When Jake Bugg's self-titled debut album hit the UK charts at #1, he was just 18. Fast forward three years and it looks like only a 'Lightning Bolt' would stop him. He's released another two full-lengths, the latest being On My One, which came out on June 17. Combining blues, folk, country and surprising dash of hip hop, its preoccupation, Bugg told iHeart Radio is loneliness. Naw. "Some of the songs, they are personal, and some of them, whenever I want to get away from personal things, I write stories to try and put myself somewhere else," he said. The last time we Aussies saw him was in 2015, when he supported Mumford and Sons in their wildly popular Gentlemen of the Road tour. There's more Splendour sideshow action where this came from. Check out our list of sideshows with tickets still available.
The team behind The Legend of Tarzan has done something very interesting with their film. Rather than simply giving us another version of the boy becomes man, man becomes hero, hero becomes legend tale, the film plays out much more like the final instalment of a trilogy, in which its hero's days of daring and valour are already all but behind him. Not unlike the bearded and beleaguered Bruce Wayne of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgård) is, at the start of this story, Tarzan no more. Seated opposite the British Prime Minister in his most fashionable three-piece, the iconic jungle man now lives a secluded life in his remote castle and goes by his rightful birth name and title: John Clayton, Viscount of Greystoke, Member of the House of Lords. That introduction alone gives The Legend of Tarzan a more complex and compelling platform from which to launch its story than many of its superhero contemporaries, whose protagonists consistently flounder and fall for lack of any clear-cut motivation other than generally being super. In this instance, it's the suspicion of slave trading in the Congo that compels Tarzan to resume his moniker and return to his beloved Africa, along with his wife Jane (Margot Robbie) and the real-life American Civil War hero turned politician and lawyer George Washington Williams (Samuel L Jackson). This undercurrent of slavery, along with allusions to ivory trading and ethnic cleansing, all serve to ground The Legend of Tarzan in something more than unadulterated comic book fun. The result is a superhero movie with a social conscience that continually flits in and out of getting the balance right. In the titular role, Skarsgård looks every bit the part. With his flowing blond locks and unreasonably buff physique, you could comfortably sell just about any cologne or luxury watch simply by placing its logo on top of him and gently whispering its name. For a role so ridiculous (and truly, a man raised by gorillas who commutes via jungle vine is about as ridiculous as it gets), Skarsgård does an extraordinary job of keeping the audience's disbelief at bay. His dialogue is sensibly sparse, opting instead to speak through impressively expressive eyes and CGI-heavy action that's not nearly as awful as the early trailers made out. Opposite him in the role of the villain, Christopher Waltz (Inglorious Bastards) again offers up his signature cocktail of eloquent menace paired with a spine-chilling grin. In truth it's a more nuanced and credible performance than his turn as Bond's arch-nemesis in last year's Spectre. Robbie, too, puts in a charming turn as Tarzan's wife Jane, yet despite every effort to establish her character's strength, courage and independence, she still ends up very much on the sidelines; an underutilized spectator to the action rather than an active participant. In all, critics have been quick to condemn The Legend of Tarzan for both its hobbled story and themes, asking what place such an antiquated tale has in the modern world. Well the answer is 'fun', which the film most definitely is. Yes, the action is scattershot and often feels hurried, which is why its strongest scenes are also its most subtle ones – be they fireside singalongs, candlelit dinners or silent interactions with the jungle's magnificent creatures. The Legend of Tarzan could very easily have ended up another Lone Ranger-style disaster. Instead, director David Yates has managed to orchestrate an old-school adventure with an unshrinking social conscience. It's far from perfect, but it's darned good fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj7ty6sViiU
If you saw a giant on the street, you'd stare in wonder. Your jaw would drop, your eyes would pop, and you would marvel at the sight in front of you. Once the shock wore off, you'd also be more than a little bit scared. But, if the lumbering creature in front of you actually turned out to be rather nice, you'd probably want to be his friend. In fact, if he was so harmless that he was being bullied by his fellow behemoths, you'd want to help him. That's how orphan Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) reacts when she meets the individual she comes to call the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance). Roald Dahl's 1982 novel The BFG told this tale, and now so does Steven Spielberg's years-in-the-making film. Given that one penned books that have brightened childhoods for decades, and the other has made movies that achieved the same feat, bringing the two together seems like a perfect fit. Add E.T. screenwriter Melissa Mathison to the mix, and The BFG should be primed to capture hearts and minds alike. Indeed, as the film revels in its state of dream-like awe — and explores the awe-inspiring dreams the titular giant disseminates to the sleeping masses — there's plenty of affection on display. And as it contrasts the friendly antics of the BFG with his cruel, carnivorous comrades with names like Fleshlumpeater (Jemaine Clement) and Bloodbottler (Bill Hader), it offers a sweet reminder that seemingly frightening figures can also be outsiders with their own problems. You don't run to the queen (Penelope Wilton) and her offsiders (Rebecca Hall and Rafe Spall) for assistance if you're not in a hefty spot of bother, after all. Alas, amidst the leisurely life lessons about identity and acceptance, gibberish-infused dialogue and more than a handful of fart jokes, there's also an air of calculation. The BFG thinks, dreams and renders everything it can in the biggest possible manner — but, more than doing the source material justice, the CGI-heavy effort also wants to stress its size. There's a difference between employing specific camera angles to ensure that audiences know they're supposed to be wowed, and actually causing that reaction. There's also a difference between contemplating vast emotions and genuinely inspiring warm, fuzzy feelings. Accordingly, while it provides servings of fantastical spectacle and heightened sentiments, The BFG strives a little too hard to capture the usual Dahl and Spielberg magic. Thank goodness, then, for Rylance, who anchors the entire feature with an endearing motion-captured lead performance. After winning an Oscar for his turn in Bridge of Spies, he's the best thing about a Spielberg movie for the second time in a row. Though young Barnhill proves more precocious than poignant, their shared scenes — and the gentle kindness that radiates from Rylance every time he's on screen — are worth the price of admission alone.
Enjoy the art of fine dining at a special one-off lunch at the National Gallery of Victoria. As part of their Degas: A New Vision exhibition celebrating the work of acclaimed painter Edgar Degas, NGV International has invited renowned French chef Philippe Mouchel to serve up a three-course feast beneath the Great Hall's stained glass ceiling. Guests will be greeted with a drink on arrival, before sitting down to enjoy the work of a master at the top of his game. Mouchel has trained under Michelin-starred chefs, and headed the kitchen at some of the top restaurants in Melbourne, including his brand new venture named after himself. Point is, while the $175 price tag may be a little on the steep side, rest assured you're paying for quality. Once you've had your fill of the culinary arts, you can wander through the exhibition, which features more than 200 works from the turn of the century impressionist. If you're feeling a little too full, you can come back another time. Entry is included in the cost of lunch, and is valid until the exhibition finishes on September 18.
Thirteen years ago, an orange-and-white clownfish swam away from his home and into our hearts. He wasn't alone, with his anxious father Marlin (Albert Brooks) just as endearing, and forgetful blue tang Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) an ideal comic offsider. Charting a child's adventurous first steps in the world and a parent's fear of the dangers that might come, their tale was always bound to strike a chord. Pixar know it as one of their biggest hits; you know it as Finding Nemo. If that film coined a catchphrase, it'd have to be "just keep swimming," which was Dory's favourite piece of advice. It is far from surprising that the line pops up again in the sequel to the animated feature, or that returning writer-director Andrew Stanton and co. have taken it to heart. Indeed, Finding Dory is the movie equivalent of paddling along and letting the current sweep you forward. Cheerfully content to ride in its predecessor's slipstream, it just keeps swimming, with the film's irrepressibly upbeat nature ensuring it stays bubbly and buoyant. Nemo (Hayden Rolence) going astray again would've been a stretch, so this time, it's Dory who wanders beyond the patch of ocean the central trio calls home. In fact, it turns out that she's done so before — not that she can really recall. When Dory starts getting flashbacks of her loving mother and father (Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy), she decides to follow her memories. Marlin and Nemo join her epic swim to the Marine Life Institute in California, where Dory believes her parents might be waiting. A crafty octopus (Ed O'Neill), near-sighted whale shark (Kaitlin Olsen) and some sun-loving sea lions (Idris Elba and Dominic West) pop up along the way. Still, Finding Dory belongs to its key trio. In fact, the strengths of the film spring from spending more time in their company — particularly Dory, who might be a bit absent-minded, but is never treated like a joke. Time and again, Pixar films find the right blend between emotional insight and character-driven comedy, and both are on display here. Brought to life by energetic voice work, bright CGI visuals and well-placed, action-packed interludes, the movie thoughtfully fleshes out the makeshift family at its centre. Of course, while Finding Dory represents the animation studio at its kind-hearted best, it also demonstrates their increasing fondness for rehashing old stories. There's much about this follow-up that feels a little too familiar. Returning to bathe in warm, well-known waters can certainly be fun, but for all its easy comforts and nostalgic pleasures, it's not quite as vibrant the second time around.
