Hot air guitar – ‘Jimi: All is by My Side’ Review

By Jess Lomas August 13, 2014 Before Jimi Hendrix (Andre Benjamin) lit his guitar on fire at Monterey Pop Festival, or played Woodstock, he wore cheetah-print shirts in a struggling R&B band. So says John Ridley’s Jimi: All Is by My Side, a biopic that tries to be as independent and free spirited as its […]

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Brooklyn’s finest – ‘Appropriate Behavior’ Review

By Simon Miraudo August 8, 2014 Getting over an ex by getting under some strangers? That’s how Shirin plans to mourn the end of her last major relationship, although “plan” suggests there is some order to the chaos of her often disastrous rebounds. Appropriate Behavior is the sexy, soulful, snarky directorial debut of writer and […]

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Do it again – ‘The Infinite Man’ Review

By Richard Haridy August 5, 2014 The Infinite Man is a remarkably assured debut Australian feature that perfectly balances character and concept to give us not only one of the most tightly controlled time travel narratives ever conceived but also a genuinely sweet romantic comedy. Dean (Josh McConville) just wants to recreate the perfect anniversary […]

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Round the twist – ‘Predestination’ Review

By Simon Miraudo August 1, 2014 “Smart” movies can be dumb fun (Inception, Shutter Island), and “dumb” movies can be secretly smart (22 Jump Street, Spring Breakers), but movies about time travel… mostly just frustrate. They exist in some sort of netherworld, caught between smartness and dumbness, kind of like this sentence. They require rigorous […]

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Melbourne International Film Festival – Passion review

By Simon Miraudo July 26, 2013 In the notorious ‘How Not To’ book The Devil’s Candy, journalist Julie Salamon documents Brian de Palma‘s efforts to bring author Tom Wolfe’s acclaimed anti-80s satire The Bonfire of the Vanities to cinemas. De Palma’s fastidiousness saw the project run over budget and over time, and the resulting concoction became […]

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Ghost world – ParaNorman review

ParaNorman – Featuring the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Directed by Chris Butler and Sam Fell. By Jess Lomas. ParaNorman played the Melbourne International Film Festival. It arrives in Australian cinemas January 10, 2013. The latest kid to see dead people isn’t Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense, but Norman […]

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Pen pal – Ruby Sparks review

Ruby Sparks – Starring Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, and Antonio Banderas. Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Rated M. By Richard Haridy. Ruby Sparks plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 18, 2012. It arrives in Australian cinemas September 20, 2012. Regularly embodied by Zooey Deschanel, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (or MPDG) […]

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Nothing compares to you – Alps review

Alps – Starring Aggeliki Papoulia, Ariane Labed, and Aris Servetalis. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Originally published June 12, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Alps plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 19, 2012. It does not yet have an Australian release date. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. Following on from his Oscar-nominated freak-fest Dogtooth, it was expected Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Alps would similarly […]

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Gimme moor – Wuthering Heights review

Wuthering Heights – Starring Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, and James Northcote. Directed by Andrea Arnold. Rated MA. By Jess Lomas. Wuthering Heights plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 19, 2012. It arrives in Australian cinemas October 11, 2012. Based on the classic novel by Emily Brontë, director Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights has attempted to […]

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Bleary eyes, full heart – Undefeated review

Undefeated – Directed by Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin. Originally published July 6, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Undefeated plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 18, 2012. It arrives on DVD October 3. This review was first run during the Revelation Perth International Film Festival. There’s only room in one’s life for a certain number of passions. Hopefully family and […]

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F is for Frédéric – The Imposter review

The Imposter – Directed by Bart Layton. Originally published July 10, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. The Imposter plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 17, 2012. It does not yet have an Australian release date. This review was first run during the Revelation Perth International Film Festival. A child goes missing, and, three years later, returns with a […]

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Nun crazy – Beyond The Hills review

Beyond The Hills – Starring Cristina Flutur, Cosmina Stratan, and Valeriu Andriuta. Directed by Cristian Mungiu. By Richard Haridy. Beyond The Hills played the Melbourne International Film Festival. It does not yet have an Australian release date. Beyond The Hills is Cristian Mungiu‘s first feature since winning the Palme d’Or in 2007 with his harrowing drama […]

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She’s got the look – Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present ­review

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present ­– Starring Marina Abramović. Directed by Matthew Akers and Jeff Dupre. Originally published July 10, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 13 and 15, 2012. It does not yet have an Australian release date. This review was first run during the Revelation Perth International Film Festival. […]

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Girl talk – Damsels in Distress review

Damsels in Distress – Starring Greta Gerwig, Analeigh Tipton, and Adam Brody. Directed by Whit Stillman. Rated M. By Jess Lomas. Damsels in Distress plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 10, 2012. It arrives in Melbourne cinemas September 6, 2012. While it’s been fourteen years since Whit Stillman’s last movie, The Last Days of […]

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Transformer – Holy Motors review

