Murundak: Songs of Freedom

Murundak: songs of freedom is a new Australian documentary following the Black Arm Band and their songs and stories of resistance and freedom.

The Black Arm Band is bursting with Australia's finest musicians including Archie Roach, Shane Howard, Bart Willoughby, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan and the late Ruby Hunter. Their songs, full of passion and strength, tell of the past and present with a melodic grace. Murundak is not a concert film rather it uses the music to recall history, these artists sing of their stories and those of the Aboriginal people.

I was lucky enough to attend a screening where we were gifted with a Q&A by filmmakers Natasha Gadd and Rhys Graham, as well as an intimate performance from one of the stars Dan Sultan.

The ever so talented
(and super handsome) Dan Sultan
Go buy his amazing album
"Get out while you can"

Murundak is an important film, Filmmakers Gadd and Graham spoke of their wish for this film to get people talking. It was a labour of love to get this Murundak made, and it was surely worth it. We should know these stories, however shameful some may be, and Murundak is a perfect way to start.

This film is fantastic, moving and funny, Murundak stays with you.

Go see it.

It's deadly!

Fight For Your Right - Revisited

Stand ready to be served...

This is a tad bizarre but I love it! I'm pretty sure it is a preview for the new Beastie Boys album, and I'm positive it's amazing.

Gus Van Sant is Restless

Recently there has been a lull in the pretentious art house film genre. I didn't even get around to seeing Sophia Coppola's Somewhere, however I think I will fill that void with Restless.

I love pretentious film making, and I am sincerely excited about this movie. Henry Hopper (Son of the late Dennis Hopper) and Mia Wasikowska star in the latest film from Gus Van Sant.

Having just re watched the preview I think i'm really just excited about Henry Hopper. I hope he's legal... I should check that.

The Adjustment Bureau

Don't you hate it when you are told it is going to be a beautiful day, so you wear a t-shirt, but then the heavens open and you are left cold and disappointed. The Adjustment Bureau is a little like the Bureau of Meteorology.

The Adjustment Bureau was billed as 'Bourne meets Inception' full of action, suspense and intelligence, but really it's a predictable hollywood love story.  

On the eve of his greatest loss, up and coming politician David Norris (Matt Damon) encounters a beautiful and elusive woman. She consoles him and tells him to be honest and he will recover, they kiss and then she leaves. Later he is catching the bus to work and who should he run into but this very woman, this time they exchange names and numbers. But because of this everything changes... As this meeting was never meant to happen. Norris has gone off plan. Norris is quickly visited by the adjustment bureau, a group of hat wearing men who control the paths of all mankind, and he is informed he must stay away from Elise (Emily Blunt) or risk a lobotomy.

Now, the cast was top notch including the ever dashing Roger Stirling and the ideas behind The Adjustment Bureau were really quite interesting, fate vs will, love vs success. If this film had been made in Europe I think it would have been amazing. Maybe I should commission a darker German version? Daniel Bruhl or Michael Fassbender could star...

But anyway,

Even with the beautiful cast and snazzy ideas, The Adjustment Bureau left me cold and disappointed. 

Lars Von Trier is Melancholia

Melancholia is the latest film from Lars Von Trier, the man behind Dogville, Dancer in the Dark and Antichrist. Over recent days the Internet has been abuzz with theories behind this preview and the film itself.

Melancholia has been billed as 'a beautiful movie about the end of the world' however when it comes to Von Trier first impressions aren't always correct. Von Trier likes to keep his audience guessing so I guess we will have to wait till the Cannes Film Festival next month, where it is expected to screen, to discover what Melancholia is really about.