Writer/director Kieran Darcy-Smith’s Wish You Were Here is a great showcase of Australian talent but its impact is diluted by the story’s nonlinear structure, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Film reviews
Act of Valor — proper action or propaganda?
The latest gung-ho American war movie stars real Navy SEALs and shows little regard for Hollywood’s three act structure. Is Act of Valor simply mindless propaganda? Luke Buckmaster finds out.
The Avengers — all-star superhero shenanigans
Buffy brain trust Joss Whedon directs a cross-franchise superhero spectacular in The Avengers, which makes fun but forgettable weekend fodder, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Battleship — ships and giggles
The latest knucklehead blockbuster spectacle Battleship is quicker to its feet than Michael Bay’s Transformers movies but yes — that’s starting from a low base, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Life in Movement — a moving dance-umentary
Celebrating the acclaimed work of Tanja Liedtke, who was tragically killed three months after landing the Sydney Dance Company’s top job, Life in Movement is a must-see for anybody interested in dance and choreography, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Hunger Games — appetite unfulfilled
The Hunger Games is the latest blockbuster franchise to serve up nothing new and lots of it. The film wimps out on its potentially pointy premise, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Margin Call — ambitiously anti-Hollywood
Margin Call, starring Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons, is an ambitious attempt to create a dramatic take on the origins of the GFC but its clock-is-ticking structure hinders rather than enhances, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Black & White & Sex — edgy and explorative
Writer/director John Winter’s strange and seductive vaudevillian one setting power play between a sex worker and a male interviewee is an edgy and explorative Australian film featuring superb performances, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Raid — hardcore Indo action
Writer/director Gareth Evans’ full throttle Indonesian action flick about a group of elite cops trapped in a 30 floor building is hellzapoppin’ entertainment, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Kid with a Bike — sad and sobering
Belgian filmmakers the Dardenne brothers capture with heartfelt verisimilitude a boy’s misplaced determination to find a father figure in this modest coming of age film, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Rum Diary — shambolic gonzo shenanigans
Johnny Depp stars as an alcoholic journalist working in San Juan in director Bruce Robinson’s adaptation of Hunter S Thompson’s novel The Rum Diary, which is guilty of favouring the myth over the man, writes Luke Buckmaster.
21 Jump Street movie review — surprisingly hilarious
Hollywood latest remake of a barely remembered TV show, 21 Jump Street, defies all expectations — it’s sharp, smart and fiendishly funny, writes Luke Buckmaster.
John Carter movie review — bold, spectacular, sprawling SCI-FI
Don’t be too quick to judge Disney’s new $250 million swords and sandals SCI-FI epic, John Carter. It’s a bold and innovative film that sidesteps and subverts view expectations, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Killer Elite — action packed forty winks
How do you make an action-packed globetrotting hit man movie starring Jason Statham and Robert DeNiro a veritable snooze fest? Somehow, director Gary McKendry found a way with Killer Elite, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Shame — compellingly
disconnected
Michael Fassbender contributes a stoic see-right-through-you performance as a sex addict in Shame, a cold and brooding character study from director Steve McQueen, writes Luke Buckmaster.
My Week with Marilyn — historical fairy floss
The latest chunk of awards season Oscar bait is director Simon Curtis’s My Week with Marilyn, in which Michelle Williams chips in a strong, airy performance as Marilyn Monroe. It is a charmingly vacuous film, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Tyrannosaur — unrepentantly grim
British writer/director Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur is a kitchen sink drama of the scungy and hard-hitting ilk, following a character who travels a long and bleak road to redemption, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Grey — early contender for best American film of the year
Based in remote Alaskan wilderness, The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, is a brilliant survival in the wilderness film that makes recent additions to the genre feel like stories about getting lost in the supermarket, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Man on a Ledge — on the precipice
Sam Worthington stars in director Asger Leth’s action/heist movie Man on a Ledge, which is caught between imminently forgettable cinema and something greater, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Artist — delightfully retro
Like Singin’ in the Rain, Oscars front-runner The Artist follows actors making the transition to audio-enabled cinema. It is a lavish retro delight, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Any Questions for Ben? — none for Ben, plenty for Working Dog
The third film from director Rob Sitch and beloved Australian production company Working Dog is exactly that: a dog, writes Luke Buckmaster.
J Edgar — how to make a quality biopic
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as notorious FBI chief J Edgar Hoover in the latest film from prolific director Clint Eastwood. Luke Buckmaster discusses how to make a quality biopic and the baggage Hollywood stars bring with them.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy — scrambled messages
Gary Oldman plays a disgraced former spy on a mission to seek out a mole in director Tomas Alfredson’s scrambled adaptation of author John le Carré’s twisty whodunit, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Darkest Hour movie review — vapid ETainment
Director Chris Gorak’s junky ET invasion flick explores in an air-headed way the mixed blessings of electricity in an appliance driven world. The commentary never comes to fruition and the cast contribute dorky performances, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — racy, pacey, gnarly thrills
There was never any doubt director David Fincher had the fangs to bring a faithfully grisly adaptation of Stieg Laarson’s best-selling novel The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo to the big screen, writes Luke Buckmaster.
