Last year, Sydney got its first ever vegan market — and this year, after hopping around town, it's heading to a new home. Conscientious consumers will be able to wander through the stalls at Entertainment Quarter from this Sunday, August 19, completely free to sample, sip, browse and buy, without having to worry one iota about flesh, leather or cruelty. The happening is an initiative of Vegan NSW (previously known as The Vegan Society) and, for the most part, is all about food. Across more than 100 stalls, you can expect to see Sydney's most popular vegan brands, peddling everything from burgers and wraps to cheese, chocolate and coffee. When you're done eating and drinking, you can spend time perusing fashion and homewares or kicking back to live entertainment. Other items on the agenda include a free talk series, free yoga and pilates sessions, and a sausage roll-eating competition. Entry is free and, after running from 9am–4pm on its first day in its new digs, the market will return on the third Sunday of each month.
Got brunch plans? Cancel them. Whatever they were, we just found a better option. House of Crabs at The Norfolk in Redfern has relaunched its monthly Yum Cha brunch series. Happening once a month until October, the Yum Cha series will bring an Asian twist to the crab shack's usual Louisiana-style menu, delighting diners with dishes such as steamed bao cheeseburgers, char siu octopus tacos, and pulled pork and prawn spring rolls. They've even got Chinese malted mantou served with caramel ice cream for dessert. As for drinks, you can choose between a number of cocktails, including a Long Breakfast Martini made with gin, apricot brandy, lemon, mint and marmalade, and the Wasabi Mary, a Bloody Mary made with wasabi and soy sauce. So throw on your bib and scurry on down.
Hanami and Japan go hand in hand, but what if you could indulge in the art of flower viewing (yes, that's what the term translates to in English) a bit closer to home? Well, that's where the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival comes in. It's a celebration of everyone's favourite pink flora in Western Sydney. Across the weekends of August 20-21 and 27-28, the Auburn Botanic Gardens will transform their Japanese Gardens into a beautiful, blooming wonderland. Who doesn't want to ramp up their appreciation of the fleeting natural phenomena that is cherry blossom season by attending a massive viewing party in the lead up to spring? Tis the season, after all. And taking in the spectacular scenery isn't the only thing you'll be doing. First, get your fill of Japanese entertainment by floating on over to two stages filled with sumo displays, J-pop performers, cosplay competitions, origami workshops and calligraphy classes. Then, eat your way through an array of Japanese food trucks such as Tsuru, Sakura on Wheelz, J Burger and Syoku Samurai. Just make sure you leave room for dessert — there'll also be cherry blossom-inspired ice cream available. Entry into the Gardens will cost five bucks (you can buy tix in advance here), and they'll also have a free shuttle from Auburn Station if you're coming in by public transport. Image: Kristina Paukshtite.
Everyone's going wild these days, at least as far as films are concerned. Cameron Diaz caused chaos in the classroom, Seth Rogen and Zac Efron demonstrated how not to be neighbourly on two separate occasions, and now the one group you probably thought was immune to displays of errant behaviour has joined in on the inappropriate fun. Yes, Bad Moms shows just what happens when some over-stressed, under-appreciated mothers let loose. It's as raucous as you might expect, and as formulaic too — but thanks to its warm message and committed cast, it has both heart and spirit. With a happy family and a cool job at a coffee company, on the surface it looks like Amy (Mila Kunis) is the type of woman who has it all. She doesn't quite view it that way, though – in fact, she sees her life as a constant struggle. When she's not looking after a husband (David Walton) who doesn't appreciate her, she's appeasing her younger boss (Clark Duke), ferrying her kids (Oona Laurence and Emjay Anthony) to their extra-curricular activities, and attempting to avoid the wrath of the bossy PTA president (Christina Applegate) at their school. But after one particularly hectic day, she decides to stop trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, with fellow outsiders Carla (Kathryn Hahn) and Kiki (Kristen Bell), she determines to unleash her own kind of mothering. As written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, Bad Moms is mainly an excuse to make a party flick about ladies trying to find a way to cope with their considerable responsibilities. That the pair also helmed 21 & Over and wrote the script for The Hangover is telling. Thankfully, while giving Kunis, Hahn and Bell an excuse to act like teenagers, the film also unpacks the many expectations placed on women who have children – and women in general for that matter –, including the standards they impose on themselves and the scathing judgments they level at each other. The combination makes for a movie that's funny, thoughtful, and offers the kind of non-schmaltzy ode to motherhood that the interminable Mother's Day showed no signs of mustering. Though it trades in a few too many stereotypes and straightforward situations, the film does at least manage to subvert the former on occasion, while finding plenty of jokes in the latter. Like women-centric comedies Sisters and Bridesmaids before it, it's the cast that keeps Bad Moms moving. The rapport between the three leads brightens up every scene they share. That said, as she has repeatedly in television series such as Parks and Recreation and Transparent, it's Hahn that really steals the show. Not only does she nail the blend of irreverence and affection Lucas and Moore are aiming for, but she also makes the movie's most outrageous character more than just the source of laughs. The end result is a film that, although outwardly about the kind of behaviour your own mum might not encourage, ends up playing as an amusing and empowering tribute to being the person you really want to be.
Prepare for a night of audio-visual immersion, as one of Melbourne's coolest film collectives comes to Sydney for the first time. Not content to simply replicate a typical cinema experience, Hear My Eyes combines little-seen films with new and original scores, performed live by local music acts in unique venues and bars around town. For this event, they're pairing Melbourne synth pop duo GL with Heartbeats, the ultra-stylish sophomore drama from Québécois wunderkind Xavier Dolan. First released in 2010, the film explores the romantic rivalry that develops between best friends Francis (Dolan) and Marie (Monia Chokri) after they both become enamoured with the same man. It's a must-see film for lovers of world cinema, particularly those who've enjoy Dolan's subsequent efforts such as Laurence Anyways, Tom at the Farm and his recent masterpiece Mommy. GL, meanwhile, are no strangers to success themselves, having played Falls Festival, Meredith and Splendour, and supported the likes of Saskwatch, Shamir and Chet Faker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znpU_Aup-Bg
Whether or not you've heard of Adriana Picker, you've definitely seen her work. Well, as long as you've seen Australia, Mad Max: Fury Road, Gods of Egypt or The Great Gatsby, that is. Yep, she worked on costume illustrations for all four of them. What's more, a whole bunch of brands and publications are way, way more beautiful thanks to her – from Quay Restaurant to Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine to Mambo. Now, she's going to share her mad skills with you. On Tuesday 5 July, Adriana will be dropping into Potts Point's Waterman's Lobster Co. to run a two-hour workshop dedicated to the art of drawing flowers. With a glass of Beaujolais in hand and canapés at your fingertips, you'll find out what's involved in starting with a concept and taking it to stunning completion. Along the way, you'll receive as much (or as little) direction as you need.
