where Argento's movie glowed with deep jewel tones, Guadagnino favours grim shades enlivened by more than a dash of red. With a filmography that also includes Swinton in I Am Love, and both Swinton and Johnson in A Bigger Splash, Guadagnino has long known how to throw gorgeous pictures across the screen. He's not the first filmmaker to demonstrate that horrific imagery can also be bewitching but, aided by the suitably restless camerawork of cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Call Me By Your Name), he makes the case in a stunning fashion. Two scenes stand out — Susie's telekinetic audition, and the movie's over-the-top climax — but the entirety of Suspiria stamps itself onto viewers' eyeballs. Perhaps Susie and her cackling company won't be the only ones having lurid, disturbing and spellbinding dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q6jwH5_MKQ
Right now, Adore Beauty is a huge Aussie-owned retailer known for offering up deals on thousands of beauty products exclusively to online customers. It's also much-loved for its generous free samples and for giving away Tim Tams with every single purchase. But come Saturday, February 1, Adore Beauty will officially have a permanent bricks-and-mortar shop in Melbourne's Westfield Southland. The new store will house skincare, haircare, fragrances, makeup and a heap of other wellness items from over 300 beauty brands — both Australian and international. But team is seeking to make the most of the in-person shopping experience by not merely setting up a bunch of aisles full of products and leaving it there. At the centre of the flagship Adore Beauty store, visitors will find a large curved table that will host regular masterclasses, activations and even the odd live podcast recording. There'll even be a leading-edge digital skin analysis system, which will help punters gain a deeper understanding of their personal skin type and needs. You'll also still get a free Tim Tam with every purchase — thank the chocolate gods. And to entice folks in on the opening day, the Adore Beauty crew is giving the first 250 visitors a free goodie bag chock-full of 20 samples. This is the first retail store out of many more to come for Adore Beauty, with plans for a national store network set to roll out over the next few years. Adore Beauty's CEO Sacha Laing shared, "The Southland store is the first step in a new and exciting chapter for Adore Beauty that will see us bring our online experience that our customers know and love into physical settings where they can explore, learn and play with beauty with the guidance of our in-store experts." Adore Beauty's first-ever retail store opens on Saturday, February 1, and can be found at Level 2 of Westfield Southland, Cheltenham. For more details, you can check out the company's website.
At about 70 calories per shot, gin is among the lowest-calorie alcohols out there. It provides cocktail aficionados all the more reason to pair it with something comparatively unhealthy. Like, say, ice cream. With that in mind, let us introduce you to the Negroni Float, a cocktail created by the fine people at Melbourne Gin Company. The innovative drink combines the Italian stallion cocktail (that is, the Negroni), with vanilla ice cream to create what is essentially a soft drink spider, but alcoholic for adults. If you're convinced that gin is your arch-nemesis and will never grow to like the spirit — this is an excellent gateway drink. The sweetness and slight bitterness of the Campari and blood orange soda is a concoction that may just win you over. We can't promise that you'll be able to successfully order it over the bar, but you can sure make it at home. Here's how. THE NEGRONI FLOAT INGREDIENTS 30ml Melbourne Gin Company dry gin 30ml Campari CAPI blood orange soda vanilla ice cream blueberries ice (optional) DIRECTIONS Over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, add the gin, Campari and blood orange soda. Garnish with blueberries, and it's good to go.
If you wanted to use Studio Ghibli's name as an adjective, it could mean many things, including beautiful, playful, moving, heartwarming, thoughtful and bittersweet. Thanks to the overwhelmingly delightful combination of these traits in the company's work to-date, everyone knows a Ghibli film when they see it, as has proven the case for almost four decades. But, seven years after When Marnie Was There, its last solo production — and five years since its French co-production The Red Turtle — the beloved Japanese animation house has released a movie that doesn't slide instantly and easily into its gorgeous and affecting catalogue. The studio's first film made solely using computer-generated 3D animation, Earwig and the Witch immediately stands out thanks to its plastic-looking visuals. And, despite the fact that it's about a determined young girl, features a witch, and even includes a talking cat and other helpful tiny critters, it never completely feels like a classic Ghibli film either. Earwig and the Witch boasts plenty of other ingredients that link it to the studio's past. It's based on a novel by English author Diana Wynne Jones, who penned the book that Howl's Moving Castle was based on. It's directed by Gorō Miyazaki, who helmed fellow Ghibli films Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill, and happens to be the son of the great Hayao Miyazaki. Also, the elder Miyazaki initially planned the project, even if he didn't ultimately write the script or step behind the camera. On-screen, the eponymous Earwig (Kokoro Hirasawa) follows in the footsteps of Spirited Away's Chihiro and Kiki's Delivery Service's titular figure. The witch referred to in the film's name recalls Spirited Away's Yubaba, too, and the movie's food-fetching little demons bring My Neighbour Totoro and Spirited Away's susuwatari to mind as well. Indeed, despite eschewing hand-drawn animation for CGI, almost everything about Earwig and the Witch is designed to scream Ghibli — calculatingly so — but that isn't enough to give the movie the depth or heart that has become synonymous with the company's cinematic output. Viewers first meet Earwig as a baby. After trying to shake off the dozen other witches chasing them along a highway, her mother (Sherina Munaf) leaves her on an orphanage's doorstep, promising to return after her never-explained troubles subside. Ten years later, Earwig still roams the facility's halls. She brags to her offsider Custard (Yusei Saito) that she knows how to get its staff and its residents to bend to her will — and whip up shepherd's pie on demand — and she actively doesn't want to be adopted by the couples who stop by looking to expand their families. But when Earwig is chosen by witch Bella Yaga (Shinobu Terajima) and sorcerer The Mandrake (Etsushi Toyokawa), she has no option but to relocate to their enchanted cottage. Bella Yaga doesn't want a daughter, however. Instead, she's after an assistant to cook, clean and crush rat bones for her spells. And so, seeing a chance to learn magic herself, Earwig isn't willing to acquiesce easily. A by-the-numbers Ghibli movie is still better than many other films, especially of the family-friendly variety. Earwig and the Witch is average rather than awful, too, but there's no escaping that the picture is trying to do two competing things at once. Ticking off as many of the studio's recognisable traits as possible is one of the movie's clear aims. Trying to squeeze Ghibli's sensibilities into the broader anime mould is the other. Accordingly, even with so much of Earwig and the Witch drawing upon the company's own earlier work, the picture's pace, energy and heavy use of theme song 'Don't Disturb Me' seem inspired by recent non-Ghibli hits such as Your Name, Weathering With You and Ride Your Wave. It's an odd mix, as is the feeling that the studio is both treading water and chasing its competitors, rather than blazing forward and carving its own path. Also doing Earwig and the Witch few favours is its thin narrative, which is as straightforward as it sounds, including in the simplistic message of acceptance that's geared towards its younger audience members. Indeed, this might be Ghibli's most child-oriented film yet — skewing firmly to one end of the all-ages spectrum, rather than layering in the texture and detail that has regaled the studio's works to adults as much as kids. Interesting plot points arise but go nowhere, for instance. A backstory involving a witchy rock group begs for more attention, as does Bella Yaga's business selling spells to townsfolk to stop rain and win hearts, and The Mandrake's secret but never sinister activities in his hidden den. There's no faulting Earwig and the Witch's fondness for talking cat Thomas (Gaku Hamada), who becomes Earwig's ally, but the movie frequently teases far more than it's willing to deliver in its 82-minute running time. It also comes to an end abruptly, making its storyline feel half-finished. That said, when Earwig and the Witch does shine, Ghibli's usual magic starts to peek through. Viewers just have to look harder than normal to uncover the film's modest charms, rather than be gifted with a non-stop, free-flowing array of the studio's wonders. More vivid and hyperreal than the company's regular nature-inspired palette, the movie's colour choices prove a highlight. So do the short flirtations with darkness and weirdness, which all centre around The Mandrake, a character who could've used more screen time. Its central tune is a welcome earworm, and when the picture leans into its sense of humour, it's all the better for it. Perhaps those joys are harder to notice, though, because so much of watching Earwig and the Witch involves spotting how different it looks. The smooth, glossy animation couldn't sum up movie better, however, appearing as generic as almost everything in this slight, bright, likeable but rarely memorable addition to Studio Ghibli's filmography. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZg2iEf-fTA&feature=youtu.be
Planning a big Ekka holiday? Aren't we all. But before you get all up in Ekka eve, don't forget to save some fun for the actual day itself. Whether you're making up for taking it easy the night before, or need a bit of hair of the dog to help you recover. Either way, you'll find plenty of pints at Bloodhound Bar from midday, with Hope Estate Brewhouse's tasty beverages taking over the taps. They just won this year's Champion Small Brewery prize at the national Craft Beer Industry Association awards, so you know their IPAs, stouts, ciders and lagers are top notch. Plus, Paul from the brewery will be on-hand to chat about his yeasty creations.
No summer festival is complete without a day spent in the glorious outdoors. And no Brisbane shindig is complete without the corralling of the city's favourite providers of meals on wheels. MELT Picnic offers both. It also offers a fun and free part of the broader MELT 2016 program, complete with a pop-up bar, all your favourite food trucks and antics galore. Sure, plenty of events boast about the latter, but this one looks certain to deliver. A dog and owner costume parade, Dykes on Bikes row and Hot Boi contest are all part of the afternoon's activities, after all.
If you're someone who loves chocolate and hazelnuts, and doesn't have an allergy to either, the odds are that you're rather fond of Nutella. Most folks fall into that category, which is why the world has seen everything from Nutella food trucks and dessert bars to Nutella hotels and festivals pop up — and plenty of eateries slathering the spread on and in other food stuffs, too. Your new way to get your Nutella fix? In bar form. Until now, you might've thought of Nutella bars as places that you can visit — because, as outlined above, they have definitely existed over the years. From Monday, January 4 at Australian supermarkets and convenience stores, however, Nutella bars are also something that you can buy and eat (and carry around with you in multi-packs for a Nutella-on-the-go situation). Nutella's new product is called B-ready, and it squeezes the spread into a wafer shell — with some wheat puffs as well. So, when you bite into one, you'll taste some Nutella, and get quite a crunch in the process. The Nutella B-ready bars are now available either individually, or in packs of six — if you can never seem to stop yourself when it comes to the choc-hazelnut spread. They'll cost you $2 for one, or $4.99 for a six-pack. Nutella B-ready bars are now on sale at Australian supermarkets and convenience stores.
Like theatre? Then you're going to love La Boite's latest offering. They're not just bringing a new show to the stage — they're presenting a snapshot of the current state of the city's performing arts, and thinking about how it'll evolve in the future. And just how is the Kelvin Grove-based company managing to do that? Just let us count the ways. Their La Boite HWY program is overflowing with works in progress, talks and forums that showcase fresh scripts, ideas and productions, ponder issues of relevance to today's theatre practitioners, and fine-tune essential skills. If you're an emerging theatre type, that means workshops on producing, directing and playwriting, plus plenty of chatter at panel sessions that'll help you broaden your thinking. And if you just like to watch the end result of someone else's creative endeavours, then you can check out various efforts in various stages of evolution, from readings to rehearsals to mini-showings.
