Will is played by Paul Mescal, and Agnes by Jessie Buckley and their performances are a masterclass in the art of acting. They are rich in subtle nuances and unspoken communications, and strangely, for a story about someone whose words were of utmost importance, this work could have almost worked as a silent film without losing any of its impact.

Will is portrayed as kind and generous with his words, but socially uncomfortable and not universally applauded by his immediate family. The relationship leading to the marriage is rushed, and soon, children enter the picture. With the birth of twins Hamnet and Judith, the family dynamic shifts. With the early death at 11 years old of their son Hamlet, their lives are torn asunder.

The way that the two parents deal with the grief is seemingly at polar opposites. Will disappears into his work, and Agnes is left to hold the family together. This creates one of the film’s most emotionally charged scenes when Agnes is made aware of Will’s deep love and sorrow for their departed son. This is a work that appeals even to those with no interest in Shakespeare and his works. It features raw human emotion that transcends any single person’s life story.
Rob Hudson
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What does it take to become a legend?

Christy tells the story of Christy Martin, the most successful female boxer of the 90’s.

See Christy in cinemas from January 8, directed by David Michôd and starring Sydney Sweeney.
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Born into a well-off and large family in Germany (in a city now part of Poland), his father Karl, was a psychiatrist and neurologist and his mother Paula was a teacher. Dietrich was a very intelligent child and ultimately became a theologian. Not all the members of his family agreed with his decision. At 21 years old he completed his Doctorate of Theology from Humboldt University in Berlin.

As played by German actor Jonas Dassler, he is presented as the perfect example of Aryan ideals with his blond hair and blue eyes (the real Bonhoeffer possessed these traits as well). Still, the film’s bleached blonde version of his look is distracting. The pacifism is well represented here but his transition into becoming an activist is muddled. This isn’t helped by the film’s nonlinear nature and the confusion caused by mentally putting the time line in order.

Historians with a knowledge of his life will need to adjust to accommodate the artistic licence taken in presenting his life story. There are several stand-out moments that you hope are true to life such as his introduction to American Jazz in New York City where he joyously gets up on stage and jams with the band. Other scenes highlight the horror of being held captive by the Nazis. The strength of his character is underlined quite effectively although some of his actual accomplishments receive little mention. It’s a flawed representation but still a fascinating one nonetheless.
Rob Hudson
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Searchlight Pictures presents A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, directed by Academy Award® nominee James Mangold (Walk the Line, Ford v Ferrari).

The film stars Academy Award® and BAFTA nominee Chalamet alongside Academy Award® and BAFTA nominee Edward Norton (Fight Club, Birdman), Elle Fanning (The Great, Maleficent), Monica Barbaro (Top Gun: Maverick), Boyd Holbrook (Logan, The Bikeriders), Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Walking Dead), Norbert Leo Buzt (Dan in Real Life), and Scoot McNairy (Argo, 12 Years A Slave).
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The film is based on the book Unearthing the Silence: Antoni Benaiges, the master who promises the sea by Francesc Escribano and it is a powerful indictment against unchecked power and conservative thinking. In 1935 Antoni began teaching in a small village in the province of Burgos. His unique (for the time) teaching techniques were not well received nor was his political stance, one that openly opposed Fascism.

Loved by all of his students yet loathed by their parents, he runs headlong into their conservative thinking and provincial ways. This is not helped in the least by the fact he is a declared atheist. The Village’s man of God almost immediately becomes his enemy and this creates a friction that powers a great deal of anger towards him. This story is dovetailed into a modern-day take on the discoveries of mass graves of victims of the fascist regimes.

Teachers tend to get short shrift in these modern times and their positive effect on the future of almost any society deserves more attention and admiration, not to mention better pay. On a personal level, there were a few teachers in my past who were incredibly inspirational and helped to inform and expand my worldview to my great benefit. Like all great art, this wonderful film brought back vivid memories of their positive effect on my life. The underlying tragedy of Antoni Benaiges’ story only increases the emotional impact.
Rob Hudson

The Teacher Who Promised the Sea screenings in Brisbane
PALACE BARRACKS
Saturday 15th June 8:40pm
Monday 17th June 11:00am
Thursday 20th June 3:30pm
Sunday 23rd June 3:20pm
Tuesday 25th June 8:30pm
Thursday 27th June 5:30pm
Sunday 30th June 11:00am
Monday 1st July 8:45pm
Friday 5th July 6:00pm

PALACE JAMES ST
Saturday 15th June 3:45pm
Monday 17th June 5:30pm
Saturday 22nd June 3:45pm
Monday 24th June 10:50am
Sunday 30th June 6:10pm
Sunday 7th July 1:15pm

The Spanish Film Festival runs in Brisbane from 13 June – 10 July, and will take place at the Palace James Street and Palace Barracks cinemas.

Click here for more information about the festival, or head to the official website for more information and to book your tickets!
www.spanishfilmfestival.com

Based on the incredible true story, SOUND OF FREEDOM shines a light on even the darkest of places.

After rescuing a young boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent learns the boy’s sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her.

With time running out, he quits his job and journeys deep into the Colombian jungle, putting his life on the line to free her from a fate worse than death.

Sound of Freedom Q&A preview screening
Dendy Coorparoo, Brisbane
Wednesday 23rd August | 6:30pm
www.coorparoo.dendy.com.au

On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music.

Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE is in-theatres January 12, 2024.
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Based on the true story of the murder of a fourteen-year-old black boy named Emmett Louis Till. This case galvanised the civil rights movement of the time and in turn, created one of the era’s strongest proponents of change, Till’s mother Mamie Till-Bradley.

Emmett was raised by his single-parent mother in Chicago and during a visit to relatives in Mississippi fell afoul of the racist customs and was kidnapped and ultimately killed. His mother’s insistence on having an open casket to show the world the extent of his horrific injuries created nationwide attention.

Danielle Deadwyler is amazing as Mamie Till-Mobley and it’s a sign of the continuing lack of recognition of actors of colour that her performance did not garner her an Oscar nomination. Her emotional intensity is spellbinding. The rest of the cast is exemplary as well. This work fills you with outrage at the slow-moving wheels of progress that exists in most modern societies but also provides a glimmer of hope with the display of human resolve.
Rob Hudson
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This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

Starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher, Marlon Wayans, Jay Mohr, Julius Tennon, with Chris Tucker and Viola Davis, Air will be released in Australian cinemas April 5!
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The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt as his wife, biologist and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer. Oscar® winner Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Downey, Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Academy Award® nominee Florence Pugh plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock, Benny Safdie plays theoretical physicist Edward Teller, Michael Angarano plays Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett plays pioneering American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence.

Oppenheimer also stars Oscar® winner Rami Malek and reunites Nolan with eight-time Oscar® nominated actor, writer and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh.

The cast includes Dane DeHaan (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets), Dylan Arnold (Halloween franchise), David Krumholtz (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Matthew Modine (The Dark Knight Rises).

The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan.

Oppenheimer is filmed in a combination of IMAX® 65mm and 65mm large-format film photography including, for the first time ever, sections in IMAX® black and white analogue photography.

Nolan’s films, including Tenet, Dunkirk, Interstellar, Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy, have earned more than $5 billion at the global box office and have been awarded 11 Oscars and 36 nominations, including two Best Picture nominations.
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