Wednesday, 28 October 2026

 October 29th 2026

Pressure
Tenzing
Russell Hobbs British Film Festival
My Dearest Senorita (streaming on Netflix)

Wonderful films yet again this week! Not to mention the ever-popular British Film Festival, with its plethora of top-notch latest release movies. 

Pressure
Dir: Anthony Maras
Length: 100 min

© StudioCanal - I never imagined weather forecasting
could be so thrilling! 
So many films have been made about D-Day, but here's one with a very different slant. It's 72 hours before the Allies' planned invasion of the beaches of northern France. It's do-or-die; this military operation will probably decide the fate of the free world and be a turning point in the Second World War. After careful planning and a proposed date, the operation is threatened by deteriorating weather. General Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) calls upon two meteorologists to advise him on when the invasion is good to go, but they cannot agree. Irving Krick (Chris Messina) bases his forecasts solely upon historical data, but newly-appointed James Stagg (Andrew Scott) takes a completely different approach, saying one must use modern methods to read the pressure systems. Never has weather forecasting been made so exciting!! The director (previously of the gripping Hotel Mumbai) knows how to inject great tension into a story that could have been dull. Scott is so impressive in his portrayal of Stagg's steely determination, and Fraser gives another great performance as Eisenhower. With actual meteorologists overseeing the scientific details of the film, everything feels authentic, and the details of weather systems become surprisingly engaging. Strong support from Kerry Condon and Damien Lewis in smaller roles fill out a rivetting story that will surprise and captivate.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Tenzing
Dir: Jennifer Peedom
Length: 125 min

© Apple TV - two of climbing history's
greats - with the emphasis on the local!
Acclaimed Aussie filmmaker Peedom has garnered plenty of awards for her excellent documentaries, Sherpa, Mountain and River. Now she directs a narrative feature about a seminal event, when Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston) and Tenzing Norgay first set foot on the summit of Mt Everest. Although New Zealand-born Hillary got the main credit, this lovely film focuses on the Tibetan man's story. We learn about Tenzing at three stages in his life: the nine-year old boy (Samdrup Dorje Lama), who dreams of one day being in a team that climbs "his" mountain; the 20-year old (Tenzin Dalha), who joins an expedition as a porter, and finally the adult (Genden Phuntsok) who becomes head of the Sherpa team for the British expedition headed up by John Hunt (Willem Dafoe). The film jumps back and forth through the different periods of Tenzing's life; including meeting his beloved first wife Dawa (Thinley Lhamo), and his later determination to stand up for the rights of the Sherpas and his own recognition as an official climbing team member.  Although told in a fairly conventional narrative style, the film is full of glorious scenery, with New Zealand's southern alps a stand-in for Everest;  further footage was shot in Nepal. There are many heart-stopping moments, and despite having seen many Everest films, this one is a terrific homage to a man who has never quite received the credit he deserves, and who fulfilled his childhood dream.
3.5 - well recommended

Russell Hobbs British Film Festival
Melbourne: 28 Oct - 6 December - check website for all other states
Palace Cinemas
Find all you need to know at:  britishfilmfestival.com.au

The festival this year has 36 new films featuring the cream of British acting and directing talent. No point my itemising them here - you can check it all out on the website. But I will draw your attention to a retrospective of five incredible films, celebrating their various anniversaries: Hamlet, Last Orders, The French Lieutenant's Woman, The Man who Fell to Earth and Shirley Valentine. My initial reviews:

Extra Geography
Dir: Molly Manners
Length: 93 min
Flic (Marnie Duggan) and Minna (Galaxie Clear) atttend an English girls' boarding school. They are best of friends, doing everything in tandem. Deciding they must become more "worldly", they make a pact to fall in love with the next person they see. This happens to be their geography teacher, a New Zealander, the naive Miss Delavigne (Alice Englert). At the same time the school is putting on a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in conjunction with a boy's school. As the two projects proceed, the girls' friendship starts to fray at the edges. Coming of age films risk being twee, sentimental or predictable, but this one is a winner, combining droll humour with a story that is poignant and totally engaging. The two leads are stunnning in their debut performances - although the girls can be exasperating, they are also charming, and a vibrant reminder of the challenges faced in growing up. The story gives insight into teen female friendships, with their intense bonds as well as the anguish of discovering you are not in fact twins, but quite different individuals. The director chooses to leave aspects of the girls' emerging sexuality subtle and somewhat ambiguous, making for speculation and lively post-movie discussion!  A thoroughly endearing and stimulating watch.   