What's better than watching a heap of top Australian talent sit around and talk about music? Watching them do all of the above while answering questions, competing for points and just generally being funny, too. That's the concept behind ABC TV show Spicks and Specks, which took a few cues from the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, pit Aussie musos and comedians against each other, and has proven a hit several times over. A weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011, it just keeps coming back — including its current series of new specials. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it returned with a new host and team captains. This time, it's back with its original lineup. That means that Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough have all stepped back into the quiz show realm yet again. When the trio did just that back in 2018, for a one-off reunion special, it became the ABC's most-watched show of the year. Unsurprisingly, that huge response played more than a small part in inspiring this new comeback. If you're already eager to show your own music trivia knowledge and play along — we all know that's as much a part of the Spicks and Specks fun as seeing the on-screen stars unleash their own skills (or lack thereof) — then you probably lapped up the show's Ausmusic Month special last year. And, back in February this year, you probably enjoyed its 90s episode as well. Next, in April, comes a whole episode dedicated to early 00s tunes, naturally focusing on all the tracks, bangers, one hit wonders and more that released right up until 2010. Airing at 7.40pm AEST on Sunday, April 19, expect questions about the period that made Guy Sebastian, Lady Gaga, Kanye West and the Black Eyed Peas stars — and expect not just Adam, Myf and Alan, but Killing Heidi's Ella Hooper, Nic Cester from Jet, and comedians Joel Creasy and Sarah Kendall as well. The Katering Show and Get Krack!n's Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney will be on hand to take part in one of the episodes' games, old Nokia mobiles will find a new lease of life and Thirsty Merc perform as well. The 00s episode marks the third of Spicks and Specks' specials, with a fourth one still to come at a yet-to-be-revealed date. Its focus: the ten-year period we've all just lived through. And, if you need a refresher in the interim, this comedic chat about a Star Wars Christmas album will do the trick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KNMtDu7TAY Spicks and Specks: 00s Special will air on ABC TV on Sunday, April 19 at 7.40pm. The show's Ausmusic Special and 90s Special are both currently available to stream via ABC iView.
It's been an interesting year for zombies. Not that they'd know — I mean they're zombies, but still. On television, they've been stabbed, shot, crushed, burned, shredded, stomped on and driven over by the characters of The Walking Dead. In film, though, they've been loved by a cute girl (Warm Bodies) and will soon have their own police force (RIPD). So for director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace), World War Z represented an opportunity to make zombies scary again... and help people forget about Quantum of Solace. Based on the novel by Max Brooks (Mel's son), World War Z follows the traditional zombification of earth via an unknown contagion. The rapidity of the contagion's spread is matched only by humanity's descent into anarchy, and both are disturbing in their separate ways. Caught in the middle is former UN investigator Gerry (Brad Pitt) and his family. After an initial and harrowing escape to an aircraft carrier, Gerry agrees to seek out the contagion's 'patient zero' in exchange for his family being kept safe. It's the perfect device for introducing the personal element into the story without having to lug the family around in every scene and slow things down. Touché, writers. Touché. Early on in the piece, Gerry advises a terrified family that "movement is life", and it proves helpful advice both for the characters and the film. World War Z is a fast-paced, globetrotting adventure from start to finish; one in which even the zombies are fleet of foot. Only two countries - North Korea and Israel - seem to be managing the crisis (albeit by radically different methods), and the jet-setting between those and other locations allows for some spectacular set pieces. Sitting on just an M-rating, World War Z does well to maintain the scare factor despite the lack of gore, and the 3D is cleverly (and sparingly) used to add greater dimension to the large-scale action sequences. Pitt's performance is largely understated and, if anything, could have used a touch more fear given the enormity and horror of the crisis around him. Still, he looks the part and brings some quality star power to this impressive genre-piece.
As the arts and entertainment industry continues to climb back to its previous heights following the devastation brought by COVID-19, a welcome addition of $125 million is set to be injected into the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) fund. The extra funding was announced today, Thursday, March 25, and is aimed at supporting "around 230 projects and up to 90,000 jobs". While a further $10 million will be added to the charity Support Act, aimed at providing crisis support to artists and other workers across the creative sector. The $125 million will be available until Friday, December 31, 2021, and will effectively triple the size of the original commitment of $75 million from the government, raising the total amount of funding available to $200 million. The initial funding has already been put to good use, with Sydney's Hamilton, Melbourne's Harry Potter stage show, Tasmania's Dark Mofo and Byron's Bluesfest all scoring $1 million each. RISE has also helped fund a slew of COVID-safe music events including Next Exit, Fresh Produce and Summer Sounds. [caption id="attachment_789711" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton. Image: Joan Marcus via Destination NSW[/caption] Federal Arts Minister Paul Fletcher names RISE as a driving force behind the creative industry's economic resurgence as venues re-open and shows are booked in. "Our focus has turned to stimulating activity so the work opportunities can flow," Minister Fletcher said in a statement. "This new funding comes at an important stage in the resurgence of Australia's arts and entertainment sector. The purpose of the RISE program is to get shows put on, bringing employment to performers, crews and front-of-house staff." The government has also updated RISE's program guidelines to make it easier for businesses and organisations to access the funding, and to encourage projects from as low as $25,000 to apply (the bar was previously set at a minimum of $75,000 for funding applications). Find out more about the RISE fund here. Top image: Frankies by Katje Ford.
No one might've thought of Joel and Ethan Coen as yin and yang if they hadn't started making movies separately. Since 2018's The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, their latest feature together as sibling filmmakers, the elder of the Coen brothers went with Shakespearean intensity by directing 2021's The Tragedy of Macbeth on his lonesome — while Ethan now opts for goofy, loose and hilariously sidesplitting silliness with Drive-Away Dolls. The pair aren't done collaborating, with a horror flick reportedly in the works next. But their break from being an Oscar-winning team has gifted audiences two treats in completely different fashions. For the younger brother, he's swapped in his wife Tricia Cooke, editor of The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Man Who Wasn't There, on a picture that couldn't slide more smoothly onto his resume alongside the madcap antics that the Coens combined are known for. Indeed, spying shades of the first of those two features that Cooke spliced in Drive-Away Dolls, plus Raising Arizona, Fargo and Burn After Reading as well, is both easy and delightful. As a duo, the Coen brothers haven't ever followed two women through lesbian bars, makeout parties and plenty of horniness between the sheets, though, amid wall dildos and other nods to intimate appendages, even if plenty about the Ethan-directed, Cooke-edited Drive-Away Dolls — which both Ethan and Cooke co-wrote — is classic Coens. There's the road-trip angle, conspiracy mayhem, blundering criminals in hot pursuit of Jamie (Margaret Qualley, Poor Things) and Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan, Cat Person), dumb men (those crooks again) in cars and just quirky characters all round. There's the anarchic chases, witty yet philosophical banter and highly sought-after briefcase at the centre of the plot, too. And, there's the fact that this is a comedic caper, its love of slapstick and that a wealth of well-known faces pop up as the zany antics snowball. The Joel-and-Ethan team hasn't made a film as sapphic as this, either, however, or one that's a 90s-set nod to, riff on, and parody of 60s- and 70s-era sexploitation raucousness. Cooke, who identifies as queer, helps Drive-Away Dolls draw upon what she knows in its watering holes and three-decades-back timing; the movie was also originally conceived pre-Y2K, when it would've been a contemporary piece if it had made it to fruition. Centring on its paired queer ladies, there's a lived-in vibe among its gleeful chaos, then. Giving the film authenticity and having a freewheeling blast by going in any which way that it can — and swinging from sweet to eagerly cheesy at times (including in its editing) — aren't mutually exclusive for a moment. One of the best surprises of Drive-Away Dolls is how constantly surprising it is and entertainingly spontaneous it feels, no matter how many familiar Coenesque beats and bits viewers can pick out as the romp rolls on for 84 engaging minutes. Among the elbows in past Coen fare's direction is Sanctuary and Stars at Noon's Qualley as the self-assured and keenly talkative Jamie, who could be a relative of George Clooney (Ticket to Paradise) as O Brother, Where Art Thou?'s Ulysses Everett McGill (off-screen, of course, Qualley is her Maid co-star Andie MacDowell's daughter). But she's rarely in tight spot even when she is; letting anything pierce her good time isn't her vibe. Marian and then Jamie's police-officer girlfriend Sukie (Beanie Feldstein, American Crime Story) calling while she's in the throes of lust with someone else doesn't pierce her bubble. The subsequent end of that relationship barely does, in fact, other than sparking her desire for a new backdrop. Contrastingly, Marian always feels like everything is wrong — almost to Inside Llewyn Davis levels — whether she's being asked out by a colleague, annoyed by the word "anyhoo", keeping resolutely single years after her last breakup or deciding that ditching Philadelphia to visit an aunt in Tallahassee is her only option for change. Jamie doesn't just declare that she's tagging along when Marian hits the highway to Florida; she's the reason that the picture has the title it does (which was originally Drive-Away Dykes). If a car requires transporting from one place to the next, customers can put their hands up for discounted — or even free — vehicle hire to get it from A to B via a drive-away deal, which is handy for Jamie and Marian's finances. But after a visit to Curlie (Bill Camp, The Burial) for their temporary automobile, goons Arliss (Joey Slotnick, Plane) and Flint (CJ Wilson, The Blacklist) become their two-steps-behind shadows, working for an insistent fellow crim (Colman Domingo, The Color Purple). They're after a briefcase that's introduced in the movie's opening scene, where it's in the hands of a collector (Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us). Simply attempting to hightail it out of town, Jamie and Marian have no idea what they've inadvertently gotten mixed up in. This is Ethan's debut solo fictional feature without his sibling co-helming. That said, it's his and Cooke's second successive project where Ethan is credited as the director, Cooke edits, but it's clearly a joint effort (the first: 2022 documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind). This Coen brother knows how to make all kinds of double acts work, then — and, in this one, Drive-Away Dolls' guiding forces weave no shortage of hookups into the journey. A chihuahua named Alice B Toklas, Henry James novels, cameos by Matt Damon (Oppenheimer) and Miley Cyrus (Black Mirror), a game cast in lead and supporting parts, a wild goose chase, general giddiness, a heap of spice, bars and hotel rooms after bars and hotel rooms, artist Cynthia Plaster Caster: they're all along for this ride. There's ample daffy detours in the narrative, but zero stalling in this riotous affair. With chemistry to burn between them, Qualley and Viswanathan are as pivotal to Drive-Away Dolls as its main behind-the-scenes talents. The film was always going to need a duo who made viewers crave every second in their company regardless of what the script throws their way, including whether Jamie is splashing around her exhibitionist sex-positivity or Marian is yearning for a life less ordinary — and it found them. There's a particular depth to Australian Miracle Workers, The Broken Hearts Gallery and Blockers star Viswanathan's portrayal, despite plunging too deep never being one of Coen and Cooke's aims. Marian wants something beyond the rut that she's long been stuck in. She can't stop being herself, aka the movie's straight man, to get it. She's hardly welcoming of the mania that she's thrust into. Relatable also isn't what Drive-Away Dolls is chiefly going for, but it finds it as well and drives away with it.
When the Sydney Film Festival last happened in-person back in 2019, it awarded its annual prize to the movie that everyone had been talking about since its Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or win a few weeks earlier: Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. Returning to Sydney's cinemas after a year's gap — longer, actually, after a few delays this year — SFF 2021 has declared another international festival favourite its latest Official Competition winner: Iranian drama There Is No Evil, which also nabbed Berlinale's Golden Bear in 2020. Receiving SFF's annual $60,000 award, the anthology film explores capital punishment and its impacts, with writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof examining the ripples that state-sanctioned killing has upon Iranian society. Pondering the threats and freedoms of life under an oppressive regime, it steps through the stories of a stressed husband and father (Ehsan Mirhosseini), a conscript (Kaveh Ahangar) who can't fathom ending someone's life, a soldier (Mohammad Valizadegan) whose compliance causes personal issues and a physician (Mohammad Seddighimehr) unable to practise his trade. Headed by Animal Kingdom, The Rover and The King filmmaker David Michôd, and also including actor Simon Baker (High Ground), NITV Head of Commissioning and Programming Kyas Hepworth, director and producer Maya Newell (Gayby Baby, In My Blood It Runs) and filmmaker Clara Law (Floating Life), the 2021 SFF Official Competition jury selected There Is No Evil "for its moving, multi-angled exploration of a singular theme, about the ways in which an entire culture can carry the burden of institutional cruelty." "Picking a winner from a collection of films as diverse as this one is never easy," said Michôd in a statement. "It's a movie adventurous with form and genre, beautifully performed and realised with a deft touch for simple, elegant filmmaking craft." Rasoulof has actually been banned from filmmaking in Iran, all for examining the reality of his homeland — and, after 2013's Manuscripts Don't Burn and 2017's A Man of Integrity, There Is No Evil continues the trend. "I want to thank the jury. I am really happy there is something more than a simple appreciation in this prize," the filmmaker said, accepting the award virtually from Tehran. "Being heard and understood is what keeps hope alive." In winning the Sydney Film Prize, Rasoulof's film follows in the footsteps of not only Parasite, but of other past winners The Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008). SFF announced There Is No Evil's win at its closing night ceremony, as well as a Special Mention to fellow Official Competition title Limbo — and a number of other awards spanning the rest of the 2021 program. The $10,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary went to I'm Wanita, a portrait of the self-described 'Australian queen of honky tonk', while producer and director Karina Holden received the $10,000 Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award. In the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films, Sophie Somerville's Peeps won the Dendy Live Action Short Award, Taylor Ferguson received the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director for tough and Olivia Martin-McGuire's Freedom Swimmer nabbed the Yoram Gross Animation Award. As previously announced before and during the festival, filmmaker Darlene Johnson received the 2021 Deutsche Bank Fellowship for First Nations Film Creatives, while Australian documentary Burning, directed by Eva Orner, scored the first-ever Sustainable Future Award. The 2021 Sydney Film Festival ran in-person from November 3–14, with the festival's online program SFF On Demand now streaming until November 21.
