April 10th 2026
All That's Left of You
The Deb
The Drama
My Father's Shadow (streaming on MUBI)
Depending on your mood, there is something to suit you all this week, from political/historical dramas set in Palestine and Nigeria, through to Aussie comedy, and a rom-com turning the genre on its head.
All That's Left of You
Dir: Cherien Dabis
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© Cultural Media - the tragedy of displacement from oyu
home and your life |
Right now could not be a more relevant time for a film like this to hit our cinema screens. This is an impressive multi-generational epic, tracing Palestinian history since 1948. It is a sweeping narrative, with heartbreak, tragedy, resilience, and most of all, humanity, at its core. The facts of Israel's creation in 1948 will remain a topic for great angst and debate, probably forever, and it is the background for today's troubles. Here the story is told through the eyes of an ordinary Palestinian family. The film flashes back from 1980, when a young man Noor is shot in a street uprising. From there his mother Hanan (played by director Dabis) speaks to camera telling viewers that, to understand, we must go back to 1948, and what happened to the boy's grandfather, Sharif (Adam Bakri). Sharif's comfortable life, with young son Salim and wife Munira (Maria Zreik) was upended when the family was evicted by Zionist militias from their comfortable home (with its lovely orange grove), and Sharif was subsequently imprisoned. Years later, now grown son Salim (Saleh Bakri), father of Noor and husband of Hanan live all together in a basic home in a refugee camp, the trauma of their experiences firmly etched in their psyches. No matter what your beliefs are as to the rights and wrongs of the Israel/Palestine conflict, I defy you not to be deeply moved by this story, beautifully acted, and powerfully depicting what it is like to live under constant oppression, dehumanised and denied many basic rights. The big plot point (which I won't reveal), cuts to the heart of what it means to be able to retain one's humanity in the light of unrelenting tragedy. This is a beautiful and profoundly important film. 4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended
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| © Rialto - judgmental teens in a country town |
So archetypically Aussie, so daggy . . . and yet so much fun, The Deb is an upbeat musical about two teenage cousins, as different as chalk and cheese, who find common ground in a country town's debutante ball. Taylah (Natalie Abbott) lives on a sheep farm with her Dad (Shane Jacobson),who is also the mayor of the tiny town of Dunburn. The trendy kids marginalise chubby Taylah, but she is determined to get herself a date for the debutante ball. But then Taylah's city slicker, outspoken, feminist cousin Maeve (Charlotte McInnes) is ousted from school and sent to live a while with them, and the whole town is turned on its head. Wilson's directorial debut should really hit the spot with teen girls, but it's also a fun entertainment for everyone. Its provocative song and dance routines are very creative and vibrantly performed, while the well-worn themes of "ugly duckling makes good" and "up-herself miss learns a thing or two" are always relevant. The lead actors are all terrific, and a lovely small role by Tara Morice as Shell, the town's old-fashioned seamstress, is a winner. Yes there's predictability. but also a whole heap of laughs, excellent song and dance routines, lump-in-the-throat moments and a good time to be had in this joyous and uplifting film. 3.5 - well recommended
The Drama
Dir: Kristoffer Borgli
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© VVS - a silly tell-all game leads to doubts
which threaten true love |
Charlie (Robert Pattinson) looks across a coffee shop and notices Emma (Zendaya), absorbed in her book. He is instantly smitten and engineers, via a lie, a way to meet her. Within a very short time they are dating, then cohabiting, engaged, and planning a wedding. While choosing the wedding menu along with friends Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alan Haim), the foursome engage in a game in which each confesses to the others the worst thing they have ever done in their life. What Emma reveals (and I won't reveal it!) will set in train a series of emotional and real disasters that threatens to derail their wedding. Despite the meet-cute, this is not your ordinary rom-com. Clever scripting and superbly realistic performances make this film something to take notice of. Deeper questions are also raised: Is love unconditional? Does a person's revelations of their past change how you feel about them? Do many of us have bad thoughts but resist acting upon them? Does that make us bad humans? The confluence of deeper ideas and almost cringe-worthy real-life comic/tragic situations make for uneasy but totally involving viewing. Pattinson and Zendaya work so well on screen together, and even if the ending is possibly a little tame, this is a whole heap of thought-provoking fun. 4 - highly recommended
My Father's Shadow
Dir: Akinola Davies
Length: 94 mins
Streaming on MUBI
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| © MUBI - compelling story of fatherhood and unrest in Nigeria |
A multi award-winning film (including a BAFTA), this Nigerian story is inspired by the director's true experiences. It is the story of a father, Folarin (Sope Disaru) and his two young sons, Akin and Remi. Folarin is not often home, but one day, after a brief return, he decides to head into Nigeria's capital city Lagos, to chase his outstanding salary. The boys are thrilled to be sharing a day with their dad. But this day in 1993 elections have taken place, and the military threaten a coup, making the situation in the city dangerous. Beautifully shot, the film weaves together an intimate familial story, with broader underlying themes of political unrest and corruption. The father /sons relationship feels so real with great acting by all three. With its insight into a country we don't often see on film, it is a tense, poignant and impressive film, well worth the watch.4 - highly recommended