My Duchess
Dir: Mike Newell
Length: 95 mins
The term "elder abuse" is much bandied around these days but there could be no worse case of this than what happened to Wallis Simpson, the wife of Edward, Duke of Windsor, who abdicated the British throne to marry the woman he loved, and to live in France. After Edward's death in 1972, Wallis (Joan Collins) takes on formidable French lawyer Susanne Blum (Isabella Rossellini) to manage her affairs. Blum gradually takes over the Duchess's life, isolating her from friends,  taking power of attorney over Wallis's  finances, and eventually selling off many of the royal possessions. Collins, now 93 years old, shows she's still got what it takes in the acting department, and is not afraid to be seen at her physical worst as the Duchess gradually sinks into a sad and sorry old age. Rossellini is chilling as the conniving lawyer, who gives an excellent lesson in coercive control. The film is a very handsome production, with the lavish royal life on full display: jewels, gowns, furnishings, and artworks.  The supporting cast are impressive, notably Charles Dance as Lord Mountbatten, Miranda Richardson as Lady Mosley, and Laurent Lafitte as Montalban, a loyal (but fictional) friend of Wallis. Not strictly true to historical fact, this is nevertheless a disturbing portrayal of what can happen if you give over control to the wrong person! 

My Dearest Senorita
Dir: Fernando Gonzalez Molina
Length: 113 min
Streaming on Netflix  - 2026
© Netflix - compassionate film about finding one's
true identity
Adela (Elisabeth Martinez) is a conservative 25-year-old, living with her parents and teaching catechism in Pamplona, Spain. She is tall and ill at ease in her body, perplexed as to why she must take oestrogen and is told she can never have children. Finally a visit to a gynaecologist reveals to her the truth that she was born intersex, and her parents had made the decision to operate on the baby, such that her designated sex would be female.  After the shock news, Adela moves to Madrid, sheds her female identity and takes on a masculine identity and name, A.D. Sharing Adela/AD's gender identity journey are queer physiotherapist Isabel (Anna Castillo) and gay priest Father Jose (Paco Leon), along with a colorful and sympathetic collection of Madrid misfits. This is a remake of a 1972 film, which was the first queer film in a post-Franco Spain. The modern version is a compassionate and often heartbreaking journey with our main character; an exploration of the torment of fitting into and coming to terms with a new and confronting sexual identity. Martinez, themselves an intersex actor, brings a complete truthfulness and credibility to their character. This moving and enlightening film is almost a lovesong to those who don't fit the stereotype, and is a testament to the power of self-acceptance. 
4 - highly recommended
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Wednesday, 21 October 2026

October 22nd 2026

Holy Cannoli
NAZA
More from JIFF - Jewish International Film Festival 
Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (Streaming)

Two new feature films grace our screens, plus more excellent viewing from JIFF, and a surprising streamer which I highly recommend. 
Holy Cannoli
Dir: Pif
Length: 113 min

© Palace - pastry, the Pope and love
in an amusing Italian comedy
Successful Palermo real estate agent Arturo (played by director Pif) has such an intense craving for sweet pastries it is almost a religion for him. He actually has no religous beliefs, that is until he meets gorgeous Flora (Giusi Buscemi), daughter of a famed Sicilian pastry chef. She is a devout Catholic and Arturo thinks, to win her heart, he will pretend to also be religious. But he goes overboard, and starts taking Christian practice to extremes, causing havoc to his new love affair, his work, and alienating himself from those around him. To add to it all, his sugar spikes from over-indulgence in pastries cause him to hallucinate encounters with the Pope himself (Carlos Hipolito), a wise and worldly man with plenty of advice to dish out. There's a lot to enjoy about this over-the-top approach to religion, love and cannoli. Pif manages to criticise those who espouse their faith while hypocritically doing things counter to its tenets. He also shows that anything taken to extremes will not work. The delightful character of the Pope presents a forgiving and moderate version of God and the Church. I've never been a big fan Italian comedies, so I bring my prejudices to the film, which I find too silly in parts, and definitely somewhat repetitive: a good 20-minute edit would have helped. The basic premise of the film is fun, as is the not so subtle marriage of erotica and creamy pastry. The characters are appealing, which makes for amiable watching.
3 - recommended

