This is Not Art, Newcastle's independent arts festival, will once again descend on the NSW city for the October long weekend. The festival — which will this year run from Thursday, September 29 until the Sunday, October 2 — sets its focus on experimental art and blurring the lines between artistic mediums. An umbrella sheltering a number of festivals, this year TiNA is home to the Crack Theatre Festival, National Young Writers' Festival and Critical Animals. The National Young Writers' Festival has managed to net over 100 writers from all over the country and New Zealand for a series of panels, workshops, readings and debates. Rapper and poet Omar Musa, Jennifer Down, whose Our Magic Hour took the 2014 Victorian Premier's Literary Award, and Stella Prize shortlisted Ellen van Neerven are just a few of the featured writers expected to storm Newcastle throughout the four-day fest.
Not all coffees are created equal, as anyone serious about their hot caffeinated beverages knows. That applies to the non-supermarket stuff as well — and to the world of filtered brews. Don't believe us? Well, why not let Five Senses show you the merits of roasted, single origin, rare parcel, micro-lot beans given the filtered treatment. From 7am to 4pm every day between September 3 and 18, the specialty coffee roasters are heading to Surry Hills with a pop-up cafe focused on strained cuppas of Panama, Kenya, Indonesia and Ethiopia's finest. It's called Five Senses Pop-Up - Filter: The New Black. Curated tasting flights will ensure that you get the best tasting experience you possibly can; however sipping on the good stuff isn't the only thing on the menu here. Thanks to collaborations with Top Paddock and Kettle Black ex-executive chef Jesse McTavish and doughnut wizards Shortstop, you'll be eating well too — all in a 50-seat warehouse space decked out by Porter & Maple.
Having made its international premiere at New York's Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), this exhibition has hit the Powerhouse. At its heart is the increasingly intense relationship between digital manufacturing and, well, everything — from art and design to science and architecture. The computer revolution has changed every part of the process. More than 60 artists are bringing their perspective to the mix. You'll be seeing works from New York-based sculptor Barry X Ball, Iraqi-born British architect Zaha Hadid, Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen who's collaborated with everyone from Tilda Swinton to Lady Gaga and Israeli industrial designer Ron Arad.
Delay your dreams no longer. The Australian Film and Television School wants to help you transform your vision into celluloid reality. And, to get you started, they're inviting you around to theirs for an open day. For six-and-a-half glorious hours you can tour through state-of-the-art studios, meet alumni-turned-media stars and find out about the epic range of courses on offer — from diplomas to undergrad degrees to Masters. Making special appearances to reveal how AFTRS changed their lives will be writer-directors Malina Mackiewicz and Warwick Young, who've been scoring gongs at major film festivals in all four corners of the globe. Also appearing will be Triple J's Hack program producer Karla Arnall. At their annual Open Day, AFTRS throws its doors open to everyone. CEO Neil Peplow says Australia has a diversity of voices and he wants to find and empower storytellers from all over the country. We concur. If you can't make it on the day, there will be a live stream of talks, workshops and course information seminars happening on the day at the AFTRS website.
Aussie writers have long been obsessed with the fact that, in Australia, it's all too easy to vanish. There's just so much empty space. The latest to have taken on this concept is playwright Angela Betzien, Patrick White Playwrights' Fellow, at the Sydney Theatre Company. She's created a super-tense crime thriller titled The Hanging, focused on the disappearance of two Melbourne girls from a privileged private school. The only two characters to know anything about what happened are their 14-year-old best friend and her English teacher. But neither of them is too keen on talking. As the mystery gets deeper, the girls' respected families must face darker and darker truths. At the production's helm is STC resident, Sarah Goodes (Disgraced), who's put together a cracking cast, featuring Luke Carroll (Battle of Waterloo), Ashleigh Cummings (Channel Ten's Puberty Blues) and Genevieve Lemon (Hay Fever).
Since 2013, artist Meg Minkley has been painting and drawing her way through pain. Her ongoing art therapy project A Drawing A Day started as a means of dealing with having been raped while travelling in Mexico, and went on to help scores of other rape survivors. Its latest incarnation, which opens at 107 Projects on Wednesday, September 14, is a response to the loss of her "best friend and cousin" Sarah, who suddenly passed away in her sleep from diabetes at the age of 28. Titled Dear SarBear, the exhibition deals with grief, memory and dreams. On some of the works, Minkley collaborated with her four- and six-year old niece and nephew, Liam and Ava. So you can expect lots of colour, as well as portraits of pet flamingo, Gracie, who, Ava says, lives in the sky with Sarah. Minkley is also co-founder of FemFound, a non-profit organisation dedicated supporting survivors of rape. It was established with the help of a successful Pozible campaign, which raised more than $15,000 earlier this year. Running until Sunday, September 25, Dear SarBear is free to attend, but will also be raising funds and awareness for Juvenile Diabetes Australia.
Australia Day is a-comin', day off and all. So, the savvy folks at brand new music event Extra Pulp are hosting a colossal dance party under the Sydney Harbour Bridge the day before. Brought to you by the combined forces of UNDR ctrl and I OH YOU, Extra Pulp promises a day of casually huge bangers: we're talking CC:DISCO!, Dreems, Juno Mars, Rimbombo and Simon Caldwell. To fuel all of the crazy dance moves that you'll invariably break out, there will be a conveniently placed, pop-up food shack, courtesy of The Kerrigan. For those of you not acquainted with The Kerrigan's food stylings, it's very much the carnivore's dream — kitted out with a charcoal grill, smokery and all. Head out of the office early, grab a chicken wing and party under the Harbour Bridge. What of tomorrow? Check our January 26 guide for more ways to spend the public holiday.
For one night only, two of our favourite cuisines are coming together for Tokyo Bandito, the ultimate Jap-Mex mashup dinner. It's a winning combo presented by two lads who know their food — Nick Smith of Rising Sun Workshop and Ghostboy Cantina's Toby Wilson. Come hungry, because the menu is extensive. For $65, you'll start off with a sake mojito, before progressing to chargrilled corn with Japanese mayo and furikake, followed by a Tako Taco with braised octopus, pickled daikon, guacachile, yuzu and coriander. Next up is a Mexican take on ramen, featuring ancho chilli broth with soy, lime, coriander, fried tortilla, avocado and quesa oaxaca. Finally, tuck into a dessert of tres leches with burnt miso caramel and corn custard. The food coma will be so worth it. Two seatings are available at 6pm or 7.30pm.
If you're a lover of dance but also a believer in brevity, this year's Art Month has you covered. They're hosting a night of free, five-minute dance classes to help you polish one killer move to bust out on the d-floor at the next crazy disco rave you attend, led by groover Amy Zhang. On Wednesday, March 8 in Darlinghurst, Groove Therapy — who run weekly dance classes at 107 Projects — will let you cram yourself and your closest friends (max three per session) into a safe space and learn dance unapologetically for five minutes. These classes will actually be held in neon, disco bedrooms (hence the space restrictions) so you can pretend it's just you, your floor-length mirror and YouTube. And remember: it's not about perfecting that one move, it's about grooving your butt off in a safe and non-judgement space — even if it is for only five minutes. The classes are free, but you will need to book in advance.
