Heartbeats

Posted 2:56am Thursday 28th July 2011

The New Zealand International Film Festival opens this Thursday, July 28, and is packed to the brim with exciting films from a range of genres. Critic was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at some of the films. Visit www.nzff.co.nz/Dunedin to check out the full programme, or grab one of the booklets Read more...

Film Festival Comes to Town

Posted 4:31am Monday 25th July 2011

Local boy, former Critic film reviewer and director of the New Zealand International Film Festival, Bill Gosden visited Dunedin last week for the launch of the festival programme. Sarah Baillie caught up with him for a chat about his cool job and what to expect from the film festival this year. Read more...

Reflections of the Past

Posted 3:25am Thursday 7th July 2011

Directed by Alexander Roman, (1.5/5) Morbid curiosity and a long time obsession with the film Heavenly Creatures lured me to Rialto to see this documentary about the Parker-Hulme murder case of 1954. A film with the potential to be a fascinating exploration of this dark stain on New Read more...

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (3D)

Posted 11:14pm Monday 9th May 2011

Directed by Jon Chu, (4/5). I am not afraid to admit it; I am in love with Justin Bieber. Knowing little about the phenomenon of Bieber fever but thinking it would be hilariously awesome to go and see “the Justin Bieber movie”, I headed down to Hoyts, 3D glasses in hand. Little did I Read more...

World Cinema Showcase

Posted 4:32am Monday 9th May 2011

The World Cinema Showcase begins on the 5th May 2011, and runs until 18th May. As always, there’s a stunning range of films with over 30 screening during the fortnight at Rialto. Unfortunately, each film screens only a few times, so be sure to check out the full timetable online so as not to miss Read more...

Blue Valentine

Posted 5:03am Monday 28th March 2011

Directed by Derek Cianfrance. (5/5). Blue Valentine documents the heart-breaking story of every married couple’s worst fear: falling out of love. Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) meet when they are young and carefree. Six years on, their marriage is falling apart and they Read more...

The King’s Speech

Posted 2:45am Tuesday 8th March 2011

Directed by Tom Hooper. 5/5 So yeah, The King's Speech won Oscars for Best Picture, Director, Actor and Screenplay at the Academy Awards last week; I guess it deserves a mention in the hallowed pages of Critic. Not just another “historical drama” (a genre which can be boring), the film Read more...

Skin

Posted 4:33am Monday 23rd August 2010

Directed Anthony Fabian Rialto 4/5 kin is a biographical film about the life of Sandra Laing, a ‘coloured’ child born to white parents during the apartheid era in South Africa. Despite her skin being distinctly darker than her parents, an unusual phenomenon, Sandra Read more...

Certified Copy

Posted 4:28am Tuesday 10th August 2010

Directed by Abbas Kiarostami NZIFF (4/5) Certified Copy is an enchanting reflection on the nature of art, relationships, marriage, and – in a wider sense – reality.    James Miller (William Shimell) is a British academic who is in Tuscany promoting his Read more...

Amreeka

Posted 11:22pm Sunday 11th July 2010

Directed Cherien Dabis Rialto 4/5)     I is a film about a Palestinian mother and son trying to adapt to life in post-9/11 America, where every Arabic person is suspiciously viewed as a potential terrorist. Muna is a middle-aged divorcee living in the West Bank with her Read more...