Big Little Lies, like thousands of great TV shows and movies before it, has fallen victim to sequel fatigue. The first season, packed with A-List movie stars and a script that danced between witty satire of wealthy parents, and a devastating mediation on abusive relationships, can be fairly called a masterpiece. The mini-series, based on Liane Moriarty’s book…
The Bittersweet Joy of Going Home
Leaving Dublin for the last time was a bittersweet moment. As I prepared to board the first of four planes that would eventually get me home to Australia, I felt a pang of sadness that surprised me. Looking at Dublin Airport fade away from my window seat, I was reminded of the first time I…
Ramin Djawadi & The Lannister Theme: How GAME OF THRONES Told Stories Through Song
Game of Thrones is one of the most successful and influential television series of all time. The HBO program has not only changed the landscape of pop culture, becoming the most illegally streamed show in the world from 2011-2017. But it has also heralded in a new era of prestige cinematic television, as hundreds of shows…
BOOKSMART: The Best Film of the Year
I’ve never laughed so much as I did when I saw Booksmart for the first time. I’ve since seen it four times since, and each re-watch confirms its spot as my favourite film of 2019. On the night before high school graduation, Class President Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and her best friend Amy (Kaitlyn Denver) are faced with…
Glasgow Film Festival 2019 Documentaries: LAST BREATH & ARE YOU PROUD?
My first day at Glasgow Film Festival was a thrill. I attended two world premieres, both with post-show Q&A’s with the cast and directors in what looks to be a great start to what looks to be an exciting weekend. I started the festival with Are You Proud?, a documentary chronicling the history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the…
Staff Inquiry: Sentimental Childhood Favorites
We’re getting nostalgic with this month’s staff inquiry, as we highlight the films that stuck out to us when we were kids and we still remember fondly today. These are sweet, instinctual loves unfettered by analytical evaluation or acutely trained senses, so it’s kind of like you’re getting a glimpse at our uninhibited selves. And…
Terror Nullius: A bold, clever and unashamedly political retelling of Australian culture.
On a rural highway in Australia we see Mad Max (Mel Gibson), sitting in his car. This image is instantly recognisable for Gibson in his trademark leather jacket and police car. George Miller’s iconic road-warrior did, after all, attain cult status and three sequels after this 1979 original. In a disorientating and meta edit, we…
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD: Visually Dazzling End To Heartfelt Trilogy
We all know the story: an animal and a kid enter into a forbidden friendship, and are forced to keep it secret from everyone they know. Dogs, Horses, Whales, Loch Ness Monsters, the movies are all more less the same. But never have we seen this story told with such visual flair and emotional heft as…
Lady Macbeth: Newcomer Florence Pugh is a Tour-De-Force in Taut Domestic Thriller
I almost didn’t see Lady Macbeth, my number one film of 2017. I watched it on a whim after an impressively tense trailer, and a positive recommendation from the Empire Podcast. And boy it did not disappoint. The story, adapted by Alice Birch from the 19th century Russian novel, is inspired by Shakespeare’s enigmatic villainess, but reimagined as…
Repost: Film Inquiry’s Favourite 2018 Emmy Series Nominees
We’re hours away from discovering the winners of the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards; you’ve seen our choices for the Acting categories (here and here) – both the drama categories and the comedy/miniseries combo – so now is as good a time as any for us to plant the flags for Programs. Our team of writers could throw…
The Almighty Sometimes: Brave and Heart-Wrenching Tale of Motherly Love
Narratives about fathers and sons have dominated the canon of great plays for centuries. Sophocles, Shakespeare, Miller: these men, and their oft told tales of struggling patriarchs, are still staged internationally today. Male playwrights, directors and actors have for so long taken up all the space in the cultural conversation. Plays are designed to show…
Macbeth: Impressive Cast Delivers Devastating Tragedy With A Twist
The beauty of Shakespeare’s plays lies in their flexibility and creative potential. Written over four hundred years ago, the Bard’s thirty-seven comedies and tragedies have inspired film, theatre, musicals, television and more. It is remarkable to consider the infinite directorial possibilities that these plays hold. This week in Sydney alone, two different theatre companies stage…