Whether you've been to Wollongong before, or Wonderwalls' return tempts you there for the first time, you'd best expect the unexpected. That's what happens when a street art festival blows in, takes over the city's outdoor spaces and literally paints the town red — and every other colour imaginable. From November 25 to 27, more than 20 walls are slated to be covered with art by local, national and international artists. Bristol's 45rpm, London's Gary, Brisbane's Frank and Mimi, Sydney's Phibs and Adelaide's Vans the Omega are just some of the talented folks showcasing their works, live and in front of your very eyes. To see all their ace creations, just follow the Wonderwalls map. It all kicks off with a party on November 25, of course, featuring live art from Ironlak and DJs spinning killer tunes. And, Detroit's 1xRUN will curate their first-ever Australian exhibition on November 26, showcasing pieces by Wonderwalls Alumni, acclaimed artists and more. Images: Luke Shirlaw.
By 1976, David Bowie had achieved many things. He'd pondered whether there's life on Mars, transformed into both Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke, and rocketed up both the singles and album charts. So, he tried something different: a new place, a new sound, and a creative time that would result in three distinctive records. Spanning until 1979, it's what's now known as his Berlin period. This is when the idea that we could be heroes — even just for one day — was born. And when Bowie wrote one of his most famous songs in the shadow of a wall. It's this that Bowie in Berlin pays tribute to, obviously, with a selection of works from the great artist's Low, Heroes and Lodger albums. With this January marking Bowie's 70th birthday — as well as the 40th anniversary of Low's release — when better for musical director Mick Harvey to corral vocalists Kylie Auldist, Dave Graney, Ron Peno, Kim Salmon and Max Sharam into honouring one of most fruitful creative periods? There'll be sound and vision on this fantastic voyage, plus beauties and beasts, as the boys keep swinging and no one looks back in anger.
If your NYE fantasy involves avoiding raging crowds and having lots of food and wine delivered to where you're sitting while you sit back and do absolutely nothing, then dinner at the Bentley crew's newest restaurant Cirrus is the go. What's more, Barangaroo Reserve is just a stumble away, so you have the option of checking out the fireworks from a killer spot (as long as you buy a ticket for $33.30). Cirrus will be serving its usual sustainably-caught, super fresh seafood-heavy menu. Star dishes include Moreton Bay bugs with house-made XO and mud crab from the Northern Territory with green garlic and tarragon. You're welcome to dine any way you like — be that a la carte or via a multi-course, share-style menu. To nab one of the 40 waterfront seats, we suggest booking as soon as possible. That said, wherever you are, you'll be luxuriating in plenty of personal space among the marble-dashed Pascale Gomes-McNabb-designed interior.
For its thirtieth anniversary, STC wheels out Michael Gow's much-performed classic and that scourge of HSC students – Away. Tom and Meg really like each other. The school year has just finished and they wouldn't mind using the summer to untangle their feelings. But they won't get the chance – they're both being dragged away to spend Christmas holidaying with their families. Roy, the school principal, and his wife Coral decide they wouldn't mind some time away either. Tom's parents are keeping a big secret from him. The problem is, he already knows. Meg's parents don't want her going anywhere near Tom. Roy and Coral, who are mourning the death of their son, realise their marriage is falling apart. Then the fairies show up. For those who like their '60s nostalgia peppered with Shakespearean tricksiness, hop off the bus now — this is your stop.
If Sad Affleck didn't already exist, Live By Night might've made the meme happen anyway. The actor rarely appears particularly engaged in the prohibition-era gangster flick — and given that he's not just the star, but the writer-director too, that's a little bit of a problem. Sure, the plot throws up plenty of reasons for his sorrowful expression, and yes, brooding over what it means to be a man living a life of crime requires an absence of smiles. Still, Affleck largely just looks lost and glum rather than convincingly conflicted or troubled. To make matters even more trying for audiences, he also can't seem to tear the camera away from his own face. Live By Night isn't the first time Affleck has directed himself, with The Town and Oscar-winner Argo both listed on his resume. Thanks to the former, it's not the first time he has pondered masculinity and violence, or the difficulties of trying to do the right thing by the wrong means. Staying in well-worn territory, his latest flick is also his second adaptation of a novel by Dennis Lehane, with the author penning the book that Affleck's excellent helming debut, Gone Baby Gone, was based on. They say that familiarity breeds contempt, but what it really inspires here is a movie that matches his on-screen look: poised and polished, but bland from top to bottom. When the film first introduces Affleck's character, World War I veteran Joe Coughlin, it's with an anti-authoritarian attitude; "I left a soldier, I came home an outlaw" his voiceover bluntly offers. Discovering just how far down that path the Boston crook will go is one of the aims of the game, along with probing the darker side of the American dream. At first, Coughlin just wants little more than to break the rules and bed a hotshot mobster's mistress (Sienna Miller). But when his romantic bliss ends, he switches to revenge and bootlegging booze in Tampa. An alliance with the local Cuban population, including his new girlfriend Graciela (Zoe Saldana), earns the ire of the Ku Klux Klan, while trying to build a casino draws opposition from a wannabe actress turned born-again preacher (Elle Fanning). There's no shortage of plot driving Live By Night as it meanders through its 129-minute running time. As forces of good and evil clash in a variety of ways, Coughlin wears a number of hats (literally and figuratively), firmly establishing that a well-meaning gangster's existence is painted in shades of grey. Of course, if you've seen The Godfather, Goodfellas or any other American effort in the genre, you've already toyed with these themes more than once. Other than following in their footsteps, there's not much more this movie has to offer. That's not to say that the project is entirely without merit. Though he keeps frowning in front of the camera, Affleck finds some much-needed directorial spark in the film's late shootouts — so much so that you'll wish that he'd done so much earlier. Set in the 1920s, Live By Night also looks the sumptuous part, but sadly that attention to detail doesn't extend to the supporting characters. The less said not only about Saldana's thankless, throwaway role, but Chris Messina's exaggerated performance as a supposedly comic offsider, the better. Although even then, they still seem less miserable than Affleck.
Underground Cinema has been filling a void in cinema-goers hearts for over six years, having successfully created twenty-five cinematic experiences around Melbourne and Sydney. And now they're back, bringing your favourite flicks to life in an immersive cinema experience beyond dorky 3D glasses, popcorn-munching and booming surround sound. Over three nights, in a top-secret location, the unique four-hour live cinema invites you to join the set of Alfonso Cuaron's dystopian world of Children of Men. From actors in costumes, detailed set and audience interaction, Hope 2.0 is unlike anything you've experienced — or probably ever will again. To prepare for the journey you will need your strength, resilience and courage. A foreign-styled costume is also strongly encouraged. But above all, you must have hope. Expect the unexpected. However, maybe not starvation or dehydration: hot food and a bar (cash-only) are available on the night. Image: Nicholas Joel Photography.
When was the last time you went out dancing? Not just jostling around the pub with your mates to the biggest hits of the 80s, 90s and now while wishing that your shoes weren't stuck to the floor – we mean hectic, throw you hands in the air, holy shit did that just happen it's 3am type dancing. If you can happily say that you go out dancing all the time, then that's good. That's very good. If you can't say that, get yourself to the Kings Cross Hotel on September 24th. Tickets for Delorean Disco are $10 ($15 on the door) and it's a party well worth attending. The Delorean Disco promises to take you on a dance floor journey like no other. Dipping in through the decades you'll kick off your exploration of the musical eras and visit genres like the rhythm, soul and rock & roll of the 60s before cascading into all things shiny and good that happened in the 2000s. Think about how much hassle you'll save by combining four genres into one club (there's four levels). You don't have to round up your mates and find new spots – you can just stay here all night. Each floor will play a different array of classic music. Dive: 60s psych-out and with rock, soul and R&B. Ground: House party anthems from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Balcony: Yacht rock, mum rock, dad rock and CEO Rock with Sweetie, Body Type DJs and Adam Lewis. Club: Hip hop and classic club stompers from the 90s and 2000s, courtesy of Andy Garvey and FlexMami. Get yourself to Kings Cross Hotel – it's going to be a banger of a dance party.
When Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) scolds a man for approaching her in a courtyard and threatens to have him whipped, she thinks nothing of it. After her friend and confidante Alicia (Chloë Sevigny) seems shocked, she advises that she actually knows him well; "I would never speak to a stranger like that," she laughs. Slinging sharp words is what the recent widow does well, along with scheming to secure herself a new husband while also trying to find someone suitable for her teenage daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark). How better to battle for the important things in life, such as a wealthy partner, being able to live comfortably, and escaping a scandalous reputation? Yes, all's fair in love, marriage and the war that accompanies the pursuit of both, as this comedy of manners, money and match-making aptly demonstrates. Adapted by writer-director Whit Stillman from Jane Austen's unfinished, letter-based novella Lady Susan (but renamed after one of her other short stories), the fast-paced film is the comedic gem you probably didn't know the 18th century author had in her. Indeed, Love & Friendship is a sparkling satire that's as insightful as it is amusing, anchored by the kind of protagonist that might not be entirely sympathetic, but is still both relatable and entertaining. When Lady Susan sets her sights on the young and handsome Reginald DeCourcy (Xavier Samuel), she won't let his meddling relatives derail her future happiness — though Frederica's courtship with the buffoonish Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett) might just get in the way. That said, Lady Susan hasn't been labelled "the most accomplished flirt in England" without good reason. Whether her character is telling off passersby, spouting insults with a smile or choosing to remain oblivious to the response she causes whenever she enters a room, Beckinsale is in career-topping form as Lady Susan, oozing the perfect combination of charm and calculation. While she's surrounded by an excellent cast — Samuel, Bennett and a brief appearance by Stephen Fry are the standouts — there's never any doubting that she's the star of the show. And yet, though Beckinsale commands attention every moment she's on screen, it's Stillman who proves the film's most important figure. The material isn't just an ideal fit for a filmmaker who has previously found humour in interconnected sections of society in movies like The Last Days of Disco and Damsels in Distress. It's also the feature the lifelong Austen fan was clearly fated to make. At home in the period setting, he takes every opportunity to survey the sumptuous production design, while still furnishing the film with a sense of intimacy, peppering it with hilarious reaction shots, and finding joy in the wordplay that drives the dialogue. In short, it's a delicious blend of Stillman and Austen at their comic best.
See the films of Alfred Hitchcock the way they were meant to be seen, as part of a cinematic tribute to the Master of Suspense. Beginning Thursday, July 21 Cremorne's Hayden Orpheum, the Alfred Hitchcock Film Festival will feature more than a dozen of the beloved filmmaker's most celebrated titles by putting them up on the big screen once more. Film fans, you'd be psycho to miss it. Spanning two full decades of spine-tingling masterworks, standout titles on the festival program include Vertigo, Rear Window and North by Northwest, as well as the film that made an entire generation afraid to take a shower. You can also catch a special 3D screening of Dial M for Murder or watch Hitch's personal favourite, Shadow of a Doubt. Accompanying the retro program will be the Australian premiere season of Hitchcock/Truffaut, a new documentary inspired by François Truffaut's famous book of the same name, featuring new interviews with modern legends including Wes Anderson, David Fincher and Martin Scorsese.
If video game cutscenes ever made the leap to cinema, Warcraft: The Beginning would be the end result. Fashioning a film from the interactive fantasy franchise, the long-awaited movie version functions in much the same way: advancing a narrative, fleshing out characters, and delving into material that can't always be gleaned during gameplay. That's the good news. The bad news is that it also looks and feels the part. That's not an indictment of the movie's impressive special effects, but a reflection of the unfulfilling way the feature seems like it was pieced together from standard in-game sequences rather than specifically made for the cinema. Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code), and co-written by the filmmaker with Charles Leavitt (In the Heart of the Sea), Warcraft: The Beginning takes viewers to the realms of Draenor and Azeroth. The former, the home of the orcs, is dying, with warlock Gul'dan (Daniel Wu) using a magical force called the fel to transport his people to the latter. Durotan (Toby Kebbell), the leader of one of the orc clans, is wary of this plan, but also has his pregnant mate Draka (Anna Galvin) to worry about. Upon their arrival, they're hardly greeted with a warm welcome by Azeroth's suspicious human inhabitants — including King Llane Wrynn (Dominic Cooper), knight Anduin Lothar (Travis Fimmel), mystic Medivh (Ben Foster) and aspiring magi Khadgar (Ben Schnetzer) — although the orcs' penchant for warmongering doesn't help things either. A clash between orc and mans ensues, and at this point, audiences could be forgiven for wishing that the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films didn't exist, or that their enormous popularity hadn't cemented the template for the action-fantasy genre. Charged with the difficult task of bringing a multi-player game to the big screen, Warcraft: The Beginning takes far too many cues from Middle Earth. The film might gather its details from the game series that dates back to 1994 in various forms, but in turning them into a feature, it's content to dwell in generic territory. Simply put, you've seen this stuff before. A derivative game-to-film adaptation isn't the same as a bad one, though it does struggle to maintain interest. The need to set up potential sequels is made clear in the movie's title; however as the battles stop seeming distinctive, and the characters chart familiar paths, it makes much of the feature feel like filler. Jones knows how to handle action and exposition, and convey a strong sense of grandeur as well, but remains trapped by his world-building mission and the need to stick to the formula. Try as they might in both live-action and motion-captured performances, the cast are placed in a similar predicament, particularly Paula Patton as half-orc, half-human outcast Garona, who is literally caught in the middle. When the best a movie based on a computer game can offer is CGI wizardry, something has obviously gone awry. Once fans have had their fill of clocking knowing references, even they'll likely wish they were just playing the game instead. And for everyone else — don't expected to be recruited to the horde just yet.
Think fairytales are just for children? Think again. Most romance movies mightn't actually focus on a handsome prince or a downtrodden young woman with an evil stepmother, but they still take adult viewers into the realm of pure fantasy. In fact, in charting the blossoming bond between a rich former adrenaline junkie and a small town gal, Me Before You sticks closer to the storybook formula than most. Pumpkins don't turn into carriages here, but if they did, it wouldn't feel out of place. Louisa Clark (Emilia Clarke) is spirited away, metaphorically speaking, when she starts working as a carer for the wealthy Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), who was injured in a traffic accident two years prior and isn't coping with his quadriplegic state. A clash of classes and temperaments ensues, with the solemn Will happy to hide out in his parent's castle, and the cheerful Louisa sticking around purely to help support her family. It's only when he starts to open up, and she discovers just how miserable he is, that the pair start to form a connection. Whether you've already read Jojo Moyes' best-selling novel, or are coming into the story with no prior knowledge, where the film adaptation is headed is obvious from the get go. As scripted by the author herself and directed by first-time filmmaker Thea Sharrock, the big-screen version is as predictable as it sounds — with one complications. Here, it's not just Will's physical condition that adds difficulties, but his desire to end his own life. Unfortunately, combining fairy tale wish fulfilment with such a serious subject proves more than a little unsettling, and isn't helped by the movie's determination to approach everything in as simplistic a manner as possible. With the visuals given a soft, warm glow and the soundtrack littered with Ed Sheeran and Imagine Dragons, Me Before You takes the safe, easy option whenever it can. Touching upon a weighty issue might be designed to add a dose of reality to the otherwise fanciful narrative, but in practice it never feels like anything more than an excuse to ramp up the melodrama. That leaves the likeable Clarke and the less convincing Clafin with a tricky task, and one that they can't quite achieve. Though they boast enough chemistry as a couple, and the bubbly Clarke remains a delight to watch, their characters are about as believable as Cinderella and Prince Charming. In support, it's actually Janet McTeer and Charles Dance as Will's parents that fare best, and bring some much-needed nuance to the drama. Thanks to the latter's involvement, the highlight of the film is seeing Clarke share a few scenes with her former Game of Thrones co-star — which says a lot about the sub par tear-jerker in which they find themselves.
