Revolving around the antics of old school detective Lou (Mark Ruffalo), who is falling out of favour with the higher-ups in his all-consuming quest to take down a successful bandit. One who uses the brain instead of brawn to complete his audacious transgressions. Lou is also in the midst of a number of life-changing moments. His wife Angie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is leaving him, and his superiors are running out of patience with his single-mindedness.

Into this situation, we are dropped in the city of Los Angeles, and it adds an important element to the story. The discrepancies between the haves and have-nots in this ever-evolving metropolis rumble underneath almost every scene. There are a number of high-power action pieces that stitch together the story and keep things moving along nicely. There is also the contrast between the staid nature of the criminal Davis and the explosive antics of fellow crim Ormon (Barry Keoghan), who creates havoc everywhere he goes.

Even though all the characters in Crime 101follow a somewhat traditional story arc, there are a number of surprises coming your way. As things progress and the tension ramps up in the final reel, you are seemingly led to a point where you feel certain of the outcome for all the parties involved. But here is where the film really delivers, and you are actually given a resolution much more satisfying and life-affirming than expected.
Rob Hudson
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In the current times when the AI influence in the visual arts has never been more prevalent, the old adage “seeing is believing” has never had less relevance. Amid this, round three of the Now You See Me franchise has hit our screens. The Horsemen have returned this time, and with a few new members. Their nemesis comes from the shady world of diamond cartels. 

The opposition is led by Veronika Vanderberg, a South African who runs a diamond company started by her late Nazi father. Their profits now come from laundering money for the criminal elites. She is played with an evil glee by Rosamund Pike. When she gets ready to auction the world’s largest diamond, the group springs into action.

Having broken up over ten years ago after their last big caper, the Four Horsemen are spurred back into action by the individual receipt of a mysterious tarot card. The three newbies arrive via a deep fake show featuring the artificial likenesses of the original four. They are soon integrated into the team and now have a common cause.

As is the case with all the Now You See Me films, you can never believe what transpires on screen until the final reveal, and this approach is fun for all the armchair detectives out there. Your ability to read between the lines and second-guess the actions of all of the cast members will reinforce your fun. Some motives you will see, many you won’t.
Rob Hudson
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There are prestige gigs in the acting game, and being part of a Paul Thomas Anderson film must rate high on that list. His filmography is impressive, as is the list of amazing actors who have worked with him. His newest film, One Battle After Another, illustrates that he has lost none of his considerable powers and that he continues to set his sights on having a relevance to the world at large. 

The story that underlies One Battle After Another is the extreme actions that governments (and the clandestine groups behind them) will resort to to ensure that their vision for the world is the dominant one. The overview is of the firebrands that fuelled opposition to the status quo and were unafraid to use any means necessary to restore their version of a fair and equal society.

There are a few things to consider with the amazing performances by lead actors Sean Penn and Leonardo DiCaprio. You have to admire the moment when Penn read the script for his absolutely repugnant character, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw and thought, yeah, I’m in. DiCaprio as well for taking the risk with his lost stoner father figure, who eventually rises to the occasion. Their faith in PTA being absolute.

This perfectly paced thrill ride of a movie utilises two of the current best, DiCaprio and Penn, at a zenith moment of their careers. Paul Thomas Anderson has never been better, and his choice of subject matter has never been more relevant and needed as well. This is a work that comfortably resides amongst his other stand out works, yes, it’s that good.
Rob Hudson
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For those who thought they had Darren Aronofsky’s films sussed out, they will not know what hit them with Caught Stealing. This over-the-top nineties period piece is wild and crazy in a most fun manner. Those are words not often attached to his work, but after a long and illustrious filmography of very assertive works, we can forgive him for just wanting to have a little fun.

Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) is just a dude tasked with looking after his neighbour’s cat, Bud. Said resident, Russ (Doctor Who’s Matt Smith), is a mohawked punk rocker who has to travel back to England to visit his ailing father. Hank is completely unprepared for the shite show that is coming his way from this bit of neighbourly assistance.

Thrown into a world inhabited by crazy Russian Mobsters, coke-snorting barkeeps and two absolutely bonkers Hasidic brothers, Lipa and Shmully Drucker, who are played by an almost unrecognisable Liev Schreiber and Vincent D’Onofrio. These two turn Hank’s world upside down. The bros are absolute sociopaths and believe in a scorched-earth policy when it comes to conflict resolution.

Based on a book of the same name by Charlie Huston, Caught Stealing is set in a time frame that reflects a pivotal time in Aronofsky’s life. It’s less than hyper realistic in contrast to most of his earlier work, and the absurdest sense of humour on display might hint that he has some fond memories of that time. Taken in the context of his collected works, it’s a welcome side step.
Rob Hudson
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Starting with part 2 they expanded the Wick Universe by creating a concept called the High Table with its arcane rules and extreme sense of justice. This has gone some way to supplying a backbone to the story arc and they have leaned into this in every film since. With Ballerina it barely generates a mention and it’s a sad absence because this work is very light on dynamics and story.