In Denial, a man downplays the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. No, it doesn't tell the tale of the current White House Press Secretary — but it does sound unnervingly familiar, doesn't it? Filmed before the rise of Trump, no one could've guessed just how relevant this movie would feel when it finally hit screens here in Australia. Sadly, fake news, racism and idiots with microphones aren't particularly new. We have long lived in a world filled with people willing to champion inaccurate takes on past events as fact. That's the truth at the heart of Denial, which recounts Deborah Lipstadt's (Rachel Weisz) courtroom battle with David Irving (Timothy Spall). In 1996, she was an American professor who had published a book about the Holocaust denial movement. He was a British historian named and shamed as a denier in her pages – and despite eagerly sharing his views whenever he could, he wasn't happy about it. So Irving sued Lipstadt for libel, taking advantage of the UK legal system, which placed the onus on her to prove that he was falsifying history. Adapted from Lipstadt's book "History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier", Denial is an understandably serious and sombre affair. Restrained in its emotion, which is no easy feat considering the subject matter and its mid-movie trip to Auschwitz, the film lets the reality of the situation do the talking. Watching just how Lipstadt's defence team — including no-nonsense solicitor Anthony Julius (Andrew Scott) and dedicated barrister Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson) — tackles the task of exposing Irving's lies without giving him a platform to put the Holocaust on trial makes for fascinating viewing. Director Mick Jackson might be worlds away from his '90s hit The Bodyguard, but his film still sings with drama, albeit it in a completely different way. Screenwriter David Hare remains in more familiar territory given that the Oscar-nominated script for The Reader is also on his resume. Together, the two carefully but commandingly step through the weighty material, giving the story the clear-headed retelling it deserves. It takes immense strength and poise to play a woman forced to fight to ensure that history doesn't become a matter of opinion, but Weisz proves more than up to the challenge. It takes just the same, of course, to play a man with despicable beliefs without ever judging him; as a result, it's hard to tear your eyes away from Spall. Sadly, it's also hard to deny how scarily timely his portrayal feels, as indeed does the film as a whole. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7k7Z6S39Zc
Sydney Film Festival takes over the city's cinemas for 12 days each year, but sometimes that's just not long enough to see all the films on your wishlist. Enter the festival's Back by Popular Demand bonus screenings, with 12 titles from the almost 300-strong lineup getting additional sessions at Dendy Newtown and Dendy Opera Quays between June 19 and 21. This is the third year that SFF has gifted cinephiles with an extension of their program, helping movie buffs catch up on high-profile titles such as Sofia Coppola's Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Colin Farrell-starring western The Beguiled, Michael Haneke's unnerving family drama Happy End and Brokeback Mountain-like British rural romance God's Own Country. In addition, two of 2017's just-added straight-from-Cannes flicks will receive extra showings, which is welcome news to anyone unable to fit Palme d'Or winner The Square or Robert Pattinson getting gritty in Good Time into their regular SFF schedule. The bonus lineup also includes popular documentaries I Am Not Your Negro, Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, The Go-Betweens: Right Here and The Last Goldfish, as well as international efforts The Ornithologist and The Teacher. As part of the festival's Akira Kurosawa retrospective, the Japanese master's Ran will also screen again. Basically, if you thought you wouldn't be spending the days immediately after the official end of the fest sitting in a darkened room, you were wrong. "If you missed them at the festival, these screenings are a wonderful way to see some of the most talked-about films of the year," says SFF artistic director Nashen Moodley. Sydney Film Festival's Back by Popular Demand bonus screenings hit Dendy Newtown and Dendy Opera Quays between June 19 and 21.
Every time one of Australia's many cultural film festivals rolls around, viewers are taken on a journey to another country. Celebrating its 20th event, the 2017 Spanish Film Festival is embracing that idea — and they have the perfect movie for it. This year's festival will close with The Trip to Spain, the third instalment in the Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon driving-and-dining series following 2010's The Trip and 2014's The Trip to Italy. Of course, the Spanish Film Festival has put together a hefty program that showcases more than two British comedians trading Michael Caine impressions while seeing gorgeous Spanish sights and ticking off the country's fine dining spots, with the full lineup boasting 38 features. In Sydney from April 18 until May 7, the festival will kick off with Kiki, Love to Love, which actually has an Australian connection. Telling five comic tales about the passionate lives of Madrid lovers, it's based on Hoges actor Josh Lawson's 2014 directorial debut The Little Death. The film's star Natalia de Molina will be attending the opening night festivities too. Elsewhere at Palace Verona, Palace Norton Street and Chauvel Cinema, expect a vibrant cross-section of Spanish-language cinema, including moving coming-of-age effort Summer 1993, the Penelope Cruz and Cary Elwes-starring The Queen of Spain, and tense dark comedy The Bar, all heading to our shores after screening at the Berlinale. Or, viewers can catch the Goya-winning revenge flick The Fury of a Patient Man, bank robber thriller Escape Plan, secret agent spoof Heroes Wanted, literary-focused Venice Film Festival hit The Distinguished Citizen, or social realist musical At Your Doorstep. Plus, the program also features walk-and-talk romance The Reconquest, Smoke & Mirrors' true tale of corruption from the makers of 2015 festival standout Marshland, and Spain in a Day — the latest crowd-shot time-capsule companion piece to 2011's Life in a Day, joining fellow efforts made in Britain, Japan, Italy and India. This year's festival selections don't stop there, with four films embracing the joys of flamenco, spanning both dance and music. For those keen on looking back as well as catching the latest cinematic fare, three retrospective screenings will showcase the work of actress, singer and filmmaker Ana Belén, who has more than 35 albums, 40 films and 30 theatrical productions on her resume.
Prepare to add another activity to that growing list of summer must-dos: Merivale and Summer Bright are holding a slew of A+ Sunday afternoon shows at two prime waterside venues. And the best part? They're all free. Yep, all 16 of 'em. Returning for a second year, the Sunday Sundown sessions will be held over 16 Sundays from November 27 to February 26. They'll once again be going down from midday at the Coogee Pavilion rooftop and The Newport, which are both top-notch places to watch the sunset, in our humble opinion. Kicking off with a performance by Aussie hip hop artist Tuka, the Pavilion will go on to host Remi, Yolanda Be Cool and Sampology, among others. Up the coast at Newport, Client Liaison will kick things off on December 4 and will be followed by Montaigne, Ngaiire Triple J Unearthed acts Middle Kids and Jack River. Jarryd James will help welcome in 2017 playing New Year's Day, and The Bamboos will help celebrate Australia Day. But here's the full lineup. SUNDAY SUNDOWN 2016-17 LINEUP COOGEE ROOFTOP 27 NOVEMBER: TUKA + BAD EZZY 11 DECEMBER: BASENJI + SWINDAIL 1 JANUARY: ACT TBA + RUNNING TOUCH 8 JANUARY: YOLANDA BE COOL + GENERIK 22 JANUARY: NINA LAS VEGAS + DOM DOLLA 26 JANUARY: LUKE MILLION + DRO CAREY 5 FEBRUARY: SAMPOLOGY + NOAH SLEE 19 FEBRUARY: REMI + KUREN THE NEWPORT 4 DECEMBER: CLIENT LIASION + CONFIDENCE MAN 18 DECEMBER: MONTAIGNE + HEIN COOPER 1 JANUARY: JARRYD JAMES + CLEOPOLD 15 JANUARY: MIDDLE KIDS + JACK RIVER 26 JANUARY: THE BAMBOOS + ACT TBA 29 JANUARY: ACT TBA + SABLE 12 FEBRUARY: NGAIIRE + ALL OUR EXES LIVE IN TEXAS 26 FEBRUARY: SKUNKHOUR + SONS OF THE EAST Image: Bodhi Liggett.
Well, it's October. From now on, if you want anything from the shops, you might have to scale a rising mountain of Christmas paraphernalia to get to it. That said, for every hillock of premature mince pies that springs up, one has to believe there's an equal and opposite attempt by the universe to secure some cheer for those less fortunate. This weekend marks one such attempt. Australia for UNHCR is kicking off their Christmas appeal with a pop-up photography exhibition in Marrickville's Stirrup Gallery. The exhibition, entitled Nobody Left Outside, runs all weekend and features the work of Kenyan photojournalist Thomas Mukoya, who's worked with Reuters for over a decade to document the experiences of Africa's people. This time around, his focus is refugees. Photographing displaced people from all over the world, Mukoya explores what concepts of 'home' and 'shelter' mean to people deprived of them. The exhibition is free and, for the furious multitasker, runs side by side with Addison Road Community Centre's Saturday Street Food and Sunday Organic Food Markets. Images: Thomas Mukoya.
Did you know that sparkling sake is a thing? You drink it at the start of the meal in a flute-like glass, much like regular sparkling grape wine, and it tastes pretty damn good. Try it — along with six other specially selected sakes — at Tokonoma's World Sake Day dinner this Wednesday, October 19. Celebrating the day (sure, it's a day — along with International Burger Day and Cheese Pizza Day) in a way that is truly fitting, the CBD Japanese bar and restaurant has invited Australia's only sake educator Yukino Ochiai (of importer Déjà Vu Sake Co.) to host a one-off seven-course dinner. Each course of impeccable izakaya-style food will be matched with a cup of boutique sake. Don't know much about it? No worries. Yukino knows her sake and will be on-hand to take you through each course, which will move through Japan's best sake distilleries. And the food. Ah, the food. The dinner will include Tokonoma's sashimi omakase, kangaroo tartare, crispy polenta chicken karaage and an amazingly delicate white chocolate, coconut and beetroot dessert. The dinner isn't cheap at $180 per person — but Japanese food and sake never are. If you're looking for a fancy mid-week dinner, this is it. Plus, it includes the Dewazakura sparkling sake, so there's that too.
