Dune Part Two
Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Rating: M
Synopsis: Paul Atreides teamed up with Chani and the Fremen tribespeople to get revenge on those who harmed his family.
Reviews
Dune Part Two is an epic space opera that delivers on the promises made by the first film – and deserves to be seen on the big screen.
Screenhub.com.au
With jaw-dropping visuals and unrivalled battle sequences, the vistas of the desert planet of Arrakis are so overwhelming that Dune: Part Two begs to be seen on the largest screen possible.
ABC
Anatomy of a Fall
Cast: Sandra Huller, Swann Arlaud, Antoine Reinartz, Samuel Theis
Director: Justine Triet
Rating: MA15+
Synopsis: A woman falls under suspicion for the murder of her spouse following his demise. Their partially sighted offspring grapples with an ethical quandary, as he constitutes the principal eyewitness in the case.
Reviews
This is an emotional and somewhat haunting whodunnit that should keep armchair detectives glued to their seats until the verdict is announced in the very last moment. Award winning German actress Sandra Huller delivers a powerful performance as Sandra Voyter, the novelist who desperately tries to prove her innocence in a court of law.
City Hub Sydney
Anatomy of a Fall carries the weight of being a Palme D’or winner in last year’s Cannes Film Festival. Reputation can set an expectation that can lead to disillusion. Anatomy of a Fall is a fine film which really is a drama about a family dealing with depression and disability, as well as a courtroom drama.
Theatrenow.com.au
Baghead
Cast: Freya Allan, Jeremy Irvine, Ruby Barker, Peter Mullan
Director: Alberto Corredor
Rating: M
Synopsis: When a young woman takes ownership of a dilapidated tavern, she uncovers a sinister presence lurking in the basement—a formless entity known as Baghead that allows communication with deceased loved ones, but extracting a steep price for its occult services.
Reviews
The film contains some convincing performances, notably Peter Mullen who plays the father and overall gives a satisfying conclusion as screenwriter Lorcan Reilly and director Alberto Corredor explore the reversal of women as victims to women as monsters and how that reflects female sexuality and identity
Glam Adelaide
As with many modern horrors, ‘Baghead’ relies heavily on darkness to create tension, and while this technique can often be hit or miss, it works well in this film.
Scenestr.com.au
Bob Marley One Love
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton, Tosin Cole
Director: Rienaldo Marcus Green
Rating: M
Synopsis: This is the tale of beloved reggae legend Bob Marley prevailing against hardships, chronicling his path to creating groundbreaking songs that stirred social change.
Reviews
There have been better rock biopics in the past, but there have also been much worse ones. One Love is enjoyable when it works, and less so when it doesn’t. Appreciating the good bits means having patience for the bad.
Fiction Machine
Perhaps succumbing to the mentality of being too respectful of its subject, Bob Marley: One Love is far from being an in-depth analysis of one of the 20th century’s greatest performers. It can’t escape its formulaic temperament, but, as a nice trade off to audiences and fans, it’s a celebration of his music and his charisma, and that proves just enough for us to show this biopic-lite drama some love.
The AU Review
Madame Web
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O’Connor
Director: S J Clarkson
Rating: M
Synopsis: Cassandra Webb works as a paramedic in New York City when she starts exhibiting intuitive abilities. As she is compelled to confront revelations regarding her own history, Cassandra must also protect three young women from a lethal foe intent on eradicating them.
Reviews
The real winners of the technical production teams were cinematography, production design, and costuming. Where the dialogue in Madame Web faltered there was always a moment where a spider web appeared on set to pull me back in – using lots of cracked glass, chains, and netting. The film constantly gives the feeling that everything is interconnected even if the connection isn’t immediately visible.
Lilithia.net
Dakota Johnson is a good Madame Web and while the number of writers on the film do suggest some changes were made (Madame Web started shooting after Morbius finished it’s cinema run) as long as you are not expecting the next Endgame from this it is a safe movie to go enjoy as a one and done.
Geek Society AU
Drive-Away Dolls
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Joey Slotnick
Directors: Ethan Coen
Rating: MA 15+
Synopsis: Tormented by remorse over the dissolution of her romance with her ex-partner, Jamie decides to seek a new beginning. Her friend Marian has been feeling overwhelmed as well and could use some respite from stress. The two embark on an unplanned excursion to Tallahassee together, hoping the trip will provide them with relaxation and clarity.
