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Movie Reviews

Latest reviews of films destined for Australian cinemas or premiering at international film festivals, with an emphasis on world movies, award-winners, independents and cult films doing the rounds of the arthouse circuit.

Now Showing

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Riz Ahmed takes the lead in the new film from Mira Nair.

Trailer
Tabu; sydney film festival; berlin film festival; Teresa Madruga; Laura Soveral; Portuguese film

Tabu

Former critic Miguel Gomes follows an older woman’s tale of obsessive love.

Interview Trailer
Broken;

Broken

Tim Roth and newcomer Eloise Laurence star for debut director Rufus Norris.

Trailer
A Place For Me; Greg Kinnear; Lily Collins

A Place for Me

Greg Kinnear plays a divorced writer struggling to take care of two teenagers.

Latest Reviews

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Guillotines

The Guillotines

A Chinese crime-fighting unit rely on flying swords to defeat their enemies. 

Trailer;
Easy Money

Easy Money

A young man tries to move up in the world through organised crime.

Les Misérables

Les Misérables

In 19th-century France, a paroled prisoner seeks redemption.

Trailer;
Hitchcock

Hitchcock

A love story about Alfred Hitchcock and his wife during the making of Psycho.

Trailer;
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

A hobbit is swept into an epic quest to reclaim a lost Dwarf Kingdom.

Trailer;
Life of Pi

Life of Pi

After a disaster, a boy is stranded on a lifeboat with animals.

Trailer; Interview;
Paris-Manhattan

Paris-Manhattan

A man is set up with a woman who is obsessed with Woody Allen.

Interview;
Samsara

Samsara

Twenty-five countries on five continents are filmed over five years.

Trailer;
Quartet

Quartet

A world-famous quartet reunite for a one-off concert.

Trailer;
Trouble with the Curve

Trouble with the Curve

An ailing baseball scout goes on one last recruiting trip with his estranged daughter.

Trailer;
Show Me the Magic

Show Me the Magic

A portrait of legendary Australian cinematographer Don McAlpine.

The Imposter

The Imposter

A documentary about an unusual missing persons case in Texas.

Trailer;
Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts

A newly single 35-year-old returns to his alma mater and begins a romance with a student.

Trailer;
Talaash

Talaash

A cop, a housewife and a prostitute get entangled in a mystery.

Love is All You Need

Love is All You Need

A hairdresser travels to Italy for her daughter's wedding and meets a widower.

Love Story

Love Story

Fact and fiction meet when a director films his own romantic pursuit.

Trailer;
The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

An introverted freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors.

Trailer;
The Man with the Iron Fists

The Man with the Iron Fists

In feudal China, a blacksmith must defend himself and his fellow villagers.

Trailer;
Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel

A reverential portrait of the one-of-a-kind fashion icon.

Trailer;
2 Days in New York

2 Days in New York

A French woman's family visits her and her new boyfriend in America.

Trailer;
Back to 1942

Back to 1942

Extreme drought and famine overwhelms central China's Henan province.

The World Before Her

The World Before Her

A portrait of a country at a crossroads, between female liberation and repression.

Sons of Norway

Sons of Norway

A boy deals with the death of his mother and the oddities of his father.

Klown

Klown

To win his girlfriend's approval, a man takes her son on a canoeing trip.

Jab Tak Haai Jaan

Jab Tak Haai Jaan

A man leading a double life must choose between his wife and his muse.

All the Way Through Evening

All the Way Through Evening

A musical doco about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in NYC.

The One That Got Away

The One That Got Away

Two Holocaust survivors from the same camp reconnect in old age.

Compliance

Compliance

A prank caller convinces a restaurant manager to interrogate an employee.