Netflix's green light has just swung into action, with the streaming platform finally confirming that Squid Game is definitely returning for a second season. The compulsively watchable South Korean series was one of the best new TV shows of 2021, and proved enormously popular for the service — becoming its most-watched show ever, in fact — so this news is hardly surprising. Getting the official word is still far better than playing Red Light, Green Light with the series' killer doll, though, clearly. Netflix co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos made the announcement as part of a video call about the platform's fourth-quarter earnings, advising that there will "absolutely" be a second season of the hit program. "The Squid Game universe has just begun," he said — although exactly what that might mean in terms of future episodes beyond the now-confirmed second season, spinoff shows or even movies wasn't mentioned. Netflix also started moving into games in 2021, so perhaps digital rounds of sugar honeycombs, marbles, hopscotch and tug of war could be in the franchise's future. When a second season of Squid Game will reach your streaming queue hasn't yet been revealed, either; however, given that creator Hwang Dong-hyuk started chatting about it in 2021, fingers crossed that it occurs sooner rather than latter. Yes, if news of the show's renewal sounds familiar, that's why — but today's announcement is the first time that Netflix has officially said that it's happening. Back in November, Hwang also advised that lead actor Lee Jung-jae (Deliver Us From Evil) was set to return as main character Seong Gi-hun. As for what else the second season storyline will follow, nothing has been revealed as yet — although Hwang has chatted through possibilities, including maybe giving another character the spotlight, with The Hollywood Reporter. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game last year, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. That includes aforementioned series protagonist Seong Gi-hun, a chauffeur with a gambling problem, and also a divorcé desperate to do whatever he needs to to keep his daughter in his life. But, as Squid Game probes the chasms caused by capitalism and cash — and the things the latter makes people do under the former — this program isn't just about one player. It's about survival, the status quo the world has accepted when it comes to money, and the real inequality present both in South Korea and elsewhere. Filled with electric performances, as clever as it is compelling, unsurprisingly littered with smart cliffhangers, and never afraid to get bloody and brutal, the result is a savvy, tense and taut horror-thriller that entertains instantly and also has much to say. So yes, bring on more. Squid Game's first season is available to stream via Netflix. We'll update you with a release date for season two when one is announced. Top image: Noh Juhan/Netflix.
Catch iiiiiiiiit! If summer for you was all about hitting the crease and making sure you yelled "out" as loudly as possible, you'll want to stop hitting refresh on your email and take a little break to reminisce over the good times. Together with TikTok, who ran a summer-long activation called #ClassicCatch in Australia, we've picked out five TikTok videos that have us wishing we'd spent more time perfecting our bowl. Here are five legends who did just that, showing us how to land the perfect catch on the sand to hitting a six in the sweltering Aussie heat. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@fairmoodz/video/6785779214101630214?lang=en[/embed] According to TikTok maker and photographer Joel (@fairmoodz), old mate Doug here has never played cricket before, yet he smashes it — only to be caught out. What a catch. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@harlsmalone/video/6745028181704625413?lang=en[/embed] What can we say? Harley has clearly been smashing the Weet-Bix for brekkie. No, you didn't just flip the dial to Channel Nine, @harlsmalone has only gone and given his beach cricket match an upgrade to professional level with a little audio. And why the hell not? Did you see that catch? Right between his teeth. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@kaybawa/video/6716017780166102277[/embed] Melbourne-based TikToker Kaybawa has opted for some truly inspired slo-mo action to show off his sweet bowling skills. He's also paired it with R Nait's beats, a stormy looking sky and the facial expression of a master. What a ledge. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@cricketdistrict/video/6900918387866619138[/embed] Hear that encouraging clap? These cricktokkers are not messing around. Cricket District posts hours of spins, bowls and LOLs on its page. This mid-air catch is a classic. [embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@bigmads/video/6813258573473238277[/embed] One of our personal faves, AFLW player Maddi Newman isn't just an all-rounder on the sports field but she's also a fan of Lizzo. Here, she brings three loves together in one clip (her dad, cricket and Lizzo) to show it ain't just the fellas hitting it out of the backyard this summer. Onya, Maddi. Download TikTok to watch more #ClassicCatch videos and look for TikTok's cricket themed activations in your city. Top image: Lochie Blanch; Unsplash
There are lots of ways to spot a bad film while you're watching it. The audience laughing during the intended scary bits, for example, is a strong indication of a directorial misstep. So, too, is the moment you find yourself checking your watch and discover it's only 15 minutes in. Perhaps the most telling sign is when you realise that you've already picked everything that's going to happen on screen, and you start re-writing the script in your head in an attempt to make it more interesting. When all of these indicators make themselves known to you so early on, however, the only real question becomes: why are you bothering at all? That same question could well be asked of the phenomenal cast assembled for Life – a space-based horror film that only succeeds in being based in space. Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson and Japanese A-lister Hiroyuki Sanada all lend their star power to a film that falls well short of deserving it, especially in light of such a generic screenplay. To be fair, both the premise and opening scenes offer promise. The crew of the International Space Station retrieve a Mars Rover carrying soil samples from the Red Planet that contain a microscopic living organism, the first indisputable proof of life beyond Earth. Rather than explore the inevitable and fascinating religious implications such a discovery would have back on earth, however, Life immediately turns its tiny sentient blob into an ingenious killing...blob. What follows is a by-the-numbers affair that's far closer to Gravity than it is Alien. Moreover, from go to woe, Life suffers from a collection of bizarrely muted performances operating within a remarkably limited emotional range. The differences, for example, between the celebrations over a crew member becoming a father, and the horror of witnessing a different crew member torn apart from the inside out are almost impossible to spot. There are innumerable unpredictabilities in filmmaking, but one surefire rule is that when a cast doesn't seem engaged in its own project, the audience's concomitant apathy is assured. Here the cast looks more bored than terrified. All in all, there's little to like about Life – and even less hope for the sequel it so blatantly attempts to set up in its final stages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeLsJfGmY_Y
There seems to be a distinct love for International Film in Australia. Each year there is a plethora of well attended film festivals offering insights into nations like France, Mexico, Italy and the latest event to hit Brisbane, the German Film Festival. With a diversity of films in genre and theme, there is something to suit all tastes. The festival opens with the psychological drama Cracks in the Shell a story about a young actress in Berlin and her efforts to get noticed. There is also the sad but enlightening story Wunderkinder, a historic drama about music and its power in pre-world war II Germany. It’s not all drama though, there is a touch of the love in Three, a film about a bored couple entering the risqué world of ménage a trois! But don’t worry, a good chuckle has not been forgotten, The Fraulein and the Sandman will have audiences laughing at the story of about a man who is turning into sand! These descriptions just scrape the surface of the variety of films being shown. There is a film for all, and each one offers audiences a little adventure in Germany without leaving the comfort of a cinema seat!
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. C'MON C'MON The last time that Joaquin Phoenix appeared in cinemas, he played an overlooked and unheard man. "You don't listen, do you?" Arthur Fleck asked his social worker, and the entirety of Joker — and of Phoenix's magnetic Oscar-winning performance as the Batman foe in the 2019 film, too — provided the obvious answer. Returning to the big screen in a feature that couldn't be more different to his last, Phoenix now plays a professional listener. A radio journalist and podcaster who'd slide in seamlessly alongside Ira Glass on America's NPR, Johnny's niche is chatting with children. Travelling around the country from his New York base, C'mon C'mon's protagonist seeks thoughts about life, hopes, dreams, the future and the world in general, but never in a Kids Say the Darndest Things-type fashion. As Phoenix's sensitive, pensive gaze conveys under the tender guidance of Beginners and 20th Century Women filmmaker Mike Mills, Johnny truly and gratefully hears what his young interviewees utter. Phoenix is all gentle care, quiet understanding and rippling melancholy as Johnny. All naturalism and attentiveness as well, he's also firmly at his best, no matter what's inscribed on his Academy Award. Here, Phoenix is as phenomenal as he was in his career highlight to-date, aka the exceptional You Were Never Really Here, in a part that again has his character pushed out of his comfort zone by a child. C'mon C'mon's Johnny spends his days talking with kids, but that doesn't mean he's equipped to look after his nine-year-old nephew Jesse (Woody Norman, The War of the Worlds) in Los Angeles when his sister Viv (Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent) needs to assist her husband Paul (Scoot McNairy, A Quiet Place Part II) with his mental health. Johnny and Viv haven't spoken since their mother died a year earlier, and Johnny has previously overstepped when it comes to Paul — with the siblings' relationship so precarious that he barely knows Jesse — but volunteering to help is his immediate reflex. As captured in soft, luxe, nostalgic shades of greyscale by always-remarkable cinematographer Robbie Ryan (see also: I, Daniel Blake, American Honey, The Favourite and Marriage Story), Johnny takes to his time with Jesse as any uncle suddenly thrust into a 24/7 caregiving role that doesn't exactly come naturally would. Jesse also reacts as expected, handling the situation as any bright and curious kid whose world swiftly changes, and who finds himself with a new and different role model, is going to. But C'mon C'mon is extraordinary not because its instantly familiar narrative sees Johnny and Jesse learn life lessons from each other, and their bond grow stronger the longer they spend in each other's company — but because this tremendously moving movie repeatedly surprises with its depth, insights, and lively sparks of both adult and childhood life. It's styled to look like a memory, and appreciates how desperately parents and guardians want to create such happy recollections for kids, but C'mon C'mon feels unshakeably lived-in rather than wistful. It doesn't pine for times gone by; instead, the film recognises the moments that linger in the now. It spies how the collection of ordinary, everyday experiences that Johnny and Jesse cycle through all add up to something that's equally commonplace, universally relatable and special, too. Conveying that sentiment, but never by being sentimental, has long been one of Mills' great powers as a filmmaker. He makes pictures so alive with real emotion that they clearly belong to someone, and yet also resonate with everyone all at once. With C'mon C'mon, the writer/director draws upon his own time as a parent, after taking inspiration from his relationship with his father in Beginners, and from his connection to his mother and his own upbringing in 20th Century Women. Read our full review. FLEE When Flee won the World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, it collected its first accolade. The wrenchingly affecting animated documentary hasn't stopped notching up deserving acclaim since. A spate of other gongs have come its way, in fact, including a history-making trifecta of nominations for Best International Feature, Best Documentary and Best Animated Feature at this year's Oscars, becoming the first picture to ever earn nods in all three categories at once. Mere minutes into watching, it's easy to glean why this moving and compassionate movie keeps garnering awards and attention. Pairing animation with factual storytelling is still rare enough that it stands out, but that blend alone isn't what makes Flee special. Writer/director Jonas Poher Rasmussen (What He Did) has created one of the best instances of the combination yet — a feature that could only have the impact it does by spilling its contents in such a way, like Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir before it — however, it's the