May at The Globe Theatrette
With two films made in New Zealand and one in Australia, we’re staying close to home for much of May to celebrate local stories – that’s when we’re not taking you to the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains or the New York art world. Take your pick!
Actress Robin Wright has been part of our movie-watching experience since Princess Bride, and more recently wowed us as her turn as Mrs. Frank Underwood in House Of Cards. With LAND (M, 6 May), Wright is directing for the first time, as well as playing Edee, a woman whose grief makes her escape to the remote harshness of the American wilderness. Expect some raw emotions, bleakly beautiful scenery, and yes, bears.
JAMES & ISEY (M, 13 May) is a wonderful slice-of-life Kiwi gem – the portrait of a mother and son living on their small farm in Kawakawa. Directed by Florian Habicht, the documentary captures their lives in the week leading up to Isey’s 100th birthday party. There’s so much wit, love and soul on display here, we’re pretty sure you’ll want to make friends with these two immediately.
Australian film JUNE AGAIN (M, 20 May) manages that balancing act between drama and comedy we all know from real life - sure it’s a tragedy to wake up in hospital after years of stroke-induced brain fog and realise you’ve missed a good chunk of your family’s lives; but isn’t it also pretty fun to then go “Oh, what the hell” and make up for lost time for all it’s worth? Yes! exclaims this film, and we whole-heartedly agree.
“Are you getting a movie called Poppy?” is a question we’ve been asked a lot lately – and we’re happy to report that the answer is yes! If you missed TVNZ’s moving Sunday segment about Libby Hunsdale, a young Kiwi actress with Down Syndrome, let us bring you up to speed: POPPY (27 May) is Libby’s first film and tells the inspiring story of a young woman living life to the fullest and refusing to be defined by her disability.
THE ARTIST’S WIFE (M, 27 May) stars Bruce Dern as a famous artist whose overbearing sense of grandiosity dominates the relationship with his wife, played by Lena Olin, who used to harbour artistic ambitions of her own. If that reminds you of The Wife starring Glenn Close, you’re not a million miles off, but THE ARTIST’S WIFE does have more on its mind when it introduces an estranged daughter and an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
