Shoplifters
Reading Time: 3 minutesIn 2018 the Japanese film, ‘Shoplifters’, was awarded the Palme d’Or, the highest prize of the Cannes Film Festival. ThiS film is set in a Japan that few, if any, of us have previously...
Author: Daniel Stepniak
Refugees, Compassion and Security
Reading Time: 2 minutesAustralia’s treatment of refugees is currently presented as being dominated foremost by concerns for our security and for the safety of those who may undertake perilous journeys in order to seek refuge in Australia. ...
The Bureau – Series 4
Reading Time: 3 minutesI missed the arrival of the fourth series of the French spy series The Bureau, but made up for it by watching these most recent 10 episodes over one weekend. My unqualified praise for...
Time to rethink our role as electors and that of the politicians we elect?
Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn view of the rapid turnover of Prime Ministers – and in particular the current embarrassing compromise – perhaps we need to stop seeing federal elections as a choice between the two major party...
Apostasy and Criticism of Islam
Reading Time: 3 minutes In today’s The Australian Caroline Overton writes about high profile Saudi asylum seeker, Armin Navabi – (see attached article). In her page-long opinion piece, Overton considers Navabi’s brave, but provocative statements about the plight...
Cold War
Reading Time: 9 minutesCold War is a love story se in Cold War Poland between 1949 and 1964. The social and political context of the period sheds light on both the progression of Zula and Wiktor’s love story and the role of music in Polish society. It has been suggested that the film’s Cold War title also relates to the passionate, fiery and on and off relationship between Zula and Wiktor. But perhaps, the story may just as satisfactorily be regarded as a Shakespearean tragedy, or as a story of a relationship in which both parties feel they can’t live without the other while ultimately conceding that they also cannot live with them.
Favourite
Reading Time: 2 minutesFavourite is set in the early 18th century reign of Queen Anne and tells the story of her documented relationships with Lady Sarah the Duchess of Marlborough and Abigail, and their all female love triangle....
Holmes
Reading Time: 2 minutesIt is the silly season. And, we did something very silly this morning. We attended a screening of ‘Holmes and Watson’, the ‘comedy’ starring Will Ferrell as Sherlock Holmes and John C Reilly as...
Colette
Reading Time: 2 minutesA matinee screening of ‘Colette’ provided welcome relief from both Christmas shopping and the debilitating humidity of FNQ in late December. ‘Colette’ is cinema to be savoured. It is also a showcase for the...
The First Lady – James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
Reading Time: 2 minutesLast June, I read and reviewed ‘The President is Missing’, my first James Patterson book, almost entirely because It was co-authored by Bill Clinton. This time I am reviewing Patterson’s most recent novel, ‘The...