tale he shares and the care with which he tells it that makes this something unshakeably exceptional. Rasmussen's subject is Amin Nawabi, an Afghan refugee using a pseudonym. As his story fills Flee's frames, it's also plain to see why it can only be told through animation. Indeed, the film doesn't cover an easy plight — or a unique one, sadly — but Rasmussen renders every detail not just with eye-catching imagery, but with visuals that flow with empathy at every moment. The filmmaker's protagonist is a friend of his and has been for decades, and yet no one, not even the director himself, had ever previously heard him step through the events that the movie chronicles. Amin is now in his 40s, but he was once a kid in war-torn Kabul, then a teenager seeking asylum in Copenhagen. His life to-date has cast him in other roles in other countries, too, on his journey to house-hunting with his boyfriend as he chats through the ups and downs for his pal. That path — via Russia and Sweden — is one of struggle and acceptance. It's a chronicle of displacement, losing one's foundations and searching for a space to be free. It's also an account of identities fractured and formed anew, and of grasping hold of one's culture and sexuality as well. Flee explores how global events and battling ideologies have a very real and tangible impact on those caught in their midst, a truth that the feature's hand-drawn look underscores at every turn. And, it's about trying to work out who you are when the building blocks of your life are so tenuous, and when being cast adrift from your family and traditions is your status quo. It's also an intimate portrait of how a past that's so intertwined with international politics, and with the Afghan civil war between US-backed rebels and the nation's Soviet-armed government, keeps leaving ripples. Plus, Flee examines how someone in its complicated situation endures without having a firm sense of home, including when acknowledging he's gay after growing up in a place where that wasn't even an option. Clearly, Flee is many vivid, touching, devastating things, and it finds an immense wealth of power in its expressive and humanistic approach. There's a hyperreality to the film's animation, honing in on precisely the specifics it needs to within each image and discarding anything superfluous. When a poster for Jean-Claude Van Damme's Bloodsport can be spied on Amin's 80s-era Kabul bedroom, for instance, Rasmussen draws viewers' eyes there with exacting purpose. There's impressionistic flair to Flee's adaptive style as well, with the movie firmly concerned with selecting the best way to visually represent how each remembered instance felt to Amin. A scene set to A-ha's 'Take on Me' presents a fantastic example, especially given that the Norwegian group's pop hit is famed for its animated music video — something that Rasmussen happily toys with. Read our full review. QUO VADIS, AIDA? Films about war are films about wide-ranging terror and horror: battles that changed lives, deaths that reshaped nations, political fights that altered the course of history and the like. But they're also movies about people first, foremost and forever: folks whose everyday existence was perpetually shattered, including those lost and others left to endure when hostilities cease. Quo Vadis, Aida? is firmly a feature about both aspects of war. It homes in on one town, Srebrenica, in July 1995 during the 1992–95 Bosnian War, but it sees devastation and a human toll so intimate and vast in tandem that heartbreak is the only natural response. A survivor of the war herself, writer/director Jasmila Žbanić (Love Island, For Those Who Can Tell No Tales) knows that combat and conflict happens to ordinary men and women, that each casualty is a life cut short and that every grief-stricken relative who remains will never forget their magic ordeal — and she ensures that no one who watches Quo Vadis, Aida? can forget the Srebrenica massacre, or the fact that 8372 civilians were killed, either. A teacher-turned-interpreter, the eponymous Aida Selmanagic (Jasna Đuričić, My Morning Laughter) is Žbanić's eyes and ears within the demilitarised safe zone established by Dutch UN peacekeepers. The film doesn't adopt her exact point of view aesthetically — we see Aida, and plenty; Quo Vadis, Aida? wouldn't be the same without the tenacity and insistence that radiates from her posture and gaze — but it lives, breathes, feels, roves and yearns as she does. What she translates and for who around the UN base varies but, as she roves, she's primarily a channel between innocents scared for their lives and the bureaucracy endeavouring to keep the Bosnian Serb Army away. She visibly feels the weight of that task, whether speaking for the injured, scared and hungry all crammed into the facility or passing on instructions from her superiors. Aida has a mother's and wife's motivations, however: above all else, she wants her husband Nihad (Izudin Barjović, Father), a school principal, to be with her and to be safe — and the same for their sons Hamdija (Boris Ler, Full Moon) and Sejo (Dino Barjović, Sin), obviously. It's a mission to even get them in the base, with Colonel Karremans (Johan Heldenbergh, The Hummingbird Project) and his offsider Major Franken (Raymond Thiry, The Conductor) determined to not show any appearances of favouritism, especially with so many other refugees pleading to be allowed in outside. But Aida hustles, including getting Nihad sent to negotiations with Serbian General Ratko Mladić (Boris Isaković, Last Christmas) as a town representative. And as the General's brash, cocky, swaggering troops start escorting out the base's inhabitants and putting them onto buses depending upon their gender following those talks, Aida makes every desperate move she can to save her family. Quo Vadis, Aida? equally chronicles and shares Aida's reaction to the chaos and trauma around her. With Nihad, Hamdija and Sejo's lives at stake, the peacekeepers that Aida is helping refusing to assist by expanding the protections she enjoys to her loved ones, and the UN making moves that bow to Mladić — refusing to act otherwise, more accurately — Žbanić's film was always going to bustle forward in lockstep with its protagonist's emotional rollercoaster ride. That said Quo Vadis, Aida? is also an exacting movie in laying bare the complexities bubbling within the base, and the broader scenario. Unflinchingly, it sees how ineffective the UN's actions are, as ordered from far away with no sense of the reality on the ground. It recognises how outnumbered the peace effort is in Srebrenica, too. It spies the ruthlessness of the General and his forces, as was destined to happen when given even the slightest leeway. And it also spots how determined Aida is to safeguard her family, all while hurrying around thousands of others in the same precarious circumstances but without the possibility of anyone even trying to pull strings in their favour. Read our full review. UNCHARTED Some movies sport monikers so out of sync with their contents that someone really should've had a rethink before they reached screens. Uncharted is one of them, but it was never going to switch its name. The action-adventure flick comes to cinemas following a decade and a half of trying, after the first Uncharted video game reached consoles in 2007 and the journey to turning it into a movie began the year after. Accordingly, this Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home)- and Mark Wahlberg (Joe Bell)-starring film was fated to keep its franchise's title, which references its globe-trotting, treasure hunting, dark passageway-crawling, dusty map-coveting storyline. But unexplored, unfamiliar and undiscovered, this terrain definitely isn't — as four Indiana Jones films to-date, two National Treasure flicks, three Tomb Raider movies, 80s duo Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile, and theme park ride-to-screen adaptation Jungle Cruise have already demonstrated. Uncharted mightn't live up to its label, but it is something perhaps unanticipated given its lengthy production history — a past that's seen six other filmmakers set to direct it before the Zombieland movies' Ruben Fleischer actually did the honours, plenty of screenwriters come and go, and Wahlberg once floated to play the saga's hero Nathan Drake rather than the mentor role of Victor Sullivan he has now. That surprise? Uncharted is fine enough, which might be the best likely possible outcome that anyone involved could've hoped for. It's almost ridiculously generic, and it sails in the Pirates of the Caribbean flicks' slipstream as well, while also cribbing from The Mummy, Jumanji and even the Ocean's films. Indeed, it borrows from other movies as liberally as most of its characters pilfer in their daily lives, even nodding towards all things Fast and Furious. It's no worse than the most generic of its predecessors, though — which isn't the same as striking big-screen gold, but is still passable. The reasons that Uncharted just hits the barest of marks it needs to are simple and straightforward: it benefits from Holland's charms, its climax is a glorious action-film spectacle, and it doesn't ever attempt to be anything it's not (although reading a statement of intent into the latter would be being too generous). It also zips through its 116-minute running time, knowing that lingering too long in any one spot wouldn't serve it well — and it's as good as it was going to be given the evident lack of effort to be something more. While you can't make a great movie out of these very minor wins, they're all still noticeable pointers in an okay-enough direction. Getting audiences puzzling along with it, delivering narrative surprises even to viewers wholly unfamiliar with the games, asking Wahlberg to do anything more than his familiar tough-guy schtick, making the most of the bulk of its setpieces, providing the product of more than just-competent direction: alas, none of these turn out. In a film that acts as a prequel to its button-mashing counterparts, Holland plays Drake as a 20-something with brother issues, a vast knowledge of cocktail histories that's handy for his bartending gig, an obsession with 16th-century Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and the gold he might've hidden, and very light fingers. Nate's elder sibling dipped out of his life after the pair were caught trying to steal a Magellan map as orphanage-dwelling kids, in fact, which Sully uses to his advantage when he first crosses his path in a New York bar — and, after some convincing, Nate has soon signed up to finish the quest he's been dreaming about since childhood. Naturally, this newly formed duo aren't the only ones on the Magellan treasure's trail. The wealthy Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard) is descended from the explorer's original financiers and boasts a hefty sense of entitlement, while knife-wielding mercenary Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle, You) and enterprising fortune-hunter Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali, India Sweets and Spices) are each chasing a windfall. Read our full review. ALINE In a 1997 ballad that'll forever linked with the on-screen sinking of the world's most famous ship, Celine Dion told us that her heart would go on. Whether the Canadian singer's ticker will physically defy mortality is yet to be seen, but Aline, the fictionalised biography based on her rollercoaster ride of a life, certainly takes the idea to heart by overextending its running time. It's easy to see why the 'Because You Loved Me', 'The Power of Love' and 'Think Twice' crooner demands a lengthy feature. Also, compared to the big-budget superhero blockbuster standard, Aline's 128 minutes is positively concise. At every moment, however, this Valérie Lemercier (50 Is the New 30)-directed, -co-written and -starring film feels like it's going on and on and on. Near, far, wherever you are, it limps along despite packing plenty of ups and downs into its frames. A key reason: it primarily plays like the result of Lemercier simply opening up that door to Dion's Wikipedia page. Dion's story has everything from childhood fame and enormous career achievements to relationship scandals and personal tragedies, and Lemercier and her co-scribe Brigitte Buc (who also co-penned the filmmaker's 2005 featured Palais royal!) don't overlook any of it. But Dion's immense success doesn't necessarily make her overly fascinating, and nor do the many twists and turns her path has taken since she was born into a large Quebec family — arriving as the youngest of 14 children — and then found fame as a teen. Or, in her defence, they don't make her particularly interesting in a movie that's content to tick through everything that life has thrown her way like it's marking off a checklist rather than fleshing her out as a person. Viewers glean all of the necessary biographical details from Aline, but little sense of its subject, especially buried under Lemercier's unconvincing blend of soapy comedy and loving affection. The name Celine is mentioned in the film, as one of the script's gags — and Aline Dieu (Lemercier) is quick to correct the record. But before anyone is calling her anything much, she's a gifted singer crooning at her family's bar and proving in big demand locally, which sparks one of her brothers to record a demo. The tape's recipient, manager Guy-Claude Kamar (Sylvain Marcel, Les Honorables), can't quite believe that the slender girl in front of him comes with such a voice, and soon helps guide her career from strength to strength. Pitstops along the way include a pause so Aline can enjoy being a teenager, her mother Sylvette's (Danielle Fichaud, District 31) dismay