CINEMA REVIEWS
BY JOHN CAMPBELL rty!
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PETERLOO
TOP END WEDDING
As a filmmaker with a pronounced social conscience, and as a native Mancunian, Mike Leigh will have approached the story of the Peterloo massacre with both a heavy heart and fire in his belly. After the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo (1815), a bugler returns home to Lancashire, shell-shocked and dazed. He finds that the ‘sceptred isle’ for which he fought is riven with inequality and that restlessness among the factory workers of the north is finding expression through orators and revolutionaries who are demanding representation in parliament. Fearing sedition, the establishment’s response would be to repeal ‘habeas corpus’ (thus enabling authorities to detain people without legal procedure). By 1819, key figures among those who have not benefited from industrialisation are organising a major demonstration in Manchester to promote their cause. Collaborating with Dick Pope, his regular cinematographer, Leigh has a great eye for period as well as a refined sense of a period’s atmospherics – see Topsy Turvy (1999) for the definitive take on Gilbert and Sullivan. In this he departs from the traditional model of individual protagonist and antagonist – unless those opposites can be seen as the shimmering ideal of democracy and the reactionary forces of the status quo. A terrible sense of foreboding grows as Leigh, who also wrote the screenplay, leaves you in no doubt as to where his sympathies lie, even to the point of indulging in caricature when depicting the odious judges, ministers of the crown, and landowners who represent the ancient regime. This is an intense movie, built with attention to detail and a love of humanity, and it’s not entirely shy of humour – when the ‘celebrity speaker’ pompously demands his repast, the wife of the house looks to her husband and asks “What’s that?” As is so often the case, a largely unknown cast make it easier to become engrossed, free as we are from star-gazing. The final crowd scene is overwhelming and Leigh’s nod to the fourth estate reminds us of a time when newspapers were more than just advertising outlets. Fantastic.
It’s sometimes too easy to attend the cinema with not overly high expectations. The trailers for this were hokey and Screen Australia’s keenness to award grants to Indigenous projects can get a bit ho-hum. And in the end there are no surprises in Wayne Blair’s sweet rom-com, but I’ll be damned if a man didn’t have a tear in his eye when it was done and dusted. Lauren (Miranda Tapsell) has agreed to marry her white boyfriend, Ned (Gwyllim Lee). They travel to Darwin to bring the good news to her parents, but upon arrival Lauren discovers that her mother has left her (also white) father, Trevor (Huw Higginson). Trevor is a pathetic character who locks himself in the cupboard to play Chicago’s If you leave me now every time his wife comes to mind – I would not have cared if he never came out. Lauren and Ned embark on a road trip to find the missing mum, so if you like the Top End scenery you’ll love the visuals. But there is a moment when, just as things are turning predictable to the point of dreariness, the voices of a female choir singing an ancient song in their native language is heard as the camera pans across the horizon. It’s incredibly moving and it underscores the theme of re-connection with Land that Lauren will undergo. Eventually, she learns that her mother has returned to the Tiwi Islands, a god-forsaken place where there are a lot of people hanging around on littered streets with nothing to do – as a tourist promo it doesn’t exactly shout ‘come visit!’ Lauren’s reunion with her mother and introduction to her grandparents is genuinely moving and the feelgood wedding is highlighted, again, by the singing of the face-painted old women of her mob. The air of authenticity is palpable and it more than makes up for the writing by numbers that preceded it. Tapsell grates a bit, but Ursula Yovich is terrific as the mother and Lee likeable as the groom.
CULTURE CONTINUED
MUSICAL PIRATES
PAINTING ANIMALS Working in pastel artist Terri Bradley paints animals and birds, subjects she describes as her passions. She supports charities that rescue injured or mistreated animals and nurses them back to health. She will be donating 10 per cent of her proceeds of the sales of her upcoming exhibition to Four Paws Australia. You can see Terri’s work at the Kirra Hill Gallery at the Community Centre (behind the Iron Eagle). 9am–4pm. Until May 31.
The musical Pirates of Penzance was written in 1879 by Gilbert and Sullivan and it remains a classic musical with huge popular appeal. Pirates of Penzance opens at Ballina Players Theatre on 14 June for 14 performances, finishing on 7 July. Tickets are $30/Adult, $22/Child (16 & under), and are available at Just Funkin Music, 124 River St, Ballina, 6686 2440 (a $2 booking fee applies) or online at www.ballinaplayers.com.au (no booking fee). All shows are at 8pm except for Sundays, which are at 2pm.
