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Reviews
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
A really good action-thriller!
Thankfully I didn't' read any reviews before we saw this movie so I had no pre-conceptions about it. I thought it was a really good action-thriller, well-acted by the leads, with lots of tension and dramatic wildfire scenes. The ending was perfectly satisfactory and I'm puzzled that some reviewers wanted a detailed explanation and things neatly tied up, it really wasn't necessary. I hope more people go and see it and make up their own minds.
Emu Runner (2018)
A captivating Australian movie
Emu Runner is a beautiful movie with its heart absolutely in the right place. The writer/director has set the film in the real outback NSW town of Brewarrina and I read that many of the townspeople were involved in the making of it, having small parts etc. The father is played by actor/director Wayne Blair and he is terrific; you can see how much his family means to him. Many of the other actors are non-professional and do very well with their roles; some of the young ones have amazing presence. The story is of a bereaved young Aboriginal girl in a small town who finds solace in interacting with an emu. Her character and the depiction of the town, its people and landscape is captivating and I found the movie very enjoyable.
Instant Family (2018)
A sweet movie
A sweet movie with great acting and many really moving moments. I thought some of the comedy elements were a bit weak and seemed to have been included for broader audience appeal, but overall it was a most enjoyable movie with its heart in the right place.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)
If you enjoyed the book – this is a very different story
You'll find that much that made the book so good has been changed: characters that didn't appear in person are given prominence, it has been made into a love story, which the book really isn't and the ending has been totally re-worked to give cinema audiences a feel-good-happy-ending which the writers must have believed they craved. There is so much more depth and subtle humour in the book, it's a shame that the changes in the movie had to be so radical. However, as a stand-alone movie the actors are excellent, Scotland and London have never looked better and the British humour and political irony are spot-on.
Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)
A great movie - intelligent, exciting and Australian too!
This movie has a better storyline, more tension and excitement and better acting than several mega-budget mainstream movies aimed at 12+ audiences including Iron Man 2 and the tedious Transformer series. I went with my son to see this movie because he's been reading the book at school and I thought it was excellent. The young cast were outstanding, the action scenes believable and my son said it was a good adaptation of the book. Although there is some violence it is intrinsic to the story and it is essential to show the transition from carefree teenagers to young people struggling to survive and defend their homeland. It will appeal to young adults simply because the teenagers involved are seen as making their own decisions without adult interference. This movie is never over-sentimental or cliché-ridden as many Hollywood films seem to be. And there are not many concessions to keeping up appearances: as the group's days on the run progress they do look a bit grimy and shiny – a nice touch of realism. An Australian film to be proud of. I hope there is more to come in the series.