Jim Schembri

Melbourne

Film critic since 1980 (3AW; Age; SMH; Cinema Papers) Strictly Old School. Reviews, video interviews, commentary & more fun online. Includes comedy & art.

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Articles

Stirring real-life drama in 'The Correspondent'; Realism rules in battle film 'Warfare'; Vampire movie 'Sinners' truly sucks

1 week ago | jimschembri.com | Jim Schembri

Locked in: Richard Roxburgh as jailed journo Peter Greste in ‘The Correspondent’. THE CORRESPONDENT ***1/2 (119 minutes) MUrgent, topical, compelling, The Correspondent presents the ordeal of Australian journalist Peter Greste as a gruelling, ultimately uplifting tale of personal endurance and moral triumph in the face of political corruption and bureaucratic indolence.
Tight action-thriller with ‘The Amateur’; The much-touted drama 'Adolescence' is good if overrated; Dull critter feature in 'Death of a Unicorn'

2 weeks ago | jimschembri.com | Jim Schembri

Struggling to cope: Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in ‘Adolescence’. ADOLESCENCE *** (228 minutes; four episodes) MThe much-talked about four-part British crime drama Adolescence is certainly a worthwhile sit yet, to be frank, has been subject to a tad more praise than it deserves. The life of a suburban family is thrown into turmoil when 13-year old high schooler Jamie (Owen Cooper) is arrested for the stabbing murder of a girl who attends the same school.
The Screen Critic: Two top family treats for the school holidays, a ripper action thriller and a crime drama that looks at the perils of youth culture

2 weeks ago | startsat60.com | Jim Schembri

Two major treats await those droves packing into the multiplexes as the school holiday season kicks in. The first is Dog Man, a delightfully nutty animated action comedy about a policeman who, after a serious accident, has his head replaced with that of his loyal pooch.
‘Dog Man’, an animated delight; ‘A Minecraft Movie’ is sufficiently diverting; ‘Head South’, a Kiwi gem about 1970s culture; Lame attempt at action-comedy with ‘Novocaine’ - Jim Schembri

3 weeks ago | jimschembri.com | Jim Schembri

Animated mutt: The high-kicking Dog Man in ‘Dog Man’. DOG MAN ***1/2 (95 minutes) GPlenty of enjoyment to be had with this furiously fast and funny, wonderfully loopy animated lark, a good-vs-evil battle between a dog whose head has been transplanted onto the body of a brain-dead cop and an evil cat.
The Screen Critic: An updated Snow White, Jason Statham’s moral crusade, terrific animation and a tight sci-fi thriller

4 weeks ago | startsat60.com | Jim Schembri

It’s hard to recall any film in living memory that has arrived with as much negative pre-release publicity as Disney’s Snow White. For two solid years the film was slammed as being a disrespectful reimagining of the 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, mainly due to some light-hearted comments from its star Rachel Zegler who said how dated the original was and that the remake cast Snow White as a leader rather than as a passive romantic figure.
'The Day the Earth Blew Up' a fun Looney Tunes lark even kids will enjoy; Jason Statham goes on another crusade in the fine actioner 'A Working Man'; ''In Vitro', an excellent Aussie sci-fi drama; 'Oh, Canada', a meagre offering from the great Paul Schrad

4 weeks ago | jimschembri.com | Jim Schembri

Amazing Three: Daffy, Porky and Petunia join forces against evil chewing gum in ‘The Day the Earth Blew Up’. THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE *** (91 minutes) PGThere’s a rather hilarious gag about influencer culture early in The Day the World Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie that alone would be worth the price of admission.
'Flow', a beautiful, beguiling Oscar-winning animation from Latvia; 'The Rule of Jenny Penn', a top-notch Kiwi psy-thriller; Ralph Fiennes super-fine in violent classic drama 'The Return'; 'Bob Trevino Likes It' is an effective tearjerker - Jim Schembri

