Reviews

This series stands as a testament to the power of visual storytelling, seamlessly weaving together a potent soundtrack and exceptional cinematography with performances that pierce the veneer of mere acting. It plunges the viewer into the turbulent odyssey of Tore, whose journey is not one for the faint of heart. The narrative doesn't shy away from the gritty realities of a life unraveling at the seams, capturing the essence of a coming-of-age story that eschews the trappings of cliché, providing an unflinching look at the consequences of an intensely traumatic event. It astutely challenges the viewer's suspension of disbelief, positing that the human psyche can indeed spiral from sobriety into the depths of substance abuse under the weight of profound distress. Adding to its authenticity, the series features the iconic Patricia-a real-life Stockholm club that lends a raw and pulsating backdrop to Tore's descent. Compact in its storytelling, the series offers a concise narrative that can be devoured in a single evening, marking it as a piece of television that not only entertains but lingers, prompting introspection long after the screen fades to black.

Poker Face could have been great. I have no idea why the writers introduced the art thieves. It was completely irrelevant to an otherwise intriguing story.

The concept of childhood connections and making good with them was great. Liam Hemsworth was unrecognisable as the alcoholic friend.

I wish the movie focused more on why the guys were life long friends. Adding in unrequited drama with a completely irrelevant heist narrative did not help this movie.

Bang on sets and good performances make this watchable. I left satisfied with the ending, but wishing more effort was put into the background story of the mega millionaire's friends.

Bloom is a great new piece of original drama straight out of Australia. From the opening scene I was hooked. While Australian stalwart actors Bryan Brown and Jacki Weaver give it some street cred, the young actors (particularly Ryan Corr) really steal the show. At only 6 hour long episodes it was easy to binge watch over the course of a day. The country town setting is very Australian. (Having come from one I can attest to that), the pace is great, with each episode ending on a cliff hanger. I also loved that it included a couple of same-sex couples stories with care and grace. This is one of the most original stories I've seen in a long time. Of course you need to leave reality at the door, so sit down, relax and enjoy the story.

Just Before I Go is a quirky black comedy with a lot of heart. Usually Sean William Scott plays a college doofus, however, in possibly his best role, he plays a troubled 41 year old who has given up on life. I found this movie in the LGBT section of STAN, however Sean's character is straight and the gay theme is about his younger nephew who is struggling to come to terms with being gay. It is handled quite well, and the struggle is palpable. Over all the movie is quirky, which I love, and each of the characters are well played and well developed. There are a few classic one liners to lift up what would otherwise be quite a sad movie. I really did enjoy this, definitely worth a look.

As a game designer myself, I was truly fascinated by this very well made and intriguing documentary. I also happened to be a child of the 70's and at the time was very drawn in by the mystery and global phenomenon of the Rubik's cube. From the humble beginnings of its inventor to how it became an overnight roaring success is just mind boggling. The documentary is important for anyone interested in inventing, marketing, advertising, patents, games, or just how to make things go viral. There are detailed interviews with all involved including Mr Rubik. Where are they now style insights. History of the time. I really loved this and highly recommend it.

You can tell from the opening scene what type of movie this is going to be and I didn't mind one bit. The handsome school jock is closeted and finding it difficult to hook up with anyone until he meets another closeted high school jock. A small group of nerdy types regularly hold meetings in a school classroom under the guise of a Geography Club, knowing such a group would surely be ignored by the rest of school. Of course they are the local gay kids hiding behind the sign. The handsome jock stumbles upon the club and is convinced to join.

I think the holding power of this movie is the lead character played by Cameron Deane Stewart. He is very good in this role, very likable and very handsome. The story line is fairly slim on drama but the movie does redeem itself in the closing scenes. I must say I went in to this movie not excepting a lot and came our surprised enough to write this review and to say give it a go. Also look out for the cool cameo by Scott Bakula (Qantam Leap and later playing gay in Looking), in a very uplifting and rewarding scene around the family dinner table.

My heart ached throughout most of this movie. I loved the first "The Falls" and was sad that it had to end the way it did, not knowing how Chris and RJ's lives would pan out. Well now we know! Perhaps for me it is nice to see a gay relationship movie about fairly run of the mill characters. They aren't buff, don't have fabulous jobs and don't hang out at nude beaches or bars 24/7. in fact it seems both the boys lives have come to be in somewhat of a rut. But what they do have is an extraordinary desire to be happy with themselves, even when the odds are stacked against them. For this reason the film has a lot of soul. I felt like a warm blanket had been wrapped around me when these two finally meet up again. Chris's self inflicted pain is palpable and we are never too sure how in fact their lives may continue. As friends? As enemies? As lovers? For some unfortunate reason the audio in parts, is terrible, which is a shame given the high standard of everything else about the movie. I also found the Anniversary party scene to be unnecessary, and unlikely. I felt it added a selfishness to the main characters that tainted my opinion slightly. In the end however, I fell overwhelming in love, again, with the unmistakable bond between Chris and RJ. Warning, some full frontal nudity. (Oh go on, go see it just for that!).

