Culture
Movies
★★★★
Australian film
If Paul Kelly’s classic Christmas song makes you tear up, this film will too
Nick Waterman’s film adaptation, written with Meg Washington, captures the spirit of How to Make Gravy.
- by Garry Maddox
Latest
She started on Mad Men when she was six. Somehow, she survived
Kiernan Shipka, child actor made good, is riding a purple patch into her new romcom, Sweethearts.
- by Robert Moran
Saoirse Ronan’s WWII drama is not a great film but at least it isn’t predictable
Steve McQueen’s Blitz, which follows a young boy looking for his mother in war-torn London, is the most heartfelt film yet from the Oscar-winning director.
- by Craig Mathieson
★★★½
Review
Hugh Grant is seriously scary in his first horror film
At first, Grant doesn’t look like a monster in Heretic, then he pushes his familiar mannerisms into grotesque caricature.
- by Jake Wilson
Cate Blanchett’s new film is so weird, only she could have got it made
The Aussie screen veteran remains open to surprises, which is just as well, given her role in Rumours.
- by Stephanie Bunbury
★★★
Review
Disney’s Moana retread misses the Lin-Manuel Miranda magic
Despite its lush visuals, the long-awaited sequel proves there’s no good idea Hollywood won’t drive into the ground.
- by Robert Moran
The filmmaker with nothing to lose isn’t afraid of being sued
Podcaster and filmmaker David Farrier wants to connect with his online community at screenings of his breakthrough documentary Tickled in Melbourne and Sydney.
- by Jenny Valentish
Opinion
Cinema
Please stop talking about ‘Glicked’. It’s bannoying
The clumsy combination of Gladiator II and Wicked is an over-hyped attempt to capture the “Barbenheimer” success.
- by Garry Maddox
Opinion
Five Minutes with Fitz
Margaret Pomeranz: The 10 films you should watch, but probably haven’t
She’s one of Australia’s most admired film critics but which movies does she adore, and why?
- by Peter FitzSimons
From Bridgerton to Moana: The TikTok stars making history at Disney
Songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear are the first of their kind to create a Disney soundtrack.
- by Louise Rugendyke
How a Paul Kelly Christmas song became a Brisbane couple’s feature film debut
How to Make Gravy is co-written by actor-musician Meg Washington and her filmmaker husband Nick Waterman.
- by Nick Dent