Growing up, it was always fascinating to observe the different family dynamics at play amongst my friends and their parents. Some were liberal, some were conservative, but none were like the Roses. Made up of parental units, Ivy (Olivia Colman), a pot-smoking, wise-cracking gourmet chef Mom and a neurotic architect Father, Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch), who together make the most unconventional Pommie couple ever.

Their coming together was storybook and instantaneous, their tip into separation and animosities slow and grinding. Theo, through a building project disaster, loses his job and reputation and retires to raise their two children. At the same time, Ivy scales the heights, running a restaurant that becomes wildly successful and expands to become a thriving chain of locations.

The animosity that builds between the couple is played mostly for laughs, but the vitriol that lies underneath is caustic and pries them apart. Their surrealistic life is not tethered to reality when they are around their friends, either, as they are a very odd mob. Nothing phases best mate Barry (Andy Samberg), whose advice is comical at best and his partner Amy (the under-utilised Kate McKinnon) is hard to pin down.

Most of the humour resides in the combative banter between Ivy and Theo, and while not all the jokes hit their mark, they are consistently amusing. The detachment of the reality of their ultra-entitled lifestyle and money-fuelled existence is there and provides more comic fodder. The good fun is there, but is slightly marred by a lack of chemistry between the two leads as that relationship prevents the good from being great.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/20thCenturyStudiosAUNZ/

Catch a sneak peek preview of the hilarious new comedy THE ROSES at the Dendy’s RomComedy Night Preview on Friday, August 29 with a glass of sparkling on arrival. Or you can catch one of our Preview Screenings on 30 & 31 August.

From the director of Meet the Parents and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman, The Roses is a reimagining of the 1989 classic The War of the Roses, in which Cumberbatch and Colman play the seemingly picture-perfect couple Ivy and Theo. But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing – as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites.

The Roses Preview Screenings
Dendy Cinemas Portside
29-31 August 2025
www.dendy.com.au

Life seems easy for picture-perfect couple Ivy (Olivia Colman) and Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch): successful careers, a loving marriage, great kids. But beneath the façade of their supposed ideal life, a storm is brewing – as Theo’s career nosedives while Ivy’s own ambitions take off, a tinderbox of fierce competition and hidden resentment ignites. The Roses is a reimagining of the 1989 classic film The War of the Roses, based on the novel by Warren Adler.

Searchlight Pictures presents The Roses, directed by Jay Roach (Bombshell, Austin Powers). The film stars Academy Award® winner Colman (Wicked Little Letters, The Favourite) alongside Academy Award® nominee Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, The Power of the Dog). The film also stars Andy Samberg (Palm Springs, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping), Academy Award® winner Allison Janney (I,Tonya), Belinda Bromilow (‘The Great’), Sunita Mani (‘GLOW’), Ncuti Gatwa (Barbie, ‘Doctor Who’), Jamie Demetriou (‘Fleabag’), Zoë Chao (Nightbitch), and Kate McKinnon (Barbie, Ghostbusters). The screenplay is written by Academy Award® nominee Tony McNamara (Poor Things, The Favourite).

The Roses opens in Australian cinemas August 28!
www.facebook.com/20thCenturyStudiosAUNZ/

Hollywood’s favourite man/boy Timothée Chalamet does fine in the lead role and even though he has no real vocal range, doesn’t embarrass himself by singing. The character’s ability to create chocolate and magic out of thin air is a bit overused and this makes for a very unchallenging film experience. Its strength is in its charm.

The technical elements of the film are stellar as the costumes and set design look fabulous as does the colour palette used. Olivia Colman chews up every scene she’s in as the deplorable Mrs. Scrubbit. Her crazy is well matched by the performance of Tom Davis as her henchman Bleacher. Calah Lane is also first-rate in the female lead role Noodle.

