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Category Archives: Reviews
Objective Opinion: Top 10 Films of 2016
It is a truth universally acknowledged that 2016 has been a disaster of a year. In the wake of unparalleled political divergence across the world, the passing of some of our greatest cultural icons and the uncoupling of Brangelina, one thing has not failed us yet, and that is cinema.
Review: Kooza, Cirque du Soleil, Sydney Entertainment Quarter (2016)
Australia has had its fair share of circus shows in the last decade, so there’s been an obvious collective hesitation to attend another Cirque du Soleil production at Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter beneath the behemoth that is the Grand Chapiteau that has kept the world captivated for years.
Review: Where To Invade Next (2016)
Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore hasn’t made a film since 2009 when he released Capitalism: A Love Story after the global financial crisis, and for many viewers, the last good film Moore did was Fahrenheit 9/11 way back in 2004.
Review: Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
There was a time not long ago when it seemed like every second person in history was deemed worthy of a biopic.
Review: ACAR Revue (2016) brings their best for their sophomore year
Kicking off the first ever University of Sydney Union Identity Revue Season, the stakes were high for the Autonomous Collective Against Racism Revue’s second ever production, A Presidential Race.
Review: London Has Fallen (2016)
As a sequel to blockbuster action film Olympus Has Fallen, there’s little to be left to the imagination before watching London Has Fallen.
Review: Turandot, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (2016)
Turandot is without a doubt one of the most popular and enduring operas created, so naturally it was only a matter of time until Handa Opera took the seminal story and performed it against the backdrop of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
Review: 45 Years (2016)
On the week of their 45th wedding anniversary, Geoff (Tom Courtenay) and Kate (Charlotte Rampling) are a seemingly happy couple living in the English countryside.
Review: Fiddler On The Roof, Capitol Theatre (2016)
2005 was the last time a huge professional production of Fiddler on the Roof played to Sydney audiences.
Review: Georgy Girl: The Seekers Musical, State Theatre, Sydney (2016)
The Seekers hold a place in Australian music history and have contributed significant amounts to music culture.
Review: Grimsby (2016)
There are expectations when going into a Sacha Baron Cohen film.
Review: Unfinished Works, Seymour Centre (2016)
Entering the Reginald Theatre at the Seymour Centre, completely unaware of what Unfinished Works is, or what it is about, means a world of possibility and open mindedness from the audience for this new production by playwright Thomas De Angelis.
Review: Ghost The Musical, Theatre Royal (2016)
There are many expectations going into Ghost The Musical at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on opening night.
Review: The Witch (2016)
There are few cinematic experiences a filmgoer has when they see a new, groundbreaking work at a cinema.
Review: 13 Hours (2016)
It’s been described as the film no one wanted, but Michael Bay’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is precisely what you would expect – over two hours of overdramatic storytelling about bravery against all odds.
Review: How To Be Single (2016)
Four girls live in New York City and try to navigate through the trials and tribulations of dating life. Sound familiar?
Review: Brooklyn (2015)
Old-fashioned storytelling, classic film techniques and unbridled emotion take centre stage in every moment of John Crowley’s Brooklyn.
Review: Zoolander 2 (2016)
When Zoolander opened in cinemas in 2001, like most cult films, it premiered to poor reviews and little audience love.
Review: Burnt (2015)
In the hype of reality cooking television series that appear to be overrunning our networks, it’s not unusual that film studios have tried to commodify this trend.
Review: Cats, Capitol Theatre (2015)
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1981 blockbuster musical Cats is without a doubt an example of worn out musical theatre, and in many circles is considered one of Lloyd Webber’s productions to dismiss entirely.
Review: Macbeth (2015)
Macbeth is certainly one of Shakespeare’s most popular works, and after so many adaptations through the years, there’s any wonder that a new film of the play could bring anything new to the table. But somehow Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel takes the source material, cuts out its best parts and makes it his own, contributing unique elements and creative flair so that it feels original and refreshing.
Review: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)
After a long five films of the Paranormal Activity film series, everything finally comes to a head in the final chapter, The Ghost Dimension, sadly ending with a whimper than one large scream.
Review: The Dressmaker (2015)
Fortunately for comedy lovers, The Dressmaker is a deviation from serious flicks, and evokes the absurdity and farce of past Australian classics like Muriel’s Wedding and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert that have been absent from our domestic screens for too long.
Review: The Intern (2015)
From What Women Want to Something’s Gotta Give to my personal favourite The Holiday, audiences have complained about Nancy Meyer’s approach to romance, feminism and viewpoint on life.
Review: The Martian (2015)
It’s safe to say that director Ridley Scott hasn’t had the best luck with his films of late. From the tedious Prometheus to the disastrous Exodus: Gods and Kings, Scott has struggled to regain the brilliance and gravitas that his earlier works, including Alien and Blade Runner, added to the cinematic canon.
Review: Pan (2015)
There’s obvious hesitation to Joe Wright’s new film Pan. It’s the latest in a slew of remakes, sequels, prequels and reimaginings of old classics and adored children’s stories that seem to be saturating every cinema across the world right now.
Review: Anything Goes, Opera House, Sydney
Anything Goes is one of Cole Porter’s most well known musicals and had been performed countless number of times since it was written. But while each amateur and professional production may be full of fantastic singing and stunning set design, Anything Goes is not one of the best shows in the musical theatre canon.
