Do you ever have that feeling that you are definitely not part of the human race? An alien perhaps? Or at a minimum lacking some basic human responses? I do. Like my brain reacts to what others say is ” lovely” or ” heartwarming” by feeling irritated and nauseous! I…

Director Jay Roach tackles sexual harassment in the workplace head-on in this powerful film. In the wake of the #MeToo movement this film is timely. It is also fastidious in working through the issues of workplace politics, power and gender through a compelling narrative that forms the basis of this…

As a child one of my favourite books was  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It’s a coming of age story. Four sisters romping through life, love and misfortune embracing wholesome anglo – christian values. This is the world of 1860’s where charity and humility compete with ego and self…

If you’ve read my year of film reviews you’ll know two things. Firstly, I see a lot of films. Secondly, I’m less Star Wars and Jumanji and more “off Broadway.” I’m less Spielberg and George Miller and more Almodovar and Spike Lee. Although I do need to tell you of…

An extremely hot summer’s day saw me seek shelter  in my favourite cinema. A film about the singer and poet Leonard Cohen caught my eye. Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love. The film documents the relationship of Cohen with Marianne Ihlen, the muse behind the very successful ballad ” So…

A great film to catch is The Good Liar starring  the golden names in British film, Helen Mirren and Ian McKellan. It’s an enjoyable relief from Christmas crowds and hot weather. The plot is intriguing, the acting masterful and it doesn’t demand too much emotional energy…………. the film you watch,…

What a wonderful pre-Christmas present for our Viva 70 readers!  Our Canadian Viva 70 contributors have done it again! This is a story of people making magic happen. The recipe? Take a small group of people with a great idea. Let it ferment.  Mix in large dollops of passion that…

The long awaited third series of The Crown arrived by royal carriage on Netflix last Sunday. Building on the stories of series 1 and 2 but with new actors in the feature roles series 3 is well….different. Let’s do a roll-call. Olivia Coleman is the new Queen Elizabeth taking over…

A chance wander through the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne bought me face to face with the amazing photography of Petrina Hicks. She is a Sydney based photographer whose work ” flirts with artiface and perfection.” The scale of her photographs is huge and walking into the exhibition the…