A veterinarian from a neighbouring colony supplied some of the men in Manitoba with a spay anaesthetic which they used to sedate entire houses and then proceeded to rape the women in those households. The age of the victims ranged from 3 years old to 65.

In the film, the perpetrators are imprisoned temporarily and the women in the community get together to decide what to do before the men are released. This leads to an in-depth examination of their beliefs and views on the place of women in a society that denies them access to education and almost all forms of self-expression. They are even restricted from learning how to read and write.

The acting by all the cast members is superlative. They seldom raise their voices but show so much nuance with facial expressions and vocal cadence. The horrific nature of the crimes are implied but not shown. The film is heavy going and a graphic display would have been overwhelming. Women Talking is a superb example of fine art being inspired by abhorrent events and overwhelms your consciousness via a group of actors working at the top of their game.
Rob Hudson
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In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith.

Staring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand, Women Talking will be released in Aussie cinemas 2023!
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Staring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey, Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand, About Women Talking will be released in Aussie cinemas February 16, 2023.

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We follow the life of Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) a drifter who finds a purpose at the feet of Pete (David Strathairn), a grifter running the psychic medium scam at a traveling carnival with his partner Zeena the Seer (Toni Collette). Stanton learns the trade and sees himself as capable of more and aggressively makes those ambitions come to fruition.

The story is told in two distinct parts and part two features Cate Blanchett as the sultry Dr. Lilith Ritter. The two develop a working relationship and Stanton ups his game to pull the long con on the uber-rich. It’s these (mis)adventures that ramp things up and provide the last reel with its twists and turns.

Making more than a few comments on the vanity and naiveté of the superrich as well as how people’s beliefs can be swayed by grief and a convincing con, Nightmare Alley has a valid point behind its hyper-stylised noir look. Perhaps more convincing visually than story-wise, del Toro still creates an intriguing world that is easy to get lost in.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/20thCenturyStudiosAUNZ/

With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Driected by Guillermo del Toro and starring Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn, Nightmare Alley will be released in Australian cinemas January 20, 2022!
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Directed by Guillermo del Toro, Nightmare Alley stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, Mary Steenburgen, David Strathairn and will be released in Australian cineas January 20, 2022!
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Jesse Eisenberg has never been better as Mark Zuckerberg, the man/boy who turned and burned most everyone he came in contact with while creating the Internet tsunami that is Facebook. Director David Fincher tones down some of his more overt mannerisms and gets things just right. Even Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker (the creator of Napster) delivers career-defining work.

It’s a sign of the level of film mastery that a subject with so little visual identity could be made into such a rich visual canvas. This is a film without flaws and one that fascinates to the last frame.

It would be wise to read up a bit on the subject, if your knowledge is light in regards to the creation and people behind Facebook. It will greatly enhance your viewing pleasure.

As a coda to the film, Zucerberg’s early partner and only apparent friend, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), the one he burned nonetheless has a reported personal wealth of over a billion dollars from the undisclosed sum settlement brokered in later half of the film.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS

The film uses stop motion animation (with one of the techniques cleverly shown in the end credits), CGI and what one might possibly imagine is hand drawn imagery and looks fantastic. Voiced by an A-list of vocal talent that includes Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes and Matthew (put down those bongos) McConaughey, they are given rich text to work with.

The story is an out right fantasy voyage and while this is a genre whose charms often elude, this is so inventively accomplished, it draws in the uninterested. Even with its deeply Eastern setting, there are universal themes of family, honour, bravery and friendship.

In what is turning out to be a very uneven year of cinema, Kubo and the Two Strings is a high water mark. Who would have thought back in January that two of the years most interesting films would come from the world of animation?

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

Set in the Holy Land in the first century C.E., a young woman leaves her small fishing village and traditional family behind to join a radical new social movement. At its head is a charismatic leader, Jesus of Nazareth, who promises that the world is changing. Mary is searching for a new way of living, and an authenticity that is denied her by the rigid hierarchies of the day.

As the notoriety of the group spread and more are drawn to follow Jesus’ inspirational message, Mary’s spiritual journey places her at the heart of a story that will lead to the capital city of Jerusalem, where she must confront the reality of Jesus’ destiny and her own place within it.

Mary Magdalene – In Cinemas 22 March!
www.marymagdalene.com.au

To enter this great competition just fill in the entry form below. Please note – these tickets are for a specific screening only and can not be exchanged or refunded. The winners will need to be available on March 14 at 6:30pm in Brisbane to be able to attend this screening at Palace Barracks Cinema, Brisbane.

Competition will be drawn 10 March 2018, winners will be notified by email.

Five year old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple.

Twenty five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.

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Competition will be drawn 18 January 2016, winners will be notified by mail.