"If you're going to tell a story, come with some attitude, man," says Miles Davis (Don Cheadle) during a recorded interview with journalist Dave Brill (Ewan McGregor). It's a statement that provides a clear picture of the way Davis looks at the world, as well as the distinctive perspective that floats through his music. Uttered at the beginning of biopic Miles Ahead, it's also a statement of Cheadle's intentions for the film. The actor doesn't just star as the jazz legend, but also directs, co-writes, produces and provides additional compositions too. In doing so, he attempts to make a feature that captures the spirit, rather than the exact details, of Davis' remarkable story. His is a movie of mood and essence, made-up of events that spring from Davis' energy, rather than a traditional fact-driven biography. It's a character study of a real-life figure that tries to convey just what made him tick by intertwining glimpses of two career-defining periods. In fact, another line of dialogue sums up the tale the movie doesn't tell. "I was born. Moved to New York. Met some cats, made some music, did some dope, made some more music. And then you came to my door," Davis quips to Brill when they first meet at the end of the 1970s. Brill shows up claiming to be chasing a big comeback story for Rolling Stone magazine, with Davis' five-year hiatus not just disappointing his fans, but angering his record label. Stubborn and boasting plenty of swagger, Davis has his reasons: drug addiction, a desire to keep a tape of his latest playing session away from a particular producer (Michael Stuhlbarg), and the heartbreak of a failed marriage to his first wife, dancer Frances Taylor (Emayatzy Corinealdi). Cue a portrait of Davis' tumultuous escapades with Brill, in an odd-couple pairing laced with chases, arguments, parties and shootouts, plus flashbacks to both happier and darker times. In combining the two, Cheadle fashions his film in the same manner as Davis' tunes, complete with poetic interludes and tangents, instances of symmetry and mirroring, and a freewheeling pace and style. And yet, as determined as he is to ensure Miles Ahead looks and feels just right, the feature almost comes to resemble a caricature of a jazz movie. Sometimes it's effortlessly engaging as it flits from one incident to another. At other times, it's a little too erratic and indulgent. Instead, it's actually the actor-turned-director's performance that achieves his true aim. From the changes in his stance to the rasping emotion in his voice, Cheadle's interpretation of Davis is as compelling a presence as the artist's music. He's at his best when he's bouncing off of one of his co-stars, including Short Term 12's Keith Stanfield as an up-and-coming trumpeter clearly meant to represent Davis' youth. And though McGregor seems to be blending his performances in Velvet Goldmine and The Ghost Writer, the duo's shared dynamic still ranks among the film's biggest strengths.
Sydney's continued obsession with American-style fast food will hit coronary-inducing levels this Independence Day weekend. To celebrate the U.S. national holiday, Keg & Brew, Dove & Olive, and The DOG Hotel will each be hosting a wing eating contest, in which competitors race to scarf down 1.5kg of chicken in the fastest possible time. Hard to think of anything more fitting, really. After all, what's more American than eating yourself to death? Entry into the contest costs $20, for which you'll receive a bucket of spicy buffalo chicken wings, along with a pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale to wash them down. The spectacle kicks off at 12pm on Saturday July 2 at Keg & Brew, 3pm on Saturday July 2 at The DOG, and 2pm on Sunday July 3 at Dove & Olive. The winner at each venue will earn a $50 bar tab. Assuming you opt not to participate (probably a good decision to be honest), you can still order from the venues' special red, white and blue menu, featuring such American treats as baby back pork ribs and fried shrimp po boy sandwiches.
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.
With the dawn of the 21st century, humanity was gifted a new power — the extraordinary ability to multitask, albeit quite badly. Needless to say, this also changed the way we entertained ourselves. As MSN Messenger became popular, the grand tradition of vaudeville seemed to falter and fade. With the rise of smartphones, circuses and fairs experienced dwindling crowds. For a while, the public lecture seemed as though it too would go gentle into that good night. Until now. Two Up is an organisation that invites two specialists to come and enlighten an audience on two completely different topics. Each speaker gives a short lecture on their chosen area before the floor is opened up for questions. The multitasker, a prolonged spasm of phone and watch-glances in a single-subject lecture, returns home satisfied, convinced they have extracted twice the information that a regular person could wring from a single evening. Past talks have pitted explanations of Chinese ink painting against arguments for strong narrative in science reporting, or thrown a discussion of Australia's pokies addiction into the fray against the case for solar energy. Two Up's first session of 2017 will combine digital protection with ethical fashion as HackLabs' Chris Gatford and Courtney Sanders from Well Made Clothes wax technical about their professions. This will be the first of the lectures to take place in Cake Wines Cellar Door in Redfern. Although the ideas alone should sufficiently inebriate, the additional lure of wine may tempt the otherwise unwilling housemate.
The big screen is going green at the sixth annual Transitions Film Festival, Australia's leading showcase of socially-conscious cinema. In Sydney from March 9 to 14, this year's festival lineup is jam-packed with deep-diving documentaries about some of the biggest social, environmental and geopolitical issues facing the world today. Standout films include A Plastic Ocean, about the harmful effects of plastic on marine life; Riverblue, a look at the disastrous environmental cost of the global fashion industry; and Power to Change, which chronicles the fight by German activists and entrepreneurs for a more energy efficient future. For the full Transitions Film Festival lineup, visit transitionsfilmfestival.com.
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.
A Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard falls for the superstar singer he's been hired to protect. It's pegged as one of cinema's most iconic love stories, with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner first tugging at our heartstrings back in 1992. And now, The Bodyguard is set to come alive for the Australian stage, with producers David Ian, Michael Harrison and John Frost bringing their award-winning musical show Down Under next year. Kicking off in Sydney in April 2017, this local production of The Bodyguard — which follows the just-as-awesome news that Moulin Rouge! will finally be made into a stage show — comes off the back of a wildly successful and star-studded run in London theatres, and record-breaking UK tour, which commenced in February this year. Paulini (of Australian Idol fame) will play Houston's Rachel Marron. Based on the eponymous Warner Bros. film and adapted for the stage by Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris, The Bodyguard musical features all those epic Houston tracks that audiences fell in love with the first time around. According to co-producer Frost, the emotionally-charged storyline, along with those "soaring ballads" — like 'Queen of The Night', 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' and the legendary 'I Will Always Love You' (you know the ones) — were simply destined for the stage. The album is still the biggest selling movie soundtrack of all time. Yep. Still.