With its elements so finely tuned, Wonka is a sugar rush of a film. It is easily digestible and should endear itself to those who crave uncomplicated and accessible cinema. It contains so little reference to the current state of world events, it is therapeutic to just spend time in its universe.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/WarnerBrosAU/

From Paul King, writer/director of the “Paddington” films, David Heyman, producer of “Harry Potter,” “Gravity,” “Fantastic Beasts” and “Paddington,” and producers Alexandra Derbyshire (the “Paddington” films, “Jurassic World: Dominion”) and Luke Kelly (“Roald Dahl’s The Witches”), comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.

Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (“The Prom,” “Schmigadoon”), Paterson Joseph (“Vigil,” “Noughts + Crosses”), Matt Lucas (“Paddington,” “Little Britain”), Mathew Baynton (“The Wrong Mans,” “Ghosts”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water,” the “Paddington” films, “Spencer”), Rowan Atkinson (the “Johnny English” and “Mr. Bean” films, “Love Actually”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”), with Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”). The film also stars Natasha Rothwell (“White Lotus,” “Insecure”), Rich Fulcher (“Marriage Story,” “Disenchantment”), Rakhee Thakrar (“Sex Education,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), Tom Davis (“Paddington 2,” “King Gary”) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Paddington 2,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Mary Poppins Returns”).

Simon Farnaby (“Paddington 2”) & Paul King wrote the screenplay, based on a story by King and characters created by Roald Dahl. Michael Siegel, Cate Adams, Rosie Alison and Tim Wellspring are serving as executive producers. King’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Chung-Hoon Chung (“Last Night in Soho,” “Ah-ga-ssi”); Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“Tenet,” “Dunkirk”); editor Mark Everson (the “Paddington” films); Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (the “Paddington” films, “Topsy-Turvy”); and composer Joby Talbot (the “Sing” films). Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy is writing original songs for the film.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Heyday Films Production, a Paul King Confection, “Wonka,” set to open in theaters and in IMAX internationally beginning in December 2023 and in Australia on December 14, 2023; it will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
www.facebook.com/WarnerBrosAU/

From Paul King, writer/director of the “Paddington” films, David Heyman, producer of “Harry Potter,” “Gravity,” “Fantastic Beasts” and “Paddington,” and producers Alexandra Derbyshire (the “Paddington” films, “Jurassic World: Dominion”) and Luke Kelly (“Roald Dahl’s The Witches”), comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor. Starring Timothée Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time—proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you’re lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible.

Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane (“The Day Shall Come”), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key (“The Prom,” “Schmigadoon”), Paterson Joseph (“Vigil,” “Noughts + Crosses”), Matt Lucas (“Paddington,” “Little Britain”), Mathew Baynton (“The Wrong Mans,” “Ghosts”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water,” the “Paddington” films, “Spencer”), Rowan Atkinson (the “Johnny English” and “Mr. Bean” films, “Love Actually”), Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”), with Oscar winner Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”). The film also stars Natasha Rothwell (“White Lotus,” “Insecure”), Rich Fulcher (“Marriage Story,” “Disenchantment”), Rakhee Thakrar (“Sex Education,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral”), Tom Davis (“Paddington 2,” “King Gary”) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (“Paddington 2,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” “Mary Poppins Returns”).

Simon Farnaby (“Paddington 2”) & Paul King wrote the screenplay, based on a story by King and characters created by Roald Dahl. Michael Siegel, Cate Adams, Rosie Alison and Tim Wellspring are serving as executive producers. King’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Chung-Hoon Chung (“Last Night in Soho,” “Ah-ga-ssi”); Oscar-nominated production designer Nathan Crowley (“Tenet,” “Dunkirk”); editor Mark Everson (the “Paddington” films); Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (the “Paddington” films, “Topsy-Turvy”); and composer Joby Talbot (the “Sing” films). Neil Hannon of the band The Divine Comedy is writing original songs for the film.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Heyday Films Production, a Paul King Confection, “Wonka,” set to open in theaters and in IMAX internationally beginning in December 2023 and in Australia on December 14, 2023; it will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
www.facebook.com/WarnerBrosAU/

Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.