NAZA
Dir: Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor
Length: 80 min

© Madman - this film is stirring up
huge divisiveness
Short and not-so-sweet, this hard-hitting doco from the filmmakers who helmed No Man's Land, will cause plenty of outrage in the camps of those who unconditionally support Israel's actions in Gaza. Whatever your political stance, there is no denying this is an impressive work of investigative journalism. 24 military insiders from the IDF go on the record (anonymously), detailing how the army uses AI programs to pinpoint Hamas operatives they wish to kill, and how an algorithm is used to calculate the "acceptable" ratio of civilian deaths (termed NAZA, and often exorbitantly high). The film's style is deceptively simple, as the director interviews his subjects on a balcony overlooking the glitter of Tel Aviv by night. Views through windows show ordinary Israelis going about their daily business. In contrast, ordinary Palestinians doing the same may instantly be obliterated.  To see such calculated destruction makes for disturbing viewing. There is no sensationalism; just a calm and deliberate approach to the questions, the replies to which speak for themselves. The Israeli government is outraged by the film and claims it distorts the facts. Who can ever know the real truth? I guess you have to see it for yourself and make up your own mind. 
4 - highly recommended

More from JIFF - Jewish International Film Festival
Melbourne: Until 25 November - check website for other cities
Classic and Lido Cinemas
To scour the program visit https://www.jiff.com.au/films

JIFF is off and running, after a fabulous opening night last Sunday. I loved the choice of opening night film (reviewed first here), and the watching continues apace! 


Just an Illusion: With so many heavy themes (albeit it excellent ones!) it was nice to have a light-hearted engaging French comedy as the festival's opening night film, with many more opportunities to view it. Yve Dayan and his wife Sandrine live in 1985 Paris. They bicker endlessly: he's lost his job, she's going for a promotion, and their 12-year-old son Vincent (Simon Boublil) is brawling with his older brother, preparing for his upcoming barmitzvah, and falling in love for the first time. While the film avoids delving ultra-deeply into any of its issues (marital discord, anti-Semitism, joblessness), it is an excellent entertainment, with a collection of characters one can really enjoy spending time with. Young Boublil is a physically beautiful boy, and he brings such warmth and delight to the young lad on the cusp of manhood. Definitely a crowd-pleaser!

The Soundman: I haven't seen many WWII films from Belgium. This one, set on the cusp of the Nazi invasion in 1940, centres around Berre, a young creative sound engineer who gets an internship  with Belgium's national broadcaster. He's a master at hearing sounds and creating foley effects for the radio plays that are broadcast. Young Elza has fled Germany with her Jewish family, is living illegally in Belgium, but gets a job with the cast of the radio plays. This is a bitter-sweet film about anti-Semitism, impending tragedy, young love, and the magic of sound engineering. With gorgeous period detail and an absorbing storyline, this is fine viewing. 

The Sea: Khaled is a 12-year-old Arab boy from Ramallah. When his class is taken on an excursion to the seaside in Tel Aviv, he is refused entry at the checkpoint due to a permit mix-up. Desperate to see the sea, but without speaking a word of Hebrew, Khaled heads off alone, landing up in the streets of Tel Aviv and trying to fulfill his dream. Meantime his increasingly desperate father sets out to try to find his son. The Sea has won Best Film at the Ophir awards, with Mohammad Ghazawi who plays Khaled the youngest ever winner of a Best Actor award. A crew of Jews and Arabs worked together on this film and it reflects in the humanity displayed in the film's approach to its subject matter. Again, the contrasts between life in the big smoke and Khaled's less salubrious life is wrought large, and the treatment of the Arab family by the Israeli authorities is further cause for reflection on better ways of handling the never-ending problems in this region. This is a truly beautiful, but deeply saddening film. 

Sinatra: All or Nothing at All
Dir: Alex Gibney
Length: 2 x 2 hour episodes
Streaming on Netflix - 2015
© Netflix/MUBI/HBO - a definitive look
at the live and times of Ol' Blue Eyes
Though not strictly a feature film, this two-part doco from famed documentarian Alex Gibney, will give you a deep insight into the life of America's favorite crooner. In 1971 Frank Sinatra performed a farewell concert of 11 songs which are used by Gibney to frame the narrative of the singer's life. We see the ageing Sinatra on stage, revel in his seamlessly relaxed performance, then are taken back into each stage of his extraordinary life, from the rough New Jersey suburb of Hoboken, through his early musical forays, his rise to fame, his fall from grace then resurrection, his endless affairs and marriages, and the controversy that surrounded his links to the Mob, along with his legendary bad boy stunts. The doco is comprised of that concert, along with countless archival clips spanning 60 years. Any voice-overs are in the background; the only talking head is Sinatra himself reflecting openly on his life! I had never realised what a consummate performer the man was until I watched this doco. It won me over, and made for four hours of mesmerising viewing. Give it a go and see what all the fuss has been about!
4 - highly recommended

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Thursday, 15 October 2026

 October 15th 2026

Sense and Sensibility
La Bola Negra
JIFF - Jewish International Film Festival - begins 18th October

More excellent films: a new Jane Austen remake, an award-winning Spanish epic, and the Jewish Film Festival with copious marvellous movies. What's not to love!?

