No Country for Old Men: all the right stuff and still not a great movie
Joel Cohen, “No Country for Old Men” (2007) Is it possible for a movie to have all the “right stuff” – you know, good acting performances,…
Dark City (dir. Alex Proyas): thought-provoking ideas and issues trapped in a prison
Alex Proyas, “Dark City” (1998) An attractive film that combines elements of film noir, mystery, science fiction and (regrettably) action thriller, “Dark City” is a quest…
Or (My Treasure): film treads gingerly around prostitution issue
Keren Yedaya, “Or (My Treasure)” (2004) Source: www.allmovie.com Debut feature from director Keren Yedaya, this Israeli film is a study of a dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship dominated…
Easy Rider: film holds a mirror to mainstream US society in 1969 – and beyond
Stripped of the hype that has grown around it over the years, “Easy Rider” is a well-made if loose low-budget flick about two drug dealers Wyatt…
Memories of Murder: masterpiece film about rival detectives in a corrupt society
Bong Joonho, “Memories of Murder” (2003) A sober film based on actual events about a group of detectives in rural South Korea investigating a series of…
One Missed Call (dir. Takashi Miike): over-the-top approach smothers observations about families and chaos in the world
Takashi Miike, “One Missed Call” (2004) Coming from Takashi Miike (of “Ichi the Killer” fame), this contemporary update on the Japanese psychological horror ghost story in…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Mary and Max: claymation film labouring under plot aimed at both adults and children but failing both
Adam Elliot, “Mary and Max” (2008) Source: www.artabase.net This is a poignant film about how friendships can be made between social misfits and how they thrive…
Catfish: a film with a surprising and humbling twist
Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, “Catfish” (2010) Call it a fake documentary, call it a feature film and call it exploitative but this film about a…
Dororo: a fun escapist samurai-fusion film let down by cheap effects
Akihiko Shiota, “Dororo” (2006) Based on the original manga by Astroboy creator, Osamu Tezuka, “Dororo” is a fun and entertaining escapist fantasy adventure about two wanderers,…
Noi the Albino: film about a teenager needing a purpose and anchor in life … like a proper film
Dagur Kari, “Noi the Albino” (2003) This is a curious film where little happens and then all of a sudden, something happens and bang … THE…