Based on the 2004 book, I Heard You Paint Houses by a former homicide prosecutor, Charles Brandt, it focuses on the life of mob hitman Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran played by Robert De Niro. In a confession given after the book was published, Sheeran claims to have been the hitman behind the murder and disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa who is played by Al Pacino. Spoiler alert, his body is not buried under the turf at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The film is masterfully made and it exists thanks to the new paradigm of films being made for the streaming platforms. Scorsese is on record saying that no major studio would give him the running time or money needed to fully realise his vision and what a visions it is. No film in his canon has the main protagonists end up in such bleak conditions, as an anticrime film, it is vivid.

Given the uncommon extended screen time to tell a story that was decades in the making, it underlines how rare this opportunity is for fans of film. Even with its ultimate destination in your living room, you need to make the effort to get out and see it on the big screen (one measured in metres not inches) as few things improve upon the collective experience quite like the cinema.

Rob Hudson
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The former labor union high official and hitman, learned to kill serving in Italy during the Second World War. He now looks back on his life and the hits that defined his mob career, maintaining connections with the Bufalino crime family.

In particular, the part he claims to have played in the disappearance of his life-long friend, Jimmy Hoffa, the former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who mysteriously vanished in late July 1975 at the age of 62.

The Irishman will release in Australian cinemas for a limited run at Dendy Cinemas on November 7 before its Netflix debut on November 27.
www.netflix.com

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.
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Adding a little spice to a waning marriage, Anne (Collette) and Bob (Keitel), a wealthy and well-connected American couple move into a manor house in romantic Paris. While preparing a particularly luxurious dinner for sophisticated international friends, our hostess discovers there are 13 guests.

Panic-stricken, Anne insists her loyal maid, Maria (Rossy de Palma), disguise herself as a mysterious Spanish noblewoman to even out the numbers. But a little too much wine and some playful chat lead Maria to accidently endear herself to a dandy British art broker (Michael Smiley). Their budding romance will have Anne chasing her maid around Paris and finally plotting to destroy this most unexpected and joyous love affair. In cinemas nationally August 17.
www.madamemovie.com.au

Competition will be drawn 16 August 2017, winners will be notified by mail.

Fred (Michael Caine) and Mick (Harvey Keitel), two old friends, are on vacation in an elegant hotel at the foot of the Alps. Fred, a composer and conductor, is now retired. Mick, a film director, is still working. They look with curiosity and tenderness on their children’s confused lives, Micks enthusiastic young writers, and the other hotel guests. While Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film, Fred has no intention of resuming his musical career. But someone wants at all costs to hear him conduct again.

www.foxsearchlight.com

Competition will be drawn 25 December 2015, winners will be notified by mail.