Rewind Archive

Lonely Hearts | 1982

Shot in Melbourne mainly in interiors the film is a city story with little urban flavor. It is a study of two people that has lived inside themselves most of their lives. Patricia (Wendy Hughes) under the shadowing figures of her parents and Peter (Norman Keye) looking after his mother. The enclosed spaces are a [...]
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The Cinema of ‘God’s lonely man’: Understanding the Martin Scorsese-Robert De Niro partnership

I had the pleasure of seeing and reviewing ‘Shutter Island’ (2010) a few weeks ago at a local cinema. Whilst I was amazed at the film’s crisp cinematography and Martin Scorsese’s attempt at the psychological thriller, I was even more taken by Leonardo Di Caprio’s intense portrayal of Teddy Daniels. His performance was a throttling [...]
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DVD: 40th Anniversary Review – Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Il Conformista”

As an avid film fan, I am always thinking about films that capture me, motion pictures that have remained etched in my mind. Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1970 political-drama ‘Il Conformista’ (1970) captures, in rich cinematography, the alienation of Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant): a man who subscribes to Italy’s Fascist politics and culture by agreeing to kill [...]
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DVD: “State of Play” (Universal)

Film (3.5/5) DVD (3/5) “State of Play” is adapted by plot specialists Tony Gilroy and Matthew Michael Carnahan from the BBC 2003 television series of the same name. To directed the film has been called UK documentarist Kevin Macdonald (“Touching the Void”). The story starts with three murders, a political scandal and a journalistic rivalry [...]
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25th Anniversary Review – Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours”

Twenty five years after its release, Martin Scorsese’s 1985 black comedy/thriller ‘After Hours’ remains one of the director’s most (if not, his most) underrated feature. The narrative follows the adventures of Paul Hackett (brilliantly played by Griffin Dunne): an ordinary New York City worker trying to get home after becoming entangled in a series of [...]
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Astor Theatre Film Festival Review – Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon a Time in the West”

Astor Theatre has taken the liberty of showing – in crisply restored 35mm vision – Sergio Leone’s ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ (1968) for two weeks straight, from November 22nd to December 5th, 2009. Sadly, today is its penultimate showing. I did, however, have the pleasure of checking out Leone’s lasting classic twice [...]
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Review – Mike Figgis’ “Leaving Las Vegas”

Based on John O’Brien’s novel of the same title, Mike Figgis’ ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ (1995) is a complex text, to say the least. It details the final stages of Ben Sanderson (Nicholas Cage): an ex-Hollywood agent on the road to Las Vegas with the strict intention of drinking himself to death. The bottle has become [...]
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15th Anniversary Review – Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”

Fifteen years on, Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994) stays cool. The film uses six degrees of separation to remove and bring together the stories of two hit men, two restaurant robbers, a gangster’s wife and a boxer in crisis. The end result: a cinematic masterpiece.
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