Amateur Hour | jessica craig-piper

17 Mar 2016

FILM PROFILE – “THE WITCH”

The Witch (MA15+) Writer/Director: Robert Eggers Review by: Jessica Craig-Piper A self-assured departure from the slick millennial fright fests and flashy torture porn of recent decades, writer-director Robert Eggers’ eerie debut feature The Witch is in many ways a return to classic horror, and yet offers a remarkably singular cinematic experience. Thematic and aesthetic concerns reminiscent of The Crucible, The Shining and Grimms’ Fairy Tales converge in early colonialist America, where man is apparently pitted against

9 Mar 2016

FILM PROFILE – “SPEAR”

By Laura Imbruglia

Spear (M) Directed by Stephen Page Writer: Jessica Craig-Piper Director Stephen Page’s ambitious, unconventional debut feature Spear is an arresting synthesis of cinema and modern dance. A journey into impending manhood, the film approaches thematically familiar terrain with a fresh eye, and contemplates what it means to be a young Indigenous man coming of age in contemporary Australia. Visually spectacular, the project’s aesthetic finesse is as much a result of the superior technical team assembled by Page

30 Mar 2016

FILM PROFILE – “A BIGGER SPLASH”

By Laura Imbruglia

A Bigger Splash (MA 15+) Director: Luca Guadagnino Review by: Jessica Craig-Piper Loosely based on Jacques Deray’s 1969 psychological thriller La Piscine (The Swimming Pool), A Bigger Splash is the first English language outing from Italian director Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love). Reuniting with his frequent and long-time collaborator Tilda Swinton, Guadagnino creates a tense little chamber piece in which an impeccably cast quartet of glamorous, wealthy characters relentlessly push each other’s buttons, with appropriately scandalous

15 Jul 2016

FILM PROFILE: SWISS ARMY MAN

By Laura Imbruglia

Swiss Army Man (MA 15+) Directors: Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert Review by: Jessica Craig-Piper Stranded alone on a desolate island, bereft protagonist Hank (Paul Dano) is distracted from his noose-fitting suicide preparations by the sight of a man (Daniel Radcliffe) washed up on the beach below. Initially disappointed by the obvious lack of life upon reaching the body, Hank is nonetheless intrigued by the loud, insistent farting noises emanating from the corpse. The gas is

31 Aug 2016

FILM PROFILE: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

By Jules Musgrove

Captain Fantastic (M) Director: Matt Ross Review by: Jessica Craig-Piper Easily in the upper echelon of films released this year, Captain Fantastic is a radiant, singular beacon in the sea of sci-fi sequels and superhero blockbusters currently swamping the silver screen. This second feature from writer-director Matt Ross is a heartfelt exploration of unconventional parenting and the implications of choosing a life divergent from social norms. The visually resplendent story shot by French cinematographer Stéphane