November 13th

Ip Man: Kung Fu Master

British FF is here!

Melbourne cinemas reopen - a refresh on a few beauties hitting our big screens

It's a week of much rejoicing for lovers of film. Movie houses reopen (albeit with strictly limited capacity), but all you need to do is go online and you'll see how many zillions of films can now be caught up with on the big screen. I've refreshed your mind with a few I've already reviewed during lockdown and it remains to be seen how many I can now catch up with!

Ip Man: Kung Fu Master
Dir: Liming Li

Length: 84 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f40JahDi1Uc

Showing at Lido Hawthorn in Melbourne (and everywhere else around the country!)

© Rialto - martial arts fans should get a buzz 
from the final of the franchise

When a popular franchise ends it's always a sad time for fans. The first Ip Man film of four debuted in 2008. Yu-Hang To has played the eponymous character (based on a real person) in most of them. This finale (which is actually a prequel) heads back to Ip's early days before he famously became Bruce Lee's martial arts teacher and was a policeman before the Japanese invaded China. The plot is perhaps secondary to the impressive look of the film, with its tight editing and frankly, quite stunning, cinematography. Fans of the genre won't be disappointed by the set fight pieces, with all the requisite moves (albeit totally unbelievable) and frenetic excitement. And there's even a touching subplot involving Ip's wife and baby son. I enjoyed it far more than I'd expected to.  

British Film Festival

10th-29th November

https://britishfilmfestival.com.au/

Presented by Palace, the festival opens with a reimagining of the delightful Noel Coward film Blythe Spirit with the always fabulous Judi Dench. The festival will feature 22 films, many with a female emphasis both in front of and behind the camera. This year's restored classics include The Elephant Man, Flash Gordon and The Ladykillers. 

I caught up with a cool doco for music fans, Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm, about a Welsh recording studio playing host to live-in legendary British bands. But more impressive is . . . 

The Racer: Tour de France fans will love this film, a fiction based upon the famous race, and an actual doping scandal that happened in 1998 when the first leg of the Tour was relocated to Ireland. The film captures all the thrills, spills and excitement of the race, as well as the absolutely driven commitment the cyclists have to win at any cost, legal or otherwise. Well acted, wonderfully shot with some heart-stopping tension, again I was surprised to be so engaged, given I have zero interest in cycle racing.   

For all the films, times and sessions in your state, (all at reduced capacity seating) check out the website. 

Cinema Nova reopens - check these out!

https://www.cinemanova.com.au/

What a joyous time for cinephiles. Nova is reopening, with strict Covid measures in place, and an absolute cornucopia of films to delight. Obviously, go to their website for the full run down and session times, but let me remind you of a few I've reviewed previously, and which I highly recommend  (especially if you gave up on reading about films during lockdown.)

Swallows of Kabul: Exquisite animation on two couples' lives under the Taliban

Le Miserables: Awards-winning tense tale of relationships between multi-racial groups and the police in Paris

La Belle Epoque: Whimsical comedy about a man who gets the chance to recreate a special era from his past. 

House of Cardin: Fascinating look at the life of fashion icon Pierre Cardin

Adam: Gentle story of female empowerment and friendship between a bakery owner and a homeless pregnant woman, set in Casablanca.

Melbourne cinemas reopen

...and of course all your other fave Melbourne movie palaces are also now open. My best suggestion is to check on their individual websites to discover what's showing, at what times.