Head on down to the Batman Market, where things are getting exciting after sundown. Every Saturday evening in June and July, the market in Coburg will throw open its gates, enticing locals out into the cold with the promise of a feed and some bargains. They've got food trucks, stalls and live entertainment, plus a bar stocked with beer, wine and cocktails. Who needs summer anyway? Winter Nights at the Batman Market will run from 4-9.30pm each Saturday until July 30. Visitors can get their grub from a rotating roster of food trucks, including beef spare ribs from T Rex Bar-B-Que, slow-cooked lamb from Marinade, and gravy-smothered poutine from Le Petit Montreal. The live music lineup, meanwhile, includes a bunch of local favourites, such as acoustic trio Malcura and alt-Latin stars Funkalleros. Dancing will no doubt be encouraged, and shouldn't be too hard either — at least not after you've had a few White Russians from the public bar.
With Melbourne's winter Scorsese exhibition currently in full swing, there's never been a better time to delve into the master filmmaker's back catalogue. Sure, most of us have at least heard of Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, but in a career that spans more than five decades, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Screening select Friday nights at ACMI from June to September, Scorsese: Friday Night Cinema will explore a few of Marty's lesser-known gems, along with a pair of recent critical favourites. Each of the five films will screen twice throughout the season, beginning on Friday, June 17 with the film that won Scorsese his long-overdue Oscar, The Departed. That'll be followed on July 8 by his criminally underrated black comedy After Hours, and chased down by The Wolf of Wall Street on July 22. The season will take a break in early August during MIFF, before returning with a vengeance with two of Marty's celebrated music documentaries: The Last Waltz and Shine A Light. For more information and screening times, go here.
Haunted house films tend to follow an obvious formula: things go bump in the night, people get scared, and an escalating array of supernatural hijinks ensue. If you've seen one, you probably feel like you've seen them all — and The Conjuring 2 isn't going to change that. Thankfully, it isn't going to make horror fans abandon building-based scares either. Given that the latest movie — based on the exploits of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren — is a sequel, a certain amount of predictability is to be expected. Still, knowing how the follow-up to 2013 surprise hit The Conjuring will play out doesn't render its creaking floors, slamming doors and ghostly visions any less effective. Both frights and fun can be found as an English family attempts to break free from a malicious force, with the former largely springing from sudden noises and ghastly faces, and the latter resulting from the screams they inspire. Six years after Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farming) helped the Perrons through the events of the first film — and a year after the Amityville case that still remains their biggest claim to fame — the Hodgsons of Enfield need their expertise. Trying to raise four children alone, single mother Peggy (Frances O'Connor) is already doing it tough before spooky occurrences start targeting her 12-year-old daughter Janet (Madison Wolfe). When the Warrens are called in, they're not just asked to assist; they're also tasked with determining whether the otherworldly infestation is real. Of course, relishing the chilling ordeal inflicted upon the bewildered Hodgson clan is the film's primary focus, rather than exploring the hoax side of the story or even spending too much time with the evangelical exorcist and psychic assessing the situation. And as easily foreseeable as the jumps and jolts that follow prove, they're also teeming with tension thanks to the film's other significant presence: director James Wan. After kicking off the Saw and Insidious franchises, Wan did the same for The Conjuring, investing what could've been a routine horror movie with the right amount of vintage thrills and visual flair. Returning to the series after an action-packed stint at the helm of Fast and Furious 7, he does the same again, even if lightning doesn't exactly strike twice. Whether you've heard of the Enfield poltergeist before or you've simply seen The Exorcist, there's no escaping the been-there, seen-that status of The Conjuring 2. Thankfully, Wan's fondness for letting the camera prowl around the house in question, and his precise sense of timing when it comes to both the unexpected and the lingering, ensures that familiarity doesn't breed contempt. Instead, it's the length of the film, and the raft of repetitive scenes that help pad it out to 133 minutes, that may end up stretching your patience. Accordingly, the Hodgsons aren't the only ones fated to think that everything goes on too long — and the last thing horror viewers want is to feel bored and anxious at the same time. Luckily, when the movie works, it really works, a versatile performance by Wolfe at the centre of the sinister proceedings included.
In Frances Ha, Greta Gerwig became the on-screen embodiment of a predicament most twenty-somethings can relate to: knowing what you don't want out of life, rather than what you do. In Mistress America, she offered a different side of failing to achieve your dreams, this time from a slightly older perspective. Now, in Maggie's Plan, she grapples with the fact that you can't control everything, no matter how hard you try. Consider it the next phase in her ongoing examination of the idiosyncrasies of quarter-life malaise. Written and directed by Rebecca Miller (The Private Lives of Pippa Lee) based on an unpublished novel by Karen Rinaldi, the film explores two schemes hatched by the eponymous Maggie (Gerwig), a college careers advisor whose life is...well...a bit of a mess. When the film opens, she's telling her married best pal Tony (Bill Hader) about her intention to become a mother using sperm donated by their high school classmate turned pickle entrepreneur Guy (Travis Fimmel). Cut forward three years and she instead has a daughter with John (Ethan Hawke), an anthropology professor and aspiring novelist who's struggling to cut ties with his imposing ex-wife Georgette (Julianne Moore). Although it may certainly sound like one, to simply call Maggie's Plan a romantic comedy doesn't quite do the film justice. While the situations the characters find themselves in are by no means unique, there's a level of intricacy to all the major players that ensures Miller's screenplay feels as authentic as it does amusing. When Maggie tries to muster a polite response to Guy's offer to help her get pregnant "the old-fashioned way", for example, her awkwardness feels ripped from reality. That's the gift that both Gerwig and Miller bring — an understanding of how to convey life's ups and downs in a way that's equally playful and relatable. The two prove as an apt a pair as Gerwig and Frances Ha filmmaker Noah Baumbach, — yet they're not the feature's only standouts. Adopting a severe Danish accent that she takes time to settle into, Moore proves both hilarious and surprisingly sympathetic. Of course, with its jaunty jazz score and New York setting, Maggie's Plan can't escape the shadow of other, similar films gone by. It's not only Baumbach that springs to mind, but Woody Allen — though any resemblance is likely by design. Miller has crafted a movie knowingly comprised of familiar parts, but cleverly filled with astute reflections that tell the tale from a fresh perspective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAoEoWrOe8g
Art, technology and the human experience coalesce at a new exhibition at Geelong Gallery. Presented in partnership with the University of NSW and Museums and Galleries NSW, People Like Us features the work of a number of contemporary artists from around Australia and the world, and combines sound, music, the moving image and interactive technology to explore the way new media influences our lives. On display at the gallery until August 21, People Like Us encourages visitor interaction. Take a virtual bike ride through Sydney, journey through human blood vessels, or download an app that syncs a multimedia artwork with the rhythm of your heart. Other highlights of the free exhibition include a symphonic tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough human crush disaster, a video work featuring a robotic surgical procedure, and a series of audio portraits of purring cats. If that's not worth taking the trip to Geelong, then we don't know what is. Image: Angelica Mesiti, Rapture (silent anthem), 2009, single-channel video, colour, 10 minutes, 10 seconds. Courtesy the artist and Anna Schwartz Gallery.