People dream of finding someone who looks at them they way that Michael Fassbender looks at Alicia Vikander in The Light Between Oceans. A World War I soldier turned lighthouse keeper, Tom Sherbourne (Fassbender) has swapped the horrors of combat for the routine and simplicity of his new life — and he never glances anything less than adoringly at Isabel Graysmark (Vikander), the woman who'll become his wife. In a film that is unashamedly a weepie, his stare tells a sometimes heart-swelling, sometimes heartbreaking story, and silently speaks of the ups and downs of life that everyone wants to weather with someone by their side. An intimate tale working with big, sweeping feelings as well as notions of guilt and forgiveness, The Light Between Oceans is a melodrama through and through. Not that that's a bad thing, necessarily. This adaptation of Australian author M. L. Stedman's 2012 novel is not what might derisively be labelled merely a chick flick. Yes, it may tug at the heartstrings, and focus its plot around marital life and motherhood, but the sentiments this period-set romantic drama stirs up remain unflinchingly real. The aforementioned couple meet, wed and forge a life together in and around Janus Rock off the coast of Western Australia. They're the only inhabitants living off the mainland, though it seems they'll be joined by the pitter-patter of tiny feet until tragedy strikes on multiple occasions. Then, a lifeboat — or a rowboat, to be exact — brings them a lost baby girl. Keeping her will help them become a family. But unbeknownst to them, it will also tear the child's real mother (Rachel Weisz) apart. After exploring the complications of romance in the raw and resonant Blue Valentine, and pondering the ties between parents and children in The Place Beyond the Pines, writer-director Derek Cianfrance combines the two in The Light Between Oceans, as though he's been building up to this all along. It may not be the strongest of the three features, but it's as astute in matters of the heart as it is picturesque. Indeed, as far as the latter is concerned, Australian cinematographer Adam Arkapaw, who gave the recent version of Macbeth such an icy, compelling gleam, will have you gazing at the soft, glowing, frequently pink-lit images in the same way that the film's characters gaze at each other. Cianfrance provides ample space for Fassbender and Vikander to flesh out their loving but troubled characters. There's no mistaking the actors' chemistry, or the hard-earned range of emotions they cultivate, often in no more than their expressions. He conveys Tom's doting affection as well as the war-inspired melancholy he can't quite hide, while she paints Isabel as vibrant and determined, both in happiness and in pain. Even when the film's efforts to evoke tears are a little too evident, Fassbender and Vikander ensure that everything feels, and looks, utterly genuine.
Mike Meyer has long been a legendary name in the sign business. But it was after his appearance on internationally acclaimed film Sign Painters that he started to receive stacks of calls asking for lessons, tips and advice. Given that there's only a few schools in the whole world teaching the traditional art of hand-painted lettering, he decided to set up a travelling workshop. For the third year running, Meyer is once again set to leave his home in Mazeppa, Minnesota to visit us here down under. He'll be hosting yet another workshop in Sydney, offering an intensive day of paint, brushes and lettering with the legendary sign-painter. Engage in a day of intensive hands-on painting, see Meyer do what he does best IRL and get guidance from him throughout the workshop. Tickets are $250.
Six contemporary artists have paired up for 4A's latest exhibition, Jogja Calling, a group show exploring the links between Australia's artistic community and one of Indonesia's leading modern art cities, Yogyakarta. Reko Rennie and Hahan examine the ties and differences between Australian and Indonesian culture, Leo Allenda and Briony Galligan use kinetic sculptures to get you thinking about how precarious relationships are, and Abdul Abdullah and Arwin Hidayat use traditional techniques in a collaborative work with artisans. Between them, these six artists have shown all over the world including Indonesia, Japan, and Australia and have numerous accolades such as the National Indigenous Art Award. See all six in one go at 4A, one Sydney's go-to exhibition spaces dedicated to celebrating contemporary Asian art.
The jaunty score. The neurotic guy looking for love. The comedy that springs from errors, manners, clever turns of phrase, canny observations, family altercations and romantic entanglements. Add it all together, and a Woody Allen movie materialises. Over the course of his 47 feature films and more than five decades in the business, the 80-year-old filmmaker has found his niche — and while there are definite twists, tweaks and exceptions to his usual formula, his latest film, Cafe Society, feels like something he's made several times before. Indeed, starring as Bronx native turned wannabe Los Angeles player Bobby Dorfman, Jesse Eisenberg joins a long line of actors tasked with ostensibly stepping into the writer-director's shoes. An uncredited Allen himself even provides the film's on-the-nose narration, just to make the link even more apparent. Following an expected path, Bobby seeks both professional and romantic success: the former via a job with this Hollywood agent uncle Phil Stern (Steve Carell), and the latter with the down-to-earth Vonnie (Kristen Stewart), who also happens to be Phil's secretary. That she has a boyfriend complicates matters — as does her boyfriend's identity. Even if you've never seen an Allen film before, you shouldn't have much trouble guessing where this one is going. Fans of the incisive Blue Jasmine and the delightful Midnight in Paris — which qualify as Allen's best films in recent years — should definitely temper their expectations. Admitedly, Cafe Society certainly improves upon recent misfires Magic in the Moonlight and Irrational Man. Still, the film never seems in any great danger of straying far from familiar territory. The truth is, it feels like Allen is just going through the motions — and it would appear that he knows it, too. It can't be a coincidence that Cafe Society not only falls in line with his typical output, but apes many of his superior efforts, at times resembling a Hollywood-set version of the far more memorable Midnight in Paris. Thankfully, while Allen appears to be on autopilot, his cast delivers the goods. Eisenberg, Stewart and Carell bring the energy required of their characters, while Blake Lively, Corey Stoll and Parker Posey prove dependable in secondary roles. They're assisted by their detailed period costuming and surroundings, and by gently glowing cinematography that threatens to steal the whole show. That the images prove the main attraction amidst the self-mimicry and fluff is telling, to say the least.
"Look, I don't want to take up a ton of your time, but I'm gonna kill myself," Nadine Franklin (Hailee Steinfeld) announces to her history teacher, Mr Bruner (Woody Harrelson), at the beginning of The Edge of Seventeen. Whether she's making over-dramatic statements in class or bickering with her mother (Kyra Sedgwick), a definite mood is established: Nadine is not only awkward, opinionated and sarcastic, but she's also bitterly unhappy. Actually, as flashbacks from her childhood show, she has always been less than content. Now that she's watching her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) hook up with her brother Darian (Blake Jenner), she's even more miserable than usual. First-time writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig charts the fallout as Nadine tries to cope with this change to her status quo, a development made all the more devastating given her outsider status and lack of other friends. The Edge of Seventeen is packaged as a peppy coming-of-age comedy with humorous yet realistic banter and a soundtrack full of new and retro tracks to match. But it's not just about relaying a story. As Nadine wallows, rebels, chases the hot older guy (Alexander Calvert) and is courted by the shy aspiring filmmaker (Hayden Szeto), the film also interrogates the narrative that Nadine keeps telling herself. Everyone watching should be able to relate, with even the most perky and positive among us telling themselves a tale about their existence as it is unfolding. Moreover, if you've ever felt like an outsider, the story you've spun probably hasn't always been all that positive. Thoughtful and wise, The Edge of Seventeen understands this. By the time it works through the usual checklist of adolescent antics — think boys in cars, drinking too much, fights between BFFs and run-ins with authority — the film won't just have imparted life lessons to the characters, but to everyone in the audience as well. That's one of the things that separates a great teen flick like this one from the pack. Even as it follows the same basic formula, Craig's film boasts an abundance of insight and genuine emotion. It also helps that Nadine defies easy categorisation, thanks to a savvy script and a raw yet robust performance from one-time Oscar nominee Steinfeld. She thinks she's a put-upon loser, but her loud-mouthed tantrums often paint Nadine as a petulant brat. If this was Mean Girls, she'd be both Lindsay Lohan's Cady Heron and Rachel McAdams' Regina George. Not everything about The Edge of Seventeen hits the mark. Some of its jokes try a little too hard, some of its performances fade into the background, and on the whole you shouldn't have much trouble guessing where the story is going. Even so, as you're laughing at Steinfeld and Harrelson's rapport, cheering for Szeto's wannabe love interest, and coming to the same realisations as Nadine, odds are these small issues won't bother you.
