Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, “West Side Story” tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); with Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works); and introducing Rachel Zegler (Maria.) Moreno – one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony® and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.

Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Kushner, who also served as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and GRAMMY Award® winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award®-nominated composer and conductor David Newman (“Anastasia”), who arranged the score, Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie”), who supervised the cast on vocals; and GRAMMY®-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Chicago”), who serves as executive music producer for the film.

The film is produced by Spielberg, p.g.a., Academy Award®-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger, p.g.a. and Tony Award®-winning producer Kevin McCollum.“West Side Story” has been adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway show. Original choreography by Jerome Robbins, based on the stage play, book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, play conceived, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Leonard Bernstein.

From 20th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company will release “West Side Story” in Australian cinemas Boxing Day, 2021.

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Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, “West Side Story” tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Rachel Zegler (María); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works). Moreno – one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony® and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.

Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Kushner, who also serves as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and GRAMMY Award® winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award®-nominated composer and conductor David Newman (“Anastasia”), who arranged the score; Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie”), who supervised the cast on vocals; and Grammy®-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Chicago”), who served as executive music producer for the film. The film is produced by Spielberg, Academy Award®-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and Tony Award®-winning producer Kevin McCollum. “West Side Story” has been adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway show, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins.

From 20th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company will release “West Side Story” in Australian cinemas on December 9, 2021.

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Wright pulls remarkable performances from his entire cast. Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars and Divergent) shows a real star turn as the enigmatic title character and both Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx really sell the menace as they both play great criminal psychos. Headmaster Kevin Spacey keeps them all together with a solid mix of benevolence and belligerence.

Special mention should also be made about the car chase scenes. Without any noticeable computer generated imagery, this overused and tired cinematic device is presented as fresh and unique as it’s been in many years. This is down to the driver’s raw abilities and some amazingly staged choreography of the cars and their surrounds.

It’s fast paced but still slows down long enough for some effective character development. Few films this year will fire on all cylinders with as much assurance and energy as Baby Driver. Don’t miss it.

Rob Hudson
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It does have quite a bit going for it other than just the source material. It looks great thanks to the customary brilliance of Cinematographer Roger Deakins and some of the cast are quite endearing. Nicole Kidman captures the fragile grace of Mrs. Barbour and Finn Wolfhard is charming as the young version of Boris. Unfortunately the less said about Ansel Elgort as the adult Theo Decker the better.

The story arc is decades long and follows a character named Theo Decker from childhood to adulthood. His life is one filled with tragedy and adult excess and the film’s non-linear structure asks for more clarity that the script can actually deliver. This causes some confusion as the characters and their actions are not strongly written.

The underlining story is an interesting one and with some judicious editing, the film could have come into much sharper focus. As it is, it has moments of interest and you begin to care about its protagonists, it just relies a bit too much on your patience.

Rob Hudson
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Theodore “Theo” Decker was 13 years old when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The tragedy changes the course of his life, sending him on a stirring odyssey of grief and guilt, reinvention and redemption, and even love. Through it all, he holds on to one tangible piece of hope from that terrible day…a painting of a tiny bird chained to its perch. The Goldfinch.

THE GOLDFINCH is directed by John Crowley and stars Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Oakes Fegley, Aneurin Barnard, Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Ashleigh Cummings, Willa Fitzgerald, Aimee Laurence, Denis O’Hare and Boyd Gaines.

THE GOLDFINCH releases in Australian cinemas on September 26, 2019.
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Final Score
You know that any action film built around the big guns of Dave Bautista (Drax from Guardians Of The Galaxy) is going to feature some extreme physicality and in that respect Final Score certainly delivers. What does surprise is there is also elements of humour and of family values. It’s not all just people getting beat down.

The premise is as over the top as the star’s build and involves an entire football stadium (soccer, not American gridiron) being held to ransom. There are many moments of crazy action and a few stunts that defy rationality, you know, perfect action movie stuff.

By film’s end you are invested in the characters and their fate and to the film maker’s credit they never let you down. They consistently go the extra mile to ramp things up to ridiculous levels of carnage.

Billionaire Boys Club
First let’s address the elephant in the room, yes among the film’s cast is one Kevin Spacey and after watching the film, it’s almost fitting that he’s part of that list. Because Billionaire Boys Club is an absolute blast of white trash.

Very loosely based on a real life group of the same name. These rich So Cal teenagers ran a Ponzi scheme that eventually lead to their financial ruin. It also escalated to murder.

Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) and Taron Egerton (the Kingsman franchise) are the two main players and are well cast as their youth and good looks play perfectly into the story. Spacey also excels at one of his patented smarmy roles. This is an acid tongued look at the over privileged and in that context it is good fun.

Both of these movies are available to rent or buy on DVD, Blu-ray & digital.

Rob Hudson

Wright pulls remarkable performances from his entire cast. Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars and Divergent) shows a real star turn as the enigmatic title character and both Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx really sell the menace as they both play great criminal psychos. Headmaster Kevin Spacey keeps them all together with a solid mix of benevolence and belligerence.

Special mention should also be made about the car chase scenes. Without any noticeable computer generated imagery, this overused and tired cinematic device is presented as fresh and unique as it’s been in many years. This is down to the driver’s raw abilities and some amazingly staged choreography of the cars and their surrounds.

It’s fast paced but still slows down long enough for some effective character development. Few films this year will fire on all cylinders with as much assurance and energy as Baby Driver. Don’t miss it.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/BabyDriverMovie