Choose the conventional, or go with something else. It's a question Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) knows oh-so-well. Every time the former Edinburgh heroin addict turned Amsterdam accountant has unleashed one of his catchy "choose life" monologues — first in Trainspotting, now in the sequel — that's been his central dilemma. In the long-awaited follow-up to the 1996 cult classic that introduced him and his fellow layabout mates Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) and Begbie (Robert Carlyle), it's a choice that remains as relevant as ever. Initially, Renton chose skag. Then, he chose to fleece his friends after a lucrative drug deal so he could live life on the straight and narrow. Now, back in his old stomping grounds, he doesn't quite know which option to go for. Before long he crosses paths with the pals he hasn't seen for 21 years, finding Spud still struggling with his habit, and Sick Boy running both a failing pub and a blackmail racket with his Bulgarian girlfriend Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova). At least Renton's safe from Begbie, who has long been locked up for his ultra-violent ways…at least, until he orchestrates a jailbreak. So it is that the characters reunite, in one way or another, and find themselves taking stock of their unfulfilling lives. But things are rather different than they were in '96. It was with the energetic drumbeat and aggressive drawl of Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" that the foursome made their debut all those years ago, back when they were young, searching for fun, spoiling for trouble, hooked on various substances and sensations, and nothing about them was clean, orderly or clear-cut. Two decades later, an air of chaos still prevails – but in trying to make sense of the past to cope with the present and face the future, messiness is the very thing the characters are trying to eliminate. From a narrative perspective, that's easier said than done. While T2: Trainspotting spins its story around the futility of reliving former glories, director Danny Boyle seems unable to resist the urge to replicate, redefine and retell. There's nostalgia here, and melancholy, but also a sense of indulgence, with many a phrase, situation, scene, shot, soundtrack choice and even snippets of old footage harkening back to the original. Sometimes the movie successfully interrogates its history. Sometimes it's an empty rehash. Mostly, Renton sums it up perfectly: "choose history repeating itself". Still, it's a pleasure to catch up with the iconic characters again, as well as with the actors that play them – although sadly, the first film's female stars Kelly MacDonald and Shirley Henderson get barely more than cameos. McGregor and Miller are rarely better than when they're just catching up and talking rubbish together, and Carlyle still plays psychopathic with brutal flair. But, it's actually Bremner who steals the show — and his tragicomic Spud who receives the most fulfilling storyline, while also suffering most from the film's need for neatness. Ultimately, the battle between the engaging and the all-too-easy is what you'll find coursing through T2: Trainspotting's veins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsozpEE543w
Ring in the Year of the Rooster at the Queen Vic Market with Chinese food and live entertainment over the next two and a half weeks. On Saturday, January 28 between 10am and 2pm, the market will play host to a variety of performances, including music acts and a martial arts show. There'll also be a free cooking demonstration by celebrity chef Elizabeth Chong, ahead of a three-course ($80 per person) Chinese banquet — featuring suckling pig, tea-smoked ocean trout and cumquat custard tarts — at Pickett's Deli and Rotisserie from 7pm that evening. The festivities will continue on the night of Wednesday, February 1 when the Summer Night Market takes on a distinctly Chinese flavour, complete with lion dancers and traditional drumming on the main stage. Finally, the market will host a two-day lantern festival starting February 11, where you can gorge yourself on delicious Chinese food all weekend long.
Celebrate the Year of the Rooster by feasting like a pig at Spice Temple this Chinese New Year. From January 23 until February 5, the restaurant will be offering a special banquet menu devised by Neil Perry and Head Chef Graeme Hunt, featuring ingredients meant to promote good fortune in the coming year. Priced at $120 per head, banquet dishes include lobster and pomelo salad with plum dressing ("prosperity"), chargrilled wagyu scotch fillet with black bean and chilli ("longevity"), red braised pork belly with enoki mushrooms ("harmony") and caramel chocolate and peanut parfait ("love"). Matching wines are also available, for an extra $55 per person. "Food is the cornerstone of Chinese New Year," said Hunt. "We've created the perfect celebratory menu featuring a range of new dishes and interesting flavours that are uniquely Spice Temple."
The latest effort from RoboCop, Showgirls and Starship Troopers director Paul Verhoeven, Elle is a rape-revenge film — or a rape-anti-revenge film, perhaps. It's also a movie calculated to conjure some laughter, as surprising as that may seem given the topic at hand. The narrative's focus on a sexual assault victim's behaviour after her attack, and the incredulous reaction audiences may have thanks to more than a few awkwardly comedic moments, are closely linked. Bringing the aptly named novel Oh... to the screen, Verhoeven not only unpacks unpleasant experiences, but makes viewers confront the urges such experiences can awaken, and the instant, often inappropriate responses that come with them. It's an ambitious aim, particularly in a thriller steeped in sexual exploits both forceful and consensual, not to mention one heavily reliant upon perfecting the right mood and tone. Peppered with the kind of chuckles that sometimes spring from nerves and discomfort, it's one that the movie achieves on an intellectual rather than an emotional level. Elle will get you thinking and reacting, but not always feeling. And while that might be fitting given the psychological realm the movie willingly plays in, it's also unintentionally distancing. The film's title refers to Michèle (Isabelle Huppert), an executive at a video game company readying a new erotically violent release. After an intruder forces himself upon her and then flees, Michèle goes about the rest of her day. When the subject of her attack comes up, she steadfastly, matter-of-factly refuses to go to the police. Being plunged into the depths of physical assault, however, leaves her intrigued and even somewhat emboldened as she embarks on a mission to track down the perpetrator. While Elle isn't as violently or sexually excessive as some of Verhoeven's earlier efforts — and definitely proves more restrained in its visual style — the Dutch filmmaker has sly fun with subverting the expected in his first French-language feature. From the moment the movie opens with heated grunts that could just stem from energetic lovemaking (though they don't), he toys with content, with convention and with his audience. It's not quite a case of nothing being as it seems. Instead, everything that happens inspires many, many questions. That includes Michèle's behaviour and backstory, the several other complicated relationships involving her friends, her son and her ex-husband, and Verhoeven's ability to combine nuance in some moments with a sledgehammer lack of subtlety in others. Huppert clearly relishes the loaded territory she's playing in, and proves the real reason Elle demands attention. Although the film itself often lets its interesting perspective do the heavy lifting, its star is an absolute revelation. Or she would be, were it not for the five decade's worth of incredible performances in her ledger already. Still, operating at her absolute best, she's the complex, commanding core of a movie that's purposefully challenging in a number of senses — sometimes successful, sometimes not.
Historic Melbourne cinema The Astor is hosting their Great Astor Spooktacular again this year, which means nine movies will be shown in a 13-hour-long horror marathon — right in time for Halloween. Directed by "the devil" and featuring a cast of "hell itself", some of the films include The Amityville Horror — the original 1979 supernatural horror film that inspired the 17-film franchise — as well as 1988 slasher film Child's Play (you know, the super creepy and murderous doll), and cult film Night of the Comet, a 1984 film about the survivors of a comet that killed (or zombified) almost all of humankind. The historic cinema, known for its presentation of classics and cult films, is the perfect venue for the all-right horror marathon. It all kicks off at 8pm on Friday, October 28 and runs overnight. Needless to say, this one isn't for the faint of heart.
