Based in remote Alaskan wilderness, The Grey, starring Liam Neeson, is a brilliant survival in the wilderness film that makes recent additions to the genre feel like stories about getting lost in the supermarket, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Film reviews
Man on a Ledge — on the precipice
Sam Worthington stars in director Asger Leth’s action/heist movie Man on a Ledge, which is caught between imminently forgettable cinema and something greater, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Artist — delightfully retro
Like Singin’ in the Rain, Oscars front-runner The Artist follows actors making the transition to audio-enabled cinema. It is a lavish retro delight, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Any Questions for Ben? — none for Ben, plenty for Working Dog
The third film from director Rob Sitch and beloved Australian production company Working Dog is exactly that: a dog, writes Luke Buckmaster.
J Edgar — how to make a quality biopic
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as notorious FBI chief J Edgar Hoover in the latest film from prolific director Clint Eastwood. Luke Buckmaster discusses how to make a quality biopic and the baggage Hollywood stars bring with them.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy — scrambled messages
Gary Oldman plays a disgraced former spy on a mission to seek out a mole in director Tomas Alfredson’s scrambled adaptation of author John le Carré’s twisty whodunit, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Darkest Hour movie review — vapid ETainment
Director Chris Gorak’s junky ET invasion flick explores in an air-headed way the mixed blessings of electricity in an appliance driven world. The commentary never comes to fruition and the cast contribute dorky performances, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — racy, pacey, gnarly thrills
There was never any doubt director David Fincher had the fangs to bring a faithfully grisly adaptation of Stieg Laarson’s best-selling novel The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo to the big screen, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Descendants — more Payne more gain
George Clooney pairs with director Alexander Payne in The Descendants, a quaint and deftly handled dramedy about an aggrieved father and his relationship with his two daughters, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Arrietty — glorious hand drawn animation
The latest film to reach Australian shores from Japanese production house Studio Ghibli, Arrietty, is a rich and spirited adaptation of The Borrowers that explores child-like wonders with adult sophistication, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Muppets — life’s a happy song
Those wonderful foam, fleece and fur made friendlies, The Muppets, return in a delightfully retrograde and simultaneously self-aware romp bound to slap a smile on your face, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Summer reading: Albert Nobbs movie review — Glenn Close, from far away
There is something supremely unsettling about Glenn Close’s performance as a cross-dressing butler in director Rodrigo Garcia’s excruciating Dublin-set period piece, writes Luke Buckmaster.
War Horse movie review — Spielberg’s semi-inspirational equine
Steven Spielberg’s lastest glossily produced middle of the road fare is essentially a collection of seven or eight handsomely shot World War I short films stuck together with a bit of salt lick, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Summer reading: Hugo — Scorsese’s cinematic love letter trips the light fantastic
70-year-old film industry veteran Martin Scorsese turns his hand to family entertainment in Hugo, an inspiring and beautiful love letter to the power and reach of cinema, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Pulgasari — directed by a captive, produced by Kim Jong-il
North Korea’s Dear Leader, the late Kim Jong-il, wasn’t just a ruthless dictator. He was also a film buff and produced a range of features such as Pulgasari, a spectacularly messed-up monster movie, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol — entertainment accomplished
Two-time Oscar winning director Brad Bird gives the Mission: Impossible franchise an almighty boost in this spectacular pulse-pounder that, despite its espionage gadgets, feels awesomely retrograde, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Iron Lady — odious Oscar bait
There are two words that best describe director Phyllida Lloyd’s glossily shot biopic of Margaret Thatcher, starring Meryl Streep in the all-important role. They are: Oscar bait, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Another Earth — another all-in American indie
Debut director Mike Cahill’s brooding indie Another Earth imagines a planet populated by human doppelgangers. It’s a great premise, but it’s utterly wasted in this morose low-budget drama, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Adventures of Tintin — faithful but strangely soulless
Steven Spielberg’s Boxing Day blockbuster-to-be The Adventures of Tintin — the first in a trilogy — is faithful to Hergé’s graphic novels, but suffers from eerily artificial performance capture animation, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Ides of March — a vote for George Clooney
The title might sound pompous, but director and star George Clooney’s The Ides of March is a thoroughly accessible and compelling take on back room machinations in the lead-in to an important US Democrat primary, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead — bubbling with inspiration
Debut documentarian Joe Cross travelled across America on a juice only fasting diet for 60 days. If the pitch sounds like a glorified infomercial, rest assured his film is actually one of the most inspiring docos about healthy living ever made, writes Luke Buckmaster.
X — striking, scungy street thrills
Writer/director Jon Hewitt takes to the streets of Kings Cross to plunge a low budget home ground thriller into the scungy world of street sex workers and back alley crimes, writes Luke Buckmaster.
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) movie review: complete arse or gross-out class?
To say Norwegian writer/director Tom Six’s The Human Centipede II is vastly better than its disgustingly gratuitous predecessor is faint praise indeed, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Gems ‘n’ Junk From the Cult Cache: For Your Height Only (1981)
He’s smart, he’s sexy, he’s dangerous…he’s three feet tall! His name is Weng Weng, the diminutive star of 1981’s unashamedly trashy James Bond spoof For Your Height Only. Luke Buckmaster reaches into the Cult Cache.
We Need to Talk About Kevin — not for the watercooler
Tilda Swinton gives an outstandingly haunted performance in director Lynne Ramsay’s disturbing suburban thriller We Need to Talk About Kevin, told using a swirly non-linear structure. But don’t get too excited, writes Luke Buckmaster.