Sense and Sensibility
Dir: Georgie Oakley
Length: 131 min

© Universal - loving sisters, navigating
the world of men and emotion
Unfortunately some people will be unable to resist comparing this film to Ang Lee's 1995 version of the Jane Austen classic. That film won the Golden Bear at Berlin and garnered numerous awards and nominations (including an Oscar for Best Screenplay). But you know me - I like to judge a film on a stand-alone basis, and using those criteria this one scrubs up very nicely. Granted it doesn't have the trademark Austen irony and incisive social commentary, but it is a gorgeous period romance, with a visual richness and terrific performances from all concerned. Daisy Edgar Jones is Elinor Dashwood, Esme Creed Miles her sister Marianne. The sisters, together with mother Mrs Dashwood (Catriona Balfe, of Outlander fame) are outsted from their family home when Mrs D's stepson John is left the inheritance from her deceased husband. Relocating to a small cottage, the Dashwood girls attract the attention (of course) of various men. Edward Ferrars (George McKay) is smitten with Elinor, while the serious Colonel Brandon (Herbert Nordrum) has his eye on Marianne but she is besotted with cad and bounder Willoughby (Frank Dillane). The two sisters are chalk and cheese, Elinor serious and sensible while outspoken Marianne gives over to her emotions. They are not the prim, proper young women we expect of the era, but wild and at times almost scruffy, which adds a very relateable feel to their characters. A lovely light touch comes from stalwart actor Fiona Shaw as Mrs Jennings, a widow and gossip, who enlivens the proceedings at every appearance. With its romantic longings, social snobbery, stunning visuals and a lovely score, along with colorful characters to love and hate, this is most enjoyable viewing.  
3.5 - well recommended

La Bola Negra
Dir: Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo
Length: 160 min

© Rialto / Moving Story - Pen Cruz is almost
unrecognisable in her small but startling role
It's worth it to learn a little about Federico Garcia Lorca, and Spain in the 1930s to fully follow the plot of this complex and excellent film. Lorca was a famed playwright and poet, who was executed by the fascists in 1936, because of his left-wing leanings and his homosexuality. The film has three major strands which interweave and time-jump. In 1932 Carlos (Milos Quifes), young son of a wealthy family, is rejected for membershp into a casino, due to rumors of his homosexuality. (The decision is made via colored balls, hence the film's title). In 1937 the Spanish civil war has broken out. Trumpeter Sebastian (Guitarricadelafuente) is forced into the fascist army, and charged with guarding a young prisoner, Rafael (Miguel Bernardeau) from the Rebel army. Love blossoms between the two. In the modern era, gay historian Alberto (Carlos Gonzales) receives a package from a grandfather he never knew. The strands and connections gradually fall into place. Meantime Penelope Cruz dazzles in a small cameo as Nene Romero, a cabaret-style singer, entertaining soldiers. Glenn Close also makes an impressive appearance as a scholar of Lorca's work. As a study of queer repression, longing, desire, and war, as well as a homage to Lorca, whose unfinished script La Bola Negra inspires the movie, this is a sweeping and moving film, totally worth immersing in. It won Best Director at Cannes FF 2026.
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

JIFF - Jewish International Film Festival
Melbourne: 18 Oct - 25 November - check website for Sydney and Perth
Classic and Lido Cinemas
To scour the program visit https://www.jiff.com.au/films

With 52 new features and documentaries from around the world, as well as a seven-film Mel Brooks retrospective, there's much to choose from in this year's JIFF. There's also a special screening of the 1979 film The Tin Drum, which won a Palme D'or at Cannes, and a Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. I've started my previewing, and bring you four reviews this week, with more to come over the course of the festival. 

