Click each image to play the film in full at SBS On Demand. Please note that the films on this list expire at various times throughout September (If there is no 'play' button, the film is no longer available).
Hyde Park on Hudson
United Kingdom, 2012
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Language: [language]
Director: Roger Michell
Starring: Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Olivia Williams
What's it about?
The story of the love affair between FDR (Bill Murray) and his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley (Laure Linney), centered around the weekend in 1939 when the King and Queen of the United Kingdom visited upstate New York.
[link title="Hyde Park on Hudson: Roger Michell and Richard Nelson interview" url="node/1435"]
Radiance
M
Australia, 1998
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Rachel Perkins
Starring: Deborah Mailman, Rachel Maza, Trisha Morton Evans
What's it about?
In her first feature, Rachel Perkins injects heart and humour into the story of three three estranged sisters reuniting for their mother’s funeral. There's light and shade as the women reminisce, and allow old tensions to simmer to the surface.
[link title="Radiance Review" url="node/3803"]
Philomena
United Kingdom, 2013
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Stephen Frears
Starring: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan
What's it about?
Philomena (Judi Dench) has spent fifty years searching for the baby she was forced to put up for adoption, and she asks a journalist, Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) for his help. The convent where she was sent as a pregnant teen is no help - all they can find are damaged documents and nuns who won't say a word. Finally Martin gets a lucky break when chatting with a local pub owner who informs him that the convent sold babies to childless Catholic American couples, starting Philomena and Martin's journey to the United States.
[link title="Philomena: Stephen Frears interview" url="node/1839"]
[link title="Philomena interview: Steve Coogan" url="node/1875"]
[link title="Philomena Review" url="node/6400"]
Thanks for Sharing
MA15+
United States, 2012
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Stuart Blumberg
Starring: Pink, Tim Robbins, Carol Kane, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mark Ruffalo
What's it about?
Adam (Mark Ruffalo) is a sex addict who maintains sexual sobriety by understanding his triggers, and he finds help and comfort through a support group. There, his sponsor Mike (Tim Robbins) leads by example, but has arguably found a substitute for his sexual addiction in his dependence on the recovery program itself. Neil (Josh Gad) is a young doctor whose addiction risks jeopardising his career. After a lot of counselling and support, Adam feels he might be ready for a meaningful relationship. He is lucky enough to meet Phoebe (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is resolutely against dating any sort of addict, so he conceals his background from her.
[link title="Thanks for Sharing Review" url="node/6338"]
Tuesday, After Christmas
M
Romania, 2010
Genre: Drama, Romance
Language: Romanian
Director: Radu Muntean
Starring: Mimi Branescu, Maria Popistasu, Dragos Bucur, Victor Rebengiuc, Mirela Oprisor
What's it about?
Paul Hanganu loves two women: Adriana his wife of 10 years and the mother of their daughter; and Raluca, his daughter's dentist, who has made him redefine himself. He has to leave one of them before Christmas.
No Return
M
Argentina, 2010
Genre: Thriller
Language: Spanish
Director: Miguel Cohan
Starring: Leonardo Sbaraglia, Martin Slipak, Bárbara Goenaga
What's it about?
When a young boy on a bike is killed in a hit and run, his devastated father will do anything to bring the driver to justice. While the real killer is convinced by his family and lawyers to keep quiet, a series of unfortunate events lead an innocent man to be accused.
Monsters
M
United Kingdom, 2010
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Sci-Fi
Director: Gareth Edwards
Starring: Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able
What's it about?
Written and directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Six years ago NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A space probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear and half of Mexico was fenced off and quarantined as an Infected Zone. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain "the creatures". Monsters follows a U.S. journalist escorting an American tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the U.S. border, all the while trying to stay alive in an alien-infested war zone.
