LEE - film

Lee is a biographic drama about WWII photojournalist Lee Miller starring Kate Winslet in the lead role.

Remarkably, she is chronicling the war for Vogue magazine. Although as becomes relevant to the story, the fashion magazine isn’t as committed to news coverage of the war as Lee hopes. She’s tenacious though and fights hard to share what she’s seen and captured, much of it horrific.

Winslet is brilliant as Lee and she’s a producer on the film as well. Marion Cotillard, Josh O’Connor, Andy Samburg and Alexander Skarsgård round out the great cast.

This is good old-fashioned film making if you ask me. Someone found an interesting story worth putting on the big screen and they’ve gone and done it. Is it perfect? Nup. Is it good and worth seeing? Yup.

Lee is rated M, runs for 117 minutes and is in cinemas now. Trailer here.

IT ENDS WITH US - film

(This blog contains a plot spoiler)

I hate it when blogs are hard to write because it’s not clearly a ‘yes this is great you should see it’ or ‘this is terrible and you definitely should not see it’. WOE IS ME!

And so it is with ‘It ends with us’, an adaptation of a New York Times bestselling romance novel by Colleen Hoover with Blake Lively in the lead role of Lily Bloom. (Her middle name is Blossom and she’s a florist, to give you a sense of where this is going.)

I saw this film a few days ago and even with all that time to digest it, the honest truth is that I’m still not quite sure what to make of it. Did I love it? Absolutely not. Did I hate it? I hated many parts of it but I did not hate the overall experience of watching it.

I think one of the reasons I’m so vexed about it is that it feels wildly inappropriate to ‘cut to the chase’ about a film whose theme is domestic violence. Spoiler alert. I’m usually really anti putting spoilers in my blogs but it’s so central to the film it’s impossible to ignore. And I guess there’s the rub - this is marketed as a romance film but then the family violence emerges and suddenly it feels kinda gross to be jovial about it. And to say this is a Hollywood glossy version of domestic violence portrayal would be an understatement. The perpetrator really does not come off looking that bad and I’m not cool with that. Broadly it seems to me that this is a deeply unrealistic portrayal of family violence, even acknowledging that everyone’s experience is different.

I won’t go into the plotline - I didn’t know anything when I saw it and I think that definitely helped keep me engaged - but suffice to say if something related to family violence would be upsetting to you, you should give this a wide berth. Aside from any other way it could make you feel, I reckon it’ll make you mad how family violence is portrayed. There’s also just a whole bunch of things about the storyline that are dumb and unrealistic and have complete soap opera vibes.

So apologies this blog lacks eloquence and clarity but in summary, I guess I wouldn’t recommend seeing this film. Maybe catch it on a streamer when it pops up there. I mean, if only for Blake Lively’s spectacular hair which deserved it’s own notation in the credits.

‘It ends with us’ is in cinemas now, rated M and runs 130 minutes.

POST SCRIPT ADDED THREE HOURS AFTER PUBLISHING - I’m delighted someone in my professional network shared this ABC article on LinkedIn about the problematic way this film romanticizes violent relationships. It articulates the notions I grappled with 1000 times better than I have and I highly recommend you read it particularly if you are considering seeing the film.

THE BIKERIDERS - film

I’m sorry to say that I found The Bikeriders - a story of the rise and fall of a motorbike club in America’s north west in the 1960s and ‘70s starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy - really quite boring.

The one hour mark was when I started to get restless and think, good lord is this actually going anywhere?! And I don’t think I was alone because a steady stream of people at the full house screening I was at started to go out and in (presumably to the loo) of the cinema from that point too.

There wasn’t a significant enough crescendo in the story for me - it felt like it would go somewhere interesting and never really did. Jodie Comer’s excellent performance is the best thing it has going for it.

It’d be about 2 stars for me though my friend liked it a little better and said it'd be 3 from her. In fairness to the film, the critics seem to like it a little more than us - eg 4 stars from The Guardian and 4 stars from The Standard.

If it’s hard for you to get to the movies so you don’t do it often, give this one a miss I reckon.

The Bikeriders opens Thursday 4 July, is rated M and runs 116 minutes.

INSIDE OUT 2

This is so fun! Is it perfect? Nup? Is it worth seeing anyway? Yep!

Inside Out 2 is a sequel following the first Pixar Inside Out which came out about 10 years ago. You don’t need to have seen the first one though I dare say there’s a bit of extra joy in the sequel if you have.

Riley - our main protagonist - is on the verge of puberty and her feelings and emotions are now even more complicated. Joy (voiced by Amy Pohler), Anger, Sadness, Fear and Disgust are now joined by Anxiety, Envy, Fear, Embarrassment and Ennui. (Ennui being boredom in French, and she brings the lols to this one.)

Riley’s off to hockey camp and has a fairly typical friend drama for a girl that age. Lured by cool kids, will she abandon her old loyal friends and how will all the emotions handle it?!

It’s ideal for kids aged, say, 11-13, but there’s something in it for everyone I reckon. I went with a 17 and 20 year old and they both liked it, the 20 year old a little more than then 17 year old. Maybe distance from puberty and school girl dramas makes it easier to enjoy. (#armchairpsychology)

INSIDE OUT 2 runs for 1 hour 36 minutes and is rated PG. Trailer here.

ANATOMY OF A FALL - film

The Wikipedia entry for Anatomy of a Fall describes it as a “French legal drama thriller” and I’m struck by how that somehow sounds so dull when the film isn’t but the description is accurate. It’s receiving rave reviews and won the top prize at the Canne Film Festival. (I know it hurts but I promise it’s pronounced more like “can” than it is like “carn”, Aussies!)

It didn’t quite live up to the reviews for me. It was great and I’m glad I saw it and I’d happily recommend it but IT WAS TOO LONG! Regular readers will know I say that quