November 27th 2025
Dead of Winter
Christmas Kharma
Aileen (streaming on Netflix)
In the Name of the Father (streaming on DocPlay)
Action fans will love Emma Thomson in her latest role; Christmas fans can have fun with a modern version of a Charles Dickens classic, and couch dwellers have two rather disturbing but fascinating docos to absorb.
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© Maslow - Emma Thomson takes on a
heroic action role |
Barb (Emma Thompson), recently widowed, is taking her husband's ashes to scatter them in a fishing hole in a frozen lake in Minnesota, as per his last wishes. When she gets lost in a blizzard she stops at a remote cabin to ask directions. A man, credited only as Camo Jacket, (Marc Menchaca), arouses her suspicions, and she soon discovers a young kidnap victim, Leah (Laurel Marsden) tied up in the cellar. So ensues a gruelling battle of life and death as the man's wife, Purple Lady (Judy Greer), brandishes a shotgun, determined to carry out her original dastardly plan for Leah. There's much fun to be had in this ice-bound thriller, not the least seeing Thompson, usually so very British, playing against type, with heavy American accent, and full of older-woman guts and bravado. While it's great to see a mature female hero, sometimes what Barb achieves beggars belief, but I guess that's the point of this sort of film: believability is not front and centre. For the most part, the tension remains strong, ratcheting up as the film progresses, but it is interrupted too often by sentimental flashbacks of Barb and her husband in their younger years. Petty quibbles aside, the film looks bleakly beautiful, and Thompson again shows her acting creds, as so much relies upon her wordless facial gestures, and physicality. Plus, there's a lot at stake when we realise near the denouement, the real horrific reason for the kidnapping. 3.5 - well recommended
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© Rialto - the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future
in a lovely Indian-themed retelling of a classic tale |
Would Charles Dickens turn over in his grave to think his beloved A Christmas Carol was now a contemporary Bollywood-themed extravaganza? Maybe not, since director Chadha delights in blending social messages and blurring genres. Wealthy CEO Eshaan Sood (Kunal Nayyar) is the story's Scrooge - mean-spirited, hated by his employees and lonely. As per the formula, three ghosts visit him, the Ghost of Christmas Past played in Day of the Dead style by Eva Longoria, Christmas Present played by flamboyant singer Billy Porter, and Christmas Future being an almost Zen-like Boy George. Sood's past is the Uganda of Idi Amin, at a time when foreigners were kicked out, and he ended up in England, orphaned and alone, his happy childhood wrecked. We discover what inspired him to chase money and how that destroyed the one love of his life. Unfortunately Nayyar is not a great actor and he lacks nuance in his performance; that's the major downside. Scenes of Christmas Present are seriously sentimental, but also extraordinarily touching, especially when Bob Cratchitt sings to his children a song about finding the boy within the man, to try to explain old Sood's bitter and twisted nature. And of course little, dying Tim is a heart-breaker. Porter is a standout with upbeat soul songs and glitzy presentation. Most of the characters are typical modern-day Londoners, from racist demonstrators, to London cabbies, to Indians running convenience stores, with the multiracial melange feeling quite warm and fuzzy. I must be getting soft in my old age, but this film really got me choked up. There is much to enjoy about the basic message, and the upbeat Bollywood/Christmas songs and dances are a treat. It's the sort of film you have to surrender to, forgive the schmaltziness and the genre mash-up, and just enjoy it for the happiness it can bring.3 - recommended
Aileen
Dir: Emily Turner
Length: 104 mins
Streaming on Netflix
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© Netflix - intriguing and sad look into
the storybehind the infamous killer |
Aileen Wuornos is possibly the most famous female serial killer in the USA. Who can forget Charlize Theron's award-winning portrayal of her in the 2003 film Monster. This is a very different take, based upon prison interviews with Aileen before her execution, interviews with her then-girlfriend Tyria, interviews with John Tanner, the prostitute-hating, bible-bashing prosecuting attorney, and footage of the actual court trials. We learn what horrible life experiences led Wuornos to do what she did, and also discover that the justice system was stacked against her from the start. For anyone with an interest in true crime, abuseof women, the judiciary, and human tragedy it's a fascinating watch.3.5 - well recommended
In the Name of the Father
Dir: Bat dor Ojalvo
Length: 90 mins
Streaming on DocPlay
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© DocPlay - sometimes people who claim
to have faith are the worst of all |
Another true crime doco that is possibly even worse than the tale of Aileen Wuornos. An extreme Jewish sect called Breslov set up a community in Israel, under the patronage of a rabbi who called himself Moharosh. The doco opens with community members raving about how loved, in fact worshipped, the old man was, but it's not long before all the nasty truth starts coming out. Moharosh's son Moishe gets involved in a mammoth contesting of a will, and younger people who have now distanced themselves from the community speak out about how much sexual abuse took place, studiously ignored by those given a duty of care. While films of this nature are never pleasant to watch, they are a constant reminder of how important it is to never let people in power get carried away with their own importance, how critical it is to protect young people from bastards in power, and the dangers of any beliefs being turned into what eventually amounts to a cult.3 - recommended
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