All posts filed under: Movie Reviews

Moonlight: Why Intersectional Representation Matters

If you’re late to the party, Moonlight is a talented film directed by Barry Jenkins based on the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. It has received a lot of buzz since its release in late 2016, and even more so since it won Best Motion Picture at the 74th Golden Globe Awards recently, the first all black cast, queer film to do so. The soundtrack is orchestral, not something most would expect if they’re about to watch a film set in a ghetto of poverty, violence, and an inescapable drug culture. The film was shot in a unique way with a very shallow depth of field making it feel unnerving, vulnerable, and personal. This is because director Barry Jenkins is taking you on an extremely tender and genuine coming-of-age queer journey, portrayed through the main character Chiron. This film doesn’t cheapen itself by following a predictable narrative. The queer characters did not die in the film because they were queer. They were not used as a prop for the dangers of STIs or …

Movie Review – Deep Water: The Real Story

Deep Water: The Real Story is a documentary film about the gay hate crimes that plagued Sydney in the 1980s and 1990s. The hatred towards gay people and the incompetency of the NSW Police Force in this time is more than uncovered in what is an eye opening documentation of the high level of homophobia that existed in Sydney less than 30 years ago.   It’s not often that the suffering of LGBTI people takes the forefront of Australian media. However, this documentary and the crime series drama of the same name are currently making sure it does. For the first time ever, the unsolved deaths from 30 potential gay hate crimes (of 80 total, as well as thousands of assaults) are being re-examined and exposed, each in more detail than the NSW Police Force ever committed to. The NSW Police Force have admitted they may have made serious mistakes while re-examining these cases, though unfortunately never made an appearance in the documentary, not through lack of trying from the filmmakers. To set some context; …

Review – The Queen of Ireland

The Queen of Ireland is a documentary film about the life of Rory O’Neill, better known as Irish drag queen Panti Bliss. The film looks at everything from O’Neill’s life growing up gay in the small town of Ballinrobe, County Mayo, to living with HIV and his gay rights activism, particularly in the lead up to the historic marriage equality referendum in Ireland in 2015. The film is beautifully directed by Conor Horgan who, until this point, was most well known for directing the 2009 post-apocalyptic Irish drama One Hundred Mornings, the winner of many awards. After watching The Queen of Ireland though, I can’t help but feel he has reached new levels of artistic achievement, and that this film will go down as a classic in queer cinema. You see, he didn’t just lay out the facts of a story already written, he captured the honest, intelligent and quirky character that is Rory O’Neill/Panti Bliss. He showed us why Panti is a hero and an inspiration for LGBTI activists everywhere, even when, in fact …