Review: Life (2015)
From the first few moments of Life, there’s absolutely no indication where the story is about to go.
Review: Holding The Man (2015)
Holding The Man is one of the most profound LGBT Australian books ever published. Released in 1995, the memoir chronicles the life of actor and activist Timothy Conigrave and his relationship with long-time partner John Caro, from their early days in high school through to their joint fight against HIV.
Review: Me and Earl and The Dying Girl (2015)
Every few years sees the release of a new teen film dedicated to representing the quirkiness and nature of a generation. Millennials have already seen Mean Girls, Easy A and Juno represent many of our attitudes and contemporary behaviours, but there has always been a tendency toward fewer younger male voices who are less Perks of Being A Wallflower, and more 21 And Over.
Review: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)
The Mission: Impossible series has lasted for almost 20 years and is one of Tom Cruise’s most recognisable roles. They aren’t groundbreaking cinema, nor are they the best films about espionage in the modern age. But what they never fail to be is an entertaining, high impact action film series, with Cruise’s headstrong performances a primary reason to revisit them again and again.
Review: Matilda, Lyric Theatre, The Star (2015)
Roald Dahl’s classic Matilda comes to life on Sydney’s Lyric Theatre after playing on Broadway and the West End, with music and lyrics by Australian musical comedian Tim Minchin.
Review: Fantastic Four (2015)
Unfortunately this is not the reboot of Fantastic Four that the original 1961 comic book series deserves. Fant4stic (as it’s been remarketed) lacks the thrill, charisma and chemistry necessary for a superhero film to succeed.
Paper Towns and the death of the teen Manic Pixie Dream Girl
From the outset, Paper Towns just looks like another boring, predictable teenage film about a White unpopular high school boy and his infatuation with his beautiful White popular girl neighbour. But instead the film handles the main themes and common clichés well, with depth and humour throughout, making the film an above average teen rom com.
Review: Glitch Season 1 (2015)
Eden Caceda isn’t excited to visit a graveyard any time soon.
Review: Trainwreck (2015)
In recent years Melissa McCarthy has brought to our screens a different kind of funny woman: rowdy, sex-positive, dirty-talking, and unconventional in every sense of the word. But comedienne Amy Schumer’s debut film Trainwreck embodies many of these aspects and more as she continues to drive a provocative humour that pushes many boundaries, making the film one of the funniest and more original ones this year.
Review: Bring It On, Parade Theatre (2015)
When Bring It On: The Musical opened on Broadway in 2012, audiences had only five months to catch the show before it was unceremoniously taken off the Great White Way.
Review: Inside Out (2015)
Watching Inside Out with a large audience of older people and young children in a cinema reminds me of the potential for animated films, mostly because the concept is devoid of talking animals and supernatural beings.
Review: Ruben Guthrie (2015)
It’s said that there are variations of Hollywood films in every country around the world. If that’s true, newly released Australian comedy Ruben Guthrie is no doubt the equivalent of 2013’s modern classic The Wolf of Wall Street.
Review: Aida, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (2015)
Nothing has challenged the 600-year tradition of indoor opera more than performing it outdoors. Without the imposition of a theatre, Handa Opera’s outdoor production of Aida on Sydney Harbour is one that aims to bring down the well-established walls of the opera experience. Unfortunately, it delivers delicious spectacle without an emotional build.
Foxtel’s Anzac Day Miniseries ‘Deadline Gallipoli’ Is Actually Pretty Great Television
Australia loves Anzac Day.
Review: The Rocky Horror Show, Lyric Theatre, The Star (2015)
It’s been over 40 years since the Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show premiered, but it seems that age has taken its toll on the outrageous stage production once renowned for pushing social boundaries.
Talk Show Royalty: Why Ellen Degeneres is better than Jimmy Kimmel
Eden Caceda was one of the five people who watched Ellen Degeneres’ season of American Idol.
Review: Les Miserables, Capitol Theatre (2015)
After a year long play in Melbourne and shirt stint in Perth, musical classic Les Miserables hits the Capitol Theatre in Sydney after over a decade since it last played in the city.
Review: Le Noir – The Dark Side of Cirque, Lyric Theatre (2015)
Circus performance is something that has changed greatly over the years. Whether it’s the artistic and alternative performances of Cirque du Soleil or the traditional fairground shows of amateur big tops, there seems to be two different types of circus performers that circulate in the entertainment world.
Review: Thriller Live, Lyric Theatre, The Star (2015)
Walking into Thriller Live, there were two things that were evident. Firstly, the median age of the Lyric Theatre’s audience was 35 at best. Secondly, I was in a MJ fanatical crowd, the likes of which I had never experienced before.
The American Remake Of ‘The Slap’ Is Here, And It’s Kind Of Terrible
Taking into account the nature of the plot and the fact that the novel was able to capture specific parts of Australian society and culture that hadn’t been properly explored before, it’s no surprise that the new Americanised series, which premiered last week on NBC, has received mixed reviews
Review: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)
It’s a common fact that sequels are hit and miss. With films that have such a successful formula, it’s difficult to not want to repeat the same old recipe with a few new ingredients, as it is taking a chance to make the a sequel a completely different affair.
Review: Rosewater (2014)
Rosewater intrigues with its use of real footage to depict what is happening in Iran. Through this story of captivity, what shines is a tale of courage in a time of corruption and political conflict in the Middle East.
