It Must Be Heaven – This gentle, quirky, and very plot-thin film follows Palestinian director and writer Elia Suleiman’s (who plays himself) as he travels from Palestine to Paris and then to New York. Synchronised Parisian police on electric unicycles, an angel on the run, and a bothersome sparrow, among other eccentricities all make up Suleiman’s peculiar brand of humour and whether this mould of comedy works for you is subjective. While the film’s absurdist charms did not work on me, It Must Be Heaven will most likely be the uplifting antidote to this year’s drudgery for many. And if nothing else it’s certainly beautiful to watch.

Sputnik – This Russian creature flick is a crawling slithering cliche, but that’s not to say it’s bad. Yes, it borrows liberally from the likes of Alien, The Thing, and Solaris, both in plot and creature design, but it’s still well put together and the production values are top-notch.

Amundsen – Unfortunately it bites off too much, cramming in the famed Norwegian’s complicated romantic life, the turbulent relationship with his brother, and his expeditions to both poles. Would’ve benefited from a more focussed examination of his life, but remains interesting viewing, nonetheless.

See my reviews for the NZ Herald here and for Witchdoctor here.

Hope Gap – A quiet and intimate film, Hope Gap explores the realities of marriage and what it means to age together. Bill Nighy and Annette Bening deliver reliably strong performances as a couple who face some cold truths about their relationship.

The Secret Garden – It may not have the emotional pull that you’d expect from a story about children undergoing the trauma of parental loss, but what it lacks in dramatic clout it makes up with the quality of its production. Although being cast with the acting talents of Colin Firth and Julie Walters, the film’s biggest star is its art department. Luscious set designs and exquisitely lit forested wallpapered hallways wonderfully flirt with magical realism and blur the lines between interior and exterior, fantasy and the real. The overall effect is one of total visual emersion.

See my reviews for the NZ Herald here and for Witchdoctor here.

Tenet – A Christopher Nolan brain-bender that incorporates his signature blockbusting clout and a heady blend of time, physics, and action. While this is far from Nolan’s best, it manages to carry you along with some astonishing set pieces. And if you can unshackle yourself from the mind-contorting plot, Tenet becomes quite an exhilarating two hours.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things – Director Charlie Kaufman appears to relish peering into the psyche of loners (Adaptation., Being John Malkovich etc.) often with alluring results. Captured from the novella by Iain Reid, I’m Thinking of Ending Things reveals the inner workings of a very private life and is dripping with Kaufman’s typically wordy style as he tells the story of Jake (Jesse Plemons) and the strained relationship with his girlfriend (played by Jessie Buckley). Indeed the film’s inner monologues can occasionally feel like wading through molasses, but the intriguing characters linger in your mind long after you’ve put the Netflix remote down, calling you to piece together the film’s many clues and ponder its allegories. As expected all is not what it seems and I’m Thinking of Ending Things begs for a deep post-view reading. Doing so delivers a wonderfully rewarding experience and if nothing else it’s worth seeing for the brilliant Jessie Buckley.

See my reviews for the NZ Herald here and for Witchdoctor here.

Here are some flicks I’ve seen that are due out in cinemas this week …

The Australian Dream – A powerful and challenging film that documents the racial abuse of AFL player Adam Goodes. The film brilliantly peels back the layers of his story as he stares straight down the barrel of the camera lens, implicating and provoking a reaction from its audience. A well-structured documentary that found me effortlessly floating in the invisibility of its filmmaking and thinking only of the man at its centre. Would make a great (but arduous) double-bill with Sweet Country.

The Quarry – A man on the run assumes a new identity in this searing slow burn that’s been left in the frying pan too long. It makes a reasonable attempt at exploring the theme of forgiveness, but it’s far too strained and elongated to effectively get the message through. Michael Shannon does what Shannon does best but Shea Whigham is painfully wooden.

Fatima – Based on true events this swooning period piece tells the story of three children and their miraculous visions of Mary that lead to unrest in their small Portuguese town. It’s patchy but honest story telling that longs for a Malickian touch but doesn’t quite get there.

Here are latest streaming capsule reviews from the good Witchdoctor. I give Lovecraft Country a favourable writeup after having seen the first episode. Gotta say I was slightly less enamoured with episode two which aired last night. I guess after such a great start the only way was going to be down. You can read the reviews here.

From Spike Jonze’s fascinating doco, Beastie Boys Story (pictured above), to Netfilx’s not so good White Lines (described by Gary Steel as “vapid”), and others make up the Witchdoctor’s latest round of streaming reviews here.

Here’s my bit on BBS…

Despite hitting the big time during my impressionable years, Beastie Boys were never my bag—a novelty act, sexist, brash, and, well, shit. But after watching Beastie Boys Story I might have to swallow my words. The two remaining members, Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz (Adam Yauch died of cancer in 2012) stand in front of a live audience and tell their tale with the aid of a teleprompter, a few props and a giant video screen in the background. If you’ve ever seen an Apple live event, then you’ll recognise the similar setup (curiously, this is also an AppleTV+ release). But this is way more than a “woohoo” Tim Cook event. Long time video collaborator Spike Jones helms this film and injects plenty of his unique flavour, spicing up what is already a fascinating story. But what makes this documentary special is how Diamond and Horovitz reflect on their journey, touching on topics of shame, regret, passion and friendship. As anyone will tell you, a good music doco will have you Googling the act and streaming their music after. Hell, this doco is so good it’s got me trawling the stores for some Beastie vinyl.