when she falls for the much-older Guy-Claude, vocal troubles that require a three-month break from even speaking and the struggle to get pregnant. Among the highlights: winning a singing contest in Dublin, a big Hollywood awards ceremony, a lengthy US residency and all that chart-topping. Eurovision isn't mentioned by name in Aline, and nor is Titanic or the Oscars, mirroring the change to Dion's moniker (and those of her loved ones and key figures in her life). But the film does weave in the star's own songs, which makes its altered details elsewhere feel uncanny, and like the movie is caught between a parody and a love letter. The montage-esque handling of big and small moments alike doesn't help, cramming in minutiae from Dion's real-life tale but never giving anything room to resonate. Neither does the perfunctory direction and by-the-numbers dialogue, which can't elevate the film beyond Behind the Music-style recreations. Lemercier's choices, including playing Aline at all ages — from childhood through to now — could've resulted in goofy inspiration. Perhaps that's what, every night in her dreams, she saw and felt. But while happily absurd, the movie that results is an over-packed jumble and drag, like getting 'My Heart Will Go On' stuck in your head for head for a quarter-century. A STITCH IN TIME When A Stitch in Time begins, it's with weary veteran musician Duncan (real-life veteran musician Glen Shorrock) playing his weekly gig at a Sydney RSL. But the crowd is sparse, inspiring the venue's newly installed manager to proclaim that it's time for a change to draw in a bigger and younger audience. The silver-haired Liebe (Maggie Blinco, The Nightingale), Duncan's long-standing partner, is singled out as the type of patron that the bar wants to move past — an observation that's rightfully and instantly met with anger. But when they're alone, Duncan's demeanour towards the woman that's been by his side for decades through jousts at fame and a lifetime of dealing with unrealised dreams is hardly affectionate. He wants acclaim and praise, and still to make the record he's always fantasised about, all while Liebe simply keeps quiet and cooks bacon for breakfast. A Stitch in Time tells Liebe's story as she finally finds the courage to step away from the toxic relationship that's defined her life, all thanks to a trip to a local market and the resulting encouragement from up-and-coming Chinese Australian designer Hamish (Hoa Xuande, Cowboy Bebop). A skilled dressmaker, she once had her own dreams of success, but let them slip aside to support Duncan. Now, his utter contempt for her renewed interest in rekindling her fashion prowess is the push she needs to seek a change after all these years. In first-time feature writer/director/producer/editor Sasha Hadden's hands, Liebe's path from there charts both an expected and a bleakly complex path — stitching together setbacks, roadblocks and miseries as part of a pattern for a brighter future and a predictably feel-good ending. One part schmaltz, one part domestic grit: that's the combination at the heart of the nonetheless sunnily hot A Stitch in Time, with the film teetering between the two accordingly. It's an awkward mix, despite the movie's efforts to lay bare the reality facing Liebe in trying to start again after living the bulk of her life — attitudes faced, financial difficulties and internal struggles among them — and its mission to spin a heartwarming story about a character and demographic often relegated to the big-screen sidelines. Again and again, the feature's script layers heartstring-pulling complications on top of each other, such as Liebe's childhood escape from Nazi Germany and her health woes after moving into a sharehouse with Chinese university students. It similarly adores saccharine moments, and uses the gimmick of going viral not once but twice. Thankfully, A Stitch in Time pays far more respect to its ageing protagonist than its recent equivalents (see: Queen Bees, Never Too Late, Poms, Dirty Grandpa and The War with Grandpa). That said, it still doesn't trust that viewers would feel for Liebe and her plight without either the laundry list of traumas thrust her way or the cheesy twists of fate that arrive to save her. The roster of talent that Hadden has amassed both on- and off-screen do their best to lift the material, however. That includes via spirited performances from not just Blinco but also Belinda Giblin (Home and Away) as Liebe's long-estranged pal Christine, plus the warm rapport between Blinco and Xuande — and also crisp lensing from legendary Australian cinematographer Don McAlpine (an Oscar nominee for Moulin Rouge!). THE LAST MOUNTAIN In films about humanity's undying yearning to conquer the planet's towering heights, what goes up doesn't always come down — to tragic results. But the quickly growing genre of documentaries that's sprung up around scaling mountains, or trying to, does traverse both the highs and the lows. It spans tales of life-altering success against the odds, chronicling all the hard work and near-fatal slips along the way, as seen in Oscar-winner Free Solo and the similarly uplifting The Dawn Wall. It also includes clear-eyed accounts of disaster, with the phenomenal Sherpa easily at the peak. And, it covers accounts of mountaineers who strived to climb lofty peaks and their own dreams, but ultimately saw their lives cut short doing what they love, such as The Alpinist. The Last Mountain falls into the latter camp and twice over, stepping into the stories of British mother-and-son duo Alison Hargreaves and Tom Ballard. In 1995, 33-year-old Hargreaves aimed to scale the three highest mountains on the globe: Everest, K2 and Kangchenjunga, all without the help of bottled oxygen or Sherpas to transport her gear. She achieved the first in May, becoming the first woman to do so. Next, she attempted the second in August, but died on the descent. In the aftermath, to help process their grief, Hargreaves' husband Jim Ballard, seven-year-old son Tom and four-year-old daughter Kate made a pilgrimage to K2, a trip that unsurprisingly left an enormous imprint upon her children. Tom was in his mother's womb when she climbed the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland, so he was perhaps fated to love the pastime with the same passion. He became an acclaimed alpinist himself, until a February 2019 trip to Pakistan's Nanga Parbat, at the age of 30, to attempt the never-before-completed Mummery Spur. Twenty-four years elapsed between Hargreaves and Ballard's final climbs, at mountains that sit less than 200 kilometres apart — and the symmetry in their lives, loves, passion for alpinism, untimely demises and final resting places is nothing short of haunting. That's how it feels to watch The Last Mountain, all the more so because the documentary devotes much of its running time to unpacking how haunted his sister Kate, also an avid rock-climber, feels after the deaths of both her mother and brother to doing what they adored. With filmmaker Christopher Terrill (Britain's Biggest Warship) along for the trip, she once again heads to Pakistan and Kashmir, this time to get as close as is safely possible to where Tom met his end. Symmetry abounds here as well, including in a tearful reunion with Big Ibrahim, the local guide who carried her on his back for the trek the first time around. The Last Mountain doesn't simply rely upon its heartbreaking echoes, or the Hargreaves–Ballard family's personal plight, as bolstered with archival material and interviews both of Alison and Tom. (Given the passage of years and the change in technology since, there's more and better footage of Tom in action, and it's a spectacular sight to behold.) A lesser film would've been happy with all of the above and still proven gripping; however, Terrill also unpacks the intricacies around celebrating extreme alpine and rock-climbing feats, then looking for someone to blame when treks finish badly — even without examining how the media backlash that swelled around Alison for dying and leaving her kids behind more than a quarter-century ago. Indeed, the back and forth that steps through the events leading to Tom's death, after uncharacteristically taking on a climbing partner in Italian Mummery Spur fanatic Daniele Nardi, is as complicated as the emotions that visibly course through Kate every time that she's in front of the camera. The Last Mountain is a clear tribute, and another ode to humanity's pull to the mountains, but it's also willing to be as thematically complicated as the terrain that looms so large within its frames. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; January 1, January 6, January 13, January 20 and January 27; and February 3 and February 10. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley, Belle, Parallel Mothers, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Belfast, Here Out West, Jackass Forever, Benedetta, Drive My Car and Death on the Nile.
If you see an unusual number of fictional characters roaming the streets this May 2, you're not crazy, but you are missing out: it's Free Comic Book Day. Every year on the first Saturday in May, comic book stores around the world give away free comics to anyone who walks in. Free Comic Book Day started in America, but it's been picked up by stores in Australia as well. Aiming to "reach out to those individuals unfamiliar with the comic book specialty market", Free Comic Book Day sees many publishers ship specially printed comic books, often previews of upcoming titles, to participating stores around the world. It's not just about the free stuff, though — most stores will have special events going on like artist signings, dress-up competitions and giveaways. The website also has a handy store locator, so you can see what stores are participating near you.
Next time you sip a G&T, or whichever other gin cocktail takes your fancy, you could be drinking a new Australian label that puts homegrown ingredients to great use. That'd be Taka Gin, a brand that's just hit the market thanks to Melbourne's Niyoka Bundle — who has branched out into the world of spirits from her Indigenous-fusion catering company Pawa Catering. Like plenty of recent new businesses, the idea behind Taka Gin came about in lockdown, with Indigenous woman Bundle and her husband Vincent Manning inspired to take on a new project — and to continue to highlight First Nations people's native foods in the process. That's why their tipple heroes lemon-scented gum leaf and native lemongrass, two plants that the duo consider underutilised. They're paired with a base of seven other botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica root, cassia chips, finger lime, orris root and desert lime. Taka Gin's key ingredients have been foraged from around Melbourne, and sourced from Indigenous wild harvesters, including via Natif Super Foods and Warndu. The gin is then distilled by Gypsy Hub at Collingwood's Craft & Co, and sold online via the brand's website, with a 700-millilitre bottle costing $90. In terms of taste, this is a smooth gin. Expect soft citrus flavours, as well as a fragrance that helps bring out the tipple's flavour. The brand takes its name from the Gunditjmara language, which hails from southwest Victoria, with 'taka' meaning taste. And, its eye-catching labels are designed by Bundle's mother and Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong artist Vicki Couzens. Against a white background, the minimalistic images represent the phytochemical molecular components that comprise Taka Gin's flavours. Handily, Taka Gin is doing free shipping Australia-wide, too, if you need another reason to expand your gin shelf. For more information about Taka Gin, or to buy a bottle, head to the brand's website. Images: Marcie Raw Studio.
Whether they riff on fairy bread or turn lamingtons into something cold and creamy, plenty of Gelato Messina's popular desserts transform other foods into a frosty sweet treat. Who doesn't love a culinary mashup? Not this chain and its devotees, clearly. And, since 2021, the brand has been taking that process a step further by whipping up a chocolates based on its already-inventive gelato flavours. With 2022 now here, Messina is kicking off the new year the way it always goes on — with a fresh batch of one-off specials, starting with a return to its gelato-inspired choccies. This time, there's four varieties available, all in one box. So yes, you'll get to try them all without having to choose which one you'd prefer. Love Messina's take on Iced Vovos, Coco Pops, lamingtons and fairy bread? They're all accounted for here. And they all look the part, because of course they do. They all look delicious, too. The Vovovroom bar comes filled with layers of raspberry cream, raspberry jam, desiccated coconut and sablé biscuit, then coated in raspberry chocolate. With the Just Like a Chocolate Milkshake bar, you're getting chocolate malt cream, milk chocolate-panned rice bubbles and chocolate sablé biscuit, all coated in milk chocolate. Obviously, the fairy bread bar is coated with 100s and 1000s — and includes layers of toasted breadcrumb cream and sablé biscuit coated in white chocolate as well. Or, for the lamington, you'll get chocolate cream, raspberry jam, chocolate-dusted desiccated coconut and chocolate sablé biscuit, as wrapped in dark chocolate. Boxes cost $40 each and you'll need to place your order on Monday, January 17, with times varying depending on your state. You can then pick up the choccies between Saturday, January 22–Sunday, January 23. Gelato Messina's chocolate box will be available to order from on Monday, January 17, from 9am local time in Queensland and the ACT, 9.30am in Victoria and between 10am–11am in New South Wales.
