Nikki Amuka-Bird

Rumours

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Cate Blanchett as the German Chancellor

The opening credits of Rumours formally thank the leaders of the G7. Which must be some kind of joke, because none of them emerges reputationally intact from this very weird film. Though getting a precise bead on the type of humour in play is tricky. Is it political satire? Cultural satire? Surreal japery? Guy Maddin is involved – co-writing and directing with brothers Evan and Galen Johnson – so who honestly knows. Maddin’s films don’t make money but he has fans in the right places, often managing to snag the sort of actor audiences might not expect, playing the sort of role the actor probably didn’t expect. Isabella Rossellini as a beer heiress … Read more

Jericho Ridge

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Deputy Tabby aiming a gun

No one involved in Jericho Ridge thinks they’re making art, but neither do they think they’re making trash. It’s the sort of movie that keeps an industry alive – well made, well acted, decent-enough if familiar story and a satisfying conclusion all round, especially if you like happy endings served with lashings of gory violence. The plot is a slight steal from Assault on Precinct 13 – cops under siege on their own turf – but first it sets up its underdog hero as a person who has a lot to get out from under. Nikki Amuka-Bird plays smalltown cop Tabby Temple, a smart and resourceful deputy who’s recently had her rank reduced because … Read more