Ana de Armas is fine as the main character Eve and her ability in the fight scenes is engaging and exhilarating. But we learn so little about her life or her motivations. Those moments of exposition are sadly missing and would have given the audience a breather to help build anticipation for the next fight scene and provide a path to the person under the persona.

The fight scenes do stand out as Eve’s technique of using any and all available items as weapons is quite a departure from Wick’s modus operandi. No one can argue the motivation behind Wick’s explosion of violence but Eve’s is not as clearly defined. Setting almost every fight scene in dark surroundings also blunts the impact. Taken in the context of the Wick Universe, it’s a worthwhile view but as a solo work not so much.
Rob Hudson
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Tightly wound (and rather deadly) accountant Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) and his alpha-male brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) do all the heavy lifting and provide the film with its best moments. They fight like only brothers can and then kick butt like only cinematic bad boys can and it’s a blast to behold.

Their slowly developing relationship provides a few touching moments and their general way with each other is played mostly for laughs. A lot of the gags hit the mark. The story as it is revolves around a missing child. The context of that situation and the details add a bit of interest but its finer points are murky at best.

This lack of a scintillating storyline matters little when there are so many humorous moments to stitch things together. The pace is fast and there is very little downtime. The Accountant 2 sees the filmmakers lean heavily into the comic realm and it’s a successful strategy.
Rob Hudson
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Into this world of titans, steps Barry Levinson with The Alto Knights and frankly it’s all a bit of a mess. Some of the calamities come from concepts that don’t connect and storytelling that lacks that visceral edge. Concept-wise having Robert De Niro play the two main leads with only bad make-up to distinguish between the two doesn’t work at all. It also causes a bit of confusion as to who is whom.

Storytelling-wise, even though it is based on a true story and real people, it waters down the gangster life to be one filled with domestic bliss (and boredom) and detunes their barbaric behaviour to a glimmer of the true savagery they were capable of. It also portrays a number of them as bumbling fools, they were most certainly not. Pacing is also a problem as the films build to a climax that just never happens.

It takes a convergence of many mistakes to make a gangster film as uninteresting as The Alto Knights. There are however a few moments to saviour. If you are a fan of nineteen-fifties Detroit Iron there are some absolutely classic examples of that automotive art on display and there is a scene of gastronomic excess that will make you so hungry for Italian food, that you should see an early screening so the restaurants will be open on your way home.
Rob Hudson
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He asks his Police Captain Rick (Bo Dietl) to let him use this accidental friendship as an intro to go undercover. Thus begins Bobby’s descent into criminality. He is soon charmed by the life and the feelings of belonging to a family and develops a very flexible relationship with the law. There are many times you think he might tip fully into the illegal lifestyle.

This internal conflict powers most of the dramatic tension in the film and provides a running dialogue told in a seedy voiceover by Hirsch. His ability to voice things with no real discernible moral code gives this cinematic device (which has never been a favourite) the ability to inform without giving too much away.

Based on actual events, Inside Man weaves its story through a morally ambiguous lens where the criminals are not painted one-dimensionally. Their ruthlessness and violent tendencies are there to be seen but so are the moments of camaraderie and friendship. This duality is tilted very much to the repugnant side when the final credits reveal how many of them met an untimely and gruesome end.

Inside Man is now available on DVD & Digital, including APPLE TV, PRIME VIDEO, & GOOGLE PLAY in Australia & New Zealand.
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For the past year, Sandra (Sandra Hüller), a German writer, her French husband Samuel (Samuel Theis), and their eleven-year-old son Daniel (Milo Machado Graner) have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps.

When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he committed suicide or was killed. Samuel’s death is treated as suspicious, and Sandra becomes the main suspect.

Little by little the trial becomes not just an investigation of the circumstances of Samuel’s death, but an unsettling psychological journey into the depths of Sandra and Samuel’s conflicted relationship.
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Set in Berlin, Neeson plays Matt Turner a high-stakes broker who has ignored his family pursuing profits so egregiously that they are looking for the exit. When Matt is guilted into taking his children Zach (Jack Champion) and Emily (Lilly Aspell) to school, what starts as an inconvenience turns tragic.

When he learns that his expensive ride has come equipped with the optional booby-trap bomb under the seat the day only gets worse. He is being blackmailed by an unknown criminal and forced to watch members of his work team get blown up for their trouble.

Stories like this have been done many times before and Retribution struggles under this weight. In its defence, its Berlin setting offers some fresh scenery to chew up and the tension does bubble along nicely. Neeson is less the action star and more the thinking man caught in the crosshairs type hero.
Rob Hudson
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