Trailer;
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Films on SBS TV
Saturday, 25th May
21:30
Snowtown
Based on true events, 16-year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighbourhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder. Winner of six Australian Film Institute awards in 2012, including Best Direction. Directed by Justin Kurzel and stars Lucas Pittaway, Bob Adriaens and Louise Harris. (From Australia) (Mystery/Crime) (2011) MAV (A,V,L) CC
23:45
Out Of The Blue
A powerful and haunting film based on the Aramoana massacre of 1990 where local recluse David Gray shot 13 people dead before going into hiding on the outskirts of the small New Zealand seaside village. As he stalked his victims the terrified and confused residents were trapped in the village for 24 hours while a handful of under-resourced and underarmed local policemen risked their lives trying to find him and save the survivors. Directed by Robert Sarkies and stars Karl Urban, Matthew Sunderland and Lois Lawn. (From New Zealand) (Drama) (2006) (Rpt) MAV (V)
Sunday, 26th May
23:45
Noise
The community is left reeling after a multiple shooting on a suburban train in Melbourne's inner-west. A young cop, beset with doubt and afflicted with tinnitus, is pitched into the chaos that follows this tragic event. He struggles to clear the noises in his head while all around him deal with the fallout of the crime. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema) at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Matthew Saville and stars Brendan Cowell, Maia Thomas and Henry Nixon. (From Australia) (Drama) (2007) (Rpt) MA (V,L) CC
Monday, 27th May
00:05
Death Note
A law student, disillusioned by the justice system, gets hold of a mystical notebook that gives him the power to kill by writing down a victim's name. He starts to bring criminals to justice himself by killing them using the notebook. A dark fantasy based on a successful manga series that was a huge box office success in Japan. Directed by Shusuke Kaneko and stars Tatsuya Fujiwara, Asaka Seto and Kenichi Matsuyama. (From Japan, in Japanese) (Thriller) (2006) (Rpt) M (H,V)
Tuesday, 28th May
23:05
Matchmaker, The
During the summer of 1968, young Arik Burstein goes to work for a matchmaker who has survived the Holocaust. As Arik begins to learn the personal stories of his new clients, he comes to appreciate the restorative power of love. Nominated for the Gold Hugo for Best Feature at the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival. Directed by Avi Nesher and stars Adir Miller, Maya Dagan and Tuval Shafir. (From Israel, in Hebrew) (Romance) (2010) M (S,L)
Wednesday, 29th May
23:10
Caramel
Lebanon's official entry at the 2008 Academy Awards takes a vibrant and intricate look at the lives and relationships of five Christian and Muslim women who work at, and frequent, a Beirut beauty salon. Directed by and stars Nadine Labaki. Also stars Yasmine Al Masri, Joanna Moukarzel and Gisele Aouad. (From France, in Arabic) (Drama) (2007) (Rpt) M (A)
00:55
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance
Beautiful Lee Guem-ja is finally out of jail after thirteen years imprisonment for the kidnap and murder of a six-year-old boy. She can now start to seek revenge on the man who was really responsible for the boy's death. But will her actions lead to the relief she seeks? Nominated for Best Asian Film at the 2006 Hong Kong Film Awards. Directed by Park Chan-wook and stars Lee Yeong-ae, Choi Min-sik and Tony Barry. (From South Korea, in Korean) (Drama) (2005) (Rpt) MAV (V,S)
Thursday, 30th May
00:05
Grbavica
A powerful, understated look at post-war Sarajevo with a single mother's struggle to survive her personal demons and raise a teenage daughter in a city broken and scarred by conflict. Winner of the Golden Bear at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival. Directed by Jasmila Zbanic and stars Mirjana Karanovic, Luna Mijovic and Leon Lucev. (From Germany, in Bosnian) (Drama) (2006) (Rpt) MA (L)
Friday, 31st May
23:10
Hardcore
Leaving behind a hard life with their families, two teenage girls end up in an Athen's brothel, fall in love and support one another against the adversities and violence of the night. Elements of fantasy and humour mix with a story of heartbreak and the loss of innocence. Directed by Dennis Iliadis and stars Katerina Tsavalou, Danae Skiadi and Omiros Poulakis. (From Greece, in Greek) (Drama) (2004) (Rpt) MAV (S,V,A)
Saturday, 1st Jun
21:30
The Tree
After the death of her father, an eight-year-old girl becomes convinced that he is whispering to her through the leaves of the gargantuan tree that towers over her house. Nominated for three César Awards in 2011, including Best Adapted Screenplay. Directed by Julie Bertuccelli and stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Morgana Davies and Marton Csokas. (From France, in English) (Drama) (2010) (Class tbc)
> View full SBS Film schedule
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SBS Film Guide to...
Australian Film Season: SBS ONE

Celebrate Australian filmmaking with this home-grown season. Starts May 25.

Saturday Cult Movie: SBS 2

A month of movies with an edge. Saturday nights in April.

SBS ONE Film schedule: Sandy George presents

Movies are back in primetime on Saturday nights, presented by Sandy George.

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The Fabric of the Cosmos (DVD)
The Fabric of the Cosmos (DVD)

A mind-blowing new exploration of space, time, and the very nature of reality.

Carla Bruni - Little French Songs (CD)
Carla Bruni - Little French Songs (CD)

A sensitive and seductive return to the limelight, written and performed in French and Italian.