Author: James Curnow
Faust: My soul hurts
Another movie at the Melbourne International Film Festival! So here is my review of Faust. I’ll keep it brief because, as this film ironically demonstrates, life is short and should not be wasted. This adaptation of Goethe’s Faust takes one of the seminal works of German literature (and literature in general) and subverts it –…
Robot & Frank
Film three at the Melbourne International Film Festival! Robot & Frank is the kind of film I walk into with the expectation that I’ll end up suffering a severe migraine from 90 minutes of compulsive eye-rolling. On paper, its premise seems to almost quiver with Ron Howard-esque sentimentality and cuteness. But somehow, by some miracle,…
The Fortune: A lost classic
Last night I continued my movie marathon at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) with The Fortune (1975), a lost comedy classic from the legendary Mike Nichols. Nichols is one of those truly rare auteurs who have managed to produce consistently brilliant films throughout their career. With a body of work that includes The Graduate…
The Sapphires: Australia’s answer to The Supremes
Last Thursday I had the good fortune to attend the Australian red carpet premiere of the new Australian film, The Sapphires, at the opening night gala of the Melbourne International Film Festival. Aside from minor damage done to my liver at the after party (hence the delay in blogging the event), it was a fantastic…
Pixelschatten: A man with a movie camera
There is a long-standing tradition in cinema for filmmaker’s to produce films that address their own mode of production. Since Dziga Vertov turned the camera on itself with Man with a Movie Camera (1929), we’ve revelled in the playful irony that the moving image allowed. This tendency becomes more pronounced with every filmic technological innovation,…