From the visionary creator of The Fifth Element, Luc Besson comes the exhilarating action film Weekend in Taipei.
You don’t have to wait for long before the first action scene begins, 5 minutes in fact, where a brand new Ferrari takes you on a high-speed joyride through Taiwan’s capital, Taipei.
The film centers around a DEA agent, portrayed by Luke Evans, who is on a relentless mission to dismantle a formidable drug lord’s operation. Unbeknownst to him, this notorious criminal is married to his former love interest, adding an emotional layer to the narrative.
The plot takes viewers on a journey from the United States to Taiwan, where the reunion between the long-lost lovers sparks unresolved feelings and secrets. This rekindling of romance unveils a love triangle that complicates the agent’s mission, leading to a gripping confrontation between good and evil.
The combination of Luke Evans, known for his roles in Hollywood Blockbusters such as Clash of the Titans, a very likeable leading lady, played by Gwei Lun-mei, hailing from Taiwan, and ‘bad guy’, Sung Kang, who starred in the Fast & Furious franchise, makes for a strong cast.
Where the film lacks a strong story, it definitely overachieves in superbly choreographed fight scenes, with lots of humour thrown in. With the addition of a killer soundtrack, some gorgeous cinematography, and good duration, this film is perfect for an entertaining cinematic experience without the need for deep contemplation.
Weekend In Taipei will open in Australian cinemas in the coming weeks. Check your local cinemas for session details.
This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.
Due to budget cuts or in an effort to shield the students from the harrows of castaway life, my school decided to remove Lord of the Flies from the English curriculum. So, Gold Coast Little Theatre’s production last night was the first time I’ve ever experienced the madness of William Golding’s literary classic.
If you, like me, aren’t aware of the full story of Lord Of The Flies, let me give you the cliff notes version, literally: In Lord of the Flies, British schoolboys are stranded on a tropical island. In an attempt to recreate the culture they left behind, they elect Ralph (Amelia White) to lead, with the intellectual Piggy (Mia Waldron) as a counsellor.
But Jack (Bree Paige) wants to be leader, and one by one, he lures the boys from civility and reason to the savage survivalism of primeval hunters. The disturbing tale portrays the children’s journey into turmoil and indicates that humanity’s inherent nature is barbarous.
To say that this production kept me on the edge of my seat is an understatement. The all-female cast of 13, led by Amelia White as Ralph and Bree Paige as Jack, under the direction of Joshua McCann-Thomson, worked tirelessly to bring this disturbing story and all of its themes to life in the most exciting way. Even though the actors might be young, this story and its dark motif are probably suitable for teenagers and above.
Gold Coast Little Theatre is nestled in Southport, a stone’s throw from Australia Fair, surrounded by pubs and restaurants if you want to make a night of it. It has ample off-street parking if you want to drive, but it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from Southport South Station if you want to leave the car at home.
Seating for people with disabilities is available for all shows on request to the Box Office (until booked out). These seats can be booked by phoning the Box Office and are not available online. So, if you’re looking for an exciting night out, give Gold Coast Little Theatre’s Lord Of The Flies a go. The show runs from August 21st until September 21st.
To be honest, I am struggling to write this review. Not because it wasn’t an amazing show but because I wasn’t adequately prepared for the emotional rollercoaster that was David Lindsay-Abaire’s Kimberly Akimbo. Even though my therapist would highly approve of me writing to process my trauma, I am pretty sure that she meant it in a private journal and not in a public theatre review.
The year is 1999. Kimberly could be a typical 16-year-old if her life weren’t anything but typical. A rare medical condition means her body’s aged four times faster than it should. Grey hair, failing eyesight and forgoing body glitter for anti-wrinkle cream don’t quite make you Miss Popularity. But Kimberly’s about to make a friend. And just maybe, her life is going to change. If only her pregnant Mum could tone down the hypochondria. Hopefully, her Dad will start keeping his word. And with any luck, her aunt’s new scheme won’t blow up in their faces.
But don’t let the theatre’s fluffy synopsis fool you. This play is as heartbreaking as it is funny. But suppose you are looking for a redemptive “feel good” story about family members adapting and learning to live with someone with a chronic or terminal illness or disability, then you will probably leave impacted with plenty to think about on the trip home.