1 month ago | jimschembri.com | Jim Schembri

Adrift: The hapless feline from ‘Flow’. FLOW **** (85 minutes) GFresh from its long-odds Oscar triumph over far more costly studio animations such as Inside Out 2 and The Wild Robot, Flow is a beautiful, beguiling, wordless work about a cat adrift on a boat with a small gaggle of other creatures seeking refuge from a flash flood. With a love for long takes, director Gints Zilbalodis takes us through a soaked world full of spires, drowned cities and mysterious structures.
Wow. Turns out ‘Snow White’ is a winning remake that respects the original while cleverly blending in a girl-power story. As for all the pre-release negativity, watch it get blown away on opening weekend - Jim Schembri

1 month ago | jimschembri.com | Jim Schembri

Girl-power charmer: Rachel Zegler in ‘Snow White’. Snow White ***1/2 (109 minutes) PGHuzzah! Disney’s sometimes questionable love of strip-mining its legacy by reprocessing classic animated films into live-action family features has, on this blessed occasion, come up trumps. Snow White is a hands-down winner. As SW Rachel Zegler delivers a hearty performance blending just the right amount of warm, wistful flightiness with strength and fortitude.
The Screen Critic: A fun girl-buddy comedy, a funny-sad British drama and a ripping action/romance adventure

1 month ago | startsat60.com | Jim Schembri

You might not comprehend every single word they spout, yet the two money-hunting heroines in the breezy girl-buddy comedy One of Them Days have enough sass and comic fizz to keep you laughing. Ambitious fast-food worker Dreux (Keke Palmer) and her irresponsible bestie Alyssa (SZA) have a few short hours to raise the rent money, a mission that sees them stuck in a spiral of comic desperation.
'Hard Truths', a sterling drama from social realist maestro Mike Leigh; Fun buddy-buddy girl comedy with 'One of Them Days'; Beautiful nature documentary 'Every Little Thing'; 'Mickey 17' a sci-fi misfire - Jim Schembri

1 month ago | jimschembri.com | Jim Schembri

Bad mouth: Marianne Jean-Baptiste in Mike Leigh’s ‘Hard Truths’. HARD TRUTHS **** (97 minutes) MIn the latest offering from veteran social realist maestro Mike Leigh we are presented with a woman so full of scorn for everything and everyone she goes passed the point of being downright repulsive to being downright entertaining.

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Jim Schembri

Articles

Stirring real-life drama in 'The Correspondent'; Realism rules in battle film 'Warfare'; Vampire movie 'Sinners' truly sucks

Tight action-thriller with ‘The Amateur’; The much-touted drama 'Adolescence' is good if overrated; Dull critter feature in 'Death of a Unicorn'

The Screen Critic: Two top family treats for the school holidays, a ripper action thriller and a crime drama that looks at the perils of youth culture

‘Dog Man’, an animated delight; ‘A Minecraft Movie’ is sufficiently diverting; ‘Head South’, a Kiwi gem about 1970s culture; Lame attempt at action-comedy with ‘Novocaine’ - Jim Schembri

The Screen Critic: An updated Snow White, Jason Statham’s moral crusade, terrific animation and a tight sci-fi thriller

'The Day the Earth Blew Up' a fun Looney Tunes lark even kids will enjoy; Jason Statham goes on another crusade in the fine actioner 'A Working Man'; ''In Vitro', an excellent Aussie sci-fi drama; 'Oh, Canada', a meagre offering from the great Paul Schrad

'Flow', a beautiful, beguiling Oscar-winning animation from Latvia; 'The Rule of Jenny Penn', a top-notch Kiwi psy-thriller; Ralph Fiennes super-fine in violent classic drama 'The Return'; 'Bob Trevino Likes It' is an effective tearjerker - Jim Schembri

Wow. Turns out ‘Snow White’ is a winning remake that respects the original while cleverly blending in a girl-power story. As for all the pre-release negativity, watch it get blown away on opening weekend - Jim Schembri

The Screen Critic: A fun girl-buddy comedy, a funny-sad British drama and a ripping action/romance adventure

'Hard Truths', a sterling drama from social realist maestro Mike Leigh; Fun buddy-buddy girl comedy with 'One of Them Days'; Beautiful nature documentary 'Every Little Thing'; 'Mickey 17' a sci-fi misfire - Jim Schembri

Contact details

Emails

Socials & Sites

X (formerly Twitter)