Think about the satisfaction of an epic growing out of the tiniest, most humble of origins. Whether it's the highbrow whiff of Proust's madeleine or the spunk'n'egg cocktail of human history, the romantic notion of 'from little things great things grow' is an appealing motif. In the case of Life and Times, the current mega work by New York-based theatre company Nature Theater of Oklahoma, the starting point was a phone conversation between co-artistic director Pavol Liska and company member Kristin Worrall. Worrall's brief was simple — tell her life story — and yet in the years since that first request in 2007, the verbatim results of her conversations with Liska have expanded into 15 hours worth of theatrical performance out of an anticipated 24. The art of conversation The casual language of phone conversations has formed the basis of two previous NTOK productions, No Dice (2008) and Romeo and Juliet (2009), and Liska and his partner, co-artistic director Kelly Copper, regularly chat with an impressive cohort of international artists in their podcast, OK Radio. The art of conversation it seems is, for now at least, a recurring principle of the company's process. "My education comes from my encounters with all different types of people," says Liska. "As a child you grow up and you meet this person and this person and this person, and I don't want to shut that process down. I know that I can't talk to everybody, so the people I do choose to talk to, I try to talk with them as deeply as possible. I use conversation as a springboard to unbalance myself, to derail myself. Ultimately, I could just lock myself in the closet and talk to myself, but there would be no resistance. So I use the other person to question my own ideas, to unbalance me and derail my own train of thought, and I do that to them as well." It is this deep process of conversation that provides the wealth of material for NTOK's Life and Times, of which Episodes 1–4 (out of an eventual ten) will be performed at this year's Melbourne Festival. Worrall's life story is not a chronologically linear autobiography, but rather a stream of recollection that fabricates a self-aware state of cause-and-effect as she links events through talking with Liska. The result is, for Liska, a kind of language that "does not belong in the theatre", and one that requires transformation before it is fit for an audience. Bringing theatre to the everyday "The more loose the text is, if it's a meandering conversation about something, the harder we have to work in the opposite direction [to formalise it], otherwise it's invisible," says Liska. A clear example of NTOK's approach to adapting conversational brain-dumping for the stage can be found in the earlier work Romeo and Juliet, which emerged from Liska and Copper calling friends and recording their attempts to recount the plot of Shakespeare's famous tragedy. "In order to make [these recordings] pop and to open them up, we felt like we needed to use a really formal mode of presentation, that over-the-top, cliched Shakespearean performance style," recounts Liska. As a contrast, after the show's curtain call the company then performed Shakespeare's original version of the balcony scene — in the dark, and understated, as the language was already so theatrical. “It just wouldn't be enough to present a phone conversation,” says Liska, “maybe some people who work with documentary theatre are okay with that, but ultimately I sit in rehearsal and I go to every performance and I have to find that it's opening something up for myself. It's not a purely humanistic effort — we're not just presenting the conversation and saying, hey, look at how wonderful people are — it's an aesthetic manifesto and an exploration.” Audiences and the clap Liska is genuine when he talks about the company exploring language through experimentation with aesthetics, and Life and Times already features a manic diversity in its presentation styles from episode to episode, including a couple that depart from traditional audience-actor theatre experiences altogether. "Obviously the audience doesn't talk back," says Liska, "but I want the exchange in the room to be a conversation, and my goal is never to allow the audience to forget that they are playing a role in the event. That's why it's so long — so that all these preconceived notions fall away. Something else happens." While Melbourne audiences will be able to see individual episodes separately, the ideal experience is to front up for the ten-hour marathon and in some way merge meaningfully with Liska, Copper and the gang. “If I have a conversation with you, I don't want you to clap for me at the end,” says Liska. Although there will be a curtain call at the end of the Melbourne marathon session, it's more because the actors end the fourth episode onstage and to not have applause would just feel weird. However, in between each episode, the cast can be found serving food in the foyer. “People can actually talk to them,” says Liska, “rather than do this — CLAP.” The Great Nature Theater of Oklahoma is calling you! There is poetic resonance in this idea of Liska's, given that the Nature Theater of Oklahoma first appeared in Franz Kafka's unfinished novel Amerika as a theatre company that had a place for absolutely anyone who came along. It also rings true with Liska's experience of Eastern European theatre-makers taking action for their community — not simply making art to be consumed. For Liska the important thing is to "stay open and playful and flexible. I wouldn't say that I'd never do a Chekhov play again, or a Greek tragedy — there just has to be a really strong reason to do something, I think that's what the audience finds inspiring.” For now such inspiration may dwell in a humble, late-night phone conversation, but it's anyone's guess under which pebble NTOK's next epic may be found. Life and Times is on at the Arts Centre Melbourne from October 22-26. Tickets are available from the Melbourne Festival website.
It's that time of year, Brisbanites: time for every patch of this city to play host to festive-themed markets. No matter where you're moseying, you won't be far from a collection of stalls selling plenty of gifts — including Woolloongabba's South City Square from 9am–1pm on Saturday, December 5. That's when The Market Folk is taking over the place, putting on a Christmas Pop-Up Market that'll be filled with stocking-stuffers. We hope your loved ones like clothes, jewellery, ceramics, plants, pots, homewares and art, because you'll find it all here. With In Black The Label, Georgina Dunn Jewellery and Harrison Ceramic Studio among the stallholders, the markets will have a big focus on design, so you won't be browsing and buying just any old wares. As well as the shopping, there'll be live music and Christmas wreath workshops. There'll be bites to eat as well — and, if you like soft serve ice cream or cupcakes (or both), you will be able to nab a few freebies. The Soft Spot will be giving out 50 free desserts and Coloured Butter Cupcakes will be doing the same, on a first in, first served basis.
Every now and then the opportunity comes your way that you just simply can't say no to. You find yourself coming up with all the excuses in the world into why you shouldn't take it, only to get slapped across the face and kicked in the shins by your mates asking how stupid you actually are. All the facts and figures point towards the only option. Pick up your nuts and go for it. The opportunity? I've been nominated as one of five international bloggers undertaking one of the latest regional tourism engagement campaigns, this time from Destination NSW. The campaign is called The Unmapped Roadtrip. The locals are asked to recommend where we should be going in NSW, who we should see and what we should do throughout the entire month of March. Someone has recommended already that we dive with sharks. Sceptic Kiwi right there. Anyway, I'll be on a bus, with 4 other strangers who will no doubt become good friends, travelling around the great state. This is all I know at this point. I leave on Thursday 1 March at 6am for Sydney and I believe we're heading along to the infamous Mardi Gras for our first weekend, with none other than Kylie Minogue headling. Stop it! I should be so lucky alright. https://youtube.com/watch?v=haoCgGzS0wY To be clear, I'm not really a sceptic Kiwi, but in light of the recent Air New Zealand campaign, I thought I would take this approach in order to lay down the challenge to all New South Welsh Men and Women, and say "come on, show us what you got". I arrive back on Sunday 1 April, where I will ultimately arrive at my conclusion of the Ten Best Things to do in New South Wales. In the meantime, you can follow me on our Twitter page (@PLAYGROUNDNZ) and for those that are that way inclined, I'll also be regularly posting via the Concrete Playground Instagram account. I promise to be entertaining and represent New Zealand responsibly. Is that possible? I guess you will have to find out.
Brisbane, you thought you were done with burgers. You thought the city couldn't get any more burger obsessed. No way. We're not done here — we're importing burgs from interstate. Melbourne's favourite burger chain Mr Burger is finally, finally coming to town. The crew have announced that one of their famous mobile burg dispensing units (or 'truck') will be hitting out streets this week and flooding the market with their famous burgers and trucker chips. Mr Burger started their tenure in Melbourne as a no-frills truck that served up killer burgers. Now their vehicles dot the city, they work with university students to deliver burgers by drone and they've launched a food truck revolution in the form of the Welcome to Thornbury community hub. Their trucker chips (famously slathered in three kinds of cheese, secret sauce and crispy bacon) and the pizza variant (think of a pizza and swap out the base for a load of French fries) are notorious for being gloriously and deliciously OTT. Mr Burger owner Daragh Kan says the full menu will be available in Brisbane and they're hoping to stick around for a while. "We'd love to be up in Brisbane permanently," he says. "At this stage we've just got the truck but if we find the right site we'll definitely consider a store as well. When we opened in Tasmania, we were originally just looking at a truck but we're currently in the process of opening a store, so there's definitely precedent." Hallelujah! In the meantime, they're rocking a six-month permit so don't be afraid to get on board with Mr Burger — he's not going away anytime soon. Best break out your finest elasticated pants and prepare for a quite an experience. Mr Burger will be hitting Brisbane over the weekend, starting with a session at Green Beacon Brewing Co. on Friday, August 26. Keep an eye on their Twitter for more information about where to catch the orange truck (and free celebratory burgs!).
With summer upon us and Christmas on the horizon, it's the perfect time to treat yourself and sort out your sleep. If you're tossing and turning at night it might not just be because of the state of the world, it could be your mattress and pillow as well. Luckily, premium homewares brand Ecosa wants to help you get a good night's sleep. All items on the Ecosa website are 25 percent off from Monday, November 23 to Monday, November 30. That's right, a whole week of deals in which you can save up to $350 on everything you need for a sleek, comfortable nights sleep. If you've been complaining about a crook neck, maybe head off to the physio and get yourself fancy new memory foam pillow. The ergonomic pillow boasts an adjustable height, a curved shape that suits side and back sleepers and a compressible foam that supports the natural shape of your head. Plus, two compression bags so you can pack it up and take it with you everywhere. Yep, it's one helluva pillow. If that's not enough, Ecosa also offers free shipping and returns Australia-wide, plus a 100-day free trial period. And, with everything on sale, get in early for some Christmas shopping. Ecosa is your one-stop sleep shop, with luxe bamboo sheets, silk pillowcases, wooden bed base, memory foam mattress and weighted blanket all available at the discounted price. So, you can treat yourself, your friends and your whole family to a better night's sleep. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
We all like gelato, but sometimes the occasion calls for something other than everyone's favourite creamy dessert. Maybe it's too cold? Maybe you already have an ice cream headache? Maybe Gelato Messina is closed, or just not in the immediate vicinity? Enter the food mashup that had to happen, really — and a concoction straight out of every gelato and biscuit lover's dreams. In 2017, Gelato Messina Tim Tams became the Aussie sweet treat hybrid everyone wanted to taste. Now, in inevitable news, a second batch is on its way from February. Due in stores around the country from February 5, the new Gelato Messina Tim Tam range will come in three styles: choc cherry coconut, iced coffee and Turkish delight. "We've delved deep into our gelato flavour bank," said Gelato Messina co-founder Declan Lee, with the company coming up with the new selection after the popularity of last year's lineup. Making this tastebud-tempting news even better is the fact that, like all Tim Tams, they'll be sold in supermarkets everywhere. Yes, that means more Messina goodness more often. The biscuits are expected to set hungry shoppers back $3.65 per packet. Come on, you know you're going to buy more than one.
Love pasta, but never quite mastered the art of making your own gnocchi? Always wanted to whip up your own soap and shampoo bars — or maybe some soy candles? Perhaps you've dreamed of fashioning bangles, macrame key rings and clay planters yourself. Or, you could harbour a lifelong dream to get into calligraphy. Whether you're keen to get stitching and sewing, build a terrarium, or paint a portrait of your pet pooch, ClassBento's new Craft Box workshop series has a session for you. Moving its classes online, it's now live-streaming all manner of 30–60 minute creative seminars. They're taught by a range of artists and teachers across Australia — and you can either enrol in one of ClassBento's public classes, or round up some pals (virtually, of course) and book in for your own private session. Given the broad selection of classes on offer — including punch needle embroidery, making edible wafer paper roses for cakes and shibori dyeing, just to name a few — dates and prices vary. For the latest details on your session of interest, head to Class Bento's website. [caption id="attachment_766964" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Paint Bar[/caption] Plus, if you're wondering about all the different tools you'll need to learn to weave, make a kokedama hanging moss ball or create paper mache collage bowls, each class comes with a craft box. Once you've chosen your session, it'll be delivered to you in advance — so, when class time comes, you'll be ready to go.