The story is less about the people in Kimberly’s life supporting her through her challenges and more about Kimberly having to tackle those obstacles entirely on her own. As someone with a chronic illness myself, some of the themes hit a little close to home for me. The show also tackles the challenging themes of addiction, family dysfunction, and mental illness, so it is better suited to audiences 16+.
Having said that, though, the entire cast brilliantly acted out the story. Kimberly is played by Naomi Thompson, who does an excellent job of playing a teenager juggling life and the symptoms of an illness in the most insane circumstances. Her parents, Patty and Buddy, are played by Cassie Baan and Rory Schiele and are joined by Patty’s eccentric sister, Debora, played by Maegan Weir. The cast is rounded out by Jeff, played by Sam Modra, a fellow student from Kimberly’s school who takes an interest in her for a school project. All of the actors put in such heartfelt performances under the fantastic direction of Kaela Gray that left me crying tears of laughter and sadness.
The whole production was extremely professional, and you could tell that everyone poured their heart and soul into bringing this story to life. Everything from the costumes to lighting, sound, and set design was thoughtfully planned and executed, making it easy to get swept up in the story. I encourage you to give Javeenbah a go and support your local community theatre artists.
Javeenbah Theatre is nestled on the corner of Steven and Ferry Street in Nerang, overlooking the Gold Coast skyline. There is ample parking onsite or on the street, and the theatre serves drinks and a small selection of snacks for patrons to enjoy before or during the show.
The theatre is on ground level, surrounded by grass and gravel, but there are no stairs to negotiate for theatre access if you use a mobility aid. The theatre is quite intimate, with excellent views of the stage from any seat in the house, comfortable chairs and ample legroom.
If you are looking for a fun evening on the Gold Coast, I highly recommend attending this show.
Kimberly Akimbo is playing at Jeveenbah Theatre, Nerang, from August 31st to September 14th, and I am excited that there will be an AUSLAN-signed performance on September 7th and a “relaxed, toned-down” matinee performance on September 14th.
The Book of Solutions is a quirky, sometimes funny, sometimes confusing comedy-drama from writer-director Michel Gondry, who is best known outside of France for directing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The story centres on Marc, a paranoid filmmaker with a narcissistic personality and an incredibly creative but highly distractible mind, which borders on the pathological. To prevent the studio from shutting his film down, he and his crew steal the footage and retreat to Marc’s aunt’s house in the country to finish it.
Marc spends most of his time there, avoiding watching his film whilst restlessly pursuing whatever idea takes hold of his mind at the moment. These pursuits range from being elected mayor of the rural town to filming an ant for three days to creating a soundtrack for his film by gracelessly conducting the orchestra himself with a series of bizarre body and hand gestures. The orchestra scene was a particular favourite, and I enjoyed the idea that someone clueless could make something special happen through their unwavering belief in themselves.
Marc’s pompous narration throughout is also very funny, with a favourite line coming after his triumphant booking of Sting (who works on his soundtrack): ‘Some victories are so spectacular they don’t need a voiceover’.
Over the course of the movie, his increasingly erratic mood and behaviour begin to alienate his crew, worry his elderly aunt, and lead to him being unable to tell facts from fiction in real life. His strangely obsessive thoughts result in him writing ‘The Book of Solutions’, which is supposed to provide the answers to any conflict from the local to the global. All of the ideas in the book are based on his own highly skewed (and often contradictory) perception of the world as he tries to finish his film while his mind simultaneously unravels.
Although Marc’s childlike ability to lose himself in whatever captures his attention at the moment is a beautiful illustration of the power of being totally present, I personally found the film lacked a satisfying story. Like Marc, the film jumps from one thing to the next without any real connectivity or explanation, although it’s an enjoyable journey nonetheless.
Perhaps this lack of a traditional storyline can be chalked up to the fact that it is, after all, a French film and the French have a far more existential relationship with story and filmmaking than Hollywood does. Or perhaps it’s because the film represents a confusing window into the internal struggle of an unsound but sometimes brilliant mind.
Regardless, it’s as darkly humorous and provocative as one might expect a French film to be and is certainly worth watching, even if you’re new to French cinema.