Marvel Studios’ “Secret Invasion” stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Charlayne Woodard, Killian Scott, Samuel Adewunmi, Dermot Mulroney, Christopher McDonald, Katie Finneran, with Emilia Clarke and Olivia Colman, and Don Cheadle.

Ali Selim directs the series and executive-produces, along with fellow executive producers Kevin Feige, Jonathan Schwartz, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Samuel L. Jackson, Ali Selim, Kyle Bradstreet and Brian Tucker. Kyle Bradstreet is also the head writer, and Jennifer L. Booth, Allana Williams and Brant Englestein serve as co-executive producers.
www.facebook.com/DisneyPlusAU/

Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the three bears are joined by an over-the-top version of Jack Horner (John Mulaney) who adds both comic appeal and a sense of menace. Antonio Banderas returns as Puss as does Salma Hayek as love interest Kitty Softpaws. They are joined by a new character called Perro voiced by Harvey Guillén.

The story revolves around Puss using up eight of his nine lives and being chased by death, this time personified by a truly scary version of The Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura). This leads to an epic journey to find the Wishing Star to ask for more lives. Along the way, there are some easy-to-digest life lessons.

Greatly expanding the swashbuckling feline’s universe, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish helps to put even more distance between him and the big green one. There is excitement and a real sense of peril, one that might even be a bit intense for the youngest members of the audience. The film is presented with an unusual-looking style of animation that adds to its uniqueness and appeal.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU/

For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation presents a new adventure in the Shrek universe as daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet.

Academy Award® nominee Antonio Banderas returns as the voice of the notorious PiB as he embarks on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss will have to humble himself and ask for help from his former partner and nemesis: the captivating Kitty Soft Paws (Oscar® nominee Salma Hayek).

In their quest, Puss and Kitty will be aided—against their better judgment—by a ratty, chatty, relentlessly cheerful mutt, Perro (Harvey Guillén, What We Do in the Shadows). Together, our trio of heroes will have to stay one step ahead of Goldilocks (Oscar® nominee Florence Pugh, Black Widow) and the Three Bears Crime Family, “Big” Jack Horner (Emmy winner John Mulaney, Big Mouth) and terrifying bounty hunter, The Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura, Narcos).

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish features an all-star comedic cast that includes Oscar® winner Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone (Black Widow), Samson Kayo (Sliced), Emmy nominee Anthony Mendez (Jane the Virgin) and Tony nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Trolls World Tour).

The long-awaited follow-up to the 2011 Academy Award®-nominated blockbuster, The Last Wish is directed by Joel Crawford and produced by Mark Swift, the creative team behind DreamWorks Animation’s smash, The Croods: A New Age. The film’s executive producer is Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri.

The character of Puss in Boots first appeared in 2004’s Oscar®-nominated Shrek 2 and instantly became a global, scene-stealing sensation. Puss then co-starred in two other Shrek sequels and his solo film, as well as in multiple DreamWorks Animation videos and TV series. The Shrek and Puss in Boots films have collectively earned more than $3.5 billion worldwide.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will be released in Australian cinemas this Boxing Day!
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU/

Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, EMPIRE OF LIGHT is a powerful and poignant story about human connection and the magic of cinema from Academy Award® winning director Sam Mendes.

EMPIRE OF LIGHT features a stellar cast led by Academy Award winner Olivia Colman, BAFTA winner Micheal Ward, Tom Brooke, Tanya Moodie, Hannah Onslow, Crystal Clarke, with Toby Jones, and Academy Award winner Colin Firth.

The film is produced by Sam Mendes and Pippa Harris’ Neal Street Productions, in partnership with Searchlight Pictures. The film will release in Australian cinemas on February 2, 2023.
www.facebook.com/20thCenturyStudiosAUNZ