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Reviews
Speak No Evil (2022)
The perils of political correctness
To me, this reads as a very clever (and very timely) social commentary.
We watch the slippery slope unfold as Danes, Björn and Louise, repeatedly justify and accommodate aggressions and transgressions from their Dutch hosts, Patrick and Karin.
The hosts' toxic behaviours are recast as cultural differences, while their emotionally abusive parenting is framed as "doing things differently".
Louise lets her concerns about leaving her child with an unknown man go unexpressed, fearing her hesitation will be interpreted as racism or bigotry.
The Danes cede more and more ground to their hosts, vainly striving to keep the peace and avoid being seen as impolite. Louise has the better instincts, but is constantly tempered by her affable and accommodating husband.
By the time Björn recognises the threat, he's ill-equipped to protect what he loves the most. And when he asks the all-important question, "why me?", the answer is heartbreakingly simple yet bonechillingly obvious.
Speak No Evil asks its audience a similar question: do we have the capacity and strength of will to fight back when we come under attack, or will we play peacemaker in an attempt to mollify what threatens us?
We don't have to understand why such evil exists - we need only recognise that it does and be prepared to mount a challenge when we encounter it.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Possibly the most important movie of our time
This seems like the perfect analogy for the science denialism that has led to widespread apathy in the face of climate change and a global pandemic.
But there is no analogy here; what reads as satire is simply a straightforward depiction of the greed, stupidity and hubris that has brought humanity (and the planet) to the brink of extinction.
When ignorance becomes a badge of honour and objective truth is trumped by political ideology, what hope does humanity have of saving itself?
I hold as much hope for our species as 'Don't Look Up' does.
It delivers a vitally important message; one that will be dismissed by the very crowd this movie excoriates.
Which begs the question: do the rest of us resign ourselves the fate brought on by vested interests and the ignorant masses, or do we revolt before it's too late?
Banished (2015)
The actual history is actually interesting
The founding of the penal colony of NSW is incredibly interesting.
We know the stories of actual convicts and many members of the NSW Corps - like most military efforts, it was recorded in meticulous detail.
There are so many fascinating and touching stories. There were 'the stone men' who, on occasion, were flogged to death rather than let out a cry of pain. One convict had been flogged so often that part of his spine became permanently exposed; the soles of his feet were whipped thereafter. There was the Rum Rebellion, when the Corps rebelled and imprisoned Governor Bligh; later maligning him by claiming he'd been dragged out of hiding from under his bed.
They faced real struggles, including a lack of skilled labour in food production. Most convicts and soldiers were city folk who knew less about farming than the modern urbanite. The First Fleet only survived because of a single convict fisherman and a lone soldier who'd worked as a farmhand.
The seasons were reversed, the climate entirely different, and almost everything they knew about farming was wrong in this settlement on the other side of the world.
And yet, life was also remarkably unchanged in some cases. Convict women weren't the property of soldiers (though plenty of them did pair up). The male and female convicts married and, in many cases, had brought their families with them.
The stories are fascinating; why not showcase the reality?
Heathers (2018)
Updated adaptation
Heathers is getting a lot of hate from lovers of the original movie. But do we really want another soulless remake because Hollywood can't come up with any new ideas?
Heathers remains a dark comedy. But instead of focusing on the great social issue of the 80s and 90s - class war - the series takes aim at intersectional identity politics.
This is the Heathers of the 21st century. It doesn't deserve to be condemned for being a spiritual remake rather than a carbon copy.
Heathers questions the prevailing social ideology. Avoid it if you can't find humour in the subject.