"Never go back" should be the default mantra for any movie studio with a surprise hit on its books. Rare as it is to bottle lightning once, capturing it a second time is nigh on impossible – which is why the list of memorable sequels is usually countable on just one pair of hands. 2012's Jack Reacher was a better than expected offering from Paramount, combining top-notch action with a few well placed comedic beats. Unfortunately, it's part of a million-book series by author Lee Child, meaning that the moment it did decent business, a follow-up was all but inevitable.. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back sees Tom Cruise again assume the role of the celebrated soldier turned drifter with the habit of getting in trouble. This time around he finds himself coming to the aid of an army officer accused of espionage (played by How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulders). Everyone seems to want her dead, so the pair need to figure out who's behind the apparent setup before they're both executed by dogged assassins. An alternate name for the movie would be Cobie Smulders Gets To Run Alongside Tom Cruise: A Lot, because that constitutes a significant part of both the plot and the action. There are a couple of key problems with this film. Firstly, Cruise plays Reacher with preposterous amounts of simmering menace, something that proves entirely unnecessary given the character is already so ridiculously calm and capable against any number of threats. In the original movie they got the balance right – at times, Cruise even playfully gave advice to the people he was fighting. But here he just glares and threatens before beating everyone up, thereby robbing the film's action scenes of any personality. Apologists will say that's how Reacher is written, but even in the books he shows moments of dry wit amidst the bitterness. Secondly, there's very little here by way of interesting plot. It ultimately feels like a double episode of NCIS, only with even less action or intrigue. Add to that the frequent schmaltz, particularly between Reacher and a young girl whose life he saves, and you end up with a dull, predictable and corny piece of cinema that rolls back all the good work of its predecessor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoCP_JHzBUM
Enough of the Dan Brown franchise. It was fun while the going was good, but, please…no more. The original film, The Da Vinci Code, ended up being surprisingly watchable, with director Ron Howard combining rollicking pace and genuine intrigue to keep audiences' hearts pumping from go to woe. Even the sequel, Angels and Demons, proved solid enough, albeit a film distinguishable from its predecessor more by scale than originality. By Inferno, however, it's more than clear that the well has truly run dry. Again we find our hero Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) in Italy, accompanied by a much younger female companion (Felicity Jones). Together they solve riddles and anagrams as they scramble from monument to monument, whilst dodging assassins from a mysterious organisation and passing implausibly through both heavy security and lines of queueing tourists. It's Dante this time, not Da Vinci, but the rest feels far, far too familiar. Even the film's ticking time bomb is again an actual time bomb, with only its contents (a world-destroying virus instead of anti-matter) being the point of differentiation. Hanks, fresh off his fantastic work in Sully, oscillates between looking bored, tired and confused – and not just because the script calls for it. The rest of the cast, meanwhile, seems far too blasé for a group possessed of the knowledge that the end of the world may be just a few short hours away. So are there any redeeming features? No, not really, although the film does raise one interesting idea: international audio guides for tourists narrated by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. The only moments of note in the movie are those where, once again, Hanks's character offers clumsily inserted pieces of historical trivia into the narrative. They're crow-barred in, but remain undeniably interesting, and when coupled with Hanks' avuncular tone you can't help but indulge in the ad hoc history lessons. If Ron Howard needs a new project, we'd suggest just strapping a go-pro to his favourite leading man and letting him roam wild in the galleries and gardens of the world's grandest estates, pointing out tidbits and factoids as they arise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH2BD49sEZI
Cowboys, bucking bulls, flying mud: think of a rodeo, and all three come to mind. Setting Neon Bull in the thick of the Brazilian circuit, writer-director Gabriel Mascaro knows this. In fact, he invites it. With audiences' heads initially filled with the stereotypical sights and sounds that many an American movie has reinforced, he revels in revealing something different. Scene by scene, he immerses viewers in a version of the sport known as vaquejada, as well as the world that exists beyond the usual hats, boots, and attempts at grabbing cattle. In the process, he introduces us to the often overlooked people lurking behind the scenes. For Iremar (Juliano Cazarré), it's a modest existence as well as a tough one, with two dreams enlivening his otherwise routine days of transporting animals and chalking the bulls' tails before they enter the ring. Whenever and however he can, he bides his time through fashion — drawing outfits onto the naked women in the magazines his co-worker Zé (Carlos Pessoa) covets, and making costumes for their driver Galega (Maeve Jinkings) to wear when she moonlights as a dancer. With Zé, he also schemes to steal a prized horse's semen. Neon Bull isn't a quirky caper, as much as it might sound like it. Indeed, with scenes of Galega shimmying in the dark while wearing a giant horse mask, a subplot involving another worker's obsession with straightening his long locks, and yet another involving breaking into a textile factory, the film could easily be treated as a comedy. Mascaro doesn't avoid laughs, but rather than emphasise the humor, he lets any chuckles spring naturally and honestly. His characters and their lives are filled with lived-in eccentricity; all he and Cemetery of Splendour cinematographer Diego Garcia need to do is watch. Episodic and observational, it's the kind of approach a documentarian would take, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that most of Mascaro's career has been spent making factual films. As a result, although he's working with actors and there's never any doubt that his movie is fictional, even the most surreal and fanciful of sequences feel real. Galega's young daughter Cacá (lyne Santana) perhaps illustrates this best. Looking on with wide eyes, she's fascinated with Iremar, yet accepts everything ordinary and unusual that she sees. Here, in the heat and the dust, with the people who have become her makeshift family, that's just the way things are. Commentary about the film's country of origin shades Neon Bull's frames. Iremar and his pals show that life is changing in the rodeo realm, just as it is in broader Brazil. The movie also investigates the link between those who walk on two legs and those who walk on four. We care for, corral and try to conquer these animals, yet the film shows that in a lot of ways we're really not all that different. Laced with empathy, insight and more than a few narrative, visual and emotional surprises, Neon Bull proves a winner.
The latest artistic endeavour from experimental filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson, best known for his divisive features Ruin and Hail, Breaking Waves is a multi-screen installation that charts the life's work and obsession of a kindred spirit: Melbourne-born composer Percy Grainger. On display at the Ian Potter Museum of Art throughout the duration of this year's Melbourne Festival, the film combines fragments of Grainger's music along with high speed, close-up cinematography. The end result aims to provide "an impressionistic gateway into the motivations that drove a singular artist". Image: courtesy of the Grainger Museum collection, University of Melbourne.
The stars of the local and international jazz scene are getting ready to blow. Running from June 3 to 12, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival is back for another year featuring another stellar lineup. From concert performances to club sessions — as well as walking tours, workshops and artists in conversation — it's a copacetic celebration of jazz in all its forms. Standout shows on the jam-packed program include the free opening night concert on the stage at Federation Square, a reworking of Van Morrison classics by celebrated jazz singer Vince Jones, and a tribute to the legendary Billie Holiday from American vocalist José James. Those after something a little more intimate, meanwhile, can swing by Bennetts Lane, Uptown Jazz Cafe or Dizzy's Jazz Club, where you can catch a different festival show practically every evening. For the full Jazz Festival program visit melbournejazz.com. Image: Kim Densham.
From Korean fried chicken to American-style barbecue to a good old fashioned burger with cheese and extra bacon, Melbourne is all about food truck dining these days. Which is great — unless, of course, you don't eat meat. Unfortunately for vegetarians and vegans, a lot of the city's best mobile food vendors don't focus on animal product-free food. Sure, there are options out there — they're just a little bit more difficult to track down. Well, they were — until now. To celebrate World Environment Day, The Food Truck Park in Preston is inviting some of Melbourne's best vegan and vegetarian vendors to park their wheels for a meat-free gastronomic extravaganza. Rice and Dice, Vegilicious, Woking Amazing, Boho Blends, Jerry's Vegiburgers, The Butter Thief and Bomba Pizza are just a few of the trucks tapped for the event, with plenty more expected to rock up on the night. Doors will be open from 5-10pm on Friday, May 3 and then again from noon until 10pm on Saturday, May 4.
Tauntauns and tequila might not seem like the most obvious match, but you can expect both this Friday night at Brown Alley on Lonsdale Street. In a week that boasts both Star Wars Day (aka May the Fourth) and Cinco de Mayo, the CBD nightspot is celebrating both with a Mexican Star Wars Fiesta. Costumes inspired by either theme are highly encouraged. We've always wondered what Darth Vader would look like in a sombrero. In addition to the costume competition (yes, there will be prizes), the night will feature a whole rebel squadron of live performers, including mariachis and a salsa orchestra as well as Mexican and Latin DJs. The full lineup can be found via the event page on Facebook. There'll also be a galactic piñata. Not entirely sure what that entails, but it sounds great.
A hundred years from now, an astronaut named Chris travels through space on the search for a new world for the human race to call home. She's alone, save for two companions: a passive aggressive operating system and a plant name Terry. Created and performed by Rachel Perks and directed by Bridget Balodis, Ground Control is a dark, dystopian, experimental comedy about violence, technology and all the different ways we're stuffing up the planet for Next Wave Festival. Perks and Balodis previously collaborated on Angry Sexx, which was a highlight of the Fringe Festival back in 2014. We're expecting big things from their follow-up.
One of the best Vietnamese joints in Melbourne is getting in on the Good Beer Week action. On the evening of Tuesday, May 17, Uncle in St Kilda will team up with Boatrocker Brewing Co. for a five-course degustation. Each dish will be accompanied by a different Boatrocker beer, including a one-off beverage created specially for the occasion. Let's just hope the menu includes Uncle's epic lime-cured hapuka with coconut, pomegranate and chilli.
The worlds of boutique brewing and high-end fashion will come crashing together at this swanky event during Good Beer Week 2016. Moo Brew have teamed up with Kirrily Waldron (aka The Beer Diva) and stylist Lara Reynolds to present a fashion show featuring chic new looks inspired by the Moo Brew brand. It all goes down from 6.30pm on Wednesday, May 18 at Madame Brussels in the CBD. Tickets get you in the door, and entitle you to a gift bag packed full of goodies.
