Mother and Child

A superb drama about a Mother who gave her daughter up for adoption 35 years ago and her 35 year old daughter she has never met. Naomi Watts and Annette Bening are excellent as daughter & mother respectively, along with Jimmy Smits & Samuel L Jackson as "Partners". Also in the mix is a couple desperately wanting to adopt a newborn. The characters in this film are brilliant and the similarities between mother & daughter make things really interesting. The film offers a commendable insight into the challenges faced both by mothers who give up their babies for Adoption and their children as they grow into adults and navigate their way through their lives - a subject our family is well aquainted with. Excellent Stuff.

The Nanny Diaries - 2007

Scarlett Johansson is fabulous as allways as the Nanny in this light comedy about the challenges faced by a newbie Nanny in a disfunctional host family on the "Upper East Side" of Manhattan. Laura Linney is excellent as the Mum. Alicia Keys also gets a run as the Nanny's mate.

"A Single Man" - 2009

For those of you who don't know who Tom Ford is - he was creative director of Gucci & YSL from 1994 to 2004 & was credited with turning the Gucci Group around from being almost bankrupt when he took over to being worth around $10 Billion when he left. He also has a degree in architecture. So, does Tom Ford know a thing or 2 about style? Well, it just so happens that he wrote the screenplay, directed and co-produced this film, so do you think it might be just a little bit stylish? Hello! The film is set in the 60's, and the homes, cars and fashion of that period are showcased beautifully by Ford. The film centres aound a gay man & his relationships, something Tom Ford also knows a bit about, being gay himself. Colin Firth (aka "Mr D'Arcy") is absolutely superb as the main character, ably supported by Julianne Moore, Mathew Goode and Nicholas Hoult (who was the young boy in "About a Boy" with Hugh Grant, but isn't quite a young boy any more). The film is a visual "feast" - Ford uses black and white and sepia effect extensively, to great effect, to reflect whats going on in the mind of George (Firth). This is a sensitive, interesting and thought provoking film. Fabulous.

Inception - 2010

DeCaprio is brilliant in this massive budget hollywood sci-fi thriller. The supporting actors including Ellen Page (Juno) & Joseph Gordon-Levitt are also excellent. Quite an interesting idea based on multiple levels of dreams utilising the power of suggestion. The plot is engaging (for a sci-fi fantasy) although some aspects didn't quite work for me. The film is action packed and the special effects are brilliant. On the whole it's extremely well done. If you like the James Bond genre and the next-level-up Matrix series, you're bound to love Inception. While I quite enjoyed it, these "hollywood" type films with lots of special effects, long fight sequences and fanciful plots are not really my thing.

Animal Kingdom - 2010

No, there are no animals in this film. Not real ones anyway. The theme is based on the animal nature of humanity. "Dog eats dog" is the phrase that comes to mind. With an all star Australian cast - Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Jacki Weaver etc. this is a top shelf drama revolving around a true blue Australian crime family in the 80's. Not for the squeamish, but like most Australian drama feature films it has substantial depth and is extremely well done.

"The Lovely Bones" 2009

An interesting murder mystery starring Mark Wahlburg & Rachel Weisz told through the eyes of its 14 year old teen victim. The film is either enhanced or spoilt depending on your particular likes or dislikes by Peter Jackson's elaborate fantasy scenes. They didn't do much for me but they actually worked quite well to give the film a sort of ethereal quality.

Matt Corby - live at the Heritage Hotel 2.7.10

I've said this before but I'll say it again. Matt Corby is one of the finest singer/songwriters in the country. He is currently experimenting with various musical styles and doing things "his" way. He is the antithesis of comercialism. Resplendent in cut knee jeans and thigh length cable knit beige cardigan, his live set was something to behold. He & his 2 mates meandered through a wide range of musical styles ranging from Sigur Ros to Mumford & Sons, Coldplay and even some blues. Ably supported by People Places - a singer/songwriter doing his first ever public gig and Lanie Lane - a fabulous young lady who sounds a little bit like Katie Steel (Little Birdy) & a little bit like Duffy. In spite of Matt's eschewment of commercialism my prediction is that he will have an "accidental" hit song & his prodigious talent will propel him to the top of the tree. You have been warned.

"The Informant" 2009

Matt Damon stars in what is supposedly a comedy, but we didn't find much to laugh about. Seemed to drag on a bit & the plot development was flawed.

"Invictus" 2009

At first it seems a little strange to see Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela but very soon he becomes Mandela & its on with the show.   I'm a  big fan of Clint Eastwood directed films, so I had high expectations for this film.  Initially it seemed like it was going to be a somewhat bland historical story but no, it was far more than that.  The insight into the mind of one of the greatest leaders of our time and the heartwarming themes of  belief, encouragement and victory mades for rewarding viewing.

"Puberty Blues" 1981

(on FTA) An interesting snapshot of teen beach culture in Sydney in the early 80's pre-facebook era. Funny to watch now, but in reality a sad indictment of the shallowness of some teenagers lives. Features 3 Split Enz songs written by Tim Finn & cameos by Rowena Wallace & the late Bud Tingwell.

"American Violet" 2008

Along the lines of "Erin Brokovich", this is a story of a big win for a small minority. It will really open your eyes to the injustices of the American Justice system. There are a couple of statistics at the end of the film which are quite chilling and which make you realise why the film is so important. Compelling viewing.

"Bright Star" 2009

Abbie Cornish ("Candy") & Ben Wishaw ("Perfume") are excellent in this Georgian (1714 to 1830 according to Wikipedia) love story about poet John Keats by Jane Campion ("The Piano", "The Portrait of a Lady" & "Holy Smoke").    If you like the period costumes, a bit of poetry and a good love story, you'll probably love this film.  Even though I'm a big fan of Jane Campion's work, this sort of thing doesn't really float my boat. Margaret & David rated it very highly (4.5 & 5 stars), click here to see their review.

"Precious" 2009

Gritty, seedy, shocking, sad, tragic, cruel and upsetting, this is a story of relentless abuse - there is nothing "pleasant" about this film. Oscar worthy performances from Gabourey Sidibe & Mo'Nique, however, make for a powerful and compelling experience where hope and survival ulimately triumph. Paula Patton and Mariah Carey (yes Mariah Carey) are excellent in their supporting roles. Even uber cool Lenny Karvitz turns up in his film debut. In spite of the subject matter this is a must see!

"Serious Moonlight" 2009

Meg Ryan & Timothy Hutton. Imagine a movie where the male lead spends the majority of the movie on the toilet. No, well neither could I . Meg Ryan plays psycho woman in this somewhat incredulous plot. Brilliant twist in the last 5 seconds. I found it quite funny but the female majority in the household panned it.