[link title="Monsters: Gareth Edwards interview" url="node/488"]
[link title="Monsters Review" url="node/5264"]
The Devil's Double
2000
Genre: Drama, Biography
Director: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Ludivine Sagnier, Philip Quast, Dominic Cooper, Raad Rawi, Khalid Laith, Mimoun Oaïssa
What's it about?
Baghdad, the playground for the rich and infamous, where anything can be bought - for a price. This is Uday Hussein’s world and the dictator's son helps himself to whatever turns him on. When army lieutenant Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), is summoned to Saddam’s palace, he is faced with an impossible request – to be Uday’s 'fiday’ – his body double, or have his family condemned to death. In a world entrenched in betrayal and corruption knowing who to trust becomes a matter of life or death for Latif, as he battles to escape from his virtual imprisonment.
The Black Balloon
M
Australia, 2008
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Elissa Down
Starring: Gemma Ward, Rhys Wakefield, Toni Collette
What's it about?
This comedy drama follows the travails of a suburban Aussie family, and in particular the struggles of teenager Thomas (Rhys Wakefield), who is largely responsible for the care of his autistic brother, Charlie (Luke Ford).
[link title="The Black Balloon Review" url="node/4443"]
[link title="The Black Balloon Review" url="node/4718"]
Jedda
PG
Australia, 1955
Genre: Drama, Adventure, Action
Language: English
Director: Charles Chauvel
Starring: Ngarla Kunoth, Robert Tudawali, Betty Suttor, Paul Reynall, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks
What's it about?
Charles Chauvel's iconic story of an aboriginal girl brought up by a white family that adopts her. As a young woman, she is mysteriously drawn to go Walkabout as people of her tribe have for hundreds of years.
Whisky with Vodka
M
Germany, 2009
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: German
Director: Andreas Dresen
Starring: Henry Hübchen, Corinna Harfouch, Sylvester Groth, Markus Hering
What's it about?
Two actors are locked in a quiet battle over who will star in a big-budget movie. Otto Kullberg (Henry Hubchen) is a talented and popular actor who has been cast in the leading role is also a notorious alcoholic. When Otto doesn't arrive on set one morning, director Martin Telleck (Sylvester Groth) brings in another actor to serve as Otto's understudy, Arno Runge (Markus Hering), who is younger and more reliable.
Precious
MA15+
USA, 2009
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Lee Daniels
Starring: Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz, Bill Sage, Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique
What's it about?
In 1980s Harlem, obese teen Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) endures unimaginable hardships in her young life. She's pregnant for the second time to her abusive father; at home she must wait hand and foot on a poisonously angry mother. In these conditions she grows up poor, angry, illiterate, unloved and generally unnoticed until a teacher tries to expand Precious' sense of herself.
[link title="Why You Should Watch: Precious" url="node/14750"]
[link title="Precious Review" url="node/4875"]
Knights of Badassdom
MA15+
United States, 2014
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Fantasy, Adventure
Language: English
Director: Joe Lynch
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Peter Dinklage, Steve Zahn
What's it about?
Three best friends and dedicated role players take to the woods to reenact a Dungeons & Dragons-like scenario as a live action role-playing game. Trouble arises when a prop spellbook purchased from the internet ends up being a genuine grimoire and they unwittingly conjure up a blood-lusting succubus from hell.
Prague
MA15+
Denmark, 2006
Genre: Drama
Language: Danish, Czech
Director: Ole Christian Madsen
Starring: Stine Stengade, Mads Mikkelsen
What's it about?
Christoffer (Mads Mikkelsen) and Maja's (Stine Stengade) trip to Prague to bring back Chistoffer's deceased father evolves into the story of a break-up. With the dead father lurking in the background, secrets gradually emerge threatening to destroy their marriage.
A Happy Event
MA15+
France, Belgium, 2011
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Language: French
Director: Rémi Bezançon
Starring: Gabrielle Lazure, Josiane Balasko, Pio Marmaï, Louise Bourgoin, Thierry Frémont
What's it about?
