Blueback (2023) - Movie Review

I haven't had the best luck with Tim Winton. I’ll admit that I haven’t read any of his books (far as I can remember, at any rate), and while I do like to highlight local talent in these reviews, the last two films I’ve looked at based on his work were differing kinds of “really not my thing”. With Breath, it was the jarring and rather unsettling exploration of sexuality, specifically between an underaged boy and a grown-ass woman, which just left a bad taste in my mouth. And with Dirt Music, I didn’t even get that much taste, despite it looking rather nice. Thankfully, this doesn’t feel as gross to watch as Breath… but unfortunately, that means it leans more into the Dirt Music side of things.

The Dry (2021) - Movie Review

Sometimes, a well-delivered idea means more than an original one. Coming across the same kinds of stories, told through the same kinds of perspectives, is bound to happen by sheer probability once you’ve sat through enough movies. And sure, seeing something that breaks away from the norm can be a good thing… but as I learnt last year with The Empty Man, raw ingenuity doesn’t always win against refined craftsmanship. And with this Aussie effort, we have a quite familiar story, but it’s told in such gripping fashion that the déjà vu fails to become an issue.