What a fresh exciting and entertaining movie to have stumbled upon. I was stuck in a hotel room and having never heard of it, my interest was piqued once I saw James Marsden starring. Funnily enough he had starred in similar surprise movie, "Interstate 60", also well worth a watch. I can't grasp why the IMDb score is only 6.1. The story is an engaging, super black comedy. Acting is great, Matt Lucas is superb as Franklin Franklin, a slightly mentally challenged loner who longs for his much cooler brother's affection. Most of the humor stems from Franklin Franklins apparent lack of awareness of how the world works; probably having been previously sheltered from his now incarcerated brother (Marsden). The movie unflinchingly moves from sadness to hilarity and back in matters of minutes. I managed to catch this movie prior to seeing the trailer, which was a good idea. Having since seen the trailer, I think it is a real spoiler to where the film is going to take you. Much better to go into this one with out a clue about what will happen next. This gets an overwhelming yes from me and my partner.

I have just finished watching HER and am crying like a baby. What an interesting concept. I was wondering how a movie about falling in love with a computer could have any meaning. But it delivers it in spades. Particularly concepts of finding "the one" and how important that is. Joaquin gives a dead pan performance but it is Oscar worthy somehow, showing a shattered man coming to life again.

I can't go into details for spoilers but this is one of the finest movies about the importance of love and how it is certainly worth fighting to keep. It is indeed a strange concept and in the realms of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, one of my personal favorites. Not for everyone I am sure. But if you like quirky movies, certainly this is one that broaches on concepts so new it is impossible not to be fresh. I am sure you are going to love HER.

I agree with many of the comments left so far and none of them prevent me from absolutely loving this low budget indie Australian film. The story is not new, but these are stories that should be told and told again. Especially as there are so few from an Australian perspective.

As others have mentioned, in parts the production can be a little messy. However you quickly get used to this, and in the end (unintentionally) it makes the whole film feel more real. Imagine finding a slightly tattered rug, but once wrapped around you it was the warmest most comfortable rug you could find. That's how I felt about this film.

The two leads are great young actors. Considering this was Lucas Linehams first feature film, he has done an outstanding job and I look forward to seeing him in any upcoming roles.

I could imagine this movie being put on a school curriculum for students anywhere in the world to discuss the concepts of same sex attracted students, bullying and domestic violence. As a result of these themes, it does get upsetting at times. But please don't let that put you off seeing this very moving movie.

At the time of writing, "The Falls" has an IMDb rating of 5.6, which in my experience means the movie is barely worth a watch. Fortunately I ignored that score and had the pleasure to watch it last night. The two main characters are beautifully sweet. We get an insight into the strange world of the Mormons – two young men sent off on their mission to spread the word. It was interesting perspective, I wondered if many of the scenes of the missionaries being brushed off (as we all tend to do), were in fact real.

In any case, the main story is about the developing bond between the two young men, while trying to disguise the fact that one fancies the other a bit more than just a missionary brother.

Much of the soundtrack uses a slide guitar, which gave it a bit of a Brokeback Mountain feel. It does set the mood however, which I found lovely. I think the texture of the film perfectly captured that feeling of young romance.

There are some funny and wonderful scenes while the missionaries try to convert a down and out pot smoking honourably discharged war veteran.

The lead actors are very good and the pace of how things unfold means there is never a moment where you think the movie is slow. As the film drew to a close I did not want it to end. This is definitely one of the better gay themed movies I have seen recently.

Ryan Kwantan is fantastic as the awkward kid that seems to get bullied where ever he goes. His caring but stupid brother has helped him out with a new job, and alpha male of the new office, Toby Shmitz, takes great pride in bullying poor Griff, again.

Griff takes matters into his own hands and this is where the movie starts to make sense. Admittedly the first 20 minutes are confusing as we aren't sure if it is a super hero movie or a crime drama gone wrong. But the story unfolds very satisfactorily.

Griff is introduced to a girl who takes a shine to Griff and pursues a romance with him, much to the horror of Griff who seemingly doesn't understand why anyone would want a bar of him. There are some very funny scenes of the two together and your imagination is taken for a ride.

All of the characters play their parts very well. I can say that this is an unconventionally romantic comedy, somewhat akin to Mozart and the Whale. It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling and to that end, I would give it 4 stars.

The Slap has to be one of the finest pieces of drama to ever come out of Australia. It boils down to the core of our essence. No one is perfect and The Slap shows every ugly wrinkle. Many people will see a reflection of themselves, and it isn't pretty. But it is handled so deftly that you become part of their world.

Each episode focuses on one of the characters who were at a 40th birthday BBQ where booze, drugs and anger ends with a grown man slapping a small child. From here the author delves into the most inner thoughts of each character present at the BBQ. Thoughts most people would never share with even their closest friends. They lie, they cover their tracks, they live with the consequences of guilt and shame. The old man reflecting on his younger life, now disappointed with his lot, and contemplating never again having the pleasure of touching a young woman's breast. I think that is pretty powerful stuff. Not pornographic, just hitting home the reality what is going on in some people's heads.

No it isn't fun to watch, simply engaging. If you watch television to be challenged, this show serves it up in spades.

Light Gradient refers to the gradual slope of a bike path the boys take through a German forest. By gradual I mean slow. Entire scenes tend to go by of light bouncing off trees, water trickling down streams.

Comparisons could be made with Summers Storm in the use of half naked young German men out in the open. However this movie has a very scant cast. Mostly 2 main characters, with 2 more joining later. This is not a coming out movie. All characters are extremely comfortable with their sexuality and I think this is a wonderful portrayal of owning ones sexuality.

However the slowness of the movie will be its downfall. Occasional spurts of naked frivolity break up the trance like pace. The many close ups of Johan are not unwelcome. Overall it makes for a visual feast. The story line, however, is not compelling, just a little puzzling.