Megalopolis Review

I have just seen Megalopolis and loved it. So much better than I expected from reviews. I found the story clearly told and well carried by the actions, visual metaphors and performances. It helps to appreciate literature, history, culture and philosophy - woven into this are the words of Shakespeare, Sappho(!) and Marcus Aurelius(!). The scene with featured quotes from Marcus Aurelius is my special favorite. My special thanks to Nathalie Emmanuel for making movie magic of ancient philosophical wisdom. In an age of passive play-it-safe mass entertainment it is so good to have a creatively intense movie for the literati. Excellent visual design of New Rome costumes and settings. Amazing visual metaphors moving into experimental filmmaking territory to depict extremes of emotional elation, loss, grief and near-death moments. If you love Shakespeare, you will love this. If Shakespeare was here today he would create this.  - John Calder

Movie Review: Stranded Pearl

John Calder and Bronwyn Calder with cast and crew of Stranded Pearl at a screening at Event Cinemas Manukau, NZ. 12 Sep 2024.

Producer and male lead actor Aunanda Naaido pulls off an impressive indie achievement to film across a big variety of locations in the Cook Islands. If this very ambitious project was filmed under pressure I can see no sign of it. The cinematography features excellent coverage of points of view. Female lead Kristy Wright has the time and space to take the title character on a personal journey from workaholic corporate leader to a more balanced person becoming aware of environmental issues - a journey triggered by being stranded on a desert island. The vibe through the early and middle scenes reminds me of classic Hollywood romantic comedies like The African Queen (1951) with Aunanda Naaido and Kristy Wright doing a fine job as the new Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The final Act takes a different dramatic direction where of course I cannot say more because of the "no spoilers!" rule. Except to say that one of the many plot twists is borrowed from William Shakespeare and as a Shakespeare fan I gotta love that.