toni magor

I have been puzzled by the bad reviews I’ve read for Empire of Light. I wonder if movie buffs thought it would be more about the history of film. Whatever the reason, please don’t let the lack of warmth about this film deter you if you like subtle stories of human frailty and coping in scary times. Olivia Coleman is fabulous as generally acknowledged but all the actors are good and it evoked the right feelings for me. It is a quiet study of a mentally fragile woman in a very specific time and place.

Ioan Gruffudd Is the worst actor in the universe That’s all!

Kudos to all concerned. Makes me proud of the way these talented artists have managed this unflinching view of a troubled but beautiful part of our culture within the constraints of a well constructed police who-dunnit. Anyone who hasn’t seen this is missing out on both top entertainment and a deeper level of human understanding.

I just read the SMH review and was moved to write this contradiction. I didn’t fancy watching a worthy expose of the failings of another era. Maralinga wasn’t awful and shameful but I just didn’t want to see that at this time. Well I tentatively looked on iview and was immediately hooked. I love the wacky tone, the irreverent way of handling such a tragic event and I love trying to figure out how much is really factual. I don’t care though. The casting is fabulous, the look, the costumes and the acting all first class and I love its “unworthiness” I love you for this ABC!

This latest series set in NW Australia is really extraordinary. I am entranced by the cinematography in particular. Every scene is a visual treat, every frame a painting and I can feel the heat and dust and smell the mangroves. The acting is top notch too. I especially like Jada Alberts (I think it is), who plays Jay’s partner, Fran. So far the story is also compelling and not too predictable. What it!

This is really an excellent show. The acting, the production values, the script: in fact it kicks goals all round. Gripping and engaging on a very human level. One of the best Aussie productions, maybe the best, I’ve seen!

I didn’t know what to expect with this. Wow! It was so gripping. If you liked Locke, the Tom Hardy movie, this is a bit in the same vein but with subtitles. Asger, the danish police officer who has been stood down from the beat, takes a call near the end of his last shift on the emergency call desk that evolves into a shocking drama. He decides to coordinate a personal operation to save a kidnap victim and finds his assumptions and his moral compass are shaken. This is all conveyed efficiently through his phone calls. Great acting, great directing and not one action scene!