In 1996, when the Redlands Art Prize started out, it was just an unassuming show held in the school gym. Fast-forward two decades and it's now a fancy national exhibition, waving about $35,000 in prize money and held at the National Art School. Opened on March 14 and running for two months, this year's incarnation features works by 22 artists, curated by celebrated Australian artist and 2015 winner Mikala Dwyer. Among them are Daniel Boyd, Pat Brassington, Sarah Goffman, Elizabeth Pulie, Koji Ryui and more. So who cleaned up this year? The mega $25,000 first prize has gone to Brassington for Pair Bonding (2015), while the $10,000 kitty for an emerging artist was won by Jack Lanagan Dunbar, for Vase #04, #09, #10 and Kinetic Profile #04, #09, #10, both from Studies in Light, Movement and Time (2015). "Together, these artists exhibit the diversity in approach and technique, revealing the broad spectrum of work and ideas being produced in Australia at present," said Dwyer. Image: Pat Brassington, Pair Bonding (2015).
Many an idealistic couple has moved to the country to start a family, in pursuit of peace, quiet, forever love and self-sufficiency. Many an idealistic couple has, years later, watched their family (and maybe even themselves) drift away from their hopes - geographically, emotionally and morally. In The Great Fire, clever young playwright Kit Brookman takes a head-on look at this familiar story. At the play's centre are Judith and Patrick, who fled to the Adelaide Hills in the 1970s, where they built their own home and raised their children. As decades passed, the foundations on which they based their life crumbled away, ever so slowly. Now, their daughter is expecting their first grandchild, and, on a scorching hot Christmas day, returns home, along with the rest of the family. Will they ever be able to restore their old life and realise their original dream?
In Little Men, growing up is filled with illuminating revelations — some obvious, and some that can only be gleaned over time. Case in point: when 13-year-old New Yorkers Jake (Theo Taplitz) and Tony (Michael Barbieri) become firm friends thanks to a chance meeting and a shared love of fantasy novels, everything instantly seems brighter. But as circumstances conspire to test their bond, they also discover that even the strongest glow casts a shadow. Theirs is a case of opposites attracting. Jake is quiet, reserved and fond of art, while Tony is outgoing, outspoken and dreams of becoming an actor. To them, this doesn't matter — but life has a way of telling them otherwise. They're able to see past class clashes and playground taunts until conflict grows between Jake's father Brian (Greg Kinnear), a struggling actor, and Tony's mother Leonor (Paulina García), who runs a dress shop in the building that Jake's family has just inherited. Raising the rent in line with the area's increasing gentrification would make a drastic difference to both. For Brian, it would mean a steady source of income and a chance to lessen the financial burden on his wife Kathy (Jennifer Ehle). For Leonor, it would mean having to close her store and move on. While the importance of many of Little Men's exchanges might be readily apparent, this isn't a film that trades in big moments, takes sides or offers easy solutions. Instead, it thoughtfully and patiently observes as Jake and Tony respond and adapt to the complex reality around them. In that way, it calls to mind writer-director Ira Sachs' previous film, the bittersweet Love Is Strange. Indeed, Little Men could've easily been called Life Is Strange — and, like its predecessor, much hinges upon the work of its cast. It's the understated performances of Taplitz and Barbieri, specifically, that ensures the film stays on track, with the two bringing their characters to life without an ounce of cliche. When Jake and Tony decide to give their respective parents the silent treatment until they resolve their feud, their posture and expression says plenty. As the younger actors excel at making their gradual, subtle coming-of-age awakening feel authentic and relatable, Kinnear, García and Ehle help paint the world around them in the necessary shades of grey. Of course, the film's naturalistic palette doesn't quite use those tones — in fact, it favours crisp imagery and a whimsical, upbeat score. But crucial to both is balance, rather than exaggeration. Life, after all, is comprised of more than just one simple extreme or the other.
If an ancient spirit of Haitian Voodoo was to find himself in Sydney, what would he do? Perhaps he'd take his black tail coated self to Centennial Park, show his skull face at the Opera House or pay a visit Waverley Cemetery (he is guardian of the afterlife, after all). Luckily for us, folklore legend Baron Samedi has decided to skip all this and throw a party. Yes, Baron Samedi Spiced has arrived on Australian shores — and this new spicy spirit is celebrating the occasion. The beverage — made with Caribbean rum and spices such as vanilla, cacao, cinnamon and native Haitian spice Vetiver — takes its name from the ancient spirit (or Loa), and is a dash of cheekiness and mystery, all rolled into one. It's the spirit that sums up yours, and it's also the reason to head to Taylor's Rooftop during June. From Wednesday, June 8, Baron Samedi will be taking over the CBD venue from 6pm and, should you dare to step inside, you'll enter a shadowy underworld rife with magic, music and vanilla, cacao and cinnamon-flecked cocktails. You've got until July 2 to get amongst it. And remember: drink responsibly, folks.
Whether it's an elaborate escape act or a simple piece of sleight of hand, when it comes to magic audiences want two things. They want to be fooled into believing that what they're seeing is real, but they also desperately want to know how it's really done. It's the same principle behind heist films, with viewers keen to watch criminals execute high-stakes robberies, and then discover how they pulled it off. It's hardly surprising, then, that Hollywood decided to blend the two with 2013's Now You See Me – and when it proved a hit, a sequel was all but inevitable. Of course, easy and obvious isn't the same as interesting or enjoyable, a fact that the Now You See Me films seem to forget. Director Jon M. Chu spends the bulk of the movie showcasing slickly shot and quickly choreographed tricks, in the hopes that we won't notice that the script by writer Ed Solomon doesn't really make any sense. For those with short memories, the first film followed the Four Horsemen, a magic troupe that mesmerised crowds and fleeced banks at the same time. A year later, J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) remain in the group, with newcomer Lula (Lizzy Caplan) filling the female quota. FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) calls the shots, throws law enforcement off of their trail and helps set up a big gig at a mobile phone product launch. Alas, when the Horsemen take to the stage, they soon find that they're caught up in someone else's game. As Lula, Caplan acts excited and mentions what the gang is up to as much as she can — and that's Now You See Me 2 in a nutshell. She doesn't ever look at the screen and say, "I'm having fun with magic, and you should be too," but she may as well. For a time the film's over-the-top eagerness to entertain is somewhat effective, especially when former boy wizard Daniel Radcliffe shows up as a villainous inventor. Over the course of 115 minutes, however, the setups get more absurd, the attempts at misdirection more laboured, the backstory more clumsy and the returning cast (particularly Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine) less enthused. In short, it all wears thin. Indeed, no matter how flashy it gets, Now You See Me 2 can't distract from a simple truth: at a certain point, seeing the same tricks over and over again is going to lose it's appeal. Eventually, people stop buying into the patter, grow tired of the parade of deceptions and explanations, and want more from a movie than a nod, a wink and a gimmick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I8rVcSQbic
First it was the smartphone game no one could've guessed they'd get addicted to. Now it's a film that spins a story around a flightless flock of feathered friends, their unhappy attitude, and a posse of porky interlopers. We're talking, of course, about Angry Birds, an animated effort that not only brings the must-have app of 2009 to the big screen, but also comes up with an origin tale to explain its feuding characters. When we first meet Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), he's certainly far from chirpy, preferring to live on the outskirts of his island community. Despite working as a clown, he's more likely to incite rage than inspire laughs — and after doing just that at a hatch-day party, he's sent to anger management. There, alongside the speedy Chuck (Josh Gad) and explosive Bomb (Danny McBride), he's taught to control his temper, or at least try to. But then a ship bearing green pigs arrives, with their leader Leonard (Bill Hader) attempting to charm the birds with parties and presents. Instantly suspicious, Red soon discovers that his anger has other uses. Although there's certainly a message about accepting the good with the bad bundled into The Angry Birds Movie, if you're looking for a nuanced look at the emotional spectrum, you'd be better off sticking with Inside Out. This is a bright and busy effort that sticks to the usual all-ages recipe: slap together a breezy narrative, throw in a wealth of pop culture references to everything from The Shining to 50 Shades of Grey, add a soundtrack that's designed to appeal to ironic Rick Astley lovers as much as pre-teen Demi Lovato fans, and keep things moving as fast as humanly possible. Indeed, as questionable as making a movie out of Angry Birds may seem, its source of inspiration isn't the feature's main problem. A lack of energy and enthusiasm is — though given that the film remains bouncy and bubbly from start to finish, it might not initially appear that way. Alas, as The LEGO Movie proved, there's a difference between shoehorning in the required brand elements and demonstrating a true understanding of why people like the original product. Directors Fergal Reilly and Clay Kaytis don't concern themselves with that; they're content to plaster on the movie equivalent of a fake smile, and try not to make too much of a flap. That leaves the eye-popping visuals, along with a voice cast that includes Keegan-Michael Key, Maya Rudolph and Sean Penn, to do too much heavy lifting — and while everything looks and sounds the part, it also feels quite hollow. Perhaps two of writer Jon Vitti's past credits sum up the feature's fortunes best, with the scribe's background including episodes of The Simpsons along with a couple of the Alvin and the Chipmunks films. Sadly, The Angry Birds Movie has much more in common with the lazy cheesiness of the latter than the clever comedy of the former.
