Archive for review

Film Review – Die My Love

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , on November 14, 2025 by Reel Review Roundup

Die My Love (MA)

Directed by: Lynne Ramsay

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert Pattinson, Sissy Spacek

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

The stifling nature of domesticity and a growing mental illness sends a young mother into a nightmarish spiral in the harrowing Die My Love.

When New York creatives Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jack (Robert Pattinson) move into their inherited cottage in the middle of Montana, it is supposed to be a beautiful new chapter in their lives.

Grace becomes pregnant and the couple begin raising their son – except Jack mostly works away, leaving Grace alone with the baby, no family, friends, or neighbours.

As the isolation and writer’s block takes its toll, Grace’s behaviour becomes erratic – but soon it appears that it is something much deeper that is affecting her.

Grace goes through the gamut of emotions associated with new motherhood: fatigue, low self-esteem, isolation, but it is compounded with this new lifestyle change that does not agree with her.

She is dying to express herself but doesn’t know how – it is frustrating and upsetting, for her and the viewer.

Lawrence is completely fearless and uninhibited in her portrayal of Grace, behaving child-like at certain times and then animalistic in others.

It is a performance that is fascinating to watch.

Die My Love is one of the best made films that captures exactly what it intends to and creates a mood and feeling that it intends to – the thing is it that the mood and feeling is dire.

Director Lynne Ramsay has such a strong hold and focus on the material that it is borderline documentary levels of realism.

This is a wonderful example of women telling stories about a woman’s experience, one that deserves to be told and explored, to allow visibility for those who have experienced it and educate those that have not.

And while it is definitely not a film intended to be enjoyed, it can certainly be admired, if one can endure the feeling of being different shades of frustrated, depressed and miserable for two hours.

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Film Review – The Long Walk

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , on September 10, 2025 by Reel Review Roundup

The Long Walk (MA)

Directed by: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Judy Greer

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

A group of desperate young men walk, talk and trauma bond in this tense and moving adaptation of a Stephen King novel.

In a dystopian, post-war America, the only hope for wealth young men have is to enter into an annual walking competition.

Sounds simple enough, but there is no set finish line – it is a walk cross-country to the death.

The men must maintain a certain speed and anyone who slows down or cops three warnings is shot on the spot.

Those left keep walking until there is one man standing.

Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) signs up and is dropped off at the starting point by his single mum Ginnie (Judy Greer).

He is immediately drawn to fellow competitor Peter McVries (David Jonsson) and the two get along like a house on fire, and quickly form a close camaraderie with a handful of other competitors.

Bonds form and motivations are revealed, which makes it even more devastating when they begin to meet their fate one buy one.

Who knew walking and talking could be so intense?

The Long Walk puts you through the gamut of emotions as we witness these likable characters trauma bond and develop deep connections with their competitors while fighting off the inevitable.

There are moments that are amusing, thought-provoking and downright shocking, and you will find yourself tearing up at least twice.

What is nice about this story is that the majority of these characters do not start out antagonistic despite being in competition with each other – they enter into this scenario with humility – an important tactic to ensure they are endearing to the audience.

This is one of the best depictions of male bonding on film with these young men allowed to be seen as sensitive and vulnerable.

Director Francis Lawrence has assembled a terrific cast of mostly unknowns – there is not a single weak link among them.

And in his dedication to realism, his adaptation doesn’t shy away from certain realities and how the men handle them – particularly bathroom breaks, which adds to the unflinching experience.

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Film Review – Better Man

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , on December 30, 2024 by Reel Review Roundup

Better Man (MA)

Directed by: Michael Gracey

Starring: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

Cheeky British popstar Robbie Williams’ rags to riches life is adapted to the big screen with some bold choices – but one in particular sets this biopic aside from all the others.

Better Man charts Williams’ life from humble, working class beginnings and not fitting in with the other lads on the soccer field, to being the youngest member of pop band Take That, his solo career and meteoric rise in popularity.

And his ultimate fall and fame-related struggles.

A few of the dramatic beats and developments are standard popstar biopic fare (drug addiction, self destructive behaviour, strained relationships etc) but this has been given the mega-budget treatment and is bursting with energy and style.

There are major musical sequences that are truly dazzling, giving this film a grander scale than what we usually see in this sub-genre, which are usually far more grounded and contained.

The biggest swing Better Man takes is having Williams represented as a CGI chimpanzee, for metaphoric purposes, throughout the entire film.

It is a bold and unusual choice that may not sit well with everyone, but it is certainly a fresh way to deliver the story when other aspects very familiar.