BABY FRIENDLY SESSIONS: MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS
NOW SHOWING: COMING SOON: THURSDAY 23RD MAY
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SUNDAY 26TH MAY
1 Skinners Shoot Rd, Byron Bay
8:15pm Top End Wedding
MONDAY 27TH MAY
SATURDAY 25TH MAY
11.00am The Chaperone
11:00am 12:50pm 2:50pm 5:00pm 8:15pm
12:50pm Top End Wedding
The Chaperone Gloria Bell Top End Wedding Avengers: Endgame Top End Wedding
Session Times: Thursday, 23- Wednesday, 29 May 2040 (G) NFT DAILY EX. SAT, SUN: 10:50AM, 4:15PM, 6:20PM, 8:20PM Sat: 10:50AM, 4:15PM, 6:00PM, 9:10PM. Sun: 10:15AM, 6:00PM, 8:30PM
GER19 BALLOON (M) WED: 7:00PM GLORIA BELL (M) DAILY EX. SAT, SUN: 1:15PM
ALADDIN (PG) NFT THURS, FRI, MON, TUES: 10:45AM, 1:30PM, 3:40PM, 6:15PM, 8:15PM SAT: 10:45AM, 1:30PM, 3:40PM, 6:30PM, 8:15PM SUN: 10:00AM, 12:40PM, 3:00PM, 6:30PM, 8:15PM WED: 10:45AM, 1:30PM, 3:40PM, 6:00PM, 8:30PM ALL IS TRUE (M) THURS, FRI, WED: 4:00PM MON, TUES: 4:00PM, 8:45PM AVENGERS: END GAME (M) THURS, FRI, MON, TUES: 10:30AM, 3:15PM, 6:40PM SAT: 10:30AM, 2:30PM, 6:40PM SUN: 10:00AM, 3:15PM, 6:40PM WED: 10:30AM, 3:00PM, 6:40PM BREAKING HABITS (M) DAILY EX. SUN: 2:00PM SUN: 1:30PM BRIGHTBURN (MA15+) NFT SAT: 11:00AM, 4:00PM, 8:00PM SUN: 10:30AM, 3:00PM, 7:00PM THURS, FRI, MON, TUES: 11:00AM, 4:00PM, 6:00PM, 8:00PM WED: 4:00PM, 8:40PM DUMBO (PG) DAILY EX. SUN, WED: 10:40AM
JOHN WICK 3: PARABELLUM (MA15+) NFT DAILY EX. SUN, WED: 1:15PM, 3:15PM, 6:10PM, 8:50PM SUN: 10:15AM, 3:15PM, 5:15PM, 7:50PM WED: 10:30AM, 3:45PM, 6:10PM, 8:50PM LONG SHOT (M) THURS, FRI, MON, TUES: 8:50PM SAT, WED: 9:30PM
POMS (PG) DAILY EX. SUN: 4:00PM SUN: 12:45PM RED JOAN (M) NFT WED: 11:15AM ROCKETMAN (CTC) NFT
Advance Screenings SAT, WED: 7:00PM SUN: 3:15PM, 6:00PM
THE HEIRESSES (M) NFT DAILY EX. SUN: 1:50PM, 6:30PM SUN: 12:30PM, 5:50PM
OPERA DE PARIS: LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK (18+) NFT SUN: 1:00PM. WED: 11:00AM
THE HUSTLE (M) DAILY EX. SUN: 11:00AM*, 6:30PM. SUN: 11:00AM, 5:00PM
PEPPA PIG FESTIVAL OF FUN (G) DAILY EX. SAT, WED: 10:40AM SAT: 10:00AM WED: 10:20AM
THE REALM (M) NFT DAILY EX. SUN: 10:50AM, 1:00PM, 3:50PM, 8:30PM SUN: 10:00AM, 12:20PM, 3:00PM, 7:50PM
PETERLOO (M) THURS, FRI, MON, TUES: 12:15PM, 8:40PM SAT: 11:35AM, 8:40PM SUN: 12:15PM, 8:00PM WED: 12:00PM, 8:40PM
TOP END WEDDING (M) THURS, FRI, SAT, WED: 4:00PM SUN: 3:20PM MON, TUES: 4:00PM, 6:15PM
POKEMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU (PG) DAILY EX. SUN, WED: 10:45AM, 1:00PM, 6:00PM SUN: 10:45AM, 1:00PM, 5:40PM WED: 1:30PM, 6:20PM
WOMAN AT WAR (M) DAILY EX. SUN: 1:40PM *Babes in Arms session (Thurs) NFT = No Free Tickets
108 Jonson St, Byron Bay • 3 hours free parking* • Buy tickets online and skip the queue!
PalaceCinemas.com.au *
Validated in Mercato Centre
THE HUSTLE, POMS, LONG SHOT, ALL IS TRUE
Top End Wedding 10.45am The Chaperone Avengers: Endgame 12.50pm Gloria Bell Top End Wedding Closed: Private Function 2.45pm Top End Wedding 5.00pm Avengers: Endgame FRIDAY 24TH MAY 8.15am TEDX Live at Pighouse Flicks
M
AVENGERS: ENDGAME, GLORIA BELL, TOP END WEDDING
10.45am 12.45pm 4.00pm 6.00pm
6685 5828
BAY RON E 12 Y B E N C PAL A AY 29 - JU
3:00pm Gloria Bell 5:00pm Avengers: Endgame 8:15pm Top End Wedding
TUESDAY 28TH MAY 11.00am 1:00pm 3:15pm 5:15pm 7:30pm
The Chaperone Top End Wedding Gloria Bell Top End Wedding Avengers: Endgame
WEDNESDAY 29TH MAY 11.00am 1.00pm 3.00pm 6.00pm
Top End Wedding Gloria Bell Top End Wedding Films For Change Presents The Connected Universe 8.15pm Avengers: Endgame
Adults $15 Concession & Kids $10 Tuesdays all tix $10 La[c]lk YnYadYZd] gfdaf] gj Yl l`] Zgp g^Ú []& www.echo.net.au/byron-echo Byron Shire Echo archives
lëƷ ǩǩǽ ǩǧǨǰ The Byron Shire Echo 37