Retirement in the world of creative arts has
always been a funny thing. As much as it is like any other profession in how
some people can get sick of it after a while, the idea of actual retirement in
this industry rarely if ever holds water. Here in Australia, one of the biggest
running jokes I heard growing up was how singer John Farnham did a retirement
concert tour pretty much every year. In terms of films, for as little stock as
I hold in the idea of being involved in films flat-out calling it quits, it was
still pretty heartbreaking to learn that Steven Soderbergh, one of my all-time
favourite filmmakers, was hanging up his hat. Then it was announced that he was
doing some TV work with The Knack; still no films, still let down. Then Magic Mike XXL came out, and while he wasn’t directing, he still had a real hand in
making it. And then today’s film was announced, and it definitely clicked that
a guy who is that passionate about the art form wasn’t likely to just leave the
game entirely. But as a dramatic return to the director’s chair, how does this
film actually turn out? Is it worth the wait or is it one of those occasions
where it would’ve been better if Soderbergh actually did retire?