The film’s greatest achievement is capturing and maintaining Williams endearingly cheeky personality and still making him someone to root for even when he begins to spiral.

Williams personality shines through and is a constant reminder why people fell in love with him in the first place, and why his redemption story deserves our attention.

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Film Review – Dìdi

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , on November 20, 2024 by Reel Review Roundup

Dìdi (MA)

Directed by: Sean Wang

Starring: Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

It is 2008, and the last month of summer break turns out to be the most tumultuous, confusing and frustrating yet for 13-year-old Taiwanese American Chris Wang (Izaac Wang).

Not only do his older sister Vivian (Shirley Chen) and mother Chungsing (Joan Chen) continue to be a daily source of embarrassment, but he begins the awkward discovery of girls, the cool groups, drugs, rejection from so-called friends and general growing pains.

It is a moment in time in which Chris struggles to find out where he fits in this world, and it is a painful journey figuring it out.

Dìdi takes a refreshing approach to the teen angst sub-genre by digging deeper into the teenage experience than we have seen in some time, and with subtlety and delicacy.

The setting provides bouts of nostalgia when it comes to Myspace, the early days of Facebook, instant message chats and grainy Youtube videos for those who were online during the mid-2000s.

But their depiction in this film as important tools for the way that generation began interacting rings true, and the chats seem ripped from real life.

Dìdi is one of those films that runs the gamut of emotions, as per the highs and lows of teen years, but there are truly heartbreaking moments that are even more affecting due to the naturalistic performances.

Wang is such a fresh talent, it is as if he doesn’t know how to act, untarnished by classes, training, theories or other film acting style influences.

Wang, and indeed his co-stars, never seem to be acting; instead they are being, experiencing, and it is one of the most wondrous examples of naturalistic performing, to the point that Dìdi feels positively documentary-like.

Unsurprising, given that this is the feature film debut of documentary filmmaker Sean Wang, a remarkable achievement in authenticity.

His endeavour to capture real-life and eye for details are unmatched, casting age-appropriate people, with messy hair and acne, rather than the Hollywood standard of what should appear on screen, goes a long way in creating as realistic film as possible.

He has truly created something quite special.

Didi is screening as part of Perth Festival – Lotterywest Films November 25 – December 1.

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Film Review – May December

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , , on December 23, 2023 by Reel Review Roundup

May December (MA)

Directed by: Todd Haynes

Starring: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review by: Julian Wright

Do you ever really know a person? Can you ever really pinpoint their motivations? They are intriguing questions that Todd Haynes explores with delicious flourishes of melodrama.

Decades after their relationship became tabloid fodder, Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe’s (Charles Melton) story is about to be made into an independent film starring Hollywood actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) as Gracie.

The couple, still living in a small town with teenage children, let Elizabeth into their home so she can prepare for her role, and get to know what makes Gracie tick.

What has drawn Elizabeth to this meaty role of a lifetime? Gracie is 23 years older than Joe, and spent time in jail after their relationship developed when he was 13 years old.

But it turns out that Gracie is not an easy person to grasp.

A motherly Martha Stewart on the outside, emotional breakdowns behind closed doors and quietly calculating and manipulative at other times. Or is she just naive?

Who knows? And we might never find out.

Portman is sublime in her role of the nosey perfectionist, seeking the psychological key that unlocks the complicated and enigmatic Gracie.

Her subtle mimicry of Moore is only part of her multi-layered performance, that also weaves in shades of seduction.

Moore is Portman’s equal as she feasts on her role, playing both sides of this complicated character, shifting uneasily from child-like to cold and back gain.

But this is not simply a two-woman show, with Melton coming in leaps and bounds from his Riverdale days as the doting younger husband who begins to realise that is childhood was taken from him.

Exploring this illegal relationship from the point of view of an actress preparing for her role, as opposed to a straight-forward dramatisation, gives us the fascinating addition of the unusual relationship and dynamic between an artist and her subject.

We also get insight into an actress’ process and the privileged access they are allowed; it is at times even voyeuristic.

This is such a heavy subject matter that it could easily have been weighed down in dramatics and tears, but Haynes provides dark humour as levity (if you are on that wavelength) and moments of soap-opera theatrics. Some of the musical cues are right out of Days of our Lives.

Haynes treads a delicate line and does it with such confidence and skill, that once it ends, you almost want to start it from the beginning immediately. If only you weren’t so caught up mulling over what he has just posited.

May December screens as part of Perth Festival Lotterywest films from December 26 – 31.

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