Barbara (Louise Bourgoin) is a post-graduate student, in love with video store clerk Nicolas (Pio Marmaï). After a cute courtship in the video store where Nicolas works, the pair quickly they find themselves enthusiastically, if not slightly nervously, embarking on their biggest joint venture yet – their first child. But what begins as a life step they decide to embrace with joyful abandon, quickly starts to change shape (both figuratively and literally) as Barbara’s tummy swells with their unborn child and new pressures start to weigh on their relationship.
[link title="A Happy Event Review" url="node/5763"]
Che: Part One
M, 2009
Genre: Drama, History
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Lou Diamond Phillips, Julia Ormond
What's it about?
Che (Part One): The Argentine The first film in Steven Soderbergh's two-part Che Guevara (Benicio Del Toro) epic tracks the charismatic revolutionary as he joins Fidel Castro's (Demián Bichir) band of Cuban exiles and journeys to the island on a leaky boat in 1956. From these humble beginnings, the small team of rebels mobilise popular support and recruit an army which will ultimately topple the US-friendly regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista, while Che himself undergoes a transformation from a simple doctor to one of the most iconic political figures of the modern age.
[link title="Che: Part One & Two Review" url="node/4776"]
[link title="Che: Part One and Part Two review Review" url="node/4827"]
Che: Part Two
M
[country], 2008
Genre: Drama, War, Biography
Language: [language]
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Franka Potente, Pablo Durán, Joaquim de Almeida, Carlos Bardem
What's it about?
Che (Part Two): Guerrilla Following the success of the Cuban Revolution, Che Guevara is at the peak of his fame and power when he vanishes without a trace. Resurfacing some time later in the jungles of Bolivia, Guevara sets about recruiting a new band of insurgents to help him spread the revolutionary message across the rest of Latin America. But as the Bolivian government and CIA close in on him, this will prove to be his most dangerous campaign yet.
The Hunt
MA15+
Denmark, Sweden, 2012
Genre: Drama
Language: Danish
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Alexandra Rapaport
What's it about?
Mads Mikkelsen delivers a superb, award-winning performance in this electrifying film from Thomas Vinterberg. Lucas (Mikkelsen) is beloved by his students and fellow teachers at his local kindergarten. After a divorce, made especially painful when his wife moved away from town with their teenage son, Marcus, Lucas’ life is recovering with a new girlfriend, and the reforging of his relationship with Marcus. His world comes crashing down, however, when a young girl in his class accuses him of inappropriate behaviour. It’s a simple lie that spirals out of control and the small community suddenly finds itself in a collective state of hysteria. Long held friendships are tested as mistrust takes hold, and Lucas must summon all his strength in a brave fight for his life and dignity.
[link title="The Hunt review: Group hysteria drama gets it right" url="node/5939"]
Goethe!
Germany, 2010
Genre: Drama
Language: German
Director: Philipp Stölzl
Starring: Miriam Stein, Alexander Fehling, Moritz Bleibtreu, Burghart Klaussner, Henry Hübchen
What's it about?
After failing his law exams and experiencing a painful rejection from a publisher, young Johann (Alexander Fehling) is sent by his father to the boring town of Wetzlar to mend his ways. There, Johann's spirits are raised the moment he sets eyes on Lotte Buff (Miriam Stein), a beautiful, feisty and independent–minded girl. The couple fall in love, but Lotte is supposed to save her family’s fortunes by marrying Johan's boss, dull and awkward Albert Kestner (Moritz Bleibtreu).
[link title="Goethe! Review" url="node/5411"]
Asterix And Obelix Vs Caesar
PG
France, 1999
Genre: Adventure
Language: French
Director: Claude Zidi
Starring: Roberto Benigni, Gérard Depardieu, Christian Clavier
What's it about?
In 50 B.C., the whole Gaul country is under Roman occupation... except for one small village, who keep resisting to the invaders. That is until Roman Emperor Julius Caesar decides to have the village druid, Getafix, kidnapped and to besiege the village. Two fearless villagers, Asterix (Christian Clavier) and Obelix (Gérard Depardieu), decide to go on a mission to rescue Getafix.