It all started with a purchase and a push. In the early 1970s, playwright Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) bought a house in London's Camden Town, and helped the elderly Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith) move her broken-down vehicle. She was far from the area’s favourite inhabitant, with few others willing to offer such assistance, but little could he know what his one act of kindness would bring. Shepherd wouldn’t just stay in the suburb for nearly two decades: she'd park the van she lived in in Bennett’s driveway. The story of The Lady in the Van might sound like the type of tale that could only be cooked up by a couple of screenwriters, but Nicholas Hytner's film is based on the real-life Bennett’s actual experiences. Well, mostly. The movie version of the award-winning theatre production of the same name has fun with the concept of art capturing life, throwing an extra Bennett — a duplicate to do his writing, while he lives his life — into the mix. Other winking meta-textual nods to Bennett himself, and to Bennett and Hytner's previous stage-to-screen effort, The History Boys, also feature. Accordingly, both Bennetts peer out their window as the eccentric, cantankerous Shepherd yells at recorder-playing children, repeatedly paints her various cars a very distinctive shade of yellow, and generally shakes up the otherwise quiet and friendly neighbourhood over the years. Always complaining about her many illnesses but refusing any help, she’s a force to be reckoned with, as well as a woman with a backstory spanning ambulance driving, time in a nunnery, a musical past and a brush with the law. As her unlikely friendship with Bennett blossoms, she's also the film’s most convincing element. While Bennett has clearly worked with the material before, and Hytner directed the initial stage version, Smith’s interpretation of Shepherd is the main attraction. In fact, the English actress is another Lady in the Van veteran, receiving an Olivier Award nomination for playing the role in the original 1999 theatrical production, and also resuming the part in the 2009 radio adaptation. Like the charming acting treasure she is, she ensures Shepherd is more than just a victim of sympathy or mockery — or a means for changing Bennett's perspective of the world. For an actress with so many iconic performances to her name, including Harry Potter and Downton Abbey in recent years, it's a testament to her efforts that this ranks among her most memorable on-screen work. Smith's prominence does highlight the feature's struggles in other areas, though. TV-style images give the movie a standard, almost bland look, while too-timid pacing makes it seem much longer than its 104-minute running time. That the film began its life as a play is obvious. Never the less, the film's quirky story and Smith's compelling performance more than make up for any minor issues.
The 20th Biennale of Sydney is set to start on March 18, smack-bang in the middle of Art Month. So, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing — even if you’re an art hater — you’re going to find it mighty tough to avoid Sydney’s creative side. One of the glorious results of this timing is that, as part of the Biennale, Carriageworks will be transformed into The Embassy of Disappearance. It's part of the citywide exhibition dubbed The Future Is Already Here — It’s Not Evenly Distributed. Carriageworks's instalment will feature works from 22 Australian and international artists including Mike Parr, Chen Chieh-jen, Lee Mingwei and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, exploring languages, histories and landscapes that are vanishing. Want to experience all of this through the eyes of an expert or two? Join the Carriageworks guided tour, happening on Saturday, March 19. At 8.45am, Carriageworks Farmers Markets creative director Mike McEnearney will walk you through the food stalls and produce vendors, before visual arts curator Nina Miall arrives at 9.30am, to take you through the Biennale.
Another week, another outdoor cinema announcement — but we're not complaining. Sydney’s filmgoers sure are making the most of the city’s parks and clear skies this summer, and another Sydney outdoor cinema is back for a 2016 season. This time, it’s the second season of Sydney Hills Outdoor Cinema that we’re bringing to you. It’s happening between Friday, January 15 and Sunday, February 14 in Castle Hill’s Heritage Park. Not only will 31 films be a-screening, there’ll also be street food, drinks, beats and live music. The program covers new releases, action, adventure, thrillers, comedy and kids’ cartoons. The 24th James Bond film, SPECTRE, will get things warmed up on opening night, followed by Mockingjay Part 2 on the following evening and The Martian on Sunday, January 17. More big action and adventure flicks coming up include Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 1991 classic Point Break and Goosebumps. Comedy also gets plenty of attention, with showings of The Night Before, Man Up, Sleeping with Other People, The Intern, Now Add Honey, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Love The Coopers, Sisters and others. The crew from local eatery The Tuckshop will be onsite dishing up tasty street food, including their signature cheeseburgers, gourmet hot dogs and healthy ‘fork-biting’ salads. Alternatively, you can make a picnic of it by preordering a cheese platter and bottle of wine for two. Then, for dessert, Gelato Messina will have you covered with its double chocolate and tiramisu choc-tops. Meanwhile, the licensed bar will be serving summery cocktails, Aussie wines and a bunch of beers and ciders from Vale Brewing. Every screening will begin with pre-film entertainment, programmed by MTV. You can expect live acoustic acts, DJs and, throughout the season, guest appearances from MTV VJs Kate Peck and Krit. General admission tickets are $19. But if you want to get fancy, make yourself a VIP. For $32, you’ll score premium seating, a complimentary blanket, a deckchair and a gold-dipper Gelato Messina choc top. If you’re travelling with friends, consider booking a VIP Bell Tent, which gives you your very own viewing courtyard and a private butler. Really. Sydney Hills Outdoor Cinema runs January 15 to February 14 at Castle Hill's Heritage Park. For more info or to book tickets, head to the website.
The stars are shining bright at the 2015 BBC First British Film Festival. Returning to Palace Cinemas around the country for another year, the three-week celebration features some of the most acclaimed and anticipated movies of the past 12 months, plus a look back at that most British of genres: the big screen romance. The festival opens with Paolo Sorrentino's Youth, an introspective buddy comedy about a pair of elderly artists, played by Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, vacationing together in a luxurious Swiss resort. Other standout titles include Lance Armstrong biopic The Program starring Ben Foster and Chris O'Dowd; women's voting rights drama Suffragette starring Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep; and dark comic crime thriller Kill Your Friends starring Nicholas Hoult. Film buffs looking for a good date option can also check out the festival's retro stream, featuring ten iconic British love stories. Whether you're into lavish period dramas or just want to watch Andie MacDowell and Hugh Grant making out in the rain, we guarantee there's something on there to make you swoon.
Move over wine — beer deserves its own place at the dinner table, and the Redoak 'beergustation' class proves it. For $99, you get a five-course degustation menu carefully crafted to pair with five Redoak Brewery beers. This event, set in the beer cafe's dining room, is as elegant as any wine pairing and as classy as any cocktail pairing. You'll hear first-hand from the beer sommelier Simon Beveridge and manager Janet Hollyoak (sister and co-owner to brewer David Hollyoak), who will share their insights into beer and food — tips like how to taste different styles, choose glassware, and of course how to pair each beer to a gourmet dish. The Redoak crew are dedicated to expanding the Australian palate beyond Tooheys and Carlton and have been champions of the craft brewing movement for 20 years. The class generally runs the first Saturday of the month.