Where To?: A worthy winner of this year's Best Film at the Jerusalem FF, this gentle, introspective and deeply thought-provoking film is a panacea to the many ills and misunderstandings in today's world. Uber driver Hassan (Hassan Kiwan) is working in Berlin and sending money back to his family stuck in Palestine. He picks up Amir (Ido Tako) , a young Jewish man from Tel Aviv who has followed a boyfriend to Berlin. As Amir repeatedly turns up in Hassan's car, the two form a tentative friendship, gradually learning about each other's pasts, and hopes for the future. There seems more to bind them than divide them. Kiwan would be the ultimate "face actor" - the minutiae of his every facial movement conveys so much more than any words could. The delicate original soundtrack also encompasses both cultures, adding to the deeply moving and quiet story that must surely cast a ray of hope in this divided world. My favorite of those films I've previewed so far! 

The Choice: Psychiatrist Edith Eger is a Holocaust survivor and author of the book The Choice. Iris Haim is a bereaved mother whose son Yotam was taken hostage on October 7th, and subsequently killed mistakenly by the IDF. This deeply moving documentary traces the journey of both women, who ultimately meet up, so that Edith can help Iris through her grief, and explain to her how choosing forgiveness can help one to move forward in life. This is powerful stuff, with a message that everyone can take into thir own lives.  

Find Me Okay: Another doco centred around the October 7th catastrophe, this one has been filmed over two years, and features the Yerushalmi family. Two of the three sisters were at the Nova music festival when the Hamas terrorists attacked. One managed to escape to safety, but the other, Eden, was kidnapped. We follow the family's journey which goes from hope, perseverance, and ultimately grief, followed by the attempts to rebuild their lives. Warning: there is some very disturbing footage that was taken on iphones at the very moment of the attacks. 

Block 10: Just when you think you've seen it all, along comes another lesser known aspect of the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. This feature film, based upon survivor testimonies and court records, tells of the brutal treatment of women in Auschwitz, as Nazi doctors experimented on them, trying to find efficient sterilisation methods. This is an incredibly well-made film . . . but it is so harrowing to watch, it will not be for some viewers. Jewish gynacologist Dr Samuel goes along with the program, hoping to buy his daughter's life, while other woman are forced into complicity in the procedures, upon threat of death. The sheer brutality and disregard for human life by the Nazis is horrific, yet the tiny moments of compassion between the women, and even from misguided Dr Samuel, give small moments of humanity amid the nightmare.  





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Wednesday, 7 October 2026

 October 8th 2026

On the Sea
Tony

It seems as if I constantly give the films I see four stars. (Well, most of them!) Perhaps because I figure life is too short to watch movies that are no good, or perhaps just lucky choices? Here are two more excellent films for your consideration. 

On the Sea
Dir: Helen Walsh
Length: 113 min
Exclusive to Cinema Nova

©  - a life-changing meeting for a Welsh
fisherman, stuck in his daily routine
Jack (Barry Ward) and his brother Dyfan (Celyn Jones), along with Dyfan's sons, work on the mussel beds in a small seaside village in Wales. Jack has been with his wife Maggie (Liz Smith) since their teens, and they have one son Tom (Henry Lawfull). Life runs according to strict routine, until itinerant worker Daniel (Lorne MacFadyen) turns up. The instant spark of attraction between Jack and Daniel must be hidden in such a conservative and gossipy society. To add to Jack's distress over his long-suppressed, now emerging sexuality is his past cancer diagnosis, and the conflict with both his son and his brother over the business. Using a relentlessly grey palette to reflect the gloomy lives in this village, this film is nevertheless tender and beautiful, exploring concepts of masculinity, prejudice and repressed desire. It is suffused with a deep melancholy, but also with the concept of love; not only a love discovered too late in life, but also of marital love that endures, despite challenges. Sensitive performances from Ward and MacFadyen bring depth and empathy to their characters, while Smith's performance as the heartbroken wife is truly moving. A little resonant of Brokeback Mountain, this is a compassionate, low-key but sensitively made film.
4 - highly recommended