A screen, multiple cameras and a pair of performers are the key ingredients in a new show from one of our favourite local dance companies. L U C I D is the latest work from Anouk van Dijk, the acclaimed choreographer and artistic director at Melbourne's own Chunky Move. Making its world premiere on Thursday, May 26 ahead of a two and a half-week run at the company's studio in Southbank, L U C I D will interrogate the way in which we imagine, construct and censor our own identity in the face of the hyperconscious modern world. Dancers Lauren Langlois and Stephen Phillips will shift from one persona to the next, expressing fear, control and desire throughout an intimate hour-long show. Those wanting to delve deeper can attend the performance on Thursday, June 9, which will be followed by a post-show Q&A.
Before Batman squared off against Superman and the Avengers started fighting amongst themselves, another group of not-so-average folks brought their battles to the big screen. Since 2000, the X-Men franchise has charted the many clashes and intermittent truces of Professor Charles Xavier, his friend-turned-nemesis Magneto, and their respective groups of disagreeing mutants. Sixteen years later, they've graced nine films, including the original trilogy, two Wolverine spin-offs, two other excursions into the characters' backstories and this year's smash hit Deadpool. With such a sizeable history, of course their latest conflict seems familiar. But it also feels every inch its own. Indeed, there has always been a specific vibe to the X-Men movies: outcast-oriented dramas mixed with bombastic action, while always retaining a distinctive emotional core. Director Bryan Singer is at the helm of his fourth instalment, while writer Simon Kinberg is back for script number three. It should therefore come as no surprise that the '80s-set X-Men: Apocalypse once again charts outsiders looking to find their place in a makeshift mutant family. Ten years after the main events of X-Men: Days of Future Past, Professor X (James McAvoy) yet again locks horns with Magneto (Michael Fassbender), with the recently unearthed Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) — an ancient, god-like being considered the first-ever mutant — the cause of their latest conflict. The former is intent on stopping the new threat, re-teaming with CIA agent Moira Mactaggert (Rose Byrne) and later shape-shifting mutant Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). The latter, in the wake of his own personal tragedy, once again embraces his destructive streak and sides with the fresh force of global devastation. With teenage incarnations of Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) and Cyclops (Tye Sheridan) also featured, X-Men: Apocalypse doesn't lack in subplots, characters or attempts to set up future sequels. Nor does it miss any opportunity to thrust a CGI-heavy fray to the fore, or to sprinkle in a few much-needed doses of humour – particularly when returning favourite Quicksilver (Evan Peters) is involved. Instead, the one thing absent is the added element the film so obviously strives for: a heightened sense of grandeur. Conveying the personal stakes motivating the main players may not be an easy feat in such a busy effort, yet it's something the movie achieves in a touching manner. Dialling up the gravity of the entire situation proves far less simple or successful. Sadly, the titular villain is the main culprit weighing the feature down. If X-Men: Apocalypse shines whenever the usual suspects share screen time, it lags when the newfound enemy starts making big speeches. In stark contrast to the actor's typical output, poor Oscar Isaac is barely allowed to make a mark, with his makeup and digitally altered voice sapping his natural charisma. Thankfully McAvoy and Fassbender continue their stellar form across their trio of prequel films, while Peters once again threatens to steal the show. When you're watching them, you're in vintage X-Men territory, even if the movie desperately wants to be something more.
You'll find big things in small packages at the St Kilda Film Festival this year. Australia's oldest short film festival, this massive event will descend on St Kilda for the 33rd time, showcasing some of the best up and coming filmmakers in the country. The festival begins at the historic Palais Theatre on the evening of Thursday, May 19, where an audience of more than 3000 people will get the chance to see some of the most exciting films on the program. From there it's off to St Kilda Town Hall, where the festival will run in earnest until closing night on Sunday, May 28. As always, the backbone of the festival is Australia's Top 100, featuring filmmakers from every corner of the country competing for a prize pool of $50,000. Other sections include Short Black, which features the work of Indigenous directors, and SoundKILDA, a collection of home-grown music videos for both local and international musicians. For the full St Kilda Film Festival program, visit stkildafilmfestival.com.au. Image: Jim Lee.
While you're probably familiar with A Streetcar Named Desire, you never would have heard of it without The Glass Menagerie. After all, it was this highly personal stage play — about a faded Southern belle and her two dysfunctional adult children — that first launched playwright Tennessee Williams from obscurity into the spotlight. More than 70 years after their first appearance on stage in Chicago, Amanda Wingfield and her children Laura and Tom will trip the boards at Malthouse Theatre. Straight from a sold-out run at Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre, this updated take (directed by Eamon Flack) sees Tom look back on memories of his family, reimagined as scenes from an old black and white film. The reviews out of Sydney were stellar, with lead actress Pamela Rabe scoring a Helpmann Award for her troubles.
A film festival dedicated to American films? Bear with us here. Sure, Hollywood pumps out most of the movies that reach our screens, but don't expect to see superheroes battling for supremacy, transforming robotic cars saving the world or an endless parade of sequels at Essential Independents: American Cinema, Now. Instead, the brand new event is dedicated to the types of US flicks that don't usually make it to our shores. Here, smaller titles and character-driven fare share the spotlight with experimental efforts, intriguing docos and the kind of classics that you won't find on every retro lineup. Think revisionist westerns featuring gun-slinging gals and explorations of important American artists, plus the chance to see early work by the Coen brothers, Kathryn Bigelow, Richard Linklater and Sofia Coppola in a cinema. The festival will run from May 17 until June 8 at Palace Como on Chapel Street and Palace Westgarth in Northcote. You can find Melbourne session times here. Need help deciding what to see? Take a look at our top five films to see at the festival.
A two-week exhibition at Melbourne Town Hall will shine the spotlight on nine unique women who helped shape Australia as we know it today. From the heroic exploits of WWII nurse Vivian Bullwinkel to the compassionate work of homeless and youth activist Rebecca Scott and the groundbreaking achievements of Deborah Lawrie (who became the country's first ever commercial pilot), the Her Place Pop-Up Exhibition will combine numerous multimedia platforms in order to celebrate the enormous accomplishments Australian women have made. In addition to the nine profiles, the pop-up will provide a home base for a number of public talks, on topics ranging from women in sport to the impact of domestic violence. Visitors will also get their chance to share their ideas for a Her Place museum, an educational women's space the organisers hope to set up permanently in Melbourne.
"Is fashion art?" asks The First Monday in May as it peers inside the couture-obsessed confines of the Met's Costume Institute. The answer may seem obvious, yet it's a much more complicated concept than it might at first appear. For starters, there's the sexist fact that all things clothing-oriented have traditionally seen seen as more feminine, and therefore deemed less worthy of serious consideration. Then there's the complicating factor that is today's focus on celebrities, drawing attention not just to fancy threads but to the famous folks donning the outfits. Taking its name from the date of the party that opens the Costume Institute's annual exhibition, it's the second point that proves particularly pertinent to Andrew Rossi's documentary. On the one hand, the Met Gala raises money for a gallery space dedicated to championing the very best in fashion, and shines a spotlight on their yearly showcase, such as last year's China: Through the Looking Glass. On the other, it requires as much energy to fill the venue's walls with celebrity attendees for one single night as does to put on the actual exhibit itself. It's an awkward balance, and one the film remains happy enough to depict without ever really dissecting. The film splits its time between chief curator Andrew Bolton and his passion for the artistry of garment making, and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in party-planning mode. The allure of celebrity is inescapable, as the film cuts from discussions regarding the influence of Chinese fashion on the West to whether Orlando Bloom is still famous enough to be invited, then wrapping it all up by following Kate Hudson through the exhibition and watching Justin Bieber watch Rihanna perform. That it leans so heavily on Wintour and her famous guests says more about the documentary than it really should. An entire film could've been made around Bolton, who glows with inspiration when he's talking about why his work is important. Yet The First Monday in May seems desperate to spend as much time as possible with Wintour. She might be responsible for turning the event into the fashion equivalent of the Super Bowl, but she's the least interesting part about the whole affair. As such, when filmmakers Wong Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love) and Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby) pop up – one acting as artistic director of the exhibition and the other as a creative consultant on the gala – their added perspectives prove extremely valuable. As pinch-worthy as the backstage access undoubtedly proves to anyone who has ever wanted to attend the star-studded shindig, it's disappointing that it remains the film's main focus. With Page One: Inside the New York Times also on his resume, Rossi has peeked behind the scenes of a New York institution before, but that was a much more thorough excursion. Unlikely to recruit any new fans, and unwilling to delve too deeply into its stated topic, The First Monday in May becomes a slickly made, stylishly shot but ultimately superficial overview of a celebrated occasion, instead of a thoughtful exploration of the question it initially poses. Its savviest touch is actually its timing, releasing while news of this year's titular occasion is still fresh in the collective memory.