Holy Motors – Starring Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, and Kylie Minogue. Directed by Leos Carax. Originally published June 15, 2012. By Richard Haridy. Holy Motors plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 11 and 14, 2012. It arrives in Australian cinemas August 23, 2012. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. Holy Motors is a bewildering, indescribably wonderful film […]

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Rambling – On the Road review

On the Road – Starring Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, and Kristen Stewart. Directed by Walter Salles. Originally published June 13, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. On the Road plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 11, 2012. It does not yet have an Australian release date. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. I had endeavoured to finally read […]

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Little terrors – Bully review

Bully – Directed by Lee Hirsch. Originally published June 10, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Bully plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 10, 12, and 14, 2012. It opens in Australian cinemas August 23. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. Much ink has been spilled over Lee Hirsch‘s documentary Bully, which is peculiar because the film never […]

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Wild thing – Beasts of the Southern Wild review

Beasts of the Southern Wild – Starring Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, and Gina Montana. Directed by Benh Zeitlin. Originally published June 9, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Beasts of the Southern Wild plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 10, 2012. It hits Australian cinemas September 13, 2012. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. Beasts of the Southern […]

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Yo, teach! – Monsieur Lazhar review

Monsieur Lazhar – Starring Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nelisse, and Emilien Neron. Directed by Philippe Falardeau. By Jess Lomas. Monsieur Lazhar plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 8, 2012. It arrives in Australian cinemas September 6, 2012. Writer director Philippe Falardeau has but a handful of credits to his name, and yet his latest […]

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General admissions – Liberal Arts review

Liberal Arts – Starring Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, and Richard Jenkins. Directed by Josh Radnor. Originally published June 13, 2012. By Richard Haridy. Liberal Arts plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on June 14, 2012. It does not yet have an Australian release date. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. In Liberal Arts, Josh Radnor (Ted from How I Met Your […]

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Good intent – The Sessions review

The Sessions – Starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, and William H. Macy. Directed by Ben Lewin. By Richard Haridy. The Sessions played the Melbourne International Film Festival. It arrives in Australian cinemas November 8, 2012. The Sessions is a tender, well-intentioned examination of a disabled man exploring his sexual identity, but sometimes a film needs […]

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In memoriam – Tabu review

Tabu – Starring Teresa Madruga, Ana Moreira, and Carloto Cotta. Directed by Miguel Gomes. Originally published June 14, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Tabu plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 9, 2012. It does not yet have an Australian release date. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. Miguel Gomes‘ Tabu plays like a dream, but not in the David […]

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They share everything – Your Sister’s Sister review

Your Sister’s Sister – Starring Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, and Rosemarie DeWitt. Directed by Lynn Shelton. Rated M. Originally published July 9, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Your Sister’s Sister plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 3 and 5, 2012. It hits Australian cinemas September 6, 2012. This review was first run during the Revelation Perth International Film Festival. With just a […]

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In dignity – Amour review

Amour – Starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, and Isabelle Huppert. Directed by Michael Haneke. Originally published June 11, 2012. By Simon Miraudo. Amour plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 3 and 13, 2012. It does not yet have an Australian release date. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. Who […]

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Tastes like chicken – Killer Joe review

Killer Joe – Starring Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, and Juno Temple. Directed by William Friedkin. Originally published June 18, 2012. By Richard Haridy. Killer Joe plays the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 3 and 8, 2012. It does not yet have an Australian release date. This review was first run during the Sydney Film Festival. Killer Joe is a grubby blast of […]

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An accurate title – Win Win review

Win Win – Starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan and Alex Schaffer. Directed by Thomas McCarthy. Rated M. Originally published July 25, 2011. By Simon Miraudo. This review was first run  – in slightly shorter form – during the Melbourne International Film Festival. Win Win is now screening nationally. When you see the Fox Searchlight logo before […]

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The need for speed – Senna review

Senna – Directed by Asif Kapadia. Rated M. Originally published July 23, 2011. By Simon Miraudo. This review was first run during the Melbourne International Film Festival. Senna is now screening nationally. Asif Kapadia’s documentary on the life and early death of F1 racer Ayrton Senna – a man and sport, I admit, I knew […]

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Melbourne International Film Festival – Melancholia review

Melancholia – Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kiefer Sutherland. Directed by Lars von Trier. By Simon Miraudo. People don’t realise that Lars von Trier has quite a sense of humour, which is why he gets into so much trouble at press conferences when he tries to crack wise. Like any comic, sometimes his jokes […]

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Ready to start – Beginners review

Beginners – Starring Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer and Mélanie Laurent. Directed by Mike Mills. Rated M. By Simon Miraudo. Beginners played the Melbourne International Film Festival. It arrives in Australian cinemas August 25, 2011. One of the great cosmic practical jokes is humanity’s enduring inability to capture, well, humanity on screen, which is probably why […]

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Melbourne International Film Festival – The Guard

The Guard – Starring Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle and Mark Strong. Directed by John Michael McDonagh. Rated MA. By Jess Lomas. The Guard screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival. It opens in Australian cinemas August 25, 2011. The premise of John Michael McDonagh’s Irish comedy crime caper The Guard is far from original: the […]

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