Yesterday
‘Dumb Money’ is a miraculous one-off fairy tale
Australian director Craig Gillespie weaves a human-interest story out of a tangle of encounters that usually take place at one remove.
- John McDonald
This Month
- Opinion
- Film
Scorsese’s new film about oil and greed is one of his greatest ever
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is a movie of weighty moral force by Martin Scorsese, a director who is in command of the medium.
- John McDonald
- Opinion
- Opinion
When your fiancée gets that Wall Street hedge fund job you wanted
New Netflix film Fair Play is a gripping battle of the sexes set in a toxic, misogynist corporate world where power and sex are inextricably linked currencies.
- Jake Coyle
‘Lie With Me’ is a tale of infatuation and loss
This same-sex love story is told in a manner that encourages a universal empathy.
- John McDonald
‘Exorcist: Believer’ is no vulgar slasher flick, it’s a serious movie
This horror feature attempts to say something profound about good and evil, love and faith. But ultimately, it creeps around the edges of these big topics.
- John McDonald
September
The robots are coming (again)!
British director Gareth Edwards has created a puzzling vision of the future.
- John McDonald
This film that will charm anyone who is willing to be charmed
A constant sense of humour doesn’t detract from the underlying drama of an immature father striving to reconnect with a child for whom he is a virtual stranger.
- John McDonald
This quirky debut feature was a film festival hit
French movie Everybody Loves Jeanne, a story about a career flop and how to survive it, is an appealing mix of comedy and weirdness.
- John McDonald
This minimalist romance has been a surprising international hit
We can all wonder what life might have been like had we stayed with X, or never met Y, so Korean/US drama Past Lives is notable for what it leaves out.
- John McDonald
August
This film tried to criticise Gudinski, but ended up praising him
Paul Goldman’s documentary is not just a portrait of Michael Gudinski, but of 50 years of the Australian music industry.
- John McDonald
The new BlackBerry movie reveals a world of dirty business secrets
We know what’s going to happen in this historical tech drama, but we need to know how, and it’s as if we were watching the footage of a fatal accident.
- John McDonald
‘Gran Turismo’ delivers thrills and tension
The video game is the real star of this based-on-true-life tale about a plan to turn a gamer into an actual racing car driver.
- John McDonald
This film is packed full of stars, so why does it fail to shine?
It seems half of Hollywood has lined up to be in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, but it’s anyone’s guess what his tale-within-a-tale is trying to tell us.
- John McDonald
This story of ‘the black Mozart’ deserves all the attention it can get
If you can overcome the politics, the rewriting of history and the melodrama, “Chevalier” is a highly watchable film.
- John McDonald
July
Oppenheimer is an epic story given an epic treatment
Director Christopher Nolan manages to look at a figure as monumental as J. Robert Oppenheimer without caricaturing him as a hero or villain.
- John McDonald
Barbie is one of the most original movies you’ll ever see
Although the film is a candy-coloured CGI hallucination from start to finish, there is a keen sense of satire.
- John McDonald
‘Daliland’ begins as a mystery and ends in tragedy
This entertaining but patchy film asserts that artist Salvador Dali’s greatest creation was himself.
- John McDonald
A run in with the FBI and an uplifting journey
“Reality” is a slow-motion assault based on a true story. “Driving Madeleine” is a film that satisfies the heart and the mind.
- John McDonald
June
Don’t look for depth, Indiana Jones is in it for the sheer joy
With a fresh co-star and one last mission, Indy is back for a final fling.
- John McDonald
Ugly trash: the new film that no-one should see (and one they should)
Jennifer Lawrence might be bankable, but her new movie is not. Luckily, there’s another worth your time.
- John McDonald