Jackpot
Norway, 2011
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Language: Norwegian
Director: Magnus Martens
Starring: Jan Grønli, Lena Kristin Ellingsen, Marie Blokhus, Henrik Mestad, Peter Andersson, Fridtjov Såheim, Kyrre Hellum, Mads Ousdal, Arthur Berning, Andreas Cappelen
What's it about?
A bunch of scruffy guys – Oscar (Kyrre Hellum), Thor (Mads Ousdal), Billy (Arthur Berning)and Tresko (Andreas Cappelen) – who share a criminal past work together in a strange factory in the middle of nowhere producing plastic Christmas trees. But they are also gamblers. And like most gamblers, they never win anything, until now. They quartet actually win 1.739.361 Norwegian Kroner, but the winnings prove impossible to divide into four equal parts...
[link title="Jackpot: Magnus Martens interview" url="node/967"]
[link title="Jackpot Review" url="node/5927"]
Headhunters
MA15+, 2012
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Language: Norwegian, Danish
Director: Morten Tyldum
Starring: Reidar Sørensen, Kyrre Haugen Sydness, Julie R. Á˜lgaard, Synnøve Macody Lund, Joachim Rafaelsen, Aksel Hennie, Nils Jørgen Kaalstad, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
What's it about?
Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) makes his living as a corporate recruiter, finding talented people who work for other companies and making them lucrative offers to join the firm currently signing his paychecks. Roger's work pays a handsome salary, but he suffers crushing insecurity when it comes to his beautiful wife Diana (Synnove Macody Lund), and he constantly showers her with expensive gifts in hopes of staying on her good side. Between Diana's expectations and the expensive tastes of Roger's mistress Lotte (Julie Olgaard), Roger needs cash, so he's taken on a high-paying second job – stealing rare works of art. Roger is just good enough and smart enough to know that he'll get caught eventually, and when he learns of a man with an authentic Rubens, he hopes to make one last score that will keep him well set for a long time. But Roger soon learns there's a catch – the man with the painting is also someone he's supposed to recruit for a client, and he's clearly a few steps ahead of Roger.
[link title="Headhunters Review" url="node/5779"]
Cold Prey
MA15+
Norway, 2006
Genre: Horror
Language: Norwegian
Director: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Viktoria Winge, Tomas Alf Larsen, Rolf Kristian Larsen, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal
What's it about?
Five carefree youths set out on a snowboarding trip away from the overcrowded slopes and ski lift queues. Their idea is to conquer a peak in the middle of untouched nature on their own – but instead they find themselves fighting the most frightening serial killer in Norwegian history. When one of the young holidaymakers breaks his leg on the descent they find temporary shelter in an abandoned mountain hotel. They don’t yet know that it is a place people started disappearing from 30 years ago. And they have no idea that the building’s cellar hides a man whose best, or rather only, friend is an axe as sharp as a razor. The cat-and-mouse game the murdering madman plays shows not only who among the frightened visitors has the will to survive, but their true character as well.
The Girl from Monaco
MA15+
France, 2000
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Language: French, Italian, Russian
Director: Anne Fontaine
Starring: Roschdy Zem, Fabrice Luchini, Louise Bourgoin
What's it about?
A brilliant but neurotic attorney (Fabrice Luchini) goes to Monaco to defend a famous criminal. Instead of focusing on the case though, he falls for a beautiful she-devil (Louise Bourgoin), who turns him into a complete wreck. Hopefully, his zealous bodyguard will step in and put everything back in order... or will he?
Unresolved Sexual Tension
MA15+
Spain, 2010
Genre: Drama
Language: Spanish
Director: Miguel Ángel Lamata
Starring: Norma Ruíz, Pilar Rubio, Salomé Jiménez
What's it about?
