One of the most celebrated French films of recent years The Taste of Things has a critics’ score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, was France’s official entry for the 2024 Oscars and was also the No. 1 film at this year’s Alliance Françoise French Film Festival.

Eugenie, an esteemed cook, has been working for over the last 20 years for Dodin, a fine gourmet.

Growing fonder of one another, their bond turns into a romance and gives rise to delicious dishes that impress even the world’s most illustrious chefs.

When Dodin is faced with Eugenie’s reluctance to commit to him, he decides to start cooking for her.
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Competition will be drawn May 2, winners will be notified by email.

Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Director at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE is a romantic drama about a passionate, complicated woman caught between two very different men, and offers the first big-screen pairing of cinema icons Binoche and Lindon, both delivering powerhouse performances.

In a story adapted from a novel by Christine Angot (with whom Denis had previously collaborated on her 2017 film Let The Sunshine In) we meet public radio presenter Sara (Binoche) and her partner Jean (Lindon), a couple in love and who have been living together for a decade. When they first met, Sara was in a relationship with François (Grégoire Colin) while Jean, a pro rugby star, was married with a son. Their relationship has been relatively secure, even surviving a stint in prison by Jean for shady business dealings. But one day, seemingly out of the blue, François returns to Paris and contacts Jean, suggesting he come work for him. When Sara first sees Francois again she’s overcome with emotion, and it’s not long before the situation between the three beings to spiral out of control.

A story packed with erotic frisson and a series of dramatic, emotionally-charged encounters, impeccably portrayed by world-renowned actors and a director at the top of their game, BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE is a cinematic treat for discerning audiences, and a big-screen must this September.
www.bothsidesoftheblade.com.au

It’s 1968. The immaculate and morally upright Paulette Van Der Beck (the ever-exquisite Binoche) and her husband Robert have been running Van der Beck’s School of Housekeeping and Good Manners in the lush regions of Alsace for over two decades, with the help of Paulette’s eccentric stepsister Gilberte (Moreau) and the school’s communist-fearing, ex-Resistance nun Marie-Therese (a scene-stealing Lvovsky).Their mission: to train teenagers to become perfect housewives, in times when women were expected to be largely subservient.

After an accident turns clockwork order into chaos, Paulette discovers that the school is on the verge of financial ruin. Forced to assume executive responsibilities, she is flustered even more by an encounter with her long-lost first love, André (Edouard Baer), who becomes relentless in his desire to rekindle their romance. Meanwhile, a sweeping nationwide protest movement is transforming the society around them, encouraging the school’s pupils to challenge authority and question their own desires and beliefs…

Before long the entire group undertakes a journey of liberation, one that will transform all their lives. Striking a near-magical tone that’s both satirical and tender, this tale of solidarity looks set to become one of the year’s biggest comedic hits.

How to be a Good Wife will be released in Australian cinemas December 26!
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Pairing beloved Academy Award nominees Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche for the first time, as a celebrated actress and her estranged daughter whose tentative reunion offers an opportunity to either repair or irrevocably fracture their relationship.

The Truth will be released in Australian cinemas December 26.
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In what will be his first ever visit to Australia, Kore-eda, who won the top prize of the Cannes International Film Festival in 2018 for Shoplifters, will attend the Australian Premiere Screening of THE TRUTH in Sydney at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne on Saturday 16th November. The event will be presented in partnership with the Sydney Film Festival and will include a post-screening Q&A hosted by revered film criticDavid Stratton.

Kore-eda will also attend the Melbourne Premiere screening of THE TRUTH at Palace Cinemas’ grand The Astor Theatre in St Kilda on Tuesday 19th November, which will be presented in conjunction with the Melbourne International Film Festival and will include a Q&A.

In addition to the premiere events, Kore-eda will introduce special preview screenings in Sydney at the Palace Norton Street Cinema, Leichhardt, and the Chauvel Cinema, Paddington, on Sunday 17th November.

THE TRUTH, which had its World Premiere as the Opening Night Gala of the 2019 Venice International Film Festival, is a wry and charming dramedy in which Deneuve stars as a celebrated actress and Binoche her estranged daughter, who reunite in Paris upon the release of the former’s memoirs. When the star’s long-suffering assistant unexpectedly quits, the two are forced into an awkward working relationship, where suppressed emotions can no longer be kept in check.

Working outside his native Japan for the first time, Kore-eda’s film maintains his trademark lyricism and humanism, and offers a moving examination of reality and fiction, family, performance, and the great spectacle of life.

THE TRUTH will be released nationally in Australian cinemas by Palace Films on Boxing Day (December 26) 2019.

