Her Smell (2018)

If The Rose was Bette Midler performing an unofficial Janis Joplin biopic, Her Smell (2018) feels like a fictional take on Courtney Love and Hole. However, director-writer Alex Ross Perry has said his true inspiration for the character of Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) and her rock band Something She, which is set in the 1990s […]

The Beach Bum (2019)

The Beach Bum (2019) was one of my favourite films of 2019 but sadly did not receive a cinema release in Western Australia (you can now watch it legally as the DVD, not the Blu Ray, is available to purchase at JB HiFi). One reason for the lack of screenings is that the film was […]

Spoor (2017)

When Spoor (2017; Pokot) opens with a sweeping shot of the majestic snowy landscape of the Klodzko Valley where it is set, accompanied by Antoni Lazarkiewicz’s thunderous score, I was reminded of the Coen Brothers’ Fargo. However, this film directed by Agnieszka Holland is not as nihilistic as the Coens, with strong environmental themes, introducing […]

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)

The wave of Best Of 2010s lists prompted me to note down quite a few recommendations. Both Lewis Rice O’Donnell and Axel Carrington put this title on their lists and that’s two people whose tastes in cinema I trust. Directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) is a slow, […]

Crawl (2019)

Look, I enjoyed the Blake Lively versus a shark flick, The Shallows, so when Crawl (2019) came out this year, released quietly without any critic screenings, I was hoping for more of the same – just a different critter. Thrillers like this are a succession of obstacles for the beleaguered protagonist, and are not for […]