University Professor Juanjo falls into a tailspin of depression and confusion after being dumped by his girlfriend. Convinced that he is being manipulated by her he persuades his boldest student, Nico, to help him regain his former love. However, their seemingly simple plan ends up being a perverse game.
An American Werewolf in London
USA, 1981
Genre: Horror
Language: English
Director: John Landis
Starring: David Schofield, Rik Mayall, David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter
What's it about?
On a walking holiday in the Yorkshire Moors, David (David Naughton) and his friend Jack (Griffin Dunne, are attacked my a werewolf. Jack is mauled to death but David survives and is treated in a London hospital for his injuries. But things only get worse as David gradually starts to transform from human into beast.
[link title="Why You Should Watch: An American Werewolf In London" url="node/126270"]
Electrick Children
USA, 2012
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Rebecca Thomas
Starring: Paola Baldion, Cassidy Gard, Rachel Pirard, John Patrick Amedori, Billy Zane, Liam Aiken, Bill Sage, Julia Garner, Rory Culkin
What's it about?
Rachel (Julia Garner), a young Mormon girl, believes in immaculate conception, while her fundamentally religious family regards her condition as an intolerable transgression. The search for the child's origins is a revelation for the 15-year-old.
Gigola
MA15+, 2010
Genre: Drama
Language: French
Director: Laure Charpentier
Starring: Ana PadrÁ£o, Rossy de Palma, Lou Doillon, Marisa Berenson, Marie Kremer, Arly Jover, Eduardo Noriega, Thierry Lhermitte, Marisa Paredes
What's it about?
George (Lou Doillon) is a charismatic young woman who, after the death of her older female lover, causes a sensation in the Paris nightlife of the '60s as Gigola, a cross-dressing Gigolo exclusively for women. An impressive Dandy, Gigola fast collects clients and cash, drawing her ever closer to a world of crime and corruption.
Detective Dee: Mystery of Phantom Flame
M
China, 2010
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Language: Cantonese
Director: Hark Tsui
Starring: Tony Leung Ka Fai, Carina Lau, Chao Deng, Li Bingbing, Andy Lau
What's it about?
An exiled detective (Andy Lau) is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu.
Lesbian Vampire KillersMA15+
United Kingdom, 2000
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Director: Phil Claydon
Starring: James Corden, Paul McGann, Silvia Colloca, Matthew Horne
What's it about?
When their women become enslaved by the local pack of lesbian vampires thanks to an ancient curse, the remaining menfolk of a rural town send two hapless young lads out onto the moors as a sacrifice.
The Fourth State
M
Germany, 2012
Genre: Thriller
Language: Russian, English
Director: Dennis Gansel
Starring: Moritz Bleibtreu, Kasia Smutniak, Mark Ivanir, Max Riemelt
What's it about?
Paul Jensen, a German tabloid journalist, moves to Russia and begins work at a gossip magazine in Moscow. Paul’s life is turned upside-down when he meets Katja, a beautiful activist who convinces him to run a politically oriented obituary in the magazine - an act that triggers a series of rapid-fire events in Paul’s life. Left to his own devices and on the run in the merciless Russian metropolis, Paul soon realises that he must face his own past to solve the political conspiracy against him.
Backstage
MA15+
France, 2005
Genre: Drama, Music
Language: French
Director: Emmanuelle Bercot
Starring: Valery Zeitoun, Isild Le Besco, Noemie Lvovsky, Emmanuelle Seigner
What's it about?
An adolescent groupie (Isild Le Besco) zeroes in on her Blondie-like idol (Emmanuelle Seigner) after a chance encounter. Gradually and intensely, their lives intertwine as they develop an emotional dependency.
Agora
MA15+
Spain, 2000
Genre: Drama, History, Adventure
Language: English
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Starring: Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac, Michael Lonsdale, Ashraf Barhom, Max Minghella
What's it about?