Charging headlong into its third edition, Taste Orange Food and Wine Festival is set to take over Watsons Bay's Robertson Park on Sunday, May 22. For six glorious, autumnal hours, you'll get to sip and sample Orange's best offerings, while soaking in all the harbour views. Numerous wineries will be making the 260-kilometre journey coastwards. Topping the list are Rowlee, whose 2013 Arneis inspired a 4.5/5 glass rating in Halliday's 2015 Wine Guide; Ross Hill, whom Huon Hooke awarded Top Sauvignon Blanc in Australia in 2013; and Tamburlaine, whose organic wines have scored a stack of prizes. Also making appearances will be Philip Shaw, Angullong, Simon Gilbert, Slow Wine Co, Patina, Highland Heritage, Logan, Heifer Station and Cargo Road. You can definitely count on trying some spectacular Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Should you find yourself looking for food matches, you won't have to move. Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel will be setting up food stalls in the park and dishing up some nosh, from succulent pulled pork rolls and BBQ ribs to cheese boards and soup. Entry to the Taste Orange Food and Wine Festival is free. However, you will need a few bucks on you to do some tasting. Your best bet is to nab tokens in advance - they're available online at ten for $40, which includes a free wine tasting glass.
Step into one of Australia's most iconic modern horror stories. To mark the launch of their new six-part Wolf Creek miniseries, streaming service Stan is opening a pair of roadhouse pop-up bars in Sydney and Melbourne. Sounds... fun? Maybe our April Fools' joke about that Making a Murderer bar wasn't as ridiculous as it seemed at the time. Opening in Federation Square from May 5-8 and Martin Place from May 11-14, the pop-ups were designed with the aid of the show's set designers, and promise to deliver a "fully immersive" experience. That last part may read as a little unsettling to anyone who has seen the original movie — or, y'know, knows anything about the actual murders that inspired it. But we guess you have to give them credit for really committing to the theme. The bars will serve limited edition beers by Two Birds Brewing, Mick's Bitter and Eve-ning Ale, along with non-alcoholic drinks and an outback-inspired menu. Those who attend on opening night will also get the chance to meet with the stars of the show, including John Jarratt, aka Mick Taylor — if you're game. Visit the Wolf Creek Roadhouse Bar in Federation Square, Melbourne from May 5-8 and Martin Place, Sydney from May 11-14. All six episodes of Wolf Creek will premiere on Stan on May 12.
Mother's Day begins with Sandy (Jennifer Aniston) being told by her ex-husband Henry (Timothy Olyphant) that they need to talk. Instantly, the mother of two becomes convinced that he wants to rekindle their romance. In fact, it turns out that he has actually married the much-younger Tina (Shay Mitchell). As he breaks the news, an expression washes over Aniston's face – a mix of discomfort, dismay and barely concealed disgust. Fittingly, if the actors on screen could gaze back at you in the audience, they'd see the exact same look plastered across your visage too. Mother's Day's pedigree explains part of its troubles, with the feature offering up the latest slice of holiday-oriented schmaltz in the wake of Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve. Director Garry Marshall returns once again to intertwine tales focused around a special occasion, serving up bite-sized snippets of stories that are supposed to embody the meaning and spirit of the date in question. So far, so standard. Unfortunately, the movie's problems far exceed those of its predecessors. Corralling famous talent, giving them very little to do, and even asking one — Aniston again — to shout most of her dialogue at herself, does not fit into the recipe for a successful film. Neither does clichéd scriptwriting straight out of a sub-par sitcom or soap opera, or bland visuals that look like they were made for television as well. As competing narratives unfold, you may find yourself wondering if you've seen all this before in the low-budget TV realm. Frankly, that's charitable. Other vignettes include sisters (Kate Hudson and Sarah Chalke) coping with their redneck parents (Margo Martindale and Robert Pine) as they react with racism and homophobia to their daughters' respective relationships, and a widowed father (Jason Sudeikis) commemorating the titular event a year after the death of his wife Dana (Jennifer Garner). There's also an aspiring comedian (Jack Whitehall) attempting to convince the mother of his daughter (Britt Robertson) to marry him, and a TV shopping entrepreneur (Julia Roberts) plagued by maternal issues of her own. Marshall's filmmaking sensibilities might have waned considerably since his '80s and '90s heyday, but one thing has remained constant: subtlety isn't his strong point. But at least his earlier features put some effort into evoking an emotional reaction, be it weeping at Beaches or indulging in the fantasy of Pretty Woman. Here, a checklist of contrived dramas and coincidences — two surprise reunions, hospital visits and meet-cutes, plus a wedding, a runaway motor home and a man buying tampons — are supposed to do the trick instead. It shouldn't come as a surprise that it all proves as dull and laughter-free as it sounds. Indeed, by the time Mother's Day has devolved to the point of making unnamed bystanders exclaim "I love babies!" and "I can't wait to see what they do for Father's Day", viewers will have spotted that initial look of discomfort not just on Aniston's face, but on the faces of every single cast member as well. Finding love and acceptance might be the main aim for these one-note characters, but the film they're stranded in is never going to inspire that response. If you're looking for a movie to take your mum to this Mother's Day, almost anything else would be better.
Everybody wants to be Ryan Reynolds. That's not an expression of envy, but rather the plot of a growing collection of body swap movies featuring the Deadpool star. In Self/Less, an ailing real estate mogul (Ben Kingsley) transferred his consciousness into Reynold's younger, fitter body. Now, Criminal transplants the memories of Reynolds' murdered CIA agent Bill Pope into the brain of emotion-free death-row prisoner Jericho Stewart (Kevin Costner). In both cases, the obvious happens, with the older men so profoundly influenced by the new thoughts and feelings coursing through their brains that they start to question their own life choices. And in both cases, the conflict between their old ways and a fresh beginning — as signified here by the wife and child Reynolds' hero has left behind — isn't their only battle. Gun fights, chases and a host of determined bad guys also feature prominently in the predictable narratives that follow. Indeed, if there's one thing that the London-set Criminal isn't, it's original. While Jericho's changed mental state comes courtesy of an experimental technique pioneered by neurosurgeon Dr Franks (Tommy Lee Jones), it's actually orchestrated by CIA heavy Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman), who needs to finish the mission that saw Pope lose his life. Of course Jericho isn't too keen to assist, particularly with a Spanish anarchist (Jordi Mollà), his hacker colleague (Michael Pitt) and nuclear weapon codes in the mix. Instead, he's just after a big bag of money that's been lost along the way. Or at least he is until he forms a connection with Pope's widow (Gal Gadot) and young daughter (Lara Decaro). A Frankenstein's monster of action-thriller, espionage and Reynolds mash-ups proves the end result. In fact there's even a nod to Mary Shelley's classic novel — Criminal is ultimately a film about a despised creature given a new lease on life, after all. Sadly, writers Douglas Cook and David Weisberg (The Rock) approach the subject with minimal subtlety. The same is true of director Ariel Vromen (The Iceman), who seems like he'd have been more at home directing action films in the '90s. They didn't need nuance back then — and seesawing between loud setpieces and laid-on-thick schmaltz, Vromen doesn't want any now. At least Costner, channeling his best Gary Busey and Nicolas Cage impressions, knows exactly the kind of film that he's in. In fact, his lead performance is fascinating to watch, with the veteran movie star doing his best to bring a little depth while powering through the often-silly dialogue. Jones and Oldman don't fare as well, with neither actor expending much effort in their respective one-note roles. And for all his importance to the plot, Reynolds barely makes an impact. Maybe he's saving his energies for the next instalment of Being Ryan Reynolds. At this rate, there has to be another one in cinemas before too long.
