Female-centred musical biopics seldom stray from the path of a shining star that fades due to male jealousy, lousy personal decisions, and some form of addiction. The gold standard is A Star is Born, which has been made three times since the original 1937 non-musical version. Its story of an actress and her toxic relationship … Read More about Reddy stays steady
Reviews
Devil makes mayhem
The link between endemic poverty and religious ... Read More about Devil makes mayhem
The art of confusion
Most years produce an incomprehensible movie that ... Read More about The art of confusion
How Catholics are responding to the leadership of Pope Francis
"Can Francis Change the Church?" by Thomas ... Read More about How Catholics are responding to the leadership of Pope Francis
by NEVIL GIBSON When faced with a story of faith and miracles, moviemakers are likely to steer a middle course between scepticism and belief. While overtly Christian films are readily accepted as mainstream fare these days – recent examples include Risen, Son of God, The Nativity Story – those based on miracles face … Read More about Makeover for movie miracles
“On Trial for Reason: Science, Religion and Culture in the Galileo Affair” by Maurice A. Finocchiaro. Oxford University Press (New York, 2019). 304 pp., $32.95. Reviewed by NANCY ROBERTS (CNS) Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) is the Italian astronomer, physicist, mathematician and engineer almost universally known as the father of modern science. He also is … Read More about Authoritative journey through history of science and philosophy
Hollywood’s studio system was declared dead in the past month. It was the end of an era in which big budget movies were released solely to paying audiences in cinemas. Famous studios names such as MGM, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Columbia and Universal may live on in various forms, but their business models will not. The last to go were Paramount … Read More about Bollywood steps up
The annual bounty from the New Zealand International Film Festival contained some recurring themes. This year’s offering followed overseas trends of going online because of cinema closures during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, New Zealand’s cinemas are now open, and a small selection of entries hit the big screen. Habits gained through … Read More about Festival hits recurring notes
THE FINAL CHOICE — End of life suffering: Is assisted dying the answer?, by Caralise Trayes (Capture & Tell Media, 2020) 276pp, $29.99. Reviewed by PAT McCARTHY. What happens when an enquiring Kiwi journalist seeks the truth about the End of Life Choice Act that the country will vote on … Read More about A compassionate approach to the question of assisted dying
Long-term relationships between filmmakers and actors usually indicate mutually rewarding rapport. The empathy between director Michael Winterbottom and Steve Coogan has resulted in a laid-back travelogue series over the past 10 years and a handful of offbeat movies. Winterbottom is one of Britain’s most productive film-makers – 30 feature films and … Read More about Greece and greed
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