April 27th
Ex Machina - feature film - Foxtel & Netflix
Apocalypse Hitler - DOCPlay
The Crown - series Netflix

More sadness in the wake of the horrific police deaths on the Melbourne freeway. Some days it's hard to stay positive with the lockdown dragging on, but the figures are encouraging (fingers crossed) and there may be a few rays of hope. Good news that staying in (and watching films) is having a great effect on the dreaded "curve". For the first time I caught up with Zak Hepburn,  ex-president of my film critics' group, AFCA, on the ABC morning brekky show - what a terrific reviewer he is. Check him out! Today I look at more from the big streaming players, and that's before I even get a run at ABC iview and SBS On Demand!!

Ex Machina
Director: Alex Garland
Length: 108 mins
2014
Netflix and Foxtel

© Suspenseful, thought provoking three-hander 

spanning sci-fi, romance and ethical issues

Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson) is a smart young computer programmer invited to the private lair of artificial intelligence engineer Nathan (Oscar Isaac), to take part in an experiment. Caleb is asked to evaluate just how accurate are the human qualities of a new robot called Ava (Alicia Vikander). This terrific tale, part sci-fi, part romance, and part futuristic speculation, is definitely worth a revisit, and if you've never seen it, be prepared to be blown away. Tension remains high, with Isaac a wonderfully menacing presence, and Ava a beautiful robot who is much more than she seems. The sparseness of the settings augments the whole, while 2016's Oscar for Achievement in Special Effects is well-deserved.

Apocalypse The Rise of Hitler
Director: Isabelle Clarke
Length: 2 x 1 hour

Streaming on DOCPlay

© DOCPlay - gripping doco outlining the rise of 
an evil maniac

Part of the TV series Apocalypse, is this 2 part, 2-hour doco on the rise of Hitler. Just when you think you've seen all the footage there ever is on this grim subject, here comes a fresh approach to the story, with incisive political commentary on the man, and the series of events that allowed him to come to power. Previously unseen (at least by me) shots of Hitler in his lederhosen, with rare footage of the inexorable rise of the Nazis from the early 1920s make this gripping doco a bit like a forensic investigation providing answers as to how such evil could be embraced by a seemingly intelligent nation.  

The Crown
Three series - 10 episodes each
Netflix

© Netflix - Stunning! Majestic - what more can I say? 

OK, so you're not a monarchist. Neither am I. Doesn't matter! Put aside your prejudices and watch a series that is head and shoulders above so many others in terms, of scripting, acting, and production values. Oh, you've already seen it? Well I hadn't; it took me years to finally get around to it, and I am still only two-thirds of the way through the whole. But I was hooked from the get go, so marvellous is Claire Foy's performance as the young Queen. Every piece of dialogue is economical, and everything about the way this series has been crafted, from costumes, to settings, to the interweaving of relationships, is perfect. It's fascinating to see what life could be like for such privileged folk behind the public gaze, and it's not all skittles and gin and tonic! The responsibility, the pressure, the endless scrutiny can only be described as horrendous. This alone makes for compelling viewing, plus the history of Britain from WW2 until now cleverly interwoven. All in all this is addictive, stunning viewing. I can't wait to get into Series 3, with Olivia Colman taking the lead.