Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Kevin Connolly Stars: John Travolta, Spencer Lofranco, Kelly Preston, Stacy Keach, Pruitt Taylor Vince, William Demeo, Chris Mulkey, Lydia Hull, Leo Rossi, Donald John Volpenhein. New York mob boss John Gotti (played here by John Travolta) was known as the “dapper Don” for his stylish designer suits. He was also known as the "Teflon Don” because very few charges brought against him by the FBI actually stuck and resulted in convictions. This biopic about the gangster spans some thirty years and charts his ruthless rise to power …
THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Martin McDonagh Stars: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Lucas Hedges, Abbie Cornish, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage, Caleb Landry Jones, Sandy Martin, Kerry Condon, Samara Weaving, Alejandro Barrios, Zeljko Ivanek, Amanda Warren, Clarke Peters, Brendan Sexton III, Nick Searcy. Irish playwright turned filmmaker Martin McDonagh has a great track record, with his films including the brutally funny and bleak black comedy In Bruges with Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes and Colin Farrell; and Seven Psychopaths. And now …
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GOOD TIME
Reviewed by GREG KING Directors: Benny and Joshua Safdie Stars: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Buddy Duress, Taliah Webster, Barkhad Abdi. The low budget indie crime drama Good Time is the latest film from the Safdie brothers (Benny and Joshua), whose films like Daddy Longlegs, etc, often explore the struggles of losers who live on the edges of society. This is a gritty and downbeat black comedy and heist drama with plenty of energy. Connie Nikas (played here by Twilight's Robert Pattinson, cast against type) is a …
WATCH THE SUNSET – interview with Damien Lipp
by GREG KING Written and directed by Tristan Barr, Watch The Sunset is a gritty new Australian crime drama about a man whose past catches up with him. Watch The Sunset tells the story of Danny (Barr) an ex-con and his small – and rightly terrified – family, over one brutal afternoon. This is a visceral, tense, nervous thriller that unfolds in one shot, in real time. It was shot in one continuous take. Greg spoke to cinematographer Damien Lipp about some of the challenges in shooting the film, the casting, and the influences on the …
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CUT SNAKE
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Tony Ayres Stars: Sullivan Stapleton, Alex Russell, Jessica De Gouw, Kerry Walker, Robert Morgan, Paul Moder, Brett Swain. One of the few genres that Australian filmmakers tackle consistently well is the hard boiled crime noir. With Cut Snake Aussie director Tony Ayres (better known for his work on tv series The Slap, etc) attempts to make a smart Tarantinoesque noir like crime thriller, although the results are a little uneven. The film premiered at MIFF in 2014 and has taken over a year to reach local screens. Written by tv writer …
A MOST VIOLENT YEAR
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: J C Chandor Stars: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Albert Brooks, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Elyes Gabel, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Peter Gerety, Ashley Williams. In 1981 New York was a city in decline, and statistically was regarded as one of the most violent years in its history, with both the crime and murder rate spiraling. This era of lawlessness forms the backdrop for this character driven piece about crime and corruption. This is the third film from director J C Chandor, whose impressive filmography includes Margin Call, a …
JOHN DOE: VIGILANTE
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Kelly Dolen Stars: Jamie Bamber, Lachy Hulme, Ditch Davey, Daniel Lissing, Sam Parsonon, Harry Pavlidis, Brendan Clearkin, Brian Wenzel. There have been a lot of films in which a vigilante, disillusioned by the ineffectual legal system and a police force seemingly unable to control the streets, takes the law into his own hands to reclaim our violent cities. Films like these play to our innate sense of justice and fairness, and also to our prejudices. The genre briefly gave Charles Bronson a renewed career boost with his increasingly …
SON OF A GUN
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Julius Avery Stars: Ewan McGregor, Brenton Thwaites, Alicia Vikander, Matt Nable, Tom Budge, Jacek Koman,. One of the few genres that Australian filmmakers seem to get right is the crime genre, and this year has delivered a couple of great little thrillers in Felony and The Reckoning, although neither exactly set the box office alight. Which is a shame because they deserved a bigger audience. And so does this tough but derivative generic crime thriller. There are hopes that this film will fare strongly at the box office, but it may well …