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• Post #4498031

  The visuals of GOYO: ANG BATANG HENERAL can be uneven. It has some of the best imagery in Philippine cinema, while a handful of scenes can feel clumsy and artificial. I have always put Jerrold Tarog on a pedestal, as he's one of the very few Filipino filmmakers who can carry an ambitious vision all the way to the screen without compromise, and clearly the Bayaniverse trilogy is his magnum opus to date. As a character study, GOYO feels lacking, but in its exploration of a flawed system and...

• Post #4466431

  This Japanese curry plate with crispy tofu, mushroom, and avocado is a vegetarian dream dish #melbourne

• Post #4083295

  I had high hopes for this film. Panganiban is probably the most versatile Filipino actress of her generation. Martinez is one of the wittiest Filipino filmmakers with a sharp instinct for social commentary. And Jeturian, whose body of work can be hit or miss, directed one of my all-time favourite meta films, Tuhog. UNMARRY genuinely tries to lay bare the tedious and emotionally draining process of annulment, but that is where my positive impression ends. The tone is all over the place, Panganib...

• Post #3879875

  Despite the uneven tone and dated musical score, MAXIMUM PLEASURE GUARANTEED was quite an enjoyable series. The resolution also seemed too straightforward for such a convoluted plot, but the storytelling has mastered the art of cliffhangers and misdirection. And Dolly de Leon is such a gift; it's refreshing to hear a Filipino accent belong to a character and not a caricature.

• Post #3877817

  The stories of Troy and Ithaca were made-up fantasy stories (i.e. mythology) with roots in the Bronze Age, formally documented centuries later by Greek-speaking civilisations. Your complaint about performers of colour in a film adaptation is not a demand for historical accuracy but an excuse for racism. #theodyssey

• Post #3822067

  Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the first feature film in history to be shot entirely on 70mm IMAX. Apparently there are only around 40 cinemas worldwide capable of screening it in this format, and IMAX Melbourne is the only one in the southern hemisphere. Looking forward to Saturday! 🎥

• Post #3770654

  On the surface, ALL HER FAULT seems like a flashy commentary on class and the gendered expectations of parenting, but the resolution hints at influences from Scandinavian noir. Guilt, a recurring theme throughout the series, was also handled thoughtfully, resulting in an entertaining, well-acted suspense drama. Trivia: the series is set in Chicago but was actually shot in Melbourne. So it's occasionally disorienting when a character is in South Wharf, turns around, and is suddenly transport...

• Post #2401862

  This month, we’re seated for another tension-filled lady boss storyline.

• Post #2401858

  📍 Fremantle, Western Australia

• Post #2401855

  This triangular farmhouse was the perfect halfway stop on our road trip from Albany to Margaret River

• Post #2401852

  Four episodes in, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is already one of the year’s most enjoyable light watches, with a supporting cast stacked with serious talent and writing that has a knack for taking the story to funny, unexpected places. Despite its serious themes, it still works perfectly as light viewing: breezy, clever, and incredibly entertaining.

• Post #2401848

  Saturday well spent. Japanese breakfast and a long stroll along Sydney Road.

• Post #2401846

  @trelord i adore Elle, but Offerman and Pfeiffer are excellent character actors that suit the cast perfectly 🤩

• Post #2401843

  @trelord understandable!

• Post #2401840

  When the waters are this blue, it's hard to argue that Western Australia has the best looking beaches in the country

• Post #2401839

  MAGELLAN rarely feels like a biopic, partly because its central figure is portrayed as almost deliberately one-dimensional. What it brilliantly puts on full display instead is the insanity of colonisers: their entitlement, delusion, and violence. Some production details felt questionable, and the film’s less rural, barrio-grounded aesthetic marks an interesting departure for Lav Diaz.

• Post #2401838

  JULIUS CAESAR is definitely one of Shakespeare’s meatier works, with a tragedy that feels more collective and institutional than personal. In high school I memorised both funeral speeches of Brutus and Mark Antony, but only now do I fully understand their deep contrast. The play is not merely about the assassination of a politician, but about the death of idealism, especially when reason is overtaken by emotional manipulation.

• Post #2401836

  Back-to-back weekends of Japanese breakfast in Melbourne

• Post #2401835

  Outsourcing Jobs In India and Philippines Are Changing — And Workers Are Feeling It https://youtu.be/7MVfAVnUF9Y?si=5rkTqR4GkDszFL9x

• Post #2401834

  A follow-up two decades later puts nostalgia ahead of a slightly manufactured plot, repackages moments from the original as fan service, and stages major scenes inside Italian architectural icons. The sequels to The Devil Wears Prada and Gladiator are the same film.

• Post #2401833

  A hysterical friendship comedy about things unsaid, said, said but not meant, and everything in between. ART features a trio of Australia's finest actors in an exploration of male ego and the inability to articulate profound emotions. Such a privilege to experience that much talent on stage.

• Post #1114341

  It is quite interesting to speak of human spirit and human connection when the film's central bond is between a human and an alien. More than just a quirky sci-fi adventure comedy, PROJECT HAIL MARY is about finding meaning in a world that has failed you in more ways than one. Extremely entertaining, with pockets of life-affirming drama.

• Post #1114340

  The play WEST GATE didn’t attempt to make sense of the tragedy of 1970, and despite a slow build into the zeitgeist and social world of its characters, it became a beautiful tribute to the 35 workers who lost their lives during the construction of the now-iconic West Gate Bridge.

• Post #1114339

  Russell Street is definitely Melbourne's ramen street. Ikkoryu Fukuoka Mensho Tokyo Hakata Gensuke Tonkotsu Shujinko Ginza Kagari 🍜🍜🍜

• Post #1114338

  Hello Western Australia 🏖️

• Post #1114337

  📍 Rottnest Island, Western Australia

• Post #942338

  SPLITSVILLE is a chaotic comedy involving childish, self-absorbed individuals, with writing that’s part-witty, deliberately messy, but also tonally uneven. Don’t watch it sober.

• Post #857046

  "Seeking the finest flavours of the Philippines, we’ve found uber-crispy pork crackling, fragrant crab curry, and the many uses of ube (a sweet, nutty, purple yam)." 🇵🇭 UrbanList's list of best Filipino restaurants in Melbourne: https://www.theurbanlist.com/melbourne/a-list/best-filipino-restaurants-melbourne

• Post #798418

  A friend asked me to write an article about a documentary for an academic journal. And here I am, with the cinema all to myself.

• Post #798417

  TOGETHER is a satisfying and eerie body horror that creatively depicts unhealthy co-dependency in relationships. Franco and Brie went all out and literally acted with every last fingertip. 2 BECOME 1 by the Spice Girls takes on a whole new meaning.