She’s been everyone from a magazine editor in The Devil Wears Prada to Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, and now she’s an aspiring musician. She’s the inimitable, ever-chameleonic Meryl Streep, of course, and in Ricki and the Flash, she’s channelling her inner rock goddess. She’s also belting out everything from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 'American Girl' to Lady Gaga’s 'Bad Romance'. And yes, she's actually playing the guitar and singing the tunes herself. As the titular character, Streep plays a wannabe past the point where wanting to be something else is acceptable. With her band — including guitarist and lover Greg (Rick Springfield) — she gigs at a San Fernando Valley pub by night; to make ends meet, she works as a supermarket checkout operator by day. Ricki has been chasing her calling for sometime now but shows no signs of hitting it big. Then a phone call from her ex-husband, Pete (Kevin Kline), thrusts her out of her dreams and back to the children — about-to-be-divorced Julie (Mamie Gummer, Streep’s real-life daughter), and sons Josh (Sebastian Stan) and Adam (Nick Westrate) — she left behind years ago. Returning home and receiving something less than a warm welcome isn’t an uncommon movie narrative, or an uncommon movie-of-the-week one either. While Ricki and the Flash explores family problems from the female perspective, as well as attempting to shine a light on the judgments imposed on women who want to be something other than mothers and homemakers, there’s never any doubt that it covers well-worn territory. Writer Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult) and director Jonathan Demme (Rachel Getting Married) have much to do with the fact that the feature that results still offers an all-round pleasant viewing experience, with the script engaging despite its obviousness, and the film a well-framed, highly polished affair that suits its jukebox soundtrack of old hits. That said, that the movie always seems so nice and gentle — and absent any sense of edginess, other than Streep's half-braided hairstyle and black-heavy wardrobe — sometimes feels a bit out of place given its rock 'n' roll packaging. What she's wearing is the least impressive aspect of the star's performance, though, with her Ricki as convincing in her unattained desires as she is in her barely expressed regrets. Streep is not the film's only highlight, however. Gummer does much more than just convey her natural rapport with her mother, and Kline is as wanted a presence as ever on screen as the figure trying to reunite them. Together, they're as amiable as performers playing with a feel-good story steeped in several levels of cookie-cutter dysfunction can be. So is the likeable end product that is Ricki and the Flash itself, even if it doesn't amount to much more than its music and its cast — and even if Springfield doesn't sing his '80s classic 'Jessie's Girl'.
Everyone might dream of changing the world, but few people actually try to do it. Bob Hunter strove to fall into the latter category. Even if you don’t know his name, you know about the results of his efforts. And even if you do know his name, you might not know his full story. In the late 1960s, in the aftermath of the United States announcing plans to perform nuclear tests off of the Alaskan coast, Hunter was driven to do something. A journalist covering environmental issues in Vancouver, he delved into the city’s community of so-called tree huggers and draft dodgers haunted by the thought of a dying planet, and helped form a group to protest the forthcoming injustice. In their actions, a movement was born, as well as an organisation that still endures nearly half a century later. They wanted to make a real difference. They became Greenpeace. Progressing with polish and patience, How to Change the World tells their tale. To do so, the rousing film uses a remarkable amount of archival footage capturing eager early times, intercuts modern-day interviews with important figures reminiscing about their experiences, and employs Hunter’s own words — as voiced by actor Barry Pepper — as narration. The documentary that results offers a primer on the intense but messy background of an outfit now synonymous with environmental activism, including the cause of saving the whales that they would swiftly adopt. It also offers an insight one of the men crucial in shaping both an influential gathering of likeminded folks determined to bring attention to ecology, and a way of enacting awareness about atrocities committed against the natural world. As the film lists Hunter’s how-to rules — among them, planting a mind bomb (i.e. going viral, in today's terms) and putting your body where your mouth is — and then offers evidence of each from his history, where its sympathies fall is never in question; an expose, this is not. And yet, writer/director Jerry Rothwell isn’t annoyingly overt in his fondness for the idealism he charts, letting the results of Hunter and Greenpeace’s exploits do the talking. Vision of the sights that spurred them to act, especially involving animals, is both difficult to watch and difficult to not want to react to. That a strong push for audiences to do their part becomes clear isn’t surprising, particularly given the passion on display. That focus also shifts to the issues that plagued some of the founders is similarly expected; the film might chart the feats of a now well-known organisation, but it is about people first and foremost. People dream and attempt to achieve their desires — and they also clash with each other as they confront the task of saving the planet. Even attempting to change the world, and endeavouring to understand those who try to, can’t quite alter that.
Australian-Vietnamese artist James Ngyugen lived in a factory in south-west Sydney during the 1990s, working hard to assist his family save their struggling textile business. Drawing from these experiences, he will be presenting Exit Strategies at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, an exhibition tracing the hardships faced by migrants in an adopted country. Tackling a set of issues that are perhaps more pertinent than ever, Nguyen stitches factual and autobiographical details into a fictional story. The newly commissioned four-channel video work will present the artist’s parents assuming the role of their children and re-enact scenes from the past. Through this role reversal, Nyugen hopes to communicate the sense of vulnerability plaguing migrants and refugees seeking to build new lives. The show will feature sculptural elements alongside the video work, stimulating a broader conversation about the evolution of industry in Australia, the transformation of labour and the decline of manufacturing.
The sights and sounds of Italy are heading our way once again, for the latest edition of the Lavazza Italian Film Festival. Hosted in select Palace Cinema locations around the country, this year's festival of more than 30 films will be bookended by two special gala events. Smash-hit comedy God Willing screens on opening night, while a special restoration of Bernardo Bertolucci's 1970 masterwork The Conformist will bring the festival to a close. In between you'll find comedies, dramas and eye-opening documentaries, as well as a number of high-profile titles making their Australian debuts. Heading up our list of must-sees are a pair of films that caused a stir at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Matteo Garrone directs Selma Hayek and John C. Reilly in the surreal fantasy Tale of Tales, while John Turturro stars opposite Italian actress Margherita Buy in the madcap comedy Mia Madre. We're also intrigued by Venice-set comedy Pizza and Dates, about the city's Muslim population searching for a place to build a new mosque, as well as compilation documentary Italy in a Day, made up of hundreds of short videos submitted by people from all around the country. For the full Lavazza Italian Film Festival program, visit their website.
Ever since Margaret and David exited our lives after the conclusion of At the Movies last year, there has been a bit of a hole in our film-loving hearts. Thankfully, neither one of them has fully retired, and David Stratton for one has certainly been busy. Stratton brings Australian audiences the inaugural Great British Retro Film Festival, for which he is both curator and patron. The festival will be touring nationally, but for a slice of the action in Sydney, head to the Orpheum and embrace your inner Brit. The festival includes 19 films of Britain’s greatest contributions to cinema. As you can imagine, the program is filled to the brim with classics, such as 2001: Space Odyssey, Sense and Sensibility, Lawrence of Arabia and Brief Encounter. There are five classics from the esteemed Powell and Pressburger catalogue, but more modern works such as Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire also get a look-in for those who like to celebrate Britain's more recent achievements in cinema as well.