There's something uniquely fascinating about watching an actor play against type. Whether it's comedian Adam Sandler as a lonely introvert in Punch-Drunk Love, or perennial leading man Leonardo DiCaprio as a sadistic slave owner in Django Unchained, it's often the performances that challenge our perception of an actor that end up being their most memorable. The most recent example of this phenomenon comes courtesy of Jeremy Saulnier's Green Room, a viciously violent thriller starring veteran actor Patrick Stewart as the leader of a gang of murderous neo-Nazis. To call it the most unsettling performance of his career doesn't come close to doing it justice. Suffice it to say, you'll never think about Captain Picard in quite the same way again. Against the white supremacists Saulnier pits struggling punk band The Ain't Rights, whose members include Fright Night's Anton Yelchin and Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat. With money and petrol both in perilously low supply, the group takes a gig at a remote skinhead bar in Oregon, a decision that they may not live to regret. Their cover of the Dead Kennedys song 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off' doesn't exactly get the warmest of receptions, but that's nothing compared to what's in store for them after they find a freshly murdered corpse in the green room following the show. It's the worst possible case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and with club owner Darcy Banker (Stewart) intent on eliminating all witnesses, the band soon find themselves fighting for their lives. What follows is an exercise in excruciating tension in which the odds of a happy ending seem to diminish with every scene. Green Room is not for audiences with faint hearts or weak stomachs, with Saulnier executing some of the most gruesome, shocking and genuinely upsetting violence we've seen on the big screen in quite some time. Still, it's the moments in between the carnage that are the movies' most effective. Rarely has a film captured the terror of imminent bloodshed with this kind of frenzied, animalistic intensity – and for that, credit must go not just to Saulnier, but also to his cast. Playing scared isn't always the easiest thing to do, as the bad acting in countless horror films can attest. But Yelchin and Shawkat, along with their bandmates Callum Turner and Joe Cole, are never anything less than 100 per cent convincing. Their work also makes Stewart that much more frightening by comparison. There's something utterly chilling about the way he keeps his cool, coordinating his troupe of loyal thugs even as the body count rises. Whether or not Saulnier intended the film to have contemporary political undertones, it's hard not to read something into the way in which Banker so brazenly exploits his followers, inciting violence through rhetoric while keeping his own hands (mostly) clean. Either way, it's a phenomenal turn by the actor, and well worth the price of a ticket on its own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDpRB0XmbDw
He's an accountant. But he's also a hitman. But he's also a high-functioning autistic. But he's also a martial arts expert. And a marksman. Oh, and he's an art lover. He has a Renoir, but he prefers the Pollack. Man, it would've been a fun room to be in when they pitched The Accountant. And yet, the pitch worked, with the film they ended up making turning out like the lovechild of A Beautiful Mind and Jason Bourne. If that sounds somewhat genre bending, it is. There's even a bunch of quirky comedy in there to really mix things up. Ultimately, the premise of The Accountant, by director Gavin O'Connor (Warrior), is as out there as it sounds: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a genius mathematician whose autism saw his mother abandon the family during his childhood, and his military father apply psy-ops (psychological operations) training to inure both Christian and his brother to the world of hardship that awaited them as adults. 20 years later and all grown up, Christian now operates as an accountant to the international worst of the worst: mafia, drug cartels and gun runners, oh my! The Treasury wants to know who he is, while a cutting-edge robotics company wants his services to track down missing millions from its accounts. Wild as they sound, the opening stages of this movie actually hold up pretty well. Affleck plays Wolff very much like his recent portrayal of Bruce Wayne: hulking, detached and extremely socially awkward. There are the clichéd maths montages featuring blinking-eyed number crunching and frenzied writing on walls, but on the whole his depiction of a misunderstood neurological conditions is impressively understated. But the film takes a sudden turn for the worse about an hour in. Its determination to throw in plot twist after plot twist results in some excruciating exposition-heavy scenes. The violence, meanwhile, is extreme and comic-booky (think John Wick with a tick), and the characters' lives all end up being far more intertwined than necessary. The supporting cast is strong, featuring the likes of Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, Jeffrey Tambor and Jon Bernthal. Sadly, none are given the kind of material needed to properly showcase their talents. The result is a film adrift, floating from one genre to the next without ever properly settling. It has some touching (and much needed) language about 'different, not worse' when it comes to non-neurotypicals, but the constant limb-cracking and blood-smattering that surround it means the message is fast muddled and forgotten. One suspects the film itself may suffer a similar and disappointing fate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBfsgcswlYQ
Want to get away from the city? Then head along down the Great Ocean Road for three straight days of theatre, music, comedy and cabaret. Returning to the picturesque surf coast locale for its sixth incarnation, the Lorne Performing Arts Festival will once again set the whole town abuzz. This year's festivities kick off on Friday night with a sold out opening gala – the perfect way to launch a jam-packed program boasting talent from near and far. Tom Gleeson and Denise Scott headline the comedic contingent, along with comic music acts The Suitcase Royale Band and Hooting & Howling. But the rest of the music lineup is no laughing matter, with Sydney heavyweights All Our Exes Live in Texas featured alongside Rowena Wise, Miles & Simone and Mojo Juju. In between ticketed shows, you can also pay a visit to the festival hub, where you'll find free entertainment throughout the weekend.
Get up close and personal with everything that makes you physically tick at a brand new exhibition at Melbourne Museum. Developed in partnership with two of Melbourne's leading medical research groups, Biomedical Breakthroughs: A New View of You will take ticketholders inside the human body, where they can wander through the circulatory system and lead an army of white blood cells in the fight against infection. Running from September 2 until February 3, the exhibition will explore the groundbreaking scientific work being done right here in our own backyard, while also asking visitors how well they know their physical selves. The museum has commissioned biomedical animator Drew Berry to create immersive cellular projections for the exhibition, which will also feature a number of interactive elements. Think Space Invaders on a microscopic scale.
Matthew McConaughey has been called quite a few things over the course of his career, but understated isn't often one of them. Whether he's grinning in one of the many rom-coms on his resume, gyrating in Magic Mike, or claiming that time is a flat circle in True Detective, he's the kind of actor that tends to make his presence known. But while that still proves the case in civil war drama Free State of Jones, what's most noticeable about McConaughey's efforts here isn't what he does, but what he doesn't do. As a conscripted Confederate medic who decides to desert his post, his portrayal here is far less flashy than we're used to. Of course, McConaughey's approach to playing real-life figure Newton Knight suits the movie he's in: a lengthy, slow-moving drama that's eager to stress the importance of its little-known true tale. If McConaughey displays a much more restrained brand of his usual charm, it's because writer-director Gary Ross (The Hunger Games) is determined to make the film as solemn as possible. Unfortunately, in doing so, the end result feels rather bland. Tired of seeing soldiers put their lives on the line for a cause that rewards the rich, Knight heads home to Mississippi while the conflict still rages. He's quickly labelled a deserter, hunted by the army and forced to hide out in swampland in Jones County – events that fuel his rebellion not just against the war and slavery, but against the government's excessive taxation of local farms. As word of his crusade spreads, others join his fight, sparking a new battle for equality between opposing factions of the Confederacy. Cue all the expected speeches about freedom and fairness, in a film that endeavours to highlight the varying levels of injustice and disillusionment that continue to haunt the United States to this day. And yet, though it does just that, there's no mistaking Free State of Jones' comfortable, cautious perspective. As Knight bands together with runaway slaves and falls for the kindly Rachel (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the film remains content to focus on what these developments say about its hero. The words 'white saviour' aren't uttered, but they'll definitely pop into your mind. Given that Ross plays it safe with his story, and tasks McConaughey with doing the same with his performance, it's hardly surprising that the film looks the same as it feels. Knight and his fellow characters might get muddy and bloody, but there's little that's untidy about the way the decidedly muted movie is put together. Here, a polished but decidedly mediocre narrative gets an aesthetic to match, and proves all the less powerful for it. That many of Free State of Jones' most interesting details are conveyed as text on screen says plenty about the finished film.
