An Unexpected Love – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
July 2, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
It seems that folks in Argentina have a fairly relaxed outlook on life. It certainly appears so in this charming romantic comedy from director/writer Juan Vera.
Move over Franz, Lang Lang is in the building: a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
June 30, 2019 by Fraser Beath McEwing
You know it’s a Sydney Opera House gala celebrity event when the concerto is played last. Read more
Madama Butterfly reaches new heights: an opera review by Victor Grynberg
June 30, 2019 by Victor Grynberg
When Opera Australia premiered their new era digital sets last year with the production of AIDA not everybody was as enthusiastic as this critic. Read more
Australian World Orchestra back together
June 28, 2019 by Arts Editor
Following last year’s sensational response to the concerts led by Maestro Riccardo Muti, the AUSTRALIAN WORLD ORCHESTRA (AWO) is returning with an eclectic and bravura program for this July, and to present the newly formed AWO SIX, an elite ensemble of AWO all-stars. Read more
PUFFS or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic
June 26, 2019 by Hila Tsor
A theatre review by Hila Tsor. Read more
My Sack Full of Memories: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier
June 18, 2019 by Geoffrey Zygier
People are motivated to bare their lives in public for different reasons. Read more
Tolkien – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
June 13, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
It is not necessary to have read The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien to view this offering from director Dome Karukoski (Tom of Finland). However, for aficionados of the books or movies, clues to the author’s ideas are strewn throughout the production and it is fun to take note of them.
An evening with The Scott Van Gemert’s Big Band: a music review by Ron Jontof-Hutter
June 7, 2019 by Ron Jontof-Hutter
I attended a concert given at Melbourne’s Paris Cat Jazz Club given by Scott van Gemert and his 17-piece jazz big band this week. Read more
Red Joan – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
May 28, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
Even though she has played everything from a spymaster to a queen, it’s hard to believe that Judi Dench can so expertly portray an ordinary elderly woman. But her character proves to be far more complex than she at first appears.
Claytons Brahms and genuine Chopin: a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
May 16, 2019 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Two composers who borrowed from Brahms flanked the real-deal Chopin in the SSO’s Masters Series concert last night at the Sydney Opera House. Read more
The Relational Judaism Handbook: a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen
May 12, 2019 by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen
A couple of years ago Ron Wolfson, a professor at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles published Relational Judaism (Jewish Lights, 2013). Read more
Pokemon Detective Pikachu – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
May 9, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
I quite like a fantasy adventure and know little about the craze for Pokemon that engulfed the world a few years back. It is a plus because I came to it with fresh eyes. It’s a minus because I didn’t like this offering very much.
Poms – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
May 9, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
Poms is in the tradition of The Fully Monty whereby a disparate bunch of people come together to reach a specific goal. The ladies here, and they are for the most part ladies, do keep their gear on but get to shake their tushies and strut their stuff, eventually.
Long Shot – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
April 30, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
“Unlikely but not impossible” states the poster advertising the unlikely pairing of Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen. That’s the point of course, but this is billed as a romantic comedy and it does deliver on both counts.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in concert: a music/film review by Hila Tsor
April 25, 2019 by Hila Tsor
I have to admit that I’m a bit of a Harry Potter nerd. At the beginning of the year I reread all the books and got sucked into a world of wonder, friendship and adventure again. Read more
Gloria Bell – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
April 25, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
Having reviewed the original version of this film, Gloria, over five years ago, I wondered why director Sebastian Lelio shot it again. He says because Julianne Moore wanted to do it and that for him, it is a film about feelings – Gloria’s and our own.
All On A Thursday Morning: a book review by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen
April 14, 2019 by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen
The subtitle for this book is appropriate being an ‘easy to use’ collection of Rabbi Gourarie’s weekly articles on personal growth. Read more
‘Invented Lives’ by Andrea Goldsmith: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier
April 5, 2019 by Geoffrey Zygier
The Western world today is a place where victimhood is a badge of honour, one where people compete in public arenas to be among the elite of those who suffer. Read more
Ludwig and Pyotr step up again: a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
April 4, 2019 by Fraser Beath McEwing
An SSO Masters Series concert with two sure-fire blockbuster works would usually leave room for something quirky from artistic director, David Robertson’s black book of offbeat music he likes to share, but it didn’t happen last night. We got the Beethoven violin concerto and Tchaikovsky’s fourth symphony neatly divided by interval. Both these works are favoured with plenty of playtime around Australian orchestras because they are so popular. Read more
Bright Swallow by Vivian Bi: a book review by Geoffrey Zygier
March 28, 2019 by Geoffrey Zygier
Among the major threats to our planet’s wellbeing is tribalism. Read more
An exciting piano package from Alessio Bax: a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
March 26, 2019 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Italian pianist, Alessio Bax, ticked all the right pre-concert boxes for his Sydney Recital Hall performance last night. Read more
Five Feet Apart – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
March 21, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
It’s hard being a teenager and even more so for one has a serious illness. There have been a few American films in recent years on this theme – Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, which was sweet and funny and The Fault in Our Stars, also charming and both just a little schmaltzy.
Salome: an opera review by Victor Grynberg
March 12, 2019 by Victor Grynberg
Once banned. Still shocking. But Salome is bloody and fantastic. Read more
Sometimes Always Never – a film review by Roz Tarszisz
March 6, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
It’s always good to learn something new, however obscure, and it’s not giving anything away to say that the film’s title refers to which buttons a man should do up on a three-piece suit – starting from the top.
Werther: an opera review by Victor Grynberg
March 1, 2019 by Victor Grynberg
Suicide is painless when Massenet pulls the strings. Read more
Peter Pan Goes Wrong: a theatre review by Hila Tsor
The title of the play ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’ is quite self-explanatory, revealing the main premise of the play. ‘Gone Wrong’ theatre productions are not uncommon but are always full of mischief and mayhem, this being no exception. Read more
A riddle in the middle: a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
February 14, 2019 by Fraser McEwing
The first concert in the SSO Masters Series for 2019 (now sponsored by upmarket travel company Abercrombie & Kent) presented significant works by Janacek and Bartok, book-ending the Australian premiere of a piece by Steve Reich that had been co-commissioned by several orchestras, including the SSO. Read more
Eavesdropping on heaven: a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
February 6, 2019 by Fraser Beath McEwing
When a concert series combining the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir was announced, I had to be there – and so did a lot of other music lovers, judging by its sell-out. Read more
On the Basis of Sex – a movie review by Roz Tarszisz
February 5, 2019 by Roz Tarszisz
One could be forgiven for thinking that the use of sex in a title meant a movie was about sex.
Wozzeck: an opera review by Victor Grynberg
February 3, 2019 by Victor Grynberg
After the glorious melodies of LA BOHEME and TURANDOT Opera Australia’s latest production is Alban Berg’s atonal opera, considered today a modern opera but written almost 100 years ago in 1925. Read more