Tony
Dir: Matt Johnson
Length: 106 min

© A24 - these two leads really impress, in
Anthony Bourdain's origin story
Anthony Bourdain is a name much revered in the world of celebrity cheffing, along with culinary-based writing and travel. Author, TV show presenter, and chef, the man had a very unprepossessing start, as depicted in this engaging origin story, set in a particular small moment in time. Dominic Sessa plays the young Tony, brash, arrogant, opinionated, and a liar, pretending to all and sundry he is what he is not. Besotted with his high school crush Nancy (Emilia Jones), he heads off to Cape Cod where she is staying for the summer, gets himself wasted and robbed and ends up working as a dishwasher in a restaurant run by Chef (Antonio Banderas).  Other disreputables in the restaurant include cocaine-snorting Sal (Leo Woodall), Stavros (Stavros Halkias), and cheery waitress Mary (Monica Raymund). The film reminds me a little of The Bear, with its no-holds-barred kitchen chaos. The passion of the owner/chef, is portrayed in a wonderful performance by Banderas. He also creates a strong, compassionate chemistry with Sessa, who impressively embodies a wanker/loser who ultimately comes good. The mid-70s era is artfully recreated, including an evocative soundtrack. Though I knew nothing about Bourdain before this film, I find all the characters so real, and Tony's "small" story so suggestive of future possiblities, that I have already delved into old Bourdain clips on the net. Fans of Bourdain shouldn't miss this one.
4 - highly recommended


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Tuesday, 29 September 2026

October 1st 2026

Digger
Verity
Heart of the Beast
The Great Arch

Progressively, it feels as if films are becoming throw-away items. Unlike the "good old days", where maybe one film a week came out, and viewers had time to digest it, savour it, discuss it, now we move quickly to the next. Sometimes they come and go so quickly, one cannot even get to a desired film before it's no longer being screened. Two films this week have big secretive buzz to them: Digger and Verity. One, I believe, will definitely stick around, but who knows? The other two are chalk and cheese - a survival adventure and an architectural/political drama from France. 

Digger
Dir: Alejandro Innaritu
Length: 128 min

© Universal/Warner Bros - Tom Cruise
undergoes a radical transformation in this 
wildly creative and weird film. 
Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise) is a wealthy, eccentric oil tycoon. When his drilling operations go awry, a massive ecological disaster is triggered. He, however, thinks he is also the one with enough money and clout to fix it. To say more about the plot of this film is simply not on! There are so many surprises, twists and turns, shocks even, that it is up to viewers to discover them for themselves. This is a weird, wild, whacky and incredibly creative movie, that may divide audiences, especially those who don't go for satire and humour mixing with some very serious political issues. For me the entire thing works a treat. With little clues dropped along the way, and the gradual reveal of "the truth", this film strings you along in the best possible way, until the final shock ending. It's underpinned firstly by a magnificent cast. Cruise really shows his acting chops as way more than an action hero (as good as in 1999's Magnolia), and the supporting cast is magnificent. Riz Ahmed brilliantly embodies Dr Ganesh, environmental expert and assistant to the President of the USA, played in a hilariously over-the-top fashion by John Goodman. Sandra Huller gives an uncharacteristically comedic performance as Digger's sister and business partner. Then we have the incredible production values of this film, along with the carefully chosen color pallettes matching each divergent plot setting. And of course there's the much-talked about transformation of Cruise's looks, with prosthetics that initially took six hours each day to put on! The dialogue is fast and intense, laughs abound, and the US military, with its gung-ho mentality, is firmly in the satirical spotlight. When a major speech given by Digger features, the highly relevant message, along with the entire scene, becomes something to ponder long after the film's dramatic conclusion. I loved it. 
4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended

Verity
Dir: Michael Showalter
Length: 114 min
© Amazon MGM - is anyone who they seem
in this erotica/thriller potboiler?
Verity Crawford is a best-selling author of thrillers, featuring murderous central characters. After a car accident leaves Verity catatonic, her publisher decides to bring in another author to complete her half-finished books. Lowan Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) is co-opted, and heads off to comb through the author's notes, and hopefully complete the novel while staying at the ritzy family home of Verity's husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), and son Crew, the surviving twin of a tragic boating accident. Now, I've never read the novel on which this is based, and so can't attest to the film's faithfulness to the source material. Assuming it is fairly true, then the problems with the film no doubt lie in the novel itself, with a number of very confusing plot points and convoluted, unlikely scenarios. The plot plays with the concept of where the truth lies, but I remian unenlightened! The story comes across as a real pot-boiler; an erotic quasi-thriller that nevertheless has its strong points. This is a slickly handsome production, with a cast that is easy on the eye, and who definitely inhabit the roles they are given to work with. There are a number of successfully tense shock moments, and some others that feel almost laughably unbelievable. I definitely think there will be a dedicated audience for this, but, despite being entertained, I'm not it.
2.5 - maybe