When a team makes it to the final four at the FIFA World Cup, their time at the tournament doesn't end if they don't score their way into the final. That very last game of the competition decrees who takes home the ultimate piece of football silverware, and also who comes in second, but the two squads that missed out on the decider also battle it out for third place in a playoff match. Accordingly, while the Matildas can't turn the 2023 Women's World Cup green and gold, they can still nab bronze from on Saturday, August 19. Sam Kerr and her teammates will take on Sweden at Suncorp Stadium, in what's understandably the hottest ticket in Brisbane this weekend. Didn't manage to get a seat? Enter the River City's live sites again, including at Riverstage. Watch Australia vs Sweden live at South Bank and Riverstage this Saturday. ️⚽️@TheMatildas did us proud. Let's cheer them on in their final match of the @FIFAWWC. pic.twitter.com/Hyw3YoyB5k — Adrian Schrinner (@bne_lordmayor) August 17, 2023 When Australia's national women's soccer team made the semi-final, the city and state's powers-that-be added more public places to watch the match. South Bank has been the official FIFA base since Thursday, July 20, and that hub gained more screens around the riverside precinct. King George Square joined in as well, as did Riverstage. Obviously filling a huge venue with huge crowds to watch a massive game on a massive screen turned out nicely at in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens, even if the 3–1 score in England's favour didn't for Matildas fans. If you're heading along for the Sweden game, prepare to have company, with amphitheatre able to fit in 9000 soccer lovers. Will you be able to hear the roar from Milton, from the actual match itself? Here's hoping. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) Football fans have been coming out in force to fill live viewing sites around the country — and also tuning in at home to watch the Matildas in droves. The quarter-final match against France smashed ratings records, becoming the most-watched Australian television sports event in a decade, while the semi-final against the Lionesses is now the most-watch Aussie TV program since 2001, and likely ever (OzTAM's ratings records only go back that far). You can also get into the Women's World Cup spirit at a number of events around Brisbane, and spend more time watching the Matildas thanks to documentary Matildas: The World at Our Feet. [caption id="attachment_913581" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The Matildas take on Sweden at 6pm on Saturday, August 19, with the match playing on the big screen at Brisbane Riverstage — and also at South Bank. The FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 runs from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, August 20 across Australia and New Zealand, with tickets available from the FIFA website. Top image: Rovena Rosa/Agência Brasil via Wikimedia Commons
Following Australia's wettest summer in four years, the Bureau of Meteorology predicted an equally rainy autumn was on the cards for the east coast, with above-average amounts of rainfall touted to fall across the region. If you live in the area, you're probably quite aware that the climate is well and truly living up to that prediction, with a dark and wet start to March that's only expected to worsen — especially in Sydney over the next three days. According to BOM's forecast, the New South Wales capital is expected to be hit with anywhere up to 220 millimetres of rain between Thursday, March 18–Saturday, March 20. A high-pressure system in the Tasman Sea will create a coastal trough, bringing heavy rain to Sydney, as well as to the Hunter Valley and northern NSW from Friday and into Saturday. Heavy rainfall, strong and gusty winds, large waves and a chance of thunderstorms are all forecast for the NSW coast across the weekend. https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1372066510399709185 Further north, a heavy rainfall warning with possible flash flooding has been issued for the mid north NSW coast, including areas like Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. In Queensland, the central highlands has already experienced heavy rainfall, with 200-plus millimetres of rainfall being recorded in some parts of central Queensland, leading to evacuations and rescues. These wet conditions have been pushing into the Brisbane metropolitan area, where it has already been rainy for a couple of days. Showers are expected to continue right into next week — at least — with up to 25 millimetres of rain on Saturday, March 20 and possible thunderstorms impacting the area over the weekend. Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino has predicted wet weather across the country over the next eight days, with rainfall predicted to impact every state, and warnings of possible flooding. https://twitter.com/Ben_Domensino/status/1372030326596276224 If you need to head out, don't forget to pack your umbrellas and raincoats — and keep an eye on the warnings. As the weather conditions continue to develop, stay up to date with the latest forecast and weather warnings via the Bureau of Meteorology.
It's the film festival that gives German cinema fans a showcase of the European nation's latest and greatest movies without leaving Australia. It's a way to catch up on highlights from the Berlin International Film Festival from Down Under, too. And, it's where German-language flicks from beyond the obvious nation equally get their time to shine. The event in question is the German Film Festival, which has a huge 2025 in store even just by the numbers. Making its way around Australia between Wednesday, April 30–Wednesday, May 28, this year's fest has 29 days of movies on offer across eight legs in nine places and 23 cinemas. Cinephiles in Brisbane, get excited: 20 features are hitting Palace James St and Palace Barracks between Wednesday, May 7–Wednesday, May 28. The German Film Festival's 2025 opening-night pick is romantic comedy Long Story Short, kicking off the celebration of cinema by giving Australia the chance to see one of Germany's recent box-office smashes. Other highlights across the complete program include six flicks that first played at this year's Berlinale, spanning closing night's Mother's Baby, the Nina Hoss (Tár)-starring Cicadas and conspiracy thriller Hysteria, alongside Hildegard Knef-focused documentary I Want It All, comedy of manners What Marielle Knows and the family-friendly Circusboy. That strand of movies also demonstrates the fest's fondness for variety, and for veering from the amusing to the thrilling and the dramatic. Or, attendees can catch Anatomy of a Fall Oscar-nominee Sandra Hüller in heist comedy Two to One, which is based on real-life events in 1990; Lars Eidinger (Babylon Berlin) as an orchestra conductor in Dying; Sam Riley (Widow Clicquot) in biopic John Cranko, about the choreographer; the literary loving The Door-to-Door Bookstore, as fittingly based on the novel; or Winners, which picked up the 2024 German Film Award for Best Children's Film.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Brisbane is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Brisbane. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, eat pasta served from a giant cheese wheel, cheap pho and steak overlooking the river. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
What begins in Milan, then heads to Puglia and the Italian Alps, plus Naples, Sicily, Tuscany and Rome, too? An impressive getaway, and also the 2023 Italian Film Festival. What dives into history, includes love and treasures, and also soul-searching journeys, stunning threads, labyrinths and great art? Again, a dream holiday, and also Australia's annual celebration of Italy's best and brightest on the big screen. This year, the latest of the nation's Europe-set film fests — see also: this event's French, Spanish, German and Scandinavian counterparts — will arrive from Tuesday, September 19, running until Wednesday, October 25 on its seven-stop tour of the country. Yes, the festival goes on a trip itself, hitting up Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Byron Bay. 2023's IFF will open with The Last Night of Amore, which is where the fest's jaunt to Milan comes in, and one of its thrillers as well. Making its Australian premiere after a successful stint at the Italian box office, writer/director Andrea Di Stefano's (The Informer) police flick stars Pierfrancesco Favino (The Hummingbird) as it tells of an about-to-retire honest cop facing a chaotic, crime-riddled, corruption-fuelled situation. Also among the event's spotlight flicks, Kidnapped sits in the centrepiece slot, recreating the tale of the Vatican's abduction of a young Jewish boy in the 19th century, plus as the scandal that unsurprisingly followed. As part of a focus on actor, filmmaker and screenwriter Massimo Troisi, 1994's The Postman, the talent's two-time Oscar-nominated final film, will close out the fest with a 50s-set whirlwind of love and friendship. There's more where they both came from — more special-presentation and special-event movies, and more of Troisi's work. First, the features getting some extra IFF love. Starring Josh O'Connor (Mothering Sunday) and directed by Alice Rohrwacher (Futura), La Chimera heads to 80s-era Tuscany as a British archaeologist gets caught up in ring selling stolen Italian wares — while Beautiful Boy's Felix van Groeningen shares directing duties with his The Broken Circle Breakdown co-screenwriter Charlotte Vandermeersch on The Eight Mountains, which stars Luca Marinelli (Martin Eden) and Alessandro Borghi (Devils), and won 2022's Cannes Jury Prize. Also, Burning Hearts dives into crime and revenge in black and white, Carravagio's Shadow features Riccardo Scamarcio (John Wick: Chapter 2) as the eponymous painter, and documentary The Genius of Gianni Versace Alive unravels its namesake fashion designer's career. With IFF's Troisi retrospective, viewers can see three more of his films: 1981 comedy I'm Starting From Three, his debut as both a big-screen actor and director; Nothing Left to Do But Cry, where he acts opposite and travels back in time with Roberto Benigni (Pinocchio); and the cinema-adoring Splendour, also featuring the late, great Marcello Mastroianni. And, there's also Mario Martone's (Nostalgia) doco Somebody Down There Likes Me, about his exploration of Troisi's movies. Elsewhere on the bill, Nanni Moretti (Three Floors) directs himself playing a director grappling with today's streaming reality in A Brighter Tomorrow; Strangeness enlists Toni Servillo (The Hand of God) as Literature Nobel Prize-winning playwright Luigi Pirandello; The First Day of My Life also features the prolific actor, this time in the latest effort from Perfect Strangers' helmer Paolo Genovese; and both Like Sheep Among Wolves and Prophets sit among the fest's thrillers. The list goes on, including the family-friendly Supernova and The Properties of Metals, plus comedies Orlando and My Shadow Is Your Shadow. And, there's the music-focused My Soul Summer featuring Italian X Factor-winner Casadilego. ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATES: Tuesday, September 19–Wednesday, October 18 — Palace Central, Palace Norton St, Palace Verona and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Wednesday, September 20–Wednesday, October 18 — Palace Electric Cinema, Canberra Wednesday, September 20–Sunday, October 15 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Thursday, September 21–Wednesday, October 18 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema, The Astor Theatre and Cinema Nova, Melbourne Wednesday, September 27–Wednesday, October 25 — Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane Thursday, September 28–Wednesday, October 25 — Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Windsor Cinema, Perth Thursday, September 28–Wednesday, October 18 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay The 2023 Italian Film Festival tours Australia in September and October. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Just when you thought you'd tasted every type of margarita there is — every type that El Camino Cantina can pop on its menu, too — the Tex-Mex chain has gone and released a new line of cocktails just in time for summer. Like margs? Have a sweet tooth? Then this Take Me to The Candy Shop range is for you, given that the boozy lineup is filled with bright-hued, candy-flavoured concoctions. These margs even come with edible candy garnishes, so your sweet tooth really will be satisfied. There's seven varieties on offer, including the trusty favourite that is the grape Nerd variety. From Tuesday, November 30–Sunday, January 2, it's being joined musk, marshmallow, gummy bear, Hubba Bubba and Skittles tipples, as well Squirm and Red Ripperz as well. The kind of drinks you'd be able to see in the dark — again, the colour really does stand out — these beverages are served frozen and Cadillac-style, aka with a float of Grand Marnier. In southeast Queensland, you'll find them livening up your next summer drinks at El Camino in Bowen Hills, South Bank and Chermside in Brisbane; Robina on the Gold Coast; and Sunshine Plaza on the Sunshine Coast.
When Suicide Squad reached cinemas screens back in 2016, it garnered plenty of attention. Critics largely hated it, fans loved it and some folks tried to shut down Rotten Tomatoes because of it. Come awards season, it picked up an Oscar (for best achievement in makeup and hairstyling) as well as two Razzie 'worst' nominations. The divisive reactions just kept coming, although there were two things that almost everyone agreed on. Firstly, most people rightfully loathed Jared Leto's interpretation of the Joker. Secondly, the majority of viewers adored Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. While the DC Extended Universe hasn't gotten a whole lot right in its attempts to emulate the Marvel Cinematic Universe (see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, for example), its powerbrokers did seem to pay attention to the super-sized Suicide Squad debate. In response, they're giving the world what it wants: more Robbie as everyone's favourite ex-psychiatrist turned antihero. In Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Harley Quinn has moved on from the clown prince of crime (much like DC has moved on from Leto, at least for now, with Joaquin Phoenix playing the character in the new standalone Joker film). In the aftermath of their breakup, she rounds up a crew filled with other fearsome Gotham ladies — including Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), the Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) — to thwart supervillain Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). Directed by Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs), also co-starring Chris Messina and Ali Wong, Birds of Prey marks Quinn's first solo cinematic outing — and as the just-dropped first trailer shows, it's going big. When it hits theatres in February 2020, expect plenty of colour, chaos and formidable gals wreaking havoc, in what's been rumoured to be the first in a Quinn-focused trilogy. With Suicide Squad getting a sequel in 2021, confusingly titled The Suicide Squad and helmed by Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn, the pigtailed prankster definitely isn't leaving screens anytime soon. Check out the trailer for Birds of Prey below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SuGhiVLUrM Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will hit cinemas in Australia and New Zealand in February 2020.
