Movies & Streaming Reviews

The latest movies & streaming reviews from Jim Schembri, professional film reviewer since 1980.

‘To Olivia’, a grim melodrama; ‘Last Seen Alive’, a sub-par Gerard Butler actioner; Oz comedy ‘How to Please a Woman’ is excruciating

Writer’s block: Hugh Bonneville plays Roald Dahl in ‘To Olivia’. TO OLIVIA **1/2 (94 minutes) M As well-intentioned and well-acted ...
Read More

‘Everything Went Fine’, a touching, balanced family drama about the emotional and practical difficulties of honouring an end-of-life request

Human touch: Sophie Marceau and André Dussollier in ‘Everythingh Went Fine’. EVERYTHING WENT FINE ***1/2 (113 minutes; subtitled) MA The ...
Read More

Superb supernatural drama ‘The Innocents’ delivers high-quality creeps

Beware the children: Rakel Lenora Fløttum heads a top cast of kids in ‘The Innocents’. THE INNOCENTS **** (117 minutes) ...
Read More

Spousal abandonment explored in top Aussie drama ‘Little Tornadoes’

Working man blues: Mark Leonard Winter plays an abandoned father in ‘Little Tornadoes’. LITTLE TORNADOES **** (94 minutes) M Without ...
Read More

REVIEWS: ‘Operation Mincemeat’, a fine wartime drama; ‘Father Stu’, uplifting faith-based biopic; ‘Firestarter’, a perfectly good horror remake

Raising the dead: Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen in ‘Operation Mincemeat’. OPERATION MINCEMEAT ***1/2 (128 minutes) M A fine, sturdy ...
Read More

‘Petite Maman’, a beautiful, touching ode to childhood, love and loss; ‘Love in Bright Landscapes’, a worthy, brutally honest bio-doc paying tribute to brilliant Perth-born musician David McComb

Twin set: Joséphine & Gabrielle Sanz play mother and daughter in ‘Petite Mamon’. PETITIE MAMAN **** (72 minutes; subtitled) PG ...
Read More

Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange 2’ delivers a megatonne of mediocrity

Story scribble: Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS ** ...
Read More

Frontier drama ‘The Drover’s Wife’ stumbles over its sense of self-importance, overrides drama for clumsy, over-bearing messaging

Have gun, will point: Leah Purcell as a feisty frontier woman in ‘The Drover’s Wife’. THE DROVER’S WIFE: THE LEGEND ...
Read More

‘Mother Mountain’ offers a touching Australian drama about a flawed mum; ‘After Yang’ is a dud sci-fi dirge about androids

Mother issues: Emilie Cocquerel plays a troubled mother in ‘Mother Mountain’. MOTHER MOUNTAIN *** (105 minutes) M It’s hard enough ...
Read More

The new ‘Downton Abbey’ shows how to make a sequel properly

Looking good: Penelope Wilton and Maggie Smith in ‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’. DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA ***1/2 (125 ...
Read More