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Men In Black 3

It’s not a sequel that needed to be made, but thanks to the charm of its leads and a tone that harks back to the wit and humour of the original, it’s a pretty enjoyable trip.

Bel Ami

The excellent female support cast saves this patchy effort, which is let down by its leading man and a flat screenplay.

The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

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Mrs Carey's Concert (Film)

by Cara Nash | April 27, 2011 16:46 | Edited April 27, 2011 16:49

With tensions running high throughout, this wonderfully observed documentary is an absorbing and revealing musical journey.

While a documentary about an all-girl high school preparing for their end of year classical music performance may sound like slightly yawn-inducing material, in the hands of the legendary Bob Connolly (Rats In The Ranks) and his new filmmaking partner Sophie Raymond, it's nothing short of compelling.

 

What makes Mrs. Carey's Concert so absorbing is that the journey is largely told through the perspective of three engaging personalities. There's the tough-minded music teacher, Mrs. Carey, who has difficulty understanding any student's lack of passion for her class. There is the shy but blooming maestro, Emily, who is something of a reluctant star. Finally, there's the sassy Iris, who often refuses to participate in the tedious rehearsals. The scenes in which Iris challenges Mrs. Carey are particularly revealing, and raise questions over who is in the right.

 

On top of the tensions, there is, of course, the stunning music that the girls perform at an aptitude that seems remarkable given their tender years. The film reveals and revels in the transformative power of music, but also poses a challenging question: are these girls ready to confront and grapple with the emotions being asked of them through the music? One insightful scene has an exasperated Emily explaining that when you continually talk about how music is making you feel, it loses its meaning. Her frustrations feel absolutely valid. What makes unexpected moments like these so special is that they never feel contrived. Connolly and Raymond haven't sat anyone down to interview them, with the girls instead choosing to confide in the filmmakers, and as such, these moments feel like small revelations.

 

The simmering drama comes to a beautiful climax at their Sydney Opera House performance. Perhaps a mark of how wonderfully Connolly and Raymond have captured their subjects is that when these girls walk off stage, we're not quite ready to let them go.