I Am Not Your Negro Dir: Raoul Peck
The New Zealand International Film Festival opens in Auckland today. Films serve a myriad of purposes…to entertain, to thrill, to inform and to stimulate thoughtful discussion. Raoul Peck’s documentary, I Am Not Your Negro, based on the writings of James Baldwin, is a film that will quite possibly change your life.
Paris Can Wait, Director Eleanor Coppola
When the 80-year-old wife of Francis Ford Coppola, who’s been his helpmate, assistant and cohort since 1963, decides to write and direct her first feature film – what happens? Eleanor Coppola picks up the reins as if she’s commanded them her whole life and delivers a sure-footed tale of romance and self-discovery on a road […]
Swagger Of Thieves Dir: Julian Boshier
Starring: Head Like A Hole The New Zealand International Film Festival is nearly upon us and for many, the real drawing card is the music documentaries that are regularly on offer. This year is no exception with two of them being local productions. One is about Bill Direen, and the other is the story […]
The War for the Planet of the Apes, Director: Matt Reeves
I left the cinema after seeing The War for the Planet of the Apes, wondering if I had seen the same flick as the woman sitting next to me. She was reduced to tears, literally blubbering for a good part of the flick, while I sat there stunned at a grim pile of tired clichés […]
Spider-Man: Homecoming Dir: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Michael Keato, Jon Favreau, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey, Jr. Toby Maguire? Andrew Garfield? Now Tom Holland? Yep that’s right, the sixth Spider-Man film in 15 years has arrived, and this one is directed by Jon Watts.
My Cousin Rachel, Director: Roger Michell
Rachel Weisz delivers a wonderfully enigmatic performance in this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s 1951 classic novel, My Cousin Rachel. Impeccably shot and set in the lush Cornish countryside, it’s a mystery-romance-thriller that leaves the viewer pondering the possibilities long after you’ve left the theatre.
Transformers: The Last Knight Dir: Michael Bay
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Hopkins That’s right Transformers is back, and so is Michael Bay with the 5th in the franchise. Can you believe it? There’s 5 of these things. The Transformers franchise has been critically panned for the most part, but has grossed 3.7 billion worldwide. It’s a smart business […]
All Eyez on Me – Director: Benny Boom
All Eyez on Me purports to tell the true, untold story of rapper, poet and activist Tupac Shakur (Demetrius Shipp Jr.) What it doesn’t tell is why anyone should care why, twenty years after his death, his work still matters. But we do get to see a hell of a lot of booty and bullets.
The Mummy Dir: Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Annabelle Wallis, Sophia Boutella, Russell Crowe The Mummy, is directed by writer/director Alex Kurtzman, and is the first instalment in the Universal ‘Dark Universe’ shared cinematic universe of classic movie monsters.
Wonder Woman, Director: Patty Jenkins
There’s an infinite number of considerations when attempting to write a review of the new Wonder Woman movie. How could Gal Gadot ever fill the iconic Lynda Carter’s bustier? Why is this the first time she has been brought to the big screen in her own feature film? Is Wonder Woman too sexy for girl […]
Snatched, Director: Jonathan Levine
Life isn’t going well for 30-something Emily Middleton (Amy Schumer.) She can’t keep a job. Her boyfriend dumps her on the eve of an overseas holiday. Her tickets are non-refundable and unsurprisingly, none of her friends is willing to go along. She’s a self-centred wreck, oblivious to others and with no one left to turn […]
Arcade Fire – The Reflektor Tapes Dir: Kahlil Joseph
The Arcade Fire crew are revving up to release a new album sometime this year. To help remind you why you may (or may not) care about them, their 2015 film, The Reflektor Tapes is now out on DVD/Blu Ray.
Alien: Covenant Dir: Ridley Scott
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup Alien: Covenant is the much anticipated sequel to Prometheus. And I’m just going to say it. “I liked Prometheus”. I also really enjoyed the previous Alien films just to make that clear. A few of my friends are also Alien fans, and consider Prometheus to be the equivalent […]
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – Dir: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana The first Guardians film was yet another example of how plucking a talented passionate filmmaker from indie obscurity (James Gunn) and giving him a shot can be a big pay off for a major Hollywood studio.
Documentary Festival Reels In Top Films For The 2017 Programme
The Documentary New Zealand Trust presents: Doc Edge International Film Festival (Doc Edge) Wellington, 10 – 21 May / Auckland, 24 May – 5 June Hoka Hey: A Good Day to Die
Kong: Skull Island
Meet the new Kong! It’s 1973 and the Vietnam War is coming to an end. Facing redundancy, army scientist Bill Randa (John Goodman) convinces his superiors to let him lead a geology expedition to an uncharted island in the South Pacific. He gets his crew together: soldiers led by Colonel Preston Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), […]
Alone in Berlin
With Emma Thompson and Brendan Gleeson heading up the cast, I had high hopes for Alone in Berlin. It’s based on the highly praised 1947 novel by Hans Fallada, which has only recently been translated into English, apparently based on the story of a real life couple.
Hell Or High Water Dir: David Makenzie
Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, Gil Birmingham Just in time for Oscar season, Hell Or High Water has been released on DVD/Blu-Ray. If you missed this little gem on its cinematic release, make sure you take this opportunity to see it now.
T2 Trainspotting – Dir: Danny Boyle
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle T2 Trainspotting, the sequel to the ground-breaking 1996 film, got a preview screening last night at Auckland’s Broadway Newmarket Cinema. Along with a bevy of local “celebrities”, director Danny Boyle was on hand to say a few words before the film rolled.
Patriots Day
Director: Peter Berg 15th of April 2013 was a perfect spring day in Boston, Massachusetts – Patriots Day – honouring the first battles of the American Revolution and the day of the annual Boston Marathon. And the day chosen by the Chechen-refugee Tsarnaev brothers, Tamerlan (Themo Melikidze) and Dzhokar (Alex Wolff) as the date of […]