The Museum of Contemporary Art's monthly ARTBAR has become a firm fixture on Sydney's after-dark cultural calendar. Featuring a new curator each time, ARTBAR combines art, music, design and performance on the last Friday of every month. After knocking off work, head down to Circular Quay for a big dose of art, a splash of wine and your choice of fun-filled activities — with the added bonus of panoramic views of the harbour from the Sculpture Terrace. This month, the MCA is buddying up with photographer, videographer, performance and installation artist Eric Bridgeman for Yal Kuna (My Mates) = Blessed, a night about friends and relationships. Bridgeman hails from Brisbane, and creates art about his friends and family exploring major themes such as identity, social performance and cultural taboos. His art will be on display in the form of paintings, GIFs and 1930s crooner songs for you and your mates. Bring some friends with you for an evening of great art — and don't forget to drag them into the styling booth for some fashion tips on the way out. By Siobhan Ryan with Annie Murney.
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.
The Israeli film industry is in the spotlight once again at the 13th edition of the AICE Israeli Film Festival. Leaping onto the screen at Randwick's Ritz Cinema, this year's festival program features films across a wide array of genres, from romantic comedies to horror flicks and a healthy contingent of docs. The festival begins with an opening night screening of Amir I. Wolf's Fire Birds, a murder mystery that was nominated for ten Israeli Academy awards. Similarly acclaimed is Ori Sivan's Harmonia, a drama set in the "inner sanctum" of a philharmonic orchestra. The film arrives in Australia direct from the Jerusalem Film Festival, where it won a pair of awards. This year's IFF also features plenty of non-fiction films, which is hardly surprising, given that festival director Richard Moore also coordinates Australia's documentary film festival, Hot Docs. One particular standout looks to be Who's Gonna Love Me Now?, which follows a gay Israeli man who decides to reunite with his estranged family after being diagnosed with HIV.
Performance Space has announced the program for 2016's Liveworks Festival and if you weren't already, be prepared — audiences don't just sit quietly in the dark any more. Liveworks is a mental crash-tackle of new and experimental artworks that runs from October 27 to November 6. Artistic director Jeff Khan says this year's goal is to cut through the numbness audiences have developed towards news and ever-present, ever-louder advertising. Ranging over a course of topics and genres, he says the selected works not only challenge audiences, but also establish deep artistic connections and "become a mirror of our own fears and desires." But you don't cut through numbness by watching Lady Gwendolen pass the cucumber sandwiches. Taiwanese artist River Lin will perform for a single person at a time, one on one, with the unnerving Cleansing Service. The work begins with each audience member being asked to identify a body part they consider physically or emotionally 'unclean'. In the ensuing performance, Lin will attempt to 'cleanse' it for them. Continuing the program's love for uncomfortable situations, Mish Grigor's The Talk invites anyone and everyone to relive some of the most excruciating discussions she's had with her family about sex. And when we say relive, we mean audience members are given a script, a glass of lukewarm champagne and the role of a family member. There's plenty more to the program this year, available at Liveworks' website. So saddle up the awkward horse and get going. Art doesn't have time to worry about how comfortable you are any more.
Traipsing through a decaying apartment complex, getting his rotting teeth checked, and munching on roasted dog leg: all part of an ordinary day for Dr. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston). It wasn't always this way though. Just three months earlier, the surgeon was a fresh resident in the gleaming tower, filling his new home with boxes, meeting his neighbours, and talking about starting over with a clean slate. He soon discovers, however, that a strict hierarchy rules the titular structure, and when it starts to falter, so does anything resembling a civilised existence. All it takes is a power outage and an unauthorised dip in a communal swimming pool for classes to clash and all hell to break loose. Welcome to the world of High-Rise, with director Ben Wheatley and his regular screenwriter and co-editor Amy Jump bringing the dystopian vision of J.G. Ballard's cult 1975 novel to the screen. They're the perfect pair for the task, particularly in light of their previous output. Psychological horror Kill List, murderous black comedy Sightseers and hallucinatory historical thriller A Field in England all examined the bleak and brutal side of the human psyche. If those films aren't the ideal stepping stones towards exploring the mayhem of the masses when left to their own devices, then we don't know what are. The eponymous property's descent into anarchy runs in parallel to Laing's ascent through its social ranks, though the smooth, suave newcomer proves a friend to those who inhabit all levels. He mingles with seductive single mother Charlotte (Sienna Miller), who lives directly above him, as well as documentary filmmaker Wilder (Luke Evans) and his pregnant wife Helen (Elizabeth Moss), who dwell several stories below. Much to the dismay of the folks that consider themselves at the top of the pecking order, he also befriends Royal (Jeremy Irons), who created the block and resides in its penthouse. Just as Wheatley and Jump are the best off-screen team to make High-Rise scale the satirical heights its seeks, so too is Hiddleston the ultimate leading man for the job. Managing to lure the audience into the twisted tale while still making sure that his protagonist keeps a little distance from the disorder around him, the actor proves as fascinating a point of focus as the film's true main character: the building itself. Given the attention-grabbing antics that take place within its walls, that's saying something. Indeed, as the alcohol flows freely, the sex grows more debauched and petty arguments spiral rapidly out of control, everything plays out like a big, bold, busy bash that slowly turns oh-so-sour. With dance sequences aplenty and the increasingly frequent sight of ordinary life turning to the stuff of nightmares, Wheatley ensures that every frame of High-Rise looks the part as well. Whether crafting a quick-cut montage out of carnage and carnality, or switching between a sublime Portishead cover of ABBA's SOS and Clint Mansell's ominous score, the '70s-set film proves a slick but festering affair in its aesthetics and themes from start to finish. It's little wonder that it's also incredibly divisive. If you don't adore the film's deliciously dark and unashamedly scathing depiction of humanity, you'll probably abhor it.
Have you heard of competitive endurance tickling? Neither had David Farrier. The New Zealand journalist came across videos of Adidas-clad men participating in the activity online quite by accident, and was (understandably) fascinated. We've all been sucked in by strange subjects before, but very few internet obsessions turn out like this. Indeed, there's a reason that Farrier decided to pick up a camera and trek from Auckland to Los Angeles with co-director Dylan Reeve to make a doco about the bizarre world he had uncovered. The result is Tickled, the kind of stranger-than-fiction film best enjoyed by those with as little pre-existing knowledge as possible. That said, because it's also a feature that has to be seen to be believed, it's guaranteed to cause a reaction regardless of how much of the story you've already heard. In fact, part of the documentary's success stems from how it balances the laughs with the cringes, making audiences feel incredulous and infuriated all at once. As someone who has, in his own words, made a career out of reporting on "the weird and bizarre part of life", Farrier started his investigation by firing off a few emails asking questions about a barely publicised but well-paying tickling contest. After a couple of responses, each one more hostile and homophobic than the last, the journo realised he had become immersed in a strange world in more ways than one. If you thought the idea of pro-tickling was unusual, just wait until you discover the alarming reality behind it. Bullying, exploitation, intimidation, fetishes and fake personas are just the beginning. In truth, Tickled is about a lot more than its title suggests. In addition to investigating the mysterious company behind the competition and exploring the experiences of others who've turned the touch of a feather duster into something lucrative, the film also serves as a reminder about the unseemly side of our interconnected existence. In that way, it sits alongside the 2010 documentary Catfish, posing queries about modern interactions and examining the ways in which technology can both bring people together and tear lives apart. Farrier himself proves a vital central figure. Whether he's on-screen guiding what becomes a race for answers, or off-screen narrating his exploits over recreated footage, the journalist manages to maintain a sense of urgency while at the same time keeping things intimate and personal. And it is personal, as anyone who has been keeping up with movie news of late will be aware. Farrier and Reeve are still receiving legal threats from the film's subjects, who have also taken to showing up to screenings unannounced. Astonishingly, that's one of the most straightforward aspects of this compelling and confounding film.
