ATHENA
Delivered with virtuosic action choreography, this film about the battle between overzealous cops and outraged residents of a council immigrant housing estate made for an explosive French urban thriller and political drama. (Netflix)
C'MON C'MON
The chemistry between Joaquin Phoenix's carefree uncle and the impressionable pre-teen nephew (a stunning Woody Norman) whom he's forced to babysit as they criss-cross the US made this one of the year's most genuinely heart-warming offerings.
(VOD) DAME VALERIE ADAMS: MORE THAN GOLD
The first feature documentary about a New Zealand sportswoman was an absorbing portrait of the shot-put great; one that showed just what it takes to be able to be the best at hurling a 4kg steel ball 20 or so metres; and one that showed why Adams devoted herself to being so good at it from childhood to motherhood. (Cinemas)
DECISION TO LEAVE
This Korean noir won Park Chan-wook the Best Director gong at Cannes before it won over audiences worldwide with its gripping, twisting mystery romance about an insomniac detective cop who falls for the widow he suspects might have killed her husband. (Cinemas)
DRIVE MY CAR
An adaptation of a Haruki Murakami short story, this unhurried Japanese film about the burgeoning friendship between a troubled theatre director and the young woman hired as his driver was surprisingly affecting and thought-provoking. A compelling meta-examination of how humans connect across the barriers of language, age and distrust. (VOD, Rialto Channel)
ELVIS
Denne historien er fra December 24 2022 - January 2 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra December 24 2022 - January 2 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
