INDEPENDENT FILM FOR INDEPENDENT MINDS

Rake is a new Australian drama premiering on Rialto Channel tonight at 8.30pm. It stars award winning actor Richard Roxburgh as a brilliant, witty, self-destructive and politically incorrect barrister called Cleaver Greene. Superbly written and hilariously funny – this is one of the best television series I’ve seen in ages.

Recently I had a chat to Richard Roxburgh about the origins of the show, and how he’s flying the flag for Kiwi talent in Australia.

Variety is the theme of my highlights this week: a fast paced Brazilian crime thriller, an Oscar nominated documentary about an American eco- terrorist group, and a drama in which Shakespeare is a fake.

Yes, plenty to discuss around the water cooler this week.

The speeches were breathy and tearful, the Best Actress winner tripped on the stairs, everyone knew who designed their outfit, shoes and jewellery, the host was mildly amusing, but not as offensive as he could have been, the show went on for ever, and the winners were worthy recipients – welcome to The Oscars!

Allen is Rialto Channel’s featured director in Sunday evening’s Director’s Series which features plenty of classic Allen films. And Midnight in Paris marks the beginning of Rialto Channel’s Oscar Collection, a series that plays throughout March celebrating Oscar winners and nominees from 2012. It’s a wonderful opportunity to catch all the must-see films of the last Oscar’s season.

The Oscars are almost here, so as we close in on the biggest showbiz party of the year here are some of my thoughts and predictions for the 85^th Academy Awards, which take place Monday 25^th February (NZ time).

2011 was an impressive year for Irish/German actor Michael Fassbender; he stared in five films, receiving a number of awards and nominations for his efforts, and proved that as long as you’re good enough there’s no such thing as being typecast.

Finally, some good news for all the fans who thought Skyfall, the latest James Bond film directed by Sam Mendes, should have been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar; it has won two BAFTA awards, benefiting from what must have been a significant home advantage.

Is it just me, but does Jessica Chastain seem to have appeared from nowhere to become one of the most talented and acclaimed actresses working today?

At the start of the year the film industry does what most of us do; it looks back over the past year and celebrates, and it begins looking forward the year ahead and thinking about what’s next.