Everybody, try to remain calm. The celebration of everybody's favourite sweet, the Festival of Chocolate, is back for the weekend of September 10-11. Want to see demonstrations by some of pastry's most respected faces? The Callebaut Test Kitchen will be showing off the talents of Black Star Pastry's Christopher Thé and Carlos Heng of Mak Mak Macarons, among others. The Chocolatiers' Quarters will be home a collection of Sydney's best artisan chocolatiers, and artist James Patrick will create a piece of edible choccie art over the two-day festival. There will also be a pop-up patisserie on the MCA lawn called the Lindt Lounge, where you'll be able to stuff your face full of éclairs and create your own personal block of chocolate. As well as all that there'll be a heap of stalls, covering off all of Sydney's sweet staples like Oregano Bakery, Black Star Pastry's strawberry watermelon cake and rainbow unicorn doughnuts (whatever they are) from My Donut Box.
When you work in a creative field, what does it mean to fail or succeed? What happens in those major moments when you think you might have cracked the big time — artistically or commercially — but can never be sure? And how do you recover when things don't go your way? At Pecha Kucha: Sink or Swim, presented by AGDA, seven creatives will get seven minutes each to discuss such matters. You'll be hearing from artist Ken Done A.M., Houston Group's Stuart O'Brien, Jess Scully of Vivid Ideas, SouthSouth West's Andy Sargent, ustwo's Joel Brydon and Interbrand Australia's Kieren Cooney.
A bunch of powerhouse Indigenous designers will be gathering at the Powerhouse for this trio of events. Get there at 10.30am to meet Brett Leavy, who'll be talking about Virtual Songlines, his virtual reality tool that allows you to see local landscapes before European invasion. Come 12.30pm, it'll be time for Deadly Designers Now. Special guests Lucy Simpson (director, Gaawaa Miyay Contemporary Aboriginal Design) and Nicole Monks (CEO, blackandwhite creative) will be revealing what it's taken to get where they are today. Finally, at 2pm, a roundtable forum will tackle Indigenous technologies in the 21st century, focusing on the ethics of scanning and 3D-printing cultural objects.
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.
Here's one for you, friends of the animals. Yalumba is travelling all the way from South Australia's Barossa Valley to Woolloomooloo's Otto Ristorante for a 100 percent vegan feast during Good Food Month. Absolutely everything on the menu — we're talking every ingredient in all three courses to the matching wines — will have been created without the involvement of furred, feathered or finned critters. Also, Yalumba's winemaker Sam Wigan will be making a special appearance to discuss the importance of sustainability and the significance of veganism to our culinary and alcoholic future. In-between courses and chats, kick back and soak up the Harbour views, guilt-free.
There's a brand new pop-up coming to Oxford Street this month and it's teeming with testosterone. Curated by Clara Ho (founder of Burton Metal Depository), presented by the Design Residency and supported by the City of Sydney's Creative Spaces initiative, The Man Cave is a brand new pop-up shop filled with Man Things — fashion, accessories, furniture, grooming tools and more — all created by emerging Australian talent with a penchant for dude-focused design. Importantly, you don't need a penis to walk through the door of this pop-up shop. Everyone's welcome, chromosome combinations aside. With Father's Day coming up, it's pretty excellent one-stop-shop for something a little eclectic for your pappy. There'll be a leather monogramming service on-site, as well as bespoke suit fittings and custom jewellery consultations. They're kicking things off on August 20 with a big ol' opening night with whiskey tasting from the crew at Balvenie Whiskey. The pop-up will also be open during Vogue's Fashion Night Out and City of Sydney's Fashion Saturday, with guest DJs, bespoke cocktails and grooming tips. Everyone loves a little beard-trimming advice with an Old Fashioned in hand, right? The Man Cave is one part of a series of pop-ups presented by the Design Residency. The next residency will be Innovators from September 16, then Local Design from October 7. Images: Lena Barridge.
At the end of July, the MCA will showcase four decades worth of work from Aleks Danko. This Victorian-based performance artist and sculptor creates poetry out of objects. He is continually playing with puns and visual jokes. Growing up in suburban Adelaide to Ukrainian parents, Danko gravitated toward art school as a place to explore his feelings of alienation. The whimsical and cartoonish nature of his practice caught the attention of national and international galleries, transforming him into one of our foremost conceptual artists. Curated by Glenn Barkley and Lesley Harding, this show will unpack how Danko works with objects and the way he gives them a kind of veracity and performative power. As the son of immigrant parents, he is also keenly aware of Australia’s social and political fabric and frequently satirises cultural values.
Do you remember the maze of brightly coloured vinyl tape on the floor of the MCA at the 19th Biennale of Sydney? That was Glaswegian artist Jim Lambie. He creates hypnotic site-specific installations using a broad range of found materials. Zero Concerto, opening on August 13 at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, will incorporate potato sacks, bicycle wheels and more of his trademark vinyl tape. Lambie compels his viewers to consider new dimensions and modes of perceptions, responding to the architecture of each exhibition space. He produces hallucinatory installations that seem to pulsate with energy. If you were to look through an origami kaleidoscope, it might come close to what Lambie’s practice is all about. Head along to the opening party on August 13 from 6pm.
Wouldn't it be nice to see a music biopic that does its subject justice? One that understands that telling the tale of a rock or pop star requires something other than splashing songs over scenes of arguing? Focusing on conflict is what most movies end up doing, but they don't always elicit much interest. While Love & Mercy does plenty that toes the genre line, thankfully it's more interested in the man behind the band than the usual unhappy group shenanigans. That man is Brian Wilson, and his band is the Beach Boys, the '60s and '70s surfer-themed act turned '80s collaborators with John Stamos. There's much, much more to them than that, of course, and to Wilson. Many consider his innovation, experimentation and harmonies, as evidenced on the widely acclaimed 1966 record Pet Sounds, as markers of musical genius. At first glance, his story reads like a typical before and after snapshot of fame and stardom, including the obligatory drug benders and erratic behaviour, as well as the later fading out of the scene. What simmers beneath the early parties and the eventual burnout is the extent of his musical abilities and its interplay with his fragile mental state. In fact, Love & Mercy makes his mindset the main attraction, rather than the career highs or lows. The film cobbles together a portrait of Wilson from two points in his life, and they comprise quite the contrast. Wide-eyed in his twenties (as played by Paul Dano), he retreats from touring to invest his talents not just in new songs, but in creating the greatest album ever made. Over-medicated in his forties (now in the guise of John Cusack), he tries to rebuild a sense of normality with the help of a new girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks) and his psychologist (Paul Giamatti), the former offering a more nurturing relationship than the latter. You need not be a Beach Boys fan to become invested in his plight, nor fond of Wilson's songs to enjoy an engaging ride through his history. For aficionados and the uninitiated alike, filmmaker Bill Pohlad makes Love & Mercy a personal tale first and foremost. Yes, the movie uses the expected soundtrack, but only when the music suits the on-screen events depicted. Singles such as the iconic 'God Only Knows' take on an entirely new meaning when they're given context by Wilson's troubles and moods. The film also attempts to match its style to its subject, collages combining the two time periods, and mimicking the ups and downs of Wilson's energy. It's a smart, immersive and entertaining move from a director who last made a movie way back in 1990 and is actually better known as a producer of Brokeback Mountain, Into the Wild, The Tree of Life and 12 Years a Slave. His choice of leads similarly proves savvy and well suited, and while Dano and Cusack look nothing alike, they do perfect the one thing that could've made or broken the entire feature. That'd be the vibe of a singer and songwriter who attempted first to thrive, and then to survive, the roller-coaster that is the music industry. Wilson's vibrations aren't always good, befitting the ebb and flow of his reality — but as sensitively transferred to the screen, they do inspire more than enough excitations.
Spot of Pac-Man and a pizza, anyone? The Keystone Group are launching a brand new foodie pop-up, Barbarello's Pizza and Arcade, on level one of the Sugarmill building in Kings Cross. Running June to September, the pop-up will see the Sugarmill space transformed into a classic Italian pizza and pasta joint — infused with old-school arcade games and a smattering of hip hop. Think pool and pinball machines, with a little Buck Hunter thrown in for good modern measure. Smack bang in the middle of the Cross, Barbarello's is being pitched as a late-night dining and drinking joint, with a no-frills, cheap and cheerful pizza and pasta menu (all under $15). Expect to find pizzas like the Mutha Clucka and Porky's Pig and Pineapple, alongside a Spagless Bolognese (made with penne, much easier for dates). Plus, for the bargain hunters, there's going to be two-for-one pasta nights on Mondays. Looking for an Italian-style tipple? Keystone's national bar manager Manuel Terron and the crew have come up with a special menu for Barbarello's, playing on traditional Italian favourites like the Negroni (only $10 before 9pm on Saturdays), Aperol Spritzes and fresh OJ and Campari go-tos. Barbarello's is the first pop-up for the Sugarmill's first level, a 250 square metre space Keystone intend to hand over to pop-up bar ideas for the foreseeable future. And while we're not sure whether it's technically a 'pop-up' if it's popping up in your own venue, we're going to run with it. Barbarello’s is open on level one of the Sugarmill, Friday – Monday evenings from 5pm. To book, call (02) 8070 2424.
