Better late than never! Here we go with a couple of new ones, but first let's mention some major fun had last week, when Lido on the Roof launched, with a wham-bam James Bond themed party and a lot of fun, not to mention the important bit of previewing some of the excellent films to come over the summer months - films like Spectre, Star Wars, Carol and many many more. Owner Eddie Tamir is a great creative gift to the Melbourne cinema scene, and I'll certainly raise a martini to toast his vision in giving us another must-visit cinema (with enough mainstream and arthouse films to please everyone!)

Check out the program at:
http://www.lidocinemas.com.au/Page/Home 

He Named Me Malala

Director: David Guggenheim

Length: 121 mins

The story of the attempted murder in 2012 by the Taliban of 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai reverberated throughout the world. This doco gives us the background to the story and introduces us to an inspirational young woman, who has already won the Nobel Peace Prize. Although the director deals with the chronology in a style that is too fragmented for my taste, the content is fascinating, and Malala a revelation. Interviews, archival footage, and beautifully painted sequences of Malala's past in the Swat Valley, make for worthwhile viewing.  

Definitely worth a look!

For my full review:

http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=5910

Spectre

Director: Sam Mendes

Length: 148 mins

It's a long one, but not for a moment did I get bored in this latest Bond adventure. The opening scene is an absolute cracker, being set in Mexico's Day of the Dead street festival. After a seriously impressive tracking shot, the action kicks in with a bang and doesn't let up. Who really cares about the details of the convoluted plot? Suffice to know the action is gripping, and all our much loved (or much hated?) Bond tropes are there - a ticking clock counting down to a bomb exploding, chases in all manner of vehicles from choppers, to boats and planes, ludicrous punch-ups in which no-one gets so much as a mark on the impeccable white suit, and of course the martinis and the Bond girls. This time we've got a Bond woman in the form Monica Bellucci - and a voluptuous French gal played by Lea Seydoux. Menacing Christophe Waltz is perfect as the baddie, and Craig is, as ever, his cool insouciant self. 

Really good!

For a full review from Chris Thompson:

http://www.cinephilia.net.au/show_review.php?movieid=5911


Rosso Come il Cielo (Red Like the Sky) 
Director: Cristiano Bortone

Length: 96 mins

An oldie from 2006, picked up on SBS but definitely worth recommending if you stumble across it. 
Winning 16 awards at a wide range of film festivals, this is the true story of  Tuscan lad Mirco Menacci, who lost his sight at the age of 11.  When Mirco was sent to a school for the blind, he pursued his already entrenched love of film and began recording sound effects to accompany narrated stories. Ultimately this determined and creative boy ended up being one of Italy's most esteemed sound editors, still working today. The story is inspiring and touching, with terrific cinematography as well as beautiful acting from all the children.
 

Really good!