April 2nd
DocPlay 
Pick of the Litter  - streaming on DocPlay
The Nightingale - Foxtel
Wallace and Gromit - Curse of the Were Rabbit - Foxtel

Well readers, here we go again. I won't go into more detail on how distressed I am at the state of the world. It's beyond tragic. I'm sure you're getting umpteen recommendations from various sources on what to watch. As you know I'm fishing out a few of my old faves that are now on various streaming services. This week I'm trying for a more lighthearted approach, with two of my recommendations being great for grown-ups and younger ones. However I can't resist recommending, for those of you brave enough, The Nightingale, which won so many awards in the Australian Film Critics Association awards recently. Plus of course, for lovers of fine documentaries, DocPlay is the streaming service to get on to. KEEP SAFE!! STAY ON YOUR COUCH AND KEEP WATCHING

DocPlay

For lovers of quality documentary, go no further than this wonderful streaming service from Madman Films, developed in conjunction with Screen Australia. There are so many brilliant docos here we wouldn't get through them after a year of lockdown! To list too much is silly - but just to pique your interest, here's a a miniscule taster:

Academy award winning/nominated docos: I am not your Negro, Man on Wire, Searching for Sugarman, 20ft from Stardom

Heartwarming docos: Pick of the Litter (reviewed below), Iris, I am Big bird

TV Series: Walking the Americas. Great British Castles, Kitchen Cabinet, First Australians

War history: Apocalypse: The rise of Hitler, Monsieur Mayonaise

Top Mystery and Crime: The Family; Biggie & Tupac; Dreams of a Life

Animals: Blackfish; The Wonder of Marsupials; 

PLUS:

Docos on: surfing, environmental, music biographies, fashion, sport, health, 80s music, Australian stories, AND SO MUCH MORE.

I adore a good doco. If you do head straight to https://www.docplay.com and subscribe. 

Pick of the Litter

Dir: Don Hardy Jnr, Dana Nachman

Length: 81 min

© Madman - how cute can it get?

It's won many audience awards. How could something so full of cute puppies fail to be appealing, but the doco also tells an important story - how pups are trained to be guide dogs for the blind. We follow a litter of five for two years - the so-called "P" litter - Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet and Phil. Each is fostered out to a private family or individual, and then, depending on the dog's perceived strengths, it will go on to be a breeder, get further training, or have a "change of career". I'm not a huge "doggy person", but I found myself charmed, and barracking for certain dogs to make the grade. The film is also testament to the love and patience of the trainers, but one thing seemed lacking for me - the in-depth specifics of how the dogs are taught to respond to the various, and often very complex, commands. I got a level of insight, but not as much as I would have liked. Nevertheless, this is a must-see for dog-lovers, as well as an informative and delightful entertainment for all.

The Nightingale
Dir: Jennifer Kent

Length: 136 min

© Transmission - a searingly brutal, truthful
and beautiful film. 

Clare (Aisling Franciosi) is a young Irish convict woman in Van Diemen's Land in 1825. She is servant to Lt Hawkins (Sam Claflin), an arrogant violent man in charge of a rag-tag bunch of British military. Among the soldiers is the equally brutish Ruse (Damon Herriman). Clare keeps asking for her freedom, having served her time. Instead of getting freedom, a most heinous crime is perpetrated upon her and her family. Hell-bent upon revenge, she teams up with Aboriginal tracker Billy (Baykali  Ganambarr) and together they trek through the Tasmanian wilderness on the trail of those who have brutalised both of them, gradually turning hatred of each other into a shared quest and something even deeper. This remarkable film may be set in days long gone, but it is as raw and relevant today as ever. It is about violence - towards women and Indigenous people, and the entitled attitudes of power-hungry men. This is one of the most difficult films to watch; director Kent decided consciously not to steer away from the brutal realities of the time, and it is done in a way that makes it most distressing yet impossible to look away from. Franciosi is a revelation - as the initially subservient convict with the voice of a nightingale, (she does her own singing) yet the determination of a hawk, she dominates the screen. Ganambarr is equally mesmerising as Billy, whose real name is Mangana, meaning a black bird, and the symbolism and mystical associations with this are beautiful. Claflin and Herriman could make you hate men forever, and in fact many of the males in this film are vile. Much consultation was done in the film's making with local Indigenous people, who approved all that is depicted, and the scenes of the confrontations between colonisers and the first peoples are absolutely chilling. Among all the disturbing moments, there are some scenes that move one to tears with their compassion, but overall the tears I shed were of fury for a world, still thriving today, where the strong feel it is their right to oppress the weak. This is probably the best (and most distressing) film I saw last year; it is brilliant. (It comes with a warning for those unable to tolerate screen violence.)

Wallace & Gromit - the Curse of 
the Were Rabbit
Dir: Nick Park and Steve Box
Length: 85  min

Lovable lads fighting the veggie-
eating pests

The locals of a small town somewhere in England eagerly await the annual Giant Vegetable Competition. They all employ the services of “Anti-Pesto”, a company set up by inventor Wallace and his faithful canine pal Gromit, aimed at disposing humanely of the countless rabbits that threaten the veggies. But alas! When a huge, ravenous were-rabbit begins to demolish the beloved gardens, the whole town is at a loss as to what to do. 

My challenge is to convince you of what a wonderful film this is and just how much old-fashioned fun you’ll get out of watching it. For newcomers, Wallace & Gromit were “claymation” characters first created for a short film more than 16 years ago. The figures are painstakingly moulded out of a sort of plasticine over a metal skeleton. Then each infinitesimal movement and gesture is created and filmed; sometimes a whole day is needed simply to create 3 seconds of footage! Hence this film was five years in the making.  To marvel at the creative wizardry is just one part of the magic of this film – the other is its incredible charm, wit and clever plot. Wallace's set-up he has invented to get himself and Gromit up and breakfasted in the morning is hilarious. Writer/director Park  is extremely fond of puns and visual gags – there's simply no end of them. Park also creates a gloriously English feel to the film, beginning with the archetypal Wallace with his predilection for cheese and crackers, knitted vests and his little Austin A30 van. Gromit, a true Pommie chum of few words (being a dog) has so many thoughts and emotions conveyed simply by subtle movements of his clay features. The host of added characters, all clay creations, are totally believable. Each character seems to have its own little quirks and peculiarities that are so true to human nature. Foremost among them are Lady Tottington (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter), a true upper crust lady of the manor, and her would-be suitor and cad Victor Quartermaine (voiced by Ralph Fiennes). The plethora of eccentric townsfolk, giant vegetables, quaint garden sheds and garden gnomes are a monumental feat of construction for the modelling team. The film gets an extra dimension when it draws on recognisable horror-genre tropes. Seeing if one can recognise all the films that are given a nod is great fun. Put aside any prejudices you may have that this is just for kids (in fact tiny ones may well be scared) and you’ll be rewarded with a wonderfully entertaining movie experience!  I had a smile on my dial from beginning to end!