Films And Cinemas

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HOT: The September Issue

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ August 26, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

A quick scan of the crowd of twittering girls and gay men, and it was pretty clear that I was in the right cinema. The September Issue is a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the hallowed temple of American Vogue and a portrait of its high priestess, the magazine’s editor Anna Wintour. This engaging movie takes us [...]

HOT: Cheri

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ August 24, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Cheri marks the cinematic return of my favourite Catwoman, Michelle Pfeiffer, as the courtesan Lea de Lonval in turn of the century France. Before I get into the proper film review, I just want to say one thing. Pfeiffer looks amazing for 50. She’s always been beautiful, of course, but with age her face has [...]

NOT: District 9

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ August 23, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

I don’t like sci-fi. However, RM convinced me to see District 9 after selling it to me as ‘not your typical sci-fi movie’ but an allegory on the treatment, discrimination and segregation of immigrants and refugees in First World countries. Someone in my book club once argued that sci-fi shouldn’t just be dismissed as a [...]

NOT: Adam

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ August 19, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Who would have thought that my junk TV obsession, America’s Next Top Model, would actually be educational viewing? Thanks to cycle 9 of the series, I know all about Asperger’s Syndrome (or at least how Asperger’s Syndrome and being a model/spokesperson don’t really mix). So I was intrigued about the premise for the film Adam, [...]

HOT: Balibo

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ August 13, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Based on Jill Jolliffe’s book Cover-up (now republished as Balibo with extra chapters and information by Scribe Publications), Balibo is a searing and dramatic film about the true story of the lead-up to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975, and an Australian journalist’s search for the truth. The film crosses three perspectives and [...]

HOT: Red Cliff

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ July 14, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Red Cliff (note official website is in Japanese!) is an epic Chinese drama based on events described in the ancient Chinese historical text “Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms”. The story is very well known in Chinese literature in a romantised version ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’, which may partly explain the film adaptation’s phenomenal box office [...]

HOT: Every Little Step

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ July 13, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

A Chorus Line is every dancer’s story: the childhood dreams, constant work and injury, the ruthless auditions, hope for the ‘big break’ and soul-destroying disappointment. In 2006, the musical was revived for Broadway and open call castings were announced. 3000 dancers lined the streets to audition for nineteen roles, from seasoned Broadway performers to newbies [...]

HOT: Coco Avant Chanel

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ July 12, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Gabrielle Chanel wasn’t just a seamstress who made pretty clothes. She deserves respect for being a canny and ambitious businesswoman who freed generations from corsets, crinolines and big patisserie hats. By doing so, she also helped bring forth the kind of feminist thinking that was ahead of her time. This film covers the beginning of [...]

HOT: Lucky Country

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ July 1, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

The theatrical distribution company Footprint Films is only releasing four Australian films this year: Samson and Delilah; My Year Without Sex; Lucky Country and Balibo. The first three films couldn’t be any different in location, tone and characterisation – yet a consistent theme is that they all speak to what it means to be Australian. [...]

HOT: Four of a Kind

By Jetsetting Joyce ⋅ June 26, 2009 ⋅ Post a comment

Four of a Kind is a rarity – an Australian film that features four richly-drawn female lead roles and a complex interwoven storyline that had me intrigued and engaged the whole time. The story starts with a police interview, where a police officer Gina (Leverne McDonnell) is questioning Anne (Louise Seversen), a rich surgeon’s wife, [...]