"This is the captain…brace for impact". Of all the awful things you could hear while flying – crying babies, drunken tourists, Adam Sandler Movie Marathons – none come close to those seven simple words uttered by US Airways pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger on January 15, 2009. After hitting a flock of birds mere moments after takeoff that caused in a catastrophic and unprecedented dual engine failure, Sully and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles were forced to execute a note-perfect ditching of their aircraft on the Hudson River. Their heroics saved all 155 souls on board and turned Sully into an overnight sensation. Directed by Clint Eastwood, Sully is an examination of the man behind the so-called Miracle on the Hudson. As such, the film opts to focus almost entirely on the days that followed Sully's astounding water landing – including with the National Transportation Safety Board investigations and media frenzy it precipitated – rather than honing in on the crash itself. That's not to say Eastwood omits it entirely. The harrowing sequence, when it finally comes, is a gripping and well crafted as any seen in film. But by prolonging its delivery and focussing on the lesser known story, the veteran filmmaker delivers a far more engaging and balanced tale than the more conventional drama Sully might easily have become. In the title role, Tom Hanks brings understated grace and dignity , albeit in a performance far more clinical (even analytical) than we're used to. The style befits the protagonist, a man whose impossible levels of composure enabled him to do what had never been done before, and all with a calmness of voice that defies belief (if you've not heard the official cockpit recording, try to imagine saying "We may end up in the Hudson" with the same level of poise most people evince when ordering a pizza). Aaron Eckhart, meanwhile, puts in an endearing turn as Sully's faithful co-pilot, while a solid supporting cast including Laura Linney, Mike O'Malley, Anna Gunn and Jamey Sheridan ensure the script by Todd Komarnicki stays on the right side of schmaltz – no matter how close Eastwood veers towards its limits. There's no question that Sully is unashamedly sincere in its portrayal not just of the extraordinary pilots, but also their crew, the passengers, the air-traffic controllers and the selfless New Yorkers who raced to their rescue without a moment's hesitation. Thankfully, Eastwood is the master of underplayed tributes to everyday heroes, especially those who shy away from the very notion of their own valour. Few could be more humble, or deserving of such a treatment, than the man who gives this remarkable movie its name https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjKEXxO2KNE
As always, this year's Melbourne Fringe program is packed full of great cabaret shows. But it's hard to go past the new solo effort from Bobby Blue, host of Karaoke Dance Party Go! and one quarter of Melbourne barbershop quartet Bobby and the Pins. In Self Esteem: The Soundtrack, Blue rides a wave of self-love and self-loathing backed by the best pop, rock and soul tracks about exactly that. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll cringe in recognition. And with a bit of luck, you'll leave feeling better adjusted than you did when the show began.
If you're going to run an annual genre festival, then you're also going to want to push some boundaries. Opening with a controversial film that has already caused fainting and walkouts overseas, this year's Monster Fest is challenging its audience right from the get-go — or catering to their extreme horror tastes, perhaps? In fact, if you have an interest in film festivals — or can't help stumbling across headlines about strange things happening in cinemas — then you might've already heard of Julia Ducournau's debut Raw. As well as inspiring buzz and picking up an award in Cannes in May, the French director's first film garnered plenty of attention in Toronto just this week. There, paramedics were called to a midnight screening after multiple people reportedly passed out while watching. Whether the reaction was genuine or a publicity stunt has already been questioned; however if you're not a fan of gory flicks, a coming-of-age effort about a young vegetarian participating in a carnivorous activities after enrolling in veterinary school just might cause you to feel a little queasy. Raw, which is set for a general release around Australia in March 2017, joins already-announced, similarly out-there closing night offering The Greasy Strangler as a high-profile highlight of this year's Monster Fest. The event will also host a selection of movies directed by veteran helmer Ted Kotcheff, including classic Aussie outback thriller Wake in Fright and dead body comedy Weekend at Bernie's, with the filmmaker attending the festival in person. A program of events and screenings focused on genre narratives made for the small screen will also feature — complete with a Nightmare VHS Board Game Party, much to the delight of anyone who grew up in the '90s — with the full lineup set to be revealed in the coming weeks. Monster Fest 2016 runs from November 24 to 27 at Melbourne's Lido Cinemas. For more information, visit the festival's website.
It's the news architecture and design fans — and just all-round creative folks in general — have been waiting for. MPavilion has revealed the highlights of its 2016/17 lineup and hooo boy, it's a long list. The program runs from October 5 to February 18, and includes over 400 free public events. Basically, prepare for your entertainment budget to drop significantly, C/O MPavilion. They're a part of the Melbourne Festival and Confluence: Festival of India, which also includes White Night and Melbourne Music Week. This year's highlights include a talk series dedicated to design and science, free yoga sessions courtesy of Happy Melon Mindful Yoga, and an exploration of the history of Bauhaus in Australia from the pros at Monash University and the University of Melbourne. You can also attend the launch of issue six of Assemble Papers, 'Future Local'; check out performances by the Australian Youth Orchestra, Australian National Academy of Music and Australian String Quartet; and head along to some amazing free music events as part of MMusic, including shows curated by Chapter Music, Bedroom Suck Records, Smooch Records, Conrad Standish, Sovereign Trax, Spike Fu*k and Miles Davis. Plus, this is literally just the tip of the iceberg. To see the full program and plan your schedule, head to their website. Images: John Gollings.
Feliz cumpleaños! Richmond's El Atino & Co. is on the cusp of turning one, and what better way to celebrate than by stuffing your face with food? On the evening of Thursday, September 29, the Bridge Road Latin restaurant and grocer will kick off the long weekend a little early with a taco and liquor-fueled Mexican fiesta. Doors to El Atino's first birthday party open at 6pm sharp – and you'll want to get there bang on the dot so you can spend as much time as possible in front of the taco buffet (yes, we said taco buffet). In addition to chef Martin Zozaya's finest tacos, guests will find plenty of liquid refreshment, including margaritas, beer and sweet, sweet tequila. There'll also be Mexican music and other entertainment. Not bad for just $35 per person. No door sales though — tickets need to be booked online.
First, it's the low, flat tone in his voice that does it. Then, it's the anxious but determined glint in his eye. It only takes a few seconds of screen time, a couple of words and a specific expression, for Joseph Gordon-Levitt to make his portrayal of Edward Snowden worth watching. He's the glare, grit, heart and soul of Snowden, from director Oliver Stone. Even as the filmmaker takes a clear-cut stance about the man considered a hero by some and a traitor by others, Gordon-Levitt brings the required conflict and complexity to the role. Snowden begins in June 2013, in a hotel room in Hong Kong, with one of the most significant and suspenseful events in recent history. The NSA contractor is meeting with filmmaker Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) and journalists Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto) and Ewen MacAskill (Tom Wilkinson), providing them with a wealth of documents about the US government's secret surveillance regime. The scene should feel familiar, particularly among viewers who have seen Poitras' Academy Award-winning documentary Citizenfour. Stone recreates parts of her excellent film as a starting point and a framing device, before setting out to unpack what it was that compelled Snowden to do what he did. What follows is a dramatic retelling that incorporates much of what you might have read in newspaper headlines, along with snippets of Snowden's life including his rocky relationship with his girlfriend Lindsay Mills (Shailene Woodley). He excels during his training, and works his way through various intelligence postings around the world. But with each new task, he grows increasingly concerned about America's intrusive espionage activities, and disillusioned with the country he had always believed in. It's an intricate story — and a fascinating one. Stone does an adequate job jumping between multiple time frames, weaving three distinct narrative threads and crafting a slick feature in the process. Yet it's the central performance — along with the inherently gripping subject matter — that keeps Snowden tense and thrilling. As the film cycles through relatively routine biopic territory, Gordon-Levitt even manages to make the frequent sight of searching through files and staring out of windows seem compelling. Unfortunately, while JG-L's portrayal is spot-on, it hurts that the narrative and filmmaking all feels so standard and straightforward. Indeed, it's the feature's conventional nature that never wholly satisfies, even if the story it relates remains engrossing. Snowden is filled with questions, but they're ones that the director quickly offers his own easy, ready-made answers to. On the whole, this is a far less probing effort than Stone's best – think Platoon, Wall Street and JFK. That said, with World Trade Centre, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and Savages among his recent output, Snowden is his best film in some time, as well as his most topical. And if nothing else, it also gifts audiences a rare treat: Nicolas Cage actually acting — rather than chewing the scenery — as one of Snowden's early mentors.