Heart of the Beast
Dir: David Ayer
Length: 101 min
© Paramount - a man and his trusty dog
battle to survive
James Belmont (Brad Pitt) is a retired Special Forces veteran. He's off on a camping trip in Alaska with his beloved military combat dog Odin (played by four different German Shepherds). He arrives by self-piloted seaplane, but, on the homeward journey, James suffers a heart attack and the plane ditches into a lake. So begins a harrowing adventure of survival. Despite moments of over-sentimentality in the total devotion between man and dog, this film is so gripping and immersive, it will hold you from go to whoa. As each new threat and challlenge arises, we marvel at the ingenuity of the retired soldier, and the total synergy and understanding between man and beast. Pitt is almost upstaged by his canine co-stars, but he is, as expected, the perfect actor to display courage, perseverance, and physical bravery along with a soft heart, as brought out by his faithful companion. Man and dog feature almost exclusively, except for a couple of scenes, one featuring Watkins (JK Simmons), a retired gold miner who lands up in the same camping spot for a night, and the other Amber (Anna Lambe), who bookends the story.  New Zealand and its majestic beauty is employed as a stand-in for the wilds of Alaska; it's quite stunning. This film is a lovely tribute to the many military dogs so critical in warfare, and it definitely deserves to be seen on the big screen.
4 - highly recommended

The Great Arch
Dir: Stephane Demoustier
Length: 107 min
© Palace - politics, architecture, ambition and money
blend in this incisive French true story.
In 1989, unknown Danish architect Otto von Spreckelsen (Claes Bang) wins a competition held by French president Mitterand (Michel Fau). The brief is to build a grand arch in the industrial part of Paris,  La Defense, the edifice to be a sort of complement to the Arc de Triomphe. Sprecklesen's concept is for a gleaming white cube-like structure made of expensive Italian marble. But, as is often the case, politics, bureaucracy and monetary considerations soon get in the way of a creative person's grand vision. I'm not one for political machinations, (or for architecture) so my personal baggage in a way stopped me from fully engaging with this film. However Bang gives a wonderful performance as the surly, volatile idealistic architect, and is ably supported by Sidse Babet Knudsen as his wife, and Canadian actor Xavier Dolan as Subilon, the project manager of the whole enterprise. The entire sad and sorry story has resonance for the many creative people whose artistic vision falls victim to more pragmatic considerations.
3.5 - well recommended
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Wednesday, 16 September 2026

 September 18th 2026

The Weight
St Ali Italian Film Festival
Godzilla Minus One (streaming on Netflix)

The much-loved Italian Film Festival is back with a cornucopia of excellent films. For those looking for a thrilling adventure tale, check out the latest Ethan Hawke film. Couch dwellers and monster lovers get out your popcorn for the latest, surprisingly impressive, Godzilla flick. 

The Weight
Dir: Padraic McKinley
Length: 115 min
© Rialto - a thrillling tale, of danger, bravery
and human treachery
In Oregon in 1933, widowed father Samuel (Ethan Hawke) runs foul of a bunch of crooked cops and is sent to prison working with a hard-laboring gang. His beloved little daughter Penny (a cute and feisty Ava Berry) is to be adopted out, so Samuel is desperate to do anything to shorten his sentence. Work gang overseer Clancy (Russell Crowe) suggests Samuel be co-opted, along with a couple of other inmates, to smuggle gold bullion across the wilderness, before the goverment (which is confiscating gold to combat the Great Depression) can get its hands on it. So begins a treacherous trek through the Oregon wilderness. While at first the greatest threat is from the dangerous terrain, soon greed and mistrust within the motley band of prisoners and their two armed guards surfaces. What a joy to see the brilliant Ethan Hawke front and centre of such an engrossing film, that has echoes of the sort of adventure movies of yesteryear. His character Samuel is a wonderful hero: brave, self-assured, and with a solid moral compass and plenty of smarts. The setting of the regon wilderness makes for a visual spectacle, and the many action sequences had me gasping from the tension. The three convicts accompanying Samual are all well-fleshed out characters, no stereotypes here, and it's also great that a strong central female character features. Indigenous woman, Anna (Julia Jones), is escaping the gold mining camp and manages to save several dire situations from total catastrophe. This is cinematic entertainment at the top of its game.
4 - highly recommended

St Ali Italian Film Festival
Melbourne 18 Sept - 15 Oct
Palace Cinemas
For other states, regional screenings, synopses and all you need, visit: 

What can one say about this fabulously popular film festival that hasn't already been said? It's the largest showing of Italian films at a festival outside of Italy, and, as always features the latest and greatest of Italian cinema. This year also showcases three films on Italian fashion and its icons, as well as a small retrospective on the actress Anna Magnani. Always fortunate, I've previewed a few.