4th century A.D. Egypt under the Roman Empire... Violent religious upheaval in the streets of Alexandria spills over into the city’s famous Library. Trapped inside its walls, the brilliant astronomer Hypatia (Rachel Weisz) and her disciples fight to save the wisdom of the Ancient World... Among them, the two men competing for her heart: the witty, privileged Orestes (Oscar Isaac) and Davus (Max Minghella), Hypatia’s young slave, who is torn between his secret love for her and the freedom he knows can be his if he chooses to join the unstoppable surge of the Christians.
[link title=" Agora takes the sword to fundamentalism" url="node/2039"]
[link title="Agora gets a tick for credibility" url="node/2441"]
[link title="Why You Should Watch: Agora" url="node/24097"]
[link title="Agora Review" url="node/5252"]
An Education
M
United Kingdom, 2009
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Lone Scherfig
Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Dominic Cooper
What's it about?
Jenny (Carey Mulligan) is a bright young girl on the cusp of 17 who finds herself in a whirlwind romance with a much older David. Once she sees the lifestyle David can provide, one she never imagined might so easily be hers, she is hooked. Thoughts of prep school and one day attending Oxford fly out the window. Nominated for three Oscars in 2010. Directed by Lone Scherfig and stars Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard and Dominic Cooper.
[link title="Why You Should Watch: An Education" url="node/14325"]
[link title="An Education Review" url="node/4853"]
Wintersleepers
M
Germany, 1997
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Language: German
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Floriane Daniel, Heino Ferch, Ulrich Matthes
What's it about?
Passion, emotions, love and death are set in motion by a car accident, in which the lives of four young people and a farming family become tragically intertwined.
[link title="Why You Should Watch: Wintersleepers" url="node/35876"]
Last Ride
M
Australia, 2009
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Glendyn Ivin
Starring: Hugo Weaving, John Brumpton, Adam Morgan, Anita Hegh, Tom Russell
What's it about?
A desperate father (Hugo Weaving) takes his 10-year-old son, Chook (Tom Russell), on the run after committing a violent crime. As the two journey into the desert and an unknown future, their troubled relationship and the need to survive sees them battling the elements and each other. Chook eventually takes control and the choice he is forced to make has a devastating effect on both their lives.
Monsieur Lazhar
M
Canada, 2011
Genre: Drama
Language: French
Director: Philippe Falardeau
Starring: Danielle Proulx, Émilien Néron, Sophie Nélisse, Mohamed Saïd Fellag
What's it about?
The beloved teacher of a year 6 class in Montreal has abruptly passed away. Having learned of the incident in the newspaper, Bachir Lazhar (Mohand Saïd Fellag), a 55-year-old Algerian immigrant, makes his way to the school and offers his services as a substitute teacher. He's in the right place at the right time, and is quickly hired to fill in. The substantial cultural gap between Lazhar and his new class is immediately apparent, but little by little, Lazhar comes to understand this motley but endearing group, among whom are Alice (Sophie Nélisse) and Simon (Émilien Néron), two charismatic pupils particularly affect by their teacher's passing. Yet while the class begins to heal, nobody in the school is aware of Lazhar's painful past; nor do they suspect that his own place in the world is in jeopardy.
[link title="Monsieur Lazhar Review" url="node/5857"]
Adulthood
MA15+
United Kingdom, 2008
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Noel Clarke
Starring: Noel Clarke, Danny Dyer, Adam Deacon
What's it about?
The film picks up six years after the death of Trife (Aml Ameen) from the first film with the release of Sam (Noel Clarke) from jail where he has been for the past six and a half years for killing Trife. After being released, he goes to the cemetery where he visits Trife's tombstone where he is attacked by Trife's cousin.
Ben X
M
Belgium, 2007
Genre: Drama
Language: Flemish
Director: Nic Balthazar
Starring: Katrien Pierlet, Bavo Smets, Gilles De Schrijver, Cesar De Sutter, Marijke Pinoy, Greg Timmermans
What's it about?