Chess is best played calmly, with an analytical mindset and with an awareness of the many life lessons it can teach — at least as far as every film depiction of the strategic game is concerned. Based on the tale of Ugandan prodigy Phiona Mutesi, Queen of Katwe is certainly guilty of finding parallels between reality and moving pawns around a board, and even of tasking a kindly coach with pointing them out. Thankfully, in the hands of The Reluctant Fundamentalist director Mira Nair, embracing cliches and relying upon metaphors can't stand in the way of a great story. And what a rousing tale it is, not quite of the rags-to-riches kind, but one filled with fighting spirit and driven to discard the shackles of poverty and gender. When the film first offers a glimpse of teenaged Phiona (Madina Nalwanga), she's poised to win a national championship — making Queen of Katwe's end goal apparent, yet never downplaying her struggle to get there. Jumping back, we next see her as a nine-year-old spending her days selling corn to help her widowed mother Harriet (Lupita Nyong'o) support their family of six. Learning to play chess is the last thing on her mind; in fact, she only heads to the local club run by volunteer Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) to get a free cup of porridge. Even if you're not familiar with Phiona, or the magazine article turned book The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster that inspired Nair's film, you should know what you're in for. Phiona takes to her new hobby with gusto, with Robert's encouragement and despite Harriet's disapproval. The local boys aren't happy to be playing a girl — and they're even less impressed when she keeps beating them. And when the club raises the funds needed to play a tournament against wealthier students, they're hardly welcomed with open arms There's a game afoot in this film about a game: one side patiently tries to position the pieces necessary to paint a portrait of Phiona's impoverished life in a developing country, while the other happily tries to fit her tale into an established pattern. Mair alternates between fleshing out the location-specific details and brightly bouncing through the usual underdog sports movie elements. Yes, it seems that chess really is relevant everywhere, even when it comes to the way that Queen of Katwe handles its narrative. In terms of performance, everyone from newcomer Nalwanga to Oscar-winner Nyong'o to standout Oyelowo shines, enhancing the film's many uplifting charms. Add an end credits nod to the real-life figures behind the inspiring story, and joyful tears are more than likely. Sure, Queen of Katwe still proves the kind of movie that makes its plays known several moves in advance. But that doesn't diminish the moving end result.
Independent artists from all across Asia will present their work as part of Multicultural Arts Victoria's Mapping Melbourne. Now in its fourth year, this Asia-focused festival will feature a selection of free performances, music works and visual and live art installations by artists from China, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and — of course — Australia. Mapping Melbourne will run from December 1-17 in various venues around the city. Standout events include Fire Monkey (a collaborative dance work inspired by the Chinese Zodiac), Desivolution (a photography exhibition about Melbourne's Indian diaspora) and Crossing, an exhibition of paintings, sculptures and large-scale installations that explore the visual and social culture of Bali. But you can check out the full program here. Image by Nachnicha Kongkatigumjorn.
The only theatre company in Europe to be banned by its government on political grounds, the Belarus Free Theatre is coming to Melbourne with tales of persecution, resilience and revolution. Burning Doors will see the BTF join forces with Pussy Riot's Maria Alyokhina in her stage debut. Alyokhina was sentenced to two years in a Russian prison in 2012 for her involvement in Pussy Riot's infamous anti-Putin 'punk prayer' in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Hers is one of a number of stories that will make up the production at the Arts Centre, as the company shines a light on the restriction of artistic freedom around the world, and the work of artists and activists to fight back against creative and political oppression. The show will be on stage from Tuesday, November 29 through to Saturday, December 3.
As the federal government continues to drag its feet resettling refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict (Australia had managed about 6000 by last November — Canada by comparison, was at well over 30,000), it falls once more to the non-political professions to show the government where the hands go on the 1humanitarian clock. This time, it's hospitality's turn. On March 6, UNICEF Australia will partner with 11 of the country's best chefs for a charity dinner celebrating Syria's strong culinary tradition. The Point Albert Park will host the posse of gastronomers as they prepare a banquet comprising their signature dishes with a few Syrian flourishes. If you've never been at the mercy of za'atar, pomegranate, Aleppo pepper or tamarind, this could well be a revelation. Tickets are a steep $329 per person (plus booking fee), but 75 percent of the proceed will go to UNICEF's Syria Crisis Appeal. The price includes canapés, cocktails on arrival, a shared Syrian-inspired feast and wine. It may seem on the surface like you're paying for the food, but ten professional chefs jammed into a single kitchen also suggests a night of great theatre. Movida's Frank Camorra and Lee Ho Fook's Victor Liong will be in the fray, with David Thompson of the newly opened Long Chim and Anchovy's Thi Le contending for next use of the colander with equal ferocity. If you've ever wanted to see Karen Martini trying to slice potato with steel wool or fighting a pitched battle for the top shelf of the oven, this could well be your chance. Other chefs rounding out the impressive lineup include Lûmé's Shaun Quade, Maha's Shane Delia, Embla's Dave Verheul, The Point's Andy Harmer, Jacques Reymond and David Moyle of Hobart's Franklin and soon-to-open Melbourne restaurant Longsong. While the top guns will have their turn on March 6, UNICEF Australia is encouraging anyone with passing knowledge of an oven to contribute. Restaurants and cafes can produce a limited edition 'Syria' version of a favourite dish throughout the month, of which a portion of the proceeds will go to UNICEF. For those who deal in culinary delight on a slightly smaller scale, bake sales are your recommended course. While you're waiting for the oven to pre-heat, there's more information here.
Melbourne's late summer openair cinema will occupy hallowed turf, with a pop-up cinema on the pitch at the MCG. Taking over the iconic sporting arena for the final weekend of summer, Cinema at the 'G will showcase a pair of critically acclaimed films under the stars. On Friday, February 24, they're screening Lion, the Australian-made drama starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman that's poised to clean up at this year's Academy Awards. The following evening it's up in the air (and then down in the river) with Tom Hanks in Sully, the real-life drama about the heroics of US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger. Ticketholders can bring picnic blankets, pillows and snacks, or munch on cinema food available for purchase on-site. Doors open at 6.30pm for an 8.30pm start. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Bank of Melbourne Neighbourhood Fund, which in turns supports an array of Victorian charities.
Enjoying a glass of wine might come with a few supposed medical benefits, but having a tipple isn't typically an exercise-heavy pastime. You sit. You drink. You get up, top up your beverage and repeat. You usually don't walk particularly far, let alone run. At a new series of wine-tasting fun runs about to take place around Australia, however, you'll put in the hard yards before you get the boozy rewards. The Grapest 5K run consists of two sections. First, you sprint, jog or set forth at whatever pace suits you best, making your way through scenic vineyard surroundings. Then, you walk another kilometre — yes, in addition to the first five, or ten if you're feeling extra energetic — while stopping at tasting stations along the way and sampling the good stuff. Don't worry, if you're not up to the first part and you're simply keen on wandering and sipping, that's an option (although it does defeat the idea of combining fitness with throwing back drinks). The first run takes place on February 11 at Balgownie Estate in Bendigo, with a second scheduled on March 4 at Coolangatta Estate in Shoalhaven, south of Woollongong. Further events are mooted in the Hunter Valley, Brisbane, Margaret River in Western Australia, Langhorne Creek in South Australia and Canberra throughout the rest of the year.
The immersive gamers at Pop Up Playground are back with a brand new adventure. Taking place over two months all across inner city Melbourne, Outside: The Cloud blends the real world with the digital one, as players race to crack clues, uncover puzzles and find IRL passcodes each and every week. The game imagines a world in which a nefarious corporation is covertly testing a chemical weapon on the unsuspecting public. It's up to players to work together to unravel the conspiracy, with their actions in the game shaping where the story goes next. Entry into Outside: The Cloud costs $30 per month, or $50 for the full season. You can enter the game at any time, even if you missed the start or have to take a week off due to boring stuff like being a grown-up and having a job.