Sydney Screenings
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE Screening of THE TRUTH + Q&A with director Kore-eda Hirokazu
moderated by David Stratton
Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, Cremorne
2.00pm Saturday 16 November 2019

Special Preview Screening of THE TRUTH + Introduction with director Kore-eda Hirokazu
Palace Norton Street Cinema, Leichhardt
1.00pm Sunday 17 November

Special Preview Screening of THE TRUTH + Introduction with director Kore-eda Hirokazu
Chauvel Cinema, Paddington
2.15pm Sunday 17 November

Melbourne Screenings
MELBOURNE PREMIERE Screening of THE TRUTH + Q&A with director Kore-eda Hirokazu
The Astor Theatre, St Kilda
6.45pm Tuesday 19 November 2019

Tickets & further information: www.palacefilms.com.au/thetruth

Out of a mix of petulance and curiosity, she impulsively creates a fake Facebook profile in which to keep an eye on him: she’s ‘Clara’, vivacious, blonde… and 24 years old. He doesn’t take the bait, but his close friend (François Civil) does, and their online connection soon becomes flirtatious. Titillated by the opportunity of being “young again”, Claire’s deceptions lead both of her identities into increasingly dangerous territory.

Part psychological drama, part thriller, this remarkable film based on the novel by Camille Laurens explores contemporary issues with sensitivity and intelligence and shows Binoche at her phenomenal best.

Who You Think I Am will be released in Australian Cinemas August 1!
www.palacefilms.com.au/whoyouthinkiam

Nobody could have imagined the impact that Vianne would make when she arrived in a tranquil, old-fashioned French town. In her very unusual chocolate shop, she creates mouth-watering confections that almost magically inspire the straitlaced villagers to abandon themselves to temptation and happiness. When a handsome Irish Gypsy arrives in town, Vianne is finally able to recognize her own desires.

Chocfest Chocolat Screening
2pm Sunday July 7
Dendy Portside, Brisbane
www.dendy.com.au

More a prequel to Oshii’s film than a remake, the story relates the origins of Major Motoko Kusanagi (Scarlett Johansson) and also a little bit of her partner, Batou (Pilou Asbæk). The film riffs heavily off Oshii by lifting sequences directly from his film (hence why, on the surface, this appears to be a remake) and recreates them in the live action format – a relatively easy task with our contemporary special effects technology. It’s interesting to see how Sanders has applied these familiar scenes and remoulded their context to fit the new narrative. The result is very effective and nostalgic at the same time. There’s also a nod to Oshii’s 2001 film, Avalon, and his love of basset hounds (a staple in all his films) that is a nice touch for fans.

The film follows a Frankenstein-style story with the villain, Kuze (Michael Pitt), attacking his creator, the Hanka Robotic Corporation. Kuze is an earlier and unsuccessful version of the Major and he’s none too impressed that Hanka threw him on the scrap heap to die and he retaliates by hacking into heavily augmented humans (ghost hacking) to exact his revenge. As a member of the government anti-terrorist division, Section 9, the Major and her colleagues are tasked with stopping him. Along the way, Kuze educates Kusanagi on some uncomfortable truths about their shared origins.

The production has been the subject of accusations of whitewashing since the casting of Scarlett Johanson in the lead role. There is a general case to be made with the ‘whitewashing’ of characters in Hollywood films but the case for the prosecution is weak here. The question of whether ethnicity even applies to cybernetic bodies was implicitly raised in Oshii’s film and it follows in this one. The film also makes a specific point about Section 9 being a multi-ethnic organisation so a Caucasian Kusanagi is by no means out of place. The film also points out that Kusanagi’s prior living body was Japanese even though her cybernetic body clearly isn’t. Again implicitly questioning whether ethnicity is even a valid concept in this new world order. A greater test of whitewashing will be the forthcoming Akira film that is unmistakably set in Tokyo with Japanese characters. We’ll see how Hollywood handles that.

Ghost In The Shell is experiencing a bumpy ride at the box office but I think history will judge it more kindly than the present. To be sure it lacks the philosophical depth and narrative complexity of Oshii’s prior film but it still has an interesting story that questions the value of human versus synthetic life.

Stuart Jamieson
www.facebook.com/GhostInTheShellAU

Scarlett Johansson inhabits the role of Major with a fitting mechanical nonchalance that gets progressively more human as the story unfolds. Having said that, the depth of almost all the characters in this version are condensed to a fairly basic level. The film feels very Hollywood and the film’s makers could have shown a bit more trust that the modern audience can digest and enjoy more complex narratives.

Touching on universal truths and the themes of what makes an entity human is explored but not in great depth. Themes like the deadening of the human spirit with the encroachment of rampant technology does underline a lot of the film’s action and look but the script has been substantially simplified to keep the forward momentum intact.

This view of the future is a grim one and the level of avarice underlines the dark motives that become exposed in the light as the story proceeds. As a stand alone adventure it works well, connected to the larger world of the source material, it might disappoint the rabid fan.

Rob Hudson
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Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, “GHOST IN THE SHELL” follows Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.

Staring Scarlett Johansson, Beat Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Kaori Momoi,Chin Han, Danusia Samal, Lasarus Ratuere, Yutaka Izumihara,  Tuwanda Manyimo – in cinemas MARCH  30 2017

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