To his long-suffering divorced mother, Asperger’s syndrome is the latest useless term doctors have provided over a decade of unhelpful diagnoses. Ben’s condition makes forging social ties difficult, as opposed to his virtual reality where he acts heroically and saves the day at every level he competes. Increasingly finding solace in the world of 'Archlord’ where ironically he enjoys his only real relationship, with the beautiful princess Scarlite, the boundaries between reality and fiction starts to blur as clips from the video game are integrated into real life. As the bullying from school escalates to an unbearable level, Ben devises a plan for revenge.
The Hidden Blade
MA15+
Japan, 2004
Genre: Drama, Martial Arts
Language: Japanese
Director: Yôji Yamada
Starring: Tomoko Tabata, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Takako Matsu, Masatoshi Nagase
What's it about?
Set in the mid-nineteenth century, Master Samurai swordsman Katagari (Masatoshi Nagase) is loyal to the code of the Samurai and rejects the less honourable fighting techniques being introduced to Japan from the West. Following the death of his mother, Katagiri is left in charge of the house and remains in his home town, preventing him from pursuing his career. His hometown is not totally unbearable; the object of Katagari’s affection, his mother’s housekeeper Kie (Takako Matsu) lives there but due to class differences they cannot be together. After three years news of Kie reaches Katagari, she is married to a callous merchant whose family’s emotional abuse is slowly killing her. Katagari must decide between love and duty as modern Japan threatens the way of the Samurai whose existence and power is slowly vanishing.
The Orator
PG
Samoa, 2011
Genre: Drama
Language: Samoan
Director: Tusi Tamasese
Starring: Fiaula Sanote, Ioata Tanielu, Salamasina Mataia, Tausili Pushparaj, Fa'afiaula Sagote
What's it about?
Small in stature and humble, Saili (Fiaula Sanote) lives a simple life with his beloved wife and daughter in an isolated, traditional village in the islands of Samoa. Forced to protect his land and family, Saili must face his fears and seek the right to speak up for those he loves. /The Orator/ is the first-ever Samoan language feature film and will represent New Zealand in the Foreign Language Film category at the 2012 Academy Awards.
[link title="The Orator: Tusi Tamasese interview" url="node/730"]
[link title="The Orator Review" url="node/5702"]
Freddy vs. Jason
MA15+
Italy, Canada, United States, 2003
Genre: Horror
Language: English
Director: Ronny Yu
Starring: Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger, Jason Ritter, Monica Keena
What's it about?
The two biggest icons of the slasher genre finally meet in Freddy vs Jason (aka /A Nightmare on Friday the 13th/). Banished for eternity, Freddy Krueger (played for the last time by Robert Englund) devises a plan to manipulate Jason into continuing his work, terrorising the teenagers of Elm Street. All goes well until Freddy realises that Jason won't oblige, and so behins a frightening showdown between Evil and Evil.
My Brother Is an Only Child
M
Italy, 2007
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Language: Italian
Director: Daniele Luchetti
Starring: Diane Fleri, Ascanio Celestini, Massimo Popolizio, Riccardo Scamarcio, Elio Germano, Angela Finocchiaro
What's it about?
In '60s and '70s Italy, Accio Benassi (Elio Germano) is irritable, explosive and a trouble maker. He fights every battle like a war and his parents despair - especially when he signs up with the Fascists. His brother Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio) is handsome, charismatic and loved by all – especially the lovely Francesca (Diane Fleri), although underneath he is equally as dangerous – and a committed Communist. Things get complicated when Accio falls in love with Francesca, but even more complicated when Manrico's political passion boils over.
[link title="My Brother is an Only Child Review" url="node/4531"]
Tudawali
Australia, 1988
Genre: Drama
Director: Steve Jodrell
Starring: Ernie Dingo, Peter Fisher, Jedda Cole
What's it about?
Ernie Dingo delivers an outstanding portrayal of Robert Tudawali, the first Aboriginal film star, whose lead role in Jedda is iconic in Australian cinema.
