At The Movies
Join Simon Morris in the best seat in the house as he reviews the latest movies and dives into the issues gripping the silver screen.
Episodes
Dan Slevin reviews three new films in local cinemas: In Sinners, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler tells a Southern Gothic horror story with Michael B. Jordan playing identical twins; in Warfare, Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza collaborate on what’s been described as the most authentic modern war film ever, and in Small Things Like These, Cillian Murphy plays a family man troubled by the secrets being kept by his community.
Dan Slevin reviews an adaptation of Claire Keegan's 2021 novella about an Irish family man prompted to confront his community about the secrets that they have been keeping (starring Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy).
Civil War director Alex Garland collaborates with that film’s military advisor – and real-life Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza on the story of a platoon of Navy SEALS having a bad day in Ramadi.
Ryan Coogler writes and directs a Southern Gothic horror film featuring gangsters, vampires and the Klan, reviewed by Dan Slevin.
The Penguin Lessons is based on an unlikely true story of an English teacher in Argentina who finds himself stuck with a penguin at the height of a military coup. Written by Jeff Pope (Philomena) it stars Steve Coogan.
The Correspondent tells the true story of Australian journalist Peter Greste, covering a military coup in Egypt for Al Jazeera. His arrest on trumped-up charges became a worldwide scandal. Directed by Kriv Stenders (In the wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill), it stars Richard Roxburgh (Rake).
The Amateur sees a back-room boffin in the CIA turn himself into an avenging killer when terrorists kill his wife. Starring Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody) and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), it’s directed by James Hawes (TV’s Slow Horses).
Simon Morris occasionally finds himself out of his comfort zone - but not this week. Three films right up his alley – a true story of a journalist arrested for doing his job, The Correspondent… a straight, old-fashioned thriller, The Amateur… and The Penguin Lessons, a blend of Steve Coogan, a military coup in Argentina and a penguin.
The death of a Unicorn sees a father and daughter (Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega) hit a mysterious entity on the way to a weekend with an unscrupulous pharmaceutical family. An entity with the ability to heal any disease. What can go wrong – particularly when the unicorn summons assistance?
Queer sees Daniel Craig (No time to die) shake off Double Oh Seven in an adaptation of a book by William S Burroughs (Naked Lunch) about an American writer hiding out in Fifties Mexico who falls in love. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Challengers).
Grand Tour starts out like a Merchant Ivory passage to Southeast Asia about a man running away from the prospects of a wedding, before turning into a very strange travelogue. Directed by Portuguese auteur Miguel Gomes (Arabian Nights) who won Best Director at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for it.
Simon Morris realizes people go to the cinema for different things. Some go for the humble “movie”, some for the elevated “film”, some for the even more pretentious “cinema”. Which are this week’s choices: the Portuguese Grand Tour… Queer, starring Daniel Craig… and horror-comedy Death of a Unicorn, with Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega?
The return sees Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) reunite to tell the classic tale of Odysseus’s return home after masterminding the fall of Troy. Written and directed by Uberto Pasolini (producer of The Full Monty) it’s a fascinating look at one of the first ever works of fiction, by Greek poet Homer.
Simon Morris looks at films about rebellion – from Iranian Oscar nominee The Seed of the Sacred Fig, to the biopic of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German cleric who tried to stand up to Hitler. And The Return is a new take on one of the oldest stories ever written, Homer’s Odyssey.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig – the story of an Iranian judge at odds with his daughters over their campaign for women’s rights – made its own headlines when the Iranian government forbade the director from going to the Cannes Film Festival. But when he defied them, the film picked up four awards there.
Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin tells the story of a dissident German cleric who was one of the few local voices raised against the might of the Nazi party. He was even prepared to risk his faith to support a plot to kill Adolf Hitler. Written and directed by Todd Komarnicki (Sully).
The Last Showgirl tells the story of a 50-plus Las Vegas dancer suddenly forced to confront her life and her future when her show Le Razzle Dazzle finishes after 30 years. Featuring a Golden Globes-nominated performance by Pamela Anderson (Baywatch) with Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once) and Dave Bautista (Dune).
Snow White is the controversial remake of the Disney animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. StarringRachel Zegler (West Side Story) and Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), it’s currently scoring a record low 1.9 on IMDb. Can it be as bad as they say? Directed by Marc Webb (500 Days Of Summer).
The Rule of Jenny Pen is the latest by New Zealand director James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark), about a rest home terrorised by a patient and his sinister doll. Starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow, it became a favourite of horror legend Stephen King (“one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.”)
Simon Morris joins the rest of the world in being unimpressed by the new Snow White, though he wonders how much worse it is from a string of Disney cover-versions over the years. He also checks out The Last Showgirl, featuring the return of Pamela Anderson, and New Zealand horror film The Rule of Jenny Pen, with an A-List cast.
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