Reviews
Drive-Away Dolls is – appropriately – a wild ride. But this quirky mish-mash of styles and themes mostly works thanks to its breezy attitude and very funny script.
Theblurb.com.au
The nicest thing to be said about Drive-Away Dolls is that, despite being a bad film, it’s still a funny film. There’s plenty of attempts at humour; some of them can be cringeworthy, but others really land with a cracking punchline, a very amusing character moment, or are tied in with the film’s very unabashed portrayal of lesbian culture.
Xpressmag.com.au
The Great Escaper
Cast: Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, Laura Marcus, Wolf Kahler
Director: Oliver Parker
Rating: M
Synopsis: Bernard Jordan breaks free from his assisted living facility, driven by a stirring desire to make it to the 70th commemorative events in France marking D-Day.
Reviews
Director Oliver Parker has created a simple film that packs a profoundly emotional punch without resorting to sugary sweet clichés or overly manipulative filmmaking tricks.
fiftyplussa.com.au
This is an inspirational film, drenched in sentimentality with an equal dose of humour which is predominantly delivered through dialogue in scenes between Bernie and Irene.
Cityhub.com.au
Force of Nature: The Dry 2
Cast: Eric Bana, Anna Torv, Deborra-Lee Furness, Robin McLeavy
Director: Robert Connolly
Rating: M
Synopsis: Five women embark on a hiking getaway, but only four return at its conclusion. Federal agents Aaron Falk and Carmen Cooper venture into the mountains, striving to locate their still-living informant amidst the group.
Reviews
Whilst much can be said about how so much of The Dry‘s success was in large part to it opening at a time when cinemas were still battling the pandemic-stricken productions that were halted, it can’t be denied that Robert Connolly‘s tight thriller was a fine genre film in its own right.
The AU Review
Adapted from Jane Harper’s second Falk novel, the overall structure is a little shaky (the ongoing flashbacks to young Falk’s search for his mother don’t add much), but the plot has its strong points.
Screenhub Australia
Argylle
Action, Thriller
Cast: Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Rating: M
Synopsis: An intensely private writer who pens spy thrillers chronicling the adventures of a covert operative and a worldwide intelligence network finds that the storyline for her latest work unexpectedly appears to unfold in actuality, concurrently matching real-life happenings as she drafts the book.
Reviews
The premise of Argylle is genuine fun, as light hearted “What if” a famous spy author’s books turned out to be real adventures, somehow ended up impacting the real world.
My Life FM
ARGYLLE sets itself up as a fun action adventure filled with dancing, action and often dancing and action together. Yet beyond these opening scenes, and all known publicity, the film is a very different beast. Which, for a time at least, is a very good thing.
The Reel Bits
Turning Red
Cast: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park
Director: Domee Shi
Rating: PG
Synopsis: Mei Lee, a 13-year-old, grapples with balancing her role as her mother’s obedient daughter while navigating the transformations of her teenage years. Further complicating matters, enthusiastic emotions trigger her transformation into a large red panda.
Reviews
Pixar shows how they can reimagine animation and take this artistry to new heights with each film. Shi incorporates the mystical with the reality of a multicultural community to deliver a unique story for the studio. She and her writing partner, Julia Cho, add a personal touch on the subject matters of tiger mothers, the importance of friends and the necessity of knowing family history. This combination can make for a new take on a familiar storyline. Still, the lead character’s arc seems to go wrong, making her story less than appealing.
Rhemafm.com.au
The brilliant thing about Turning Red, though, is that this is not just another story of a character trying to keep a problematic identity hidden. All sorts of movies have explored the hijinks involved in such an effort, including Pixar’s Luca just last year, in which sea monsters passing as human boys had to guard their secret at the cost of their lives. Turning Red does away with all that, as it soon becomes clear that her family was expecting this change, which affects all the women in their family. Her friends – voiced by Ava Morse, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Hyein Park – learn of Meilin’s alternate nature soon enough, and before long, the whole school knows. Instead of ostracising Meilin, this reveal makes her the most sought-after novelty at any party.
Reelgood.com.au
