With a storyline that works the angle of Barbie (Margot Robbie) becoming a sentient being who begins to question the reality of her surroundings, it opens the door for some very assertive social commentary. Ideas delivered with a sly wink via an effective monologue by America Ferrera. The fully colour-saturated look is as imbued with robust ideas as those words.

Casting Ryan Gosling as the Ken doll works well as he is unafraid to ham it up or play the fool and looks good doing both. Robbie gives the titular character just the right amount of complacency and yearning and emerges out of a frivolous mind into a confident woman. Her transition is handled with humour and message and forms the backbone of the movie.

That the idea of basing a film on the life of a plastic doll would seem so slender on the outside and results in a work with as much heart as this is a nod to all involved. Don’t let its ultra-vibrant look fool you, this is a movie with something important to say and it communicates that message with poise and charm.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/WarnerBrosAU/

Staring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Barbie will be released in Aussie cinemas July 20, 2023!
www.facebook.com/WarnerBrosAU/

She married into one of America’s most infamous and wealthy political families at only 24 years old and seemed to dissolve herself into their clan. Her husband John F. Kennedy was a man used to getting his own way and the outward appearance was that she capitulated to most of his whims. There was a strength there however that she possessed that wasn’t always apparent in the sexist media coverage of the times.

That her life blossomed in the years after the assassination of Kennedy in 1963 shows the resolve she had that wasn’t always apparent in those times. Jackie the movie focuses on the early period of time when she was First Lady and then the tragic events in Texas and their aftermath. There are some extremely shocking scenes that will more than impact the viewer’s cinema experience and the film is an intense study of grief.

The film presents such a specific period of her life that it falls somewhat short in presenting the remarkable woman that she actually was. Natalie Portman is fantastic in her portrayal but is given a disappointedly lean take on the subject matter. To give such an interesting life, a window of only 100 minutes of screen time seems a disservice.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

Gerwig gives the film a contemporary feel with the liberal use of different timelines, yet offers few visual cues so it necessitates the need of the audience to pay close attention. She also plays on the actors strong points and minimises their lesser strengths. Although allowing Emma Watson’s occasional reversion to her English accent is an odd oversight.

Often considered the American equivalent of what Jane Austin offered the British readers, minus the sharp wit, Little Women highlights the frustrations and limitations that women faced on both sides of the pond. That in the time frame over fifty years after Austin’s stories were based still saw the same restrictions in the New World only spoke to the frustratingly slow progress that women of that period faced.

Life in the eighteen hundreds, especially during the US Civil War was much harsher than this version illustrates but its presentation of female empowerment is a timeless positive. It’s unrealistically idilic ending not withstanding, the ideas in the original book planted the seeds to fight for a more enlightened and necessary mindset. Unfortunately it’s a struggle that still exists today. Meaningful popular culture can shine a light on changes that need to be made and Little Women is illuminating.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS

In Gerwig’s take, the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women each determined to live life on her own terms – is both timeless and timely. Portraying Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, with Timothee Chalamet as their neighbour Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.

Directed by Greta Gerwig, Little Women stars Timothée Chalamet, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern, Louis Garrel, Tracy Letts, James Norton, Bob Odenkirk, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, Eliza Scanlen, Meryl Streep and Emma Watson, and is in Australian Cinemas New Years Day!
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS

Returning to the stop-motion animation technique he used so successfully in The Fantastic Mr. Fox had not limited him in any way. In fact just the opposite has taken place as this film is his most imaginative work yet.

It’s also so lovely to look at. The beauty is everywhere, the sets are amazing, the storyline is rich and the characters that make up the cast ring emotionally true. Wes even manages a completely satisfying ending, never that easy with a film of this type.

Setting a relevant story, with nods to events of concern throughout the world in land of animated dogs with more humanity than almost any politician was a master stroke. The life’s lessons go down easy amid an experience with a generosity of whim and an abundance of relevance.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/isleofdogsmovie

The performances are outstanding throughout, especially Ronan and Laurie Metcalf who as the mother is heart breaking in her ability to love and inability to adequately convey those feeling to her troublesome daughter. The film is very adapt at showing those ungainly teen scenarios without reducing them to cringe cinema.

One of the film’s most remarkable traits is in how convincing and engaging its examination of even the simplest of teen moments are for the protagonists. When your brain is flush with raging chemicals at that age, even the most benign moment seems crucial.

These moments are played out with consummate cinematic skill. The film is also very unbiased with its characterisation and even the nuns at Lady’s Catholic High School and portrayed fairly and with humour. The film is a charming experience that feels heartfelt and real.
www.facebook.com/ladybirdmovie

In LADY BIRD, Greta Gerwig reveals herself to be a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating both the humour and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter.

Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father loses his job.

Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amidst a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.

Lady Bird is in Cinemas Feb 15!
www.ladybirdmovie.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 February 12 at 6:30pm in Brisbane to be able to attend this screening at Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo.

Competition will be drawn 6 February 2018, winners will be notified by email.

In LADY BIRD, Greta Gerwig reveals herself to be a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating both the humour and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter.

Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job.

Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amidst a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.
www.facebook.com/ladybirdmovie

The movie is set in a futuristic Japan, where an outbreak of “dog flu” has necessitated a mass canine quarantine by the government. A young boy pilot named Atari Kobayashi flies to the island to find his sequestered dog, while the evil Mayor Kobayashi tries to stop him. You can also expect to see a raggedy one-eyed pup whose heart will presumably grow by the end of the movie, a teenage crush, and at least a few sniffing jokes.

There’s also a massive number of famous people voicing characters in the movie, including Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Tilda Swinton, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Liev Schreiber, F. Murray Abraham, Courtney B. Vance, Bob Balaban, and Yoko Ono.

Isle of Dogs comes out on March 23rd, 2018.
www.facebook.com/isleofdogsmovie