Pull on your seamed stockings and pin your victory rolls in place — Sydney’s Fifties Fair is set to descend upon Rose Seidler House in Wahroonga for its 20th year running. On Sunday, August 23, the iconic house and its gardens will be transported back to their heyday, with a carefully-curated selection of stalls selling authentic '50s fashion, furniture, kitchenalia and knick knacks; hair styling and a best-dressed competition; a vintage car display for those who know their Fleetwood Cadillacs from their Jags; and a music lineup headlined by The Hi-Boys that’ll have you bopping till day’s end. When all that dancing makes you hungry, tuck into food from Porteno, Eathouse Diner, Daisy’s Milkbar and Madame Pop, then wander through (and marvel at) the house in all its Modernist architectural glory, complete with original furniture and fixtures. To get you in the swinging spirit in the leadup to the day, Sydney Living Museums (who run the whole shebang) are holding a weekly Instagram competition. Proud of that coveted mid-century sideboard in your living room? Got a frock selection to turn Betty Draper (season one) green? Show them off to win '50s-themed prizes, including Frankie subscriptions and Eathouse Diner vouchers. Hashtags and all that jazz here. WANT TO WIN TICKETS? The Fifties Fair is happening on Saturday, August 23, and thanks to the team, we have five double passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address at win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au.
From children playing in the sea near Arnhem Land to an elderly man cleaning his suburban pool, Australians from all walks of life are represented in the 22 stunning images chosen as finalists in this year's Australian Life photography contest. An initiative of Art & About Sydney, the competition is the second largest photography contest in the country, with a cash prize of $10,000. The winner will be announced on September 17, while all the finalists will be on display along the St James walkway in Sydney's Hyde Park from September 18 to October 11. The judges for this year's competition are previous winner Tamara Dean, ARTHERE founder and Stills Gallery curator Sandy Edwards, Australian Centre for Photography curator and exhibition programmer Mark Feary, and interior stylist, author and lifestyle blogger Jason Grant. Organisers have also partnered with Tourism Australia for a special Instagram competition, which last year drew more than 30,000 entries. Amateur photographers can submit their entries using the hashtag #australianlife and go in the running to win $5000. The Instagram competition closes on October 1, with winners announced on October 9. Image: Mark Pokorny, ‘Dad's Pool’, 2015 (detail).
Maybe you remember Miami Horror from your playlist for blissed-out summer parties circa 2010, when their hit single 'Sometimes' did the club circuit and went on solid rotation in backyards nationwide. We haven't heard much from them since those days, but the Melbourne electronic-pop four-piece haven't been laying low. Instead, they've taken up residence in Los Angeles, where they've been busy working on album number two (or as busy as you can get in a land of perpetual sunshine, palm trees and too many dreams). The result is the sometimes-funky, sometimes-dreamy, almost 'too happy' All Possible Futures, released earlier this year. They’re bringing their fresh new LA-inspired sound back home, with a five-date east coast tour this August. Reacquaint yourself with these guys by giving 'Love Like Mine' and 'Real Slow' a listen, then grab yourself a ticket. How sweet is rediscovery? [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRhVsVT3mPM[/embed]
After a career that’ll give you opportunity to help, change and inspire? In a twist on the traditional careers fair, international brewers of ideas and talent Think Education are hosting the Festival of Change on Saturday, August 22. Major drawcards of the day are the keynote speakers: Leo Burnett CEO and co-creator of Earth Hour Todd Sampson, and ever-popular Bondi Rescue stalwarts Trent “Maxi” Maxwell and Jesse Polock — when those two aren’t watching over our beaches and, y’know, saving people’s lives, they’re doing cool things like riding from Sydney to Cairns on a jetski for headspace. There’ll be workshops on everything from web design to psychotherapy, plus experts on hand to answer your questions and give you the lowdown on all the courses on offer at Think Education campuses — across business, health, hospitality and design. Did we mention admission is free, and keynote addresses are just five bucks a pop? Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur with a million and one new app ideas, or you’re flailing and wondering what on earth you’re going to do with the rest of your life (or at least the next few years), this fest has got you covered. Find your passion or not, you're pretty much guaranteed to leave more inspired than you arrived. Register for workshops and other good stuff here.
What could be better than small plates and cocktails on a Sunday arvo? Rum Cha Sundays have launched at Luis Tans. With two sittings at 12pm and 2pm every week, Venezuelan head chef Alejandro Franco Lancini is bringing you his South American flare in bite size dishes. Described as the "unforeseen love child of traditional Chinese yum cha and Latin American flavour", the menu is more tapas than yum cha. Beef dumplings ($10.50) smothered in chimichurri and black turtle beans sit on the menu next to carne mechada spring rolls ($13.50) of pulled beef and whipped guasacaca sauce. Since a lazy afternoon on Bondi's Campbell Parade isn't complete without summery cocktails, Luis Tans has you covered with a fruity list of Bloody Marys and rum cocktails. It's a Sunday session you won't mind getting stuck in for.
Their outdoor cinema season may be coming to an end, but there are still plenty of reasons to swing by The Greens in North Sydney. Case in point: the coolest lawn bowls club turned garden bar and eatery in town is celebrating its one year anniversary with summery morning yoga sessions and a revamped breakfast menu. What more motivation could you possibly need to haul yourself out of bed? Yoga at the Greens will give you the chance to start your day off on the right foot, with hour-long yoga sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings starting at 9am, 8am and 9am, respectively. The classes are $20 per person and are designed for beginner to intermediate yogis – and don't worry if you don't own a yoga mat, because The Greens will provide one for you. Once you've found your centre, you can reward yourself with a bit of brekky, courtesy of The Greens' new head chef Nathan Tillott (formerly of Pink Salt and GPO). Highlights of the new breakfast menu, available Fridays through Sundays, include apple sweetened five grain porridge with spiced poached pears, rhubarb, almonds and honey; wild mushroom and quinoa omellete with marinated feta, cress, white truffle oil and toasted sourdough; a breakfast salad of hot smoked trout, wild rice, pickled cucumber, crumbled egg, preserved lemon and dill; and choc crackle French toast with stewed plums, lemon curd and cream. That last one isn't exactly in keeping with the health theme – but then again, after yoga, we reckon you'll have earned it. Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings starting at 9am, 8am and 9am.
It's not a stretch to say that the beer industry is male-dominated. It's also not a stretch to say that the words 'beer' and 'high tea' don't usually appear next to each other. Here's where it all comes together though: a ladies-only beer high tea. Spend the afternoon chatting with some of the women in the industry over nine courses paired with some of Australia's best craft beers. This event is one of our top ten picks of Sydney Craft Beer Week. Check out the other nine.
Australia's Greek Film Festival is rolling back into town with its latest lineup of contemporary and classic cinema from the Mediterranean nation. Presented by Delphi Bank, this year's program features a wide selection of comedies, dramas, documentaries and shorts, as well as a career retrospective of one of Greece's most iconic stars. The festival gets under way with opening night film Alex and Eve, a local production filmed in Sydney's inner west about a Greek Australian man who falls in love with a Lebanese Muslim woman — much to the chagrin of his Greek Orthodox family. Other standouts include Athenian gangster flick Wednesday 04:45, romantic drama Riverbanks and father-son road trip movie Magic Men. Audiences in Sydney and Melbourne will also be treated to a survey of the films of '60s bombshell Aliki Vougiouklaki’s, including risqué rom-com Ace of Spades and escapist musical Lady and the Tramp. For the full Delphi Bank Greek Film Festival program, visit the festival website.
