family

SXSW Review: YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY: A Tour Of Toxic Masculinity
SXSW Review: YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY (BEING FRANK): A Tour Of Toxic Masculinity

The narrative debut of director Miranda Bailey, You Can Choose Your Family, is a misjudged dark comedy that earns enough goodwill through the committed performances from its ensemble.

AFTER THE STORM: Tokyo At Its Most Personal
AFTER THE STORM: Tokyo At Its Most Personal

Koreeda Hirokazu’s intimate family drama After the Storm captures a side of Tokyo rarely seen in cinema, as well as beautifully depicting a turbulent familial relationship with glimmering hope.

A WRINKLE IN TIME: Packed With Magic, But Lacking In Subtlety
A WRINKLE IN TIME: Packed With Magic, But Lacking In Subtlety

A Wrinkle in Time has many touching and beautiful moments, in large part due to the incredible and relatable performance of its young star. However, the heavy-handed direction and sugary-sweet story may wear on adults used to more nuanced fare.

DARK RIVER: Social Realism At Its Most Atmospheric
DARK RIVER: Social Realism At Its Most Atmospheric

Dark River feels more like a transitional gateway to better films, bridging the gap between Clio Barnard’ older social realist efforts and flirtations with experimental works likely to come.

THE BBQ: Getting All Up In Your Grill
THE BBQ: Getting All Up In Your Grill

The BBQ is a low-key Australian family comedy that aspires to be 2018’s answer to 90’s Oz comedy classic The Castle, but it’s too pedestrian to follow in that films footsteps.

SWINGING SAFARI: Australia's First 2018 Movie Misfire
SWINGING SAFARI: Australia’s First 2018 Movie Misfire

Only two weeks into 2018, Swinging Safari is Australia’s worst film of the year thus far with its muddled need to elevate the material.

PADDINGTON 2: A Warm, Furry Hug of a Movie
PADDINGTON 2: A Warm, Furry Hug Of A Movie

Paddington 2 is the rare sequel that is better than the original, filled with a good natured warmth that will delight children and parents alike.

The Nominated Film You May Have Missed: DEAD POETS SOCIETY
The Nominated Film You May Have Missed: DEAD POETS SOCIETY

In our latest entry of The Nominated Film You May Have Missed series, we discuss the 1989 Robin Williams drama Dead Poets Society.

THE FAMILY I HAD: A Harrowing Exploration Of A Torn-Apart Family
THE FAMILY I HAD: A Harrowing Exploration Of A Torn-Apart Family

The Family I Had is a sensitively-crafted and thoughtful documentary, utterly harrowing in its depiction of a family’s tragedy, but all the more powerful for being so.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: A Flawed Addition to the Saga
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI: A Flawed Addition To The Saga

If you are looking for the best film of the saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is not the film you are looking for.

A CHRISTMAS TALE: Familial Dysfunction Just In Time For The Holidays
A CHRISTMAS TALE: Familial Dysfunction Just In Time For The Holidays

From 2008, French film A Christmas Tale offers a different type of holiday film – one that is melancholy, depressing, and yet also intriguing.

The Santa Clause: Holiday Movies At Their Worst
THE SANTA CLAUSE: Holiday Movies At Their Worst

The Santa Clause isn’t the festive classic you remember – it’s a soulless comedy that doesn’t even understand the meaning of Christmas.

WONDER: Prudent, Sincere & Perspicaciously Polycentric
WONDER: Prudent, Sincere & Perspicaciously Polycentric

With verisimilitude, outstanding acting from its central and supporting cast, and sentient multifaceted perspectives, Wonder succeeds.

COCO: A Masterpiece We Will Remember
COCO: A Masterpiece We Will Remember

Coco is a refreshingly respectful look at Mexican culture, told from a child’s perspective but in a surprisingly poignant way as well.

WONDERSTRUCK: A Starry-Eyed Mess
WONDERSTRUCK: A Starry-Eyed Mess

With a weak and unfocused plot, Todd Haynes’s Wonderstruck feels like a love letter that isn’t quite sure who it’s addressing.