Australia's about to embark upon an entire month of parties, gigs and backyard shindigs, all raising sweet, sweet money to fight poverty around the world. Having run successfully in the UK for about ten years, Oxjam is a month-long, nationwide music festival aiming to raise money for Oxfam. Now it's launching in Australia, with goodhearted gigs coming to venues, garages and backyards nationwide. Even you can throw one. One of those star-studded fundraisers which has seen the likes of Hot Chip, Fatboy Slim, Coldplay and T.E.E.D. crank out a set for a good cause, Oxjam has been a long time coming for Australia. Teaming up with MTV Music and MTV Dance, Oxfam are launching the festival in August; with the main events happening across Sydney and Melbourne. Local venues, collectives and labels like I Oh You, Noisey, Goodgod Small Club, One Day, Motorik, UNDR CTRL and more are holding some of the official gigs — where of course, funds raised will go directly to Oxfam. But you don't have to be near a major gig, you can also host your own party wherever you are. Literally anyone can hold their own Oxjam, from existing venues to local bowling clubs, big time clubs to your very own home. So if you're deep house DJ in your crew you could set up the decks in your garage, put a collection tin at the door and throw down one humdinger of a fundraving do. (And if your neighbours complain, give 'em hell until they donate too.) First time at the event-throwing rodeo? MTV Australia are hosting an official event at MTV HQ in Sydney (date TBC), where budding venue managers, club promoters and regular shindig starters can get tips on throwing their own Gig For Good during Oxjam. If you can't make it to the how-to, Oxjam's website has a bunch of handy tips and DIY guides for party planners. Oxjam is happening Australia-wide over August 2015, with the main gigs happening in Melbourne and Sydney. But with one in three people around the world living in poverty, Oxjam's probably one of the best reasons to throw a local backyard gig we've ever heard. Head over here for more info and start planning. Image: Goodgod Small Club.
John Safran's Murder in Mississippi is making a comeback. So, if you missed him last time around, here's your chance to hear all about how he one day jumped on a plane, moved to Jackson, Mississippi for half a year, got well-acquainted with a murderer and wrote a true crime novel. He's now travelling the world, presenting that novel in the form of a one-man show, which is selling out pretty much everywhere goes. This visit, he'll be at Giant Dwarf for four consecutive nights, reading excerpts, recounting his adventures in the Deep South and showing us footage that we've never seen before. Murder in Mississippi isn't just a story of a one-time crime. It's also a deep, disturbing exploration of poverty, race, imprisonment and the cultural differences that continue to divide America.
Shaun Gladwell doesn’t shy away from dissonance. His practice lies somewhere between surfing, skate parks and French philosophy. Much of his work is a bit like putting an intellectual coat of paint on Australian vernacular. After a major survey exhibition earlier this year, this contemporary heavyweight will be presenting a brand new series at Anna Schwartz Gallery this month. The Inspector of Tides makes reference to the second volume of poetry from Michael Dransfield. As something of a transnational and trans-historical wanderer, Gladwell is drawn to the eclecticism of the late Australian poet’s verse. This expansive exhibition will be rich with cultural references and will involve a range of stylistic approaches, from photography and painting through to installation and video. Image: Shaun Gladwell, Severed Head (Maximus), 2015. Photograph by Dean Tirkot. Courtesy the artist and Anna Schwartz Gallery.
Like Christmas, Easter brings a wealth of family film fare to cinemas — but not all flicks seemingly targeted at kids are created equal. Not all movies find their story in Mexican and Latin American culture in general, and in Día de los Muertos (or the Day of the Dead) specifically, for example. And not all all-ages efforts are produced by Pan's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim's Guillermo del Toro. If you haven't already guessed, The Book of Life isn't much like other offerings aimed at viewers young and old, and the reasons keep on coming. Though it tells a tale of adventure and romance, it also plunges into worlds laced with death and filled with souls lurking beyond the grave. It may stick with the usual trick of using celebrity voices, but they're not your standard selections, nor do their vocals overwhelm the visuals. And it certainly doesn't look like anything else you've seen before, with its distinctively animated frames depicting the bulk of the characters as intricately crafted marionettes. Instead, The Book of Life is an entertaining feast for the eyes and for the heart, both beautiful to watch and to become immersed in. It starts with school students bored with a museum tour, then sparked into intrigue by a savvy guide (Christina Applegate). The story she shares centres on two warring spirits — La Muerte (Kate del Castillo), ruler of the Land of the Remembered, and Xibalba (Ron Perlman), ruler of the Land of the Forgotten — who make a bet over the control of their realms. Three friends draw their attention: the feisty Maria (Zoe Saldana), who refuses to conform to customary female roles just because it is the done thing; the guitar-playing Manolo (Diego Luna), who is expected to follow in his father's bullfighting footsteps; and the headstrong Joaquin (Channing Tatum), the son of their town's famed but fallen protector. La Muerte wagers that the sensitive Manolo will win Maria's love, while Xibalba backs the bandit-fighting Joaquin. Now, don't go dismissing the film for its formulaic focus on men tussling over a woman, because that's only the broad outline of the narrative. No one in the feature adheres to type, just like the movie itself. Everyone has to open their minds to finding their right path. Everyone has stereotypes to overcome. Indeed, experienced animator turned first-time feature writer and director Jorge R. Gutiérrez oozes affection for departing from the tradition of family fare everywhere he can, including ramping up the gothic, del Toro-esque touches, playfully bathing dark material in an abundance of colour, rendering villains in metal in contrast to the wooden heroes, and using Ice Cube as a hip hop overseer of all life. It's the little things like this that make The Book of Life as fun as it sounds — and it already sounds incredibly fun. Far removed from the usual movies of the season, this is one magically macabre cinema outing.
There's a bandwagon riding around Hollywood at the moment, built on books of the young-adult sci-fi dystopia variety. Yes, contemplating teens in trouble in futuristic times is the current trend du jour, one that Insurgent happily mines. The second film based on the popular novels by Veronica Roth, Insurgent picks up where Divergent left off. As a refresher for those with short memories, the time is 200 years from now, and the place is a walled-in, post-apocalyptic Chicago. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) scandalised the factionalised society by daring not to conform to type. Everyone is supposed to fall into one of five categories, but her personality just wouldn’t fit, branding her divergent. After attempting to hide her true nature, incurring the wrath of power-hungry wannabe leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet), romancing the sullen Four (Theo James) and threatening to expose a few frightening home truths, Tris is now an enemy of the state — but running can only get her and her pals so far. As Jeanine’s tactics of control over the populace become more violent, rebellion and confrontation becomes Tris’s only option Sound familiar? Of course it does, because you’ve seen this before. Not just in the first film, but in the growing pile exactly like it — The Hunger Games, The Giver and The Maze Runner, just to name a few. Disaffected youth, shady dealings, unscrupulous adults, hidden agendas and the pursuit of the bigger picture: it’s a checklist they all stick to, ticking off items one by one. Slight details change; however, for the most part, everything follows the formula. That feeling, not of deja vu or of second chapter-itis, but of seeing too much of the same thing over and over again, just can’t be shaken in Insurgent, not that director Robert Schwentke (RIPD) seems to be trying too hard. With a moody electronic score reminiscent of Tron: Legacy and bleak visuals of running, scowling and fighting that could be taken from any film, the filmmaker’s vision of events paints by the numbers as much as the material it is based on (a few dream sequences aside). Instead, it is left to the high-profile cast to spice things up. Seeing strong female roles on screen is always welcome, but Woodley’s fired-up heroine and Winslet’s cold villain aren’t given too much new to do but frown and argue. Octavia Spencer flits in and out, woefully underused. Though Naomi Watts joins the ensemble, she’s really just setting up the drama for the two films still to come. It’s actually Miles Teller, fresh from Whiplash and made to play a snarky comic foil, who adds some character to the blandness. He’s clearly the only actor having fun, with no one else looking remotely like they want to be in the movie. That's the problem with bandwagons — the more people jump on them, the more others just want to fall right off. That’s the problem with Insurgent, too, as it just keeps circling around the same old teen dystopian block.
