The Killer Inside Me (Review)

When Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, one of the film’s stars, Jessica Alba (Fantastic Four), reportedly walked out of the cinema half way through the screening. But who can blame her? This grim look into the psyche of a serial killer is so sadistically violent in parts, its borderline torture porn. As far as crime thrillers go, it’s also quite a bore.

The film marks the second failed attempt to adapt [...]

Four Lions (Review)

Would you laugh at a film depicting a man with explosives strapped to his body? No, probably not.

But what if he were dressed in costume like he’s come fresh from the set of Sesame Street? It’s hard not to in Four Lions, an audacious satire about the inner trials of a suicidal jihadist quintet.

The concept behind the film is certainly not easy to swallow, especially given the state of the world since, [...]

How Sci-Fi Incepted Hollywood…

Zero gravity shootouts, chaotic car chases and mammoth explosions that would make Michael Bay green with envy. Yes, the new Sci-Fi thriller Inception is your typical Hollywood blockbuster.

Only it’s not.

Hidden somewhere beneath all that fandangle action lies something studio executives would usually hiss at while clutching a crucifix; a clever plot. Few films have one nowadays, possibly due to the word ‘clever’ being misinterpreted as ‘clichéd’ by screenwriting monkeys, or possibly because [...]

Salt (Review)

Lovers of condiments, I have some unfortunate news; Salt, the movie, has absolutely nothing to do with salt, the mineral. Well, both go great with popcorn. But that’s about it.

Lovers of action movies, however, are in luck; this full-tilt espionage thriller from Australian director Philip Noyce hits the sweet spot neglected of late by bland genre mash-ups such as Killers and Knight and Day. Unlike these films, [...]

Cairo Time (Review)

Cairo Time is a nod and a wink to women of middle age. Contesting western attitudes, the gentle and understated film reveals there are escapades, challenges, and dark exotic men to be had by women on the wrong (or let’s say greater) side of fifty. The lead female is aptly named Juliette (Patricia Clarkson), as writer/director Ruba Nadda’s (Sabah: A Love Story) film summons Shakespeare’s theme of impossible love; a romance between ‘a pair of star-crossed lovers’.

Tomorrow, When The War Began (Film Review)

Ask a group of Australian teens to name one home-grown movie they’ve seen at the cinema in the last few years and you’ll likely receive a bunch of blank looks. And that’s hardly the result of ignorance. For reasons likely relating to budgetary constraints, our film industry tends not produce anything for younger action-craving demographics, which is a real shame considering how lucrative that market can be.

While far from perfect, Tomorrow, When the War Began [...]