Triangle of Sadness
(writer and director Ruben Östlund) (2022, Foxtel) In the 1988 movie Funny Farm, hapless writer Andy Farmer (Chevy Chase) is asked whether his novel in progress is comedy, action or adventure. He replies, gleefully: “It’s all three”. Triangle of Sadness is a dreadful melange too and there’s nothing to be gleeful about. It’s a bore. Östlund didn’t know if he was making a gross-out, social satire, or survival movie. It is, in fact, a poorly executed scramble of all three, mixed with a bit of luxury yacht-and-model-porn. Östlund puts a stereotypical bunch of wealthy cruise-goers on board the SS Minnow…
Continue Reading →Rice Paper Scissors
(15 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, April 2023) It’s a little funky, a little trendy, dare we say? – a little woke, but while Rice Paper Scrs staff shoot from the hip, they are hip when they shoot. It’s a great lunch place, roughly on the edge of Melbourne’s Chinatown, but the grub is more a fusion of east and west – and it is terrific. We started with some tasty cocktails, and then moved onto a nice Melbourne riesling, to wash down a Thai Prawn roll (a brioche bun stuffed with poached prawn salad, makrut lime mayo, sriracha and yarra valley…
Continue Reading →“The Once and Future King”
Deep-Fake image of # 45, pursued by New York's finest
Donald Trump has been indicted on 34 counts. We don’t quite follow the charges – who does? As we understand it, Mr. Trump is accused of paying hush money to a lady who calls herself ‘Stormy Daniels’ stemming from an alleged assignation in 2007, which she later denied in a signed letter that she now renounces. Paying hush money is not a crime. But it can be a federal campaign violation. Only, it can’t be pursued on this indictment, as that is a federal offence, and out of the NYC District Attorney’s remit. The Federal Dept. of Justice, who would…
Continue Reading →Can You Ever Forgive Me?
(Directed by Marielle Heller, 2018) We were familiar with Ms. Heller’s work through that deceptively small film, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and here, as there, she clearly is the Goddess of Small Things, able to turn an interior work into something a bit special. The story is ‘sort-of-true.’ Worthy but down-and-out and written-out journeyman writer, Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy, who was in the terrific comedy Bridesmaids) has rent and bills past due, can’t keep a job because of poor interpersonal skills, can’t afford veterinary treatment for her cat, Jersey, has a drinking problem, and an agent (Jane Curtin,…
Continue Reading →KIIN
Kiin, Modern Asian Dining, 73 Angas Street, Adelaide, 22 March 2023 Kiin (Thai for ‘eat’) is Adelaide’s newest Thai restaurant, with a modern (‘fusion’?) menu amid understated but tasteful and comfortable surroundings. It is just up from the court precinct, so if you don’t mind dining amid lawyers, there’ll be no problem. TVC visited one mild Autumn night, and were enchanted – nay, dazzled – by a very funky bill of fare. We had: A BBQ Chicken thigh skewer, smoked and served in a light yellow curry, which was fragrant and full of heat; A lychee prawn pop popper (pop in the…
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