Is there anything Sam Simmons hasn’t done? He used to routinely perplex Triple J listeners with his shitty trivia, he got married in an Elvis Chapel in Vegas and invited everyone to go along or watch online, and he’s appeared on Conan O’Brien’s talk show. Simmons is also known for delivering show after show of crazy comedy gold centred around all the things that annoy him, and his new stand-up set is unlikely to be any different. Returning to Australia from LA, where he is now based, he’s certain to have a fresh batch of comic grievances to air, songs to sing and strangeness to share.
Trygve Wakenshaw is back with his highly anticipated new physical comedy, Kraken. Wakenshaw's Squidboy took the festival circuit by storm recently, winning Best Comedy at Auckland Fringe in 2013. In his follow-up work Kraken, the NZ-born, Paris-trained clown uses mime, mouth sounds and the audience's imagination to create a wonderfully absurd stream-of-consciousness narrative about fear of change and the ocean floor. It's already caused a fuss at the Edinburgh Fringe. If you've thought you'd never see a culturally relevant mime act this side of 1955, prepare to be amazed.
It's the kind of thing nightmares are made of. You arrive on day one of your dream job, but everyone is watching — including ever-present cameras. It's also the type of situation good documentaries can be born of, taking the fly-on-the-wall technique to its extreme. Trailing a fresh-faced new arrival in the hope that fireworks follow could be a waste of time, or it could result in something special. Both scenarios met Raf Simons when he commenced his latest post as artistic director for the House of Christian Dior in April 2012. His appointment was huge news in fashion circles, with the Belgian designer better known for his minimalistic ready-to-wear lines for his own label. Taking over the creative reigns of one of the biggest clothing houses in the industry, he had just two months to put together his first-ever haute couture collection. Observing in the atelier, director Frédéric Tcheng captures the chaos of Simons' trial-by-fire — though the dramas are few and the designs are many. From the moment he meets his new colleagues, to his reaction at the star-studded unveiling of eight weeks' worth of hard work, Dior and I charts his journey with an insider's perspective. It's that peek behind the high-pressure scenes that lifts the documentary, looking further than you might expect. Simons is focused on the massive mission at hand and reluctant to share much about his vision or processes, though he's not the only important figure to consider. The many others toiling away night and day, some mainstays in the workroom for decades, are just as crucial — and are treated accordingly. That's not just Tcheng's approach in trying to make a more interesting movie, but reflective of the status quo at Dior, where collaboration is essential. Also influential is that other figure, the legendary Christian Dior himself. The man who started the brand is worked into the film through snippets of his diary read aloud, his presence felt elsewhere in every shot bearing the label's name — and there's plenty — and discussion about its operating philosophy. Despite the title, however, what the documentary offers is an insight into the way those carrying on his legacy handle that task. Here, it's the I that has it. Tcheng is no stranger to the world of fancy frocks, celebrities and catwalks, having worked on Valentino: The Last Emperor and co-directed Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, with his affection for the industry evident. It would've just been something to catch a crisply shot glimpse of the hallowed halls responsible for some of the greatest looks of the last 70 years, especially for the already converted — but in his hands, Dior and I delivers more than that. With clear eyes, it shows the mania behind the magic and the team behind the icon. That, folks, really is fashion, beyond the parade of beautiful dresses.
A small movie with a big heart: you've heard that claim before. Sometimes though, there's an example that proves the cliche, that one modest effort that punches above its weight in emotion. Don't just take our word for it — watch Infinitely Polar Bear, the latest great example. Its autobiographical look at growing up with a bipolar parent is the type of film this description was made for. Life doesn't fall into neat boxes for 12-year-old Amelia Stuart (Imogene Wolodarsky) and her younger sister, Faith (Ashley Aufderheide), nor for their nuclear family. Their father, Cam (Mark Ruffalo), lives with a condition that's not without its daily challenges — and even more so when their mother, Maggie (Zoe Saldana), goes away to graduate school, leaving Cam as the primary caregiver. The scenario and its stitching together of episodic slices of the Stuarts' lives sounds like something tailor-made for a quirky indie film adventure; however, writer/director Maya Forbes never takes the too-cute or too-eccentric route. Instead, in telling a tale based on her own childhood — and with her own daughter, Wolodarsky, basically playing the filmmaker's younger self — she grounds Infinitely Polar Bear in intimacy, affection and lived-in experience. Yes, the movie has adorable kids struggling with difficult situations, often embarrassed and only sometimes seeing the funny side of things — but it also shows ample warmth and acceptance. Anger and frustration bubble up on several occasions as the film touches upon issues of class, race and poverty, yet the characters are never meekly resigned their fate, nor are they despairing, self-pitying or defeated. With the type of care that only comes from having been there and done that, Forbes ensures that their perseverance remains their strongest element. You believe that times are tough, just as you believe they'll find a way to get through it all. The cast, understandably, is key, both young and old. Oozing the kind of naturalism most child actors lack, Wolodarsky's Amelia proves an ideal guide through the movie, though hers isn't the only impressive portrayal. As the younger Faith, Aufderheide is suitably innocent and mischievous in the way kids are, while Saldana simmers with the inner conflict that results from Maggie choosing the path of short-term pain for long-term gain. The movie belongs to Ruffalo, though, with his superb sliding from the manic to the depressive ends of the spectrum and back again. His isn't a performance made by the extremes, but of empathy for the moments in between, when Cam's good and bad days become one. Indeed, it is so easy to get so thoroughly wrapped up in Ruffalo's endearing turn that the film's few concessions to cliche in its style — handheld camera work, an upbeat soundtrack and heavy use of montages — are just as easily overlooked. Actually, they feel like they fit a movie that is slight but sweet in just the right proportions, and rather charming too.
Hit the streets of Parramatta this month as it transforms into an eclectic, ten-day treasure hunt for the Anywhere Festival. After four successful years in its Brisbane home, Anywhere's philosophy of exciting performances in surprising venues is stirring Parramatta with a program of 28 local and interstate talents across theatre, music, comedy, dance, visual arts and film. Forget what your mum told you about appropriate venues, as people can perform literally anywhere during this festival, including a photography darkroom, a car park and a toilet (too bad this last one isn't available for Mother's Day). Visitors are encouraged to check out multiple shows, thanks to affordable prices, and experience an alternative version of Parramatta. Festival highlights include a multimedia story of female convicts at the powerful Female Factory, a musical voyage to an Indian palace, a dystopic city tour, and Jean-Claude Van Damme in an old Chinese restaurant. Image: Burning Angel.
If Black Swan didn't make the ballet world look tough enough, the boys from The Dream are sure to fix that. The Australian Ballet has been putting its dancers through their paces ahead of the company's launch of the production early next month. A fascinating rendition of Shakespeare's iconic A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Dream is part of a triple bill of works by leading 20th-century choreographer Frederick Ashton at his spectacular best. Expect magic and musicality, and did we mention men en pointe? That's right, to play the role of Bottom the donkey, the male dancers will have to make like the ladies and dance on their toe-tips (a technique they've learnt in just 12 weeks, as dancer Christopher Rodgers-Wilson described to us for our feature). Bringing Shakespeare's most magical work to contemporary audiences, think of this as the perfect first-taste of ballet for anyone who's never dared step foot inside the Opera Theatre.
Whether you’re a stirrer or a shaker, a sipper or a slurper, World Class Cocktail Weekis dedicated to you. For seven glorious days between May 25 and 31, cocktail-centred happenings will be taking place all over Sydney and Melbourne. The festival is the creation of Alex Adams (aka Ms Darlinghurst), who you might know as the founder of Secret Foodies. The program ranges from Frida Kahlo-style Mexican feasts, featuring the artist’s favourite dishes matched with margaritas, to masterclasses at Eau-de-Vie exploring all things related to the mighty martini and workshops in which Yoshi Onishi, bar manager at Tokyo Bird, teaches you how to hand chip ice balls. Then there are degustations by the bar, cocktail-tastings as time travel, high teas starring champagne cocktails and bush tucker experiences featuring native-inspired mixology.