When Chloé Zhao adds her contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe later this year, the history-making Oscar-winner won't merely be leaping into a blockbuster franchise. With Eternals, the Nomadland filmmaker will unveil Marvel's next crew of superheroes — ancient and immortal alien beings who've been working in the shadows for thousands of years after arriving on earth via an eye-catching spaceship. Led by Ajak (Salma Hayek, Like a Boss), these heroes are now forced to band together again to save the world from an evil threat. The catalyst: the events of a little film called Avengers: Endgame. So, it's standard MCU stuff, at least on paper. But with Zhao the helm, the film doesn't look or feel like your average Marvel movie — at least based on the very brief sneak peek at the flick a few weeks back, as well as the movie's just-dropped first trailer. Also battling it against an enemy called The Deviants: Ikaris (Richard Madden, Game of Thrones), Sersi (Gemma Chan, Captain Marvel), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, Stuber), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong), Sprite (Lia McHugh, Songbird), Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), Druig (Barry Keoghan, Calm with Horses) and Thena (Angelina Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead). One GoT star is never enough for any movie, so Kit Harington also features, presumably knowing little. Ajak and her pals might've spent much of their past trying to blend in — "throughout the years, we have never interfered," she notes in the trailer's voiceover — but when they're not disguising themselves as humans, they certainly don superhero outfits and unleash quite the array of superpowers. Eternals is one of four MCU movies set to drop in 2021, alongside Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the latest Spider-Man flick. It's also Zhao's first feature after the vastly different film that's been winning her so much praise this year, as well as her first leap into the blockbuster realm. And, the filmmaker's visual sensibilities definitely shine through so far — even though she's working on a far bigger scale than seen in her first three movies. Check out the trailer below: Eternals opens in cinemas Down Under on November 4.
Two new platforms are about to join Australia and New Zealand's ever-growing streaming landscape: dedicated horror service Shudder and prestige film and TV outlet Sundance Now. Both are run by AMC Networks, the American company that's also responsible for producing and airing shows such as Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Mad Men and The Walking Dead. While Shudder focuses on all things suspenseful and spooky, Sundance Now — which, as you would've spotted, shares its name with a certain high-profile US film festival — focuses on award-winning movies, including documentaries and foreign-language flicks, plus drama, comedy and true crime television series. Exactly when they'll launch is yet to be announced, although both will be up and running in Australia and New Zealand by the end of this year. If you like paying for things upfront rather than monthly, you'll be happy to know that they're available in other countries, such as the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria, for an annual fee. Local pricing is yet to be revealed, but Shudder costs US$4.99 per month and $49.99 per year elsewhere, and Sundance Now costs US$6.99 per month and $59.99 per year. If you already have a Netflix or Stan subscription and you're wondering whether you really need to add another, perhaps the platforms' specific programming will tempt you — including new additions such as 80s-set horror Summer of 84, gory French effort Revenge and Indonesian supernatural thriller Satan's Slaves on Shudder, plus true crime docuseries Cold Blooded and Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle on Sundance Now. Shudder's classic horror game is also strong, should you like watching old scary movies, while Sundance Now boasts plenty of top international TV series. Given that some of the respective platforms' content already makes its way to our shores anyway — a selection of shows on Sundance Now air in Australia on SBS, for example — how existing rights deals might affect their Aussie and New Zealand lineup hasn't been revealed. For more information about the two platforms, and to keep an eye out for local launch dates, head to the Facebook pages for Shudder and Sundance Now. We'll keep you updated with news as it comes to hand.
"My plan was to die before the money ran out, but I kept and keep not dying — and here I am." When asked about her strategy as she faces financial ruin, that's Manhattan socialite Frances Price's (Michelle Pfeiffer, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) frank response. Her fortune has dwindled, the banks are about to repossess everything she owns and she doesn't know what her now-precarious future holds; however, she's most annoyed about having to answer her financial advisor's exasperated questions. Conveying Frances' reply with little else but spikiness otherwise, Pfeiffer turns this early French Exit scene into a deadpan masterclass. The character's candour, irritation and sharp edges are all personality traits, rather than specific reactions to her current predicament, and Pfeiffer makes it clear that she'd still be spitting out acerbic retorts with the same poker face if Frances had been queried about absolutely anything else. She frequently does just that afterwards, in fact, and she's a caustic delight in this wry exploration of a familiar topic: weathering life's many disappointments. Widowed for a decade, and happy to keep cultivating an eccentric reputation as the years go on, Frances hasn't dedicated even a second to tangibly preparing for her present lack of funds. That said, she soon has another plan. Surreptitiously selling off her belongings as her accountant advises — and viciously haggling over commission rates in the process — she rustles up what cash she can and absconds to Paris, where a friend's empty apartment awaits rent-free. There, she reverts to her old approach. Once her remaining money has been frittered away on wine, coffee, and oversized tips to anyone and everyone, she doesn't see the point of going on. But her dysfunctionally codependent relationship with her twentysomething son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges, Waves), his on-and-off romance with his secret fiancée Susan (Imogen Poots, Black Christmas), and a new friendship with the lonely and besotted Madame Reynard (Valerie Mahaffey, Dead to Me) all add unexpected chaos to Frances' scheme, as does a cruise ship fortune teller (Danielle Macdonald, Unbelievable) and a runaway cat who just might be her reincarnated husband. French Exit doesn't watch on as Frances tries to live a modest life and adjust her extravagant ways. It doesn't follow the unapologetically venomous woman as she learns to reassess her choices and attitude, either. Rather, it unfurls a keenly observed character study that's wrapped up in an oddball comedy — and while mining the loss of extreme wealth for chuckles has served Schitt's Creek well, too, French Exit proves as distinctive as its protagonist. It's a film about a woman called Frances who was once married to Franklin, owns a cat called Small Frank and relocates to France, after all. She leaves suddenly and without informing New York high society of her departure, of course, as the movie's title suggests. That's the type of humour pulsating through this light yet still probing picture, as directed with a fluid touch by Azazel Jacobs (The Lovers), and scripted by author Patrick deWitt from his own 2018 novel. Indeed, the fact that Frances' son isn't called Frankie, and that no one called Fran also pops up, is actually disappointing once French Exit establishes its absurdist wavelength. A haunted sensation hovers over this portrait of privilege undone, though, and not just because of Small Frank's possible backstory. Casting Pfeiffer is the movie's best choice, and must've been far too delicious to pass up — seeing the former Catwoman chase a mouser around Paris is amusing, naturally — but it's easy to see how French Exit could've and probably would've crumbled without her. Finding the perfect person for a part that no one else would've done justice can do that. This film belongs to its equally slinky and scathing star, who adds another commanding performance to a resume filled with them, but she's the overwhelming reason that Frances' wounding one-liners, larger-than-life demeanour and all-round cattishness strike a chord. Equally icy and vulnerable even when she's playing for laughs, she also ensures that Frances never feels like a caricature, or as if she has simply stepped out of a Wes Anderson or Noah Baumbach picture. (In its pithy dialogue and idiosyncratic family dynamics, French Exit overtly resembles both The Royal Tenenbaums and The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), and even offers a gender-flipped accompaniment to Sofia Coppola's On the Rocks as well). Thankfully, Pfeiffer is truly magnificent and magnetic, and the film's embrace of farce is just as compelling. The latter is refreshing, too, ignoring the usual poignant life lessons, and instead embracing the mess and mania Frances seems to cultivate every time she opens her mouth. Jacobs and deWitt haven't starved their feature of canny insights, especially in Pfeiffer's barbed words. A trace of unshakeable melancholy lingers over every sentence as her character tries to do what everyone must: figure out how to go on. But, paired with a lively pace, scenic but never gratuitously touristy Parisian cinematography, and a willingness to get silly and whimsical, French Exit bubbles rather than wallows — and while it doesn't quite find its mark consistently enough, it's a gem whenever it does. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0UbkJD2KDY
In the early hours of July 18, 1969, a car veered off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts. Ted Kennedy was driving, while Mary Jo Kopechne sat in the passenger's seat. He was a US senator, and a brother of slain American president John F. Kennedy. She was a former aide to Ted's other assassinated sibling, politician and aspiring presidential nominee Robert F. Kennedy. Along with Bobby's past campaign staff plus a few friends, they'd been partying in the lead up to the Apollo 11 moon landing, with Ted on the cusp of running for the country's highest office. But then he swerved into a tidal channel — and although he managed to swim to safety as the vehicle sank into the water, he left Kopechne drowning inside the car. More than that, he fled the scene and didn't report the accident until ten hours later. Featuring Jason Clarke as the youngest Kennedy son and Kate Mara as Kopechne, Chappaquiddick explores this controversial chapter in US political history — one that, due to the fallout, would ensure that Ted never followed JFK all the way to the White House. Directed by filmmaker John Curran (Tracks), the movie presents a sombre account of a man caught between complicated extremes on several levels. Teeming with insecurity about living in his brothers' shadows, he was already trapped between his own ambitions and the expectations of his stern father (Bruce Dern). After the incident, he's torn between doing what's right and doing what's best for his career and reputation. Or is he? With the bulk of the movie focusing on the aftermath of the accident, detailing the response to the situation as the hours and days pass, Chappaquiddick doesn't paint Ted in a favourable light. The film might pitch its protagonist as a conflicted man stuck in complex circumstances, but the script is also smart enough to realise that its underlying scenario is actually rather simple. Here, a guy does the wrong thing, but doesn't want to own up to it because it'll have considerable repercussions. It's as straightforward as Curran's efficient, unassuming directorial style, with the picture visually indistinguishable from plenty of other solemn takes on true political tales. Consequently, what ultimately eventuates is less a movie that unpacks a moral quandary, and more an incisive, quietly scathing portrait of power's corrupting influence – among other subjects. Indeed, it's to the credit of Curran and first-time screenwriters Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan that the movie sets quite a number of topics in its sights, all with pertinent parallels to today. Chappaquiddick depicts the calculating cover-up instigated by the Kennedys, leaving cousin Joe Gargan (an effective against-type Ed Helms) as the lone voice of reason. Thanks to the real-life fact that Ted kept his senatorial spot until his death in 2009, it also offers a reminder that even the most serious of scandals can't completely damage someone with enough privilege and authority. Further, the movie demonstrates the forgiving nature of the constant news cycle, where today's lead story becomes tomorrow's footnote when something else comes along. In Ted's case, a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind (something that JFK helped set in motion) couldn't have come at a better time. With a poised facade that can't completely mask his struggles, Ted remains an intriguing character, largely thanks to Clarke's strong performance. Tasked with playing a figure who's neither sympathetic nor the most ruthless person in the film (an honour reserved for Dern's grimacing patriarch, and a role that's slightly overplayed), the Australian actor is saddled with a delicate balancing act. Luckily, it's one that he handles well, with his stint as a troubled local representative on the excellent, underappreciated TV series Brotherhood proving a fantastic training ground. Chappaquiddick might work best as an indictment of everything from political dynasties to impropriety among elected officials to society's short attention span — not to mention the treatment of women by the rich and powerful — but the movie also serves up a solid character study. It's no Jackie, of course, but then again, few things are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snmc-Gc69Fk
Directly underneath the ABC and near the giant Wheel of Brisbane, Champ Kitchen + Bar is a hideaway from the hustle and bustle of South Bank. In the background are the busy ABC journalists rushing in and out all day and in the foreground are tourists and Brisbanites standing under the Wheel of Brisbane, some waiting to climb on board and the others contemplating on whether its worth the $15. Then there is Champ Kitchen + Bar where you can escape for breakfast and lunch every day. For breakfast we suggest the crab omelette. It comes with Chinese sausage with red pepper, onion and Asian herb salad and a warm soy mirin drizzle ($17.50 each). Enjoy this with some Irish breakfast tea ($3.60 each). For lunch the smoked cured salmon with avocado, sea grapes with radish salad ($16 each) paired up with chocolate fondant, rhubarb and crème fraiche icecream ($15 each) is a strange but delicious combo. From Thursday - Saturday Champ also turns into the perfect evening bar.
