Retouch: a character study about struggle and sudden unexpected freedom
Kaveh Mazaheri, “Retouch” (2017) A stunning character study of a married woman, submissive to her
Check Please: awkward romantic situation comedy with unattractive characters
Daniel Sorochkin, “Check Please” (2015) A man, Ben (Bryan Manley Davis), takes his girlfriend Laura
Fill Your Heart with French Fries: dark comedy about grief, social media celebrity and exploitation
Tamar Glezerman, “Fill Your Heart with French Fries” (2016) Based on an actual incident in
Trunk Space: familiar and predictable story and plot elements redeemed by good performances
Max Silver, “Trunk Space” (2016) As surely as the sun rises in the east, birds
Last Requests: quiet naturalistic character study gives insight into US prison culture and the people it exploits
Courtenay Johnson, “Last Requests” (2017) A sombre character study of a prison worker on her
The Incident at Benghazi: a good summary of an ambitious diplomat’s career bites off more than it can chew
Carlton Meyer, “The Incident at Benghazi” (31 July 2020) As short reports go, this one
The American Annexation of Okinawa: an overview of the post-1945 history of the Ryukyu Islands under the US military
Carlton Meyer, “The American Annexation of Okinawa” (Tales of the American Empire, 24 July 2020)
Chappaquiddick: character study deprived of its wider historical background and significance
John Curran, “Chappaquiddick” (2017) A thoughtful and well-acted film, as the metonym title suggests, this
Breaking an individual to intimidate others in “Not In Our Name: The Psychological Torture of Julian Assange”
John Furse, “Not In Our Name: The Psychological Torture of Julian Assange” (July 2020) Making
Australian and New Zealand Films
The Power of Falun Gong: a timid presentation of a dangerous and deranged fascist cult
“The Power of Falun Gong” (Foreign Correspondent, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 21 July 2020) Purporting to