Gioia Mia (Sweetheart): This much awarded film from Sicily is a gentle story that features old age and youth, and shows us that the gap can be bridged. Nico (Marco Fiore), a young boy from the city, welded to his mobile phone, is sent to spend the summer with his aunt Gela (a Donatello Best Actress performance from Aurora Quatrocchi). Her crumbling home has none of the mod-cons, and she hangs out with the old women from the village, adhering to tradition and and believing in ghosts and spirits. As expected, Nico's summer with his aunt will radically change them both. The film is slow paced, but absorbing, celebrating both youth and old age, tradition and modernity. It's always good to see films that remind one that the elderly were once young, and had a past, and that the young and old can learn from each other. 

A Brief Affair: This is my favorite of those I've previewed. In fact, I loved this film, that gives the romance/affair genre a deliciously wicked twist. Rocco (Adriano Giannini), a middle-aged seismologist, is married to Cecilia (Valeria Golino), a psychiatrist. After a strenuous chess-boxing match (yes it is a thing - look it up!), Rocco goes drinking, and at the bar encounters much younger Lea (Pilar Fogliati). Despite Rocco's protestations, an affair begins, and their liaisons are passionate and relatively simple at the outset. But things soon turn dark as Lea starts to infiltrate Rocco's private life, "accidentally" turning up where Cecilia is. As her agenda, motivated by troubles with her celebrity partner Andrea (Andrea Carpenzano), is revealed, things start to reach a tense climax. It's always a joy to see iconic actor Golino in action, but every performance is powerful and persuasive, and the dialogue is whip-smart. The final denouement is handled so well; both unexpected, thrilling, yet funny, in a warped way! 

Life is Life (La Vita va Cosi): This film is inspired by a true story - one of those David vs Goliath sagas. In gorgeous Sardinia, an 80-year-old cowherd Efisio grazes his small flock on the beach near the home his family has always lived in. When a wealthy property developer from Milan comes wanting to construct a multi-million dollar resort, Efisio digs his heels in and says he isn't budging. The money the conglomerate offer him goes up, and up and up, but the old man remains firm. The townsfolk all try to persuade him, saying they desperately need the work such a tourist enterprise would bring in. This is seriously important subject matter - the battle of tradition and ecological preservation versus progress and employment for dying communities. The film has many positives, especially the wonderful performance of Guiseppe Ignacio Loi, real-life Sardinian shepherd, which gives the film its authenticity. And of course the stunnning setting, and depiction of traditional Sardinian lifestyle is so appealing. Where it disappoints me is in its excessive runtime with much repetition, and the attempts at humour, which I know is loved in Italian films, but for me grated with the potential for true emotional power. (BTW, the Italian title means "That's how life goes" - an infinitely preferable title to the one it's been given.)

Godzilla Minus One
Dir: Takashi Yamazaki
Length: 124 mins
Streaming on Netflix - 2023
© Madman/Netflix - a monster movie with
surprising depth
Big confession from me: I'd never seen a Godzilla movie until now. So, with trepidation and cynicism I settle into this latest incarnation of the classic story, to be pleasantly surprised and actually very impressed! The film opens in wartime with kamikaze pilot Koichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki) landing his plane for supposed repairs, when actually he's fearful to do his job, which is to die! When a giant monster emerges from the sea, Koichi is ordered by the mechanics to shoot, but again fear overwhelms him. Everyone, except Koichi, is killed by the great beast, Godzilla. Post-war, Koichi returns home to find everything in ruins, his parents dead, and Japan traumatised by all that has happened. He takes in a young woman Sumiko (Suriko Ando) with an orphaned child Noriko. After a small interval of peace, in which Tokyo is slowly recovering from the devastation of war, the dreaded monster reappears, its sights set on bustling Ginza, in the capital. Viewers can choose to simply enjoy this as an exciting creature-feature, or perhaps delve a little deeper into the symbolism and themes, of which there are many. Godzilla's radioactive death rays serve as a symbol of the horrific nuclear devastation of Japan, as well as the ongoing American nuclear testing. Koichi embodies survivor's guilt and PTSD, while there is an underlying sense of deep criticism of the Japanese wartime ethos of complete disregard for human life and the expectation of self-sacrifice aligned with honor. This is now a more human side of Japan, respecting individuals, and elevating the idea of communities banding together in the face of threat. The movie garnered a massive 44 wins and 62 nominations, including Best Achievement in Visual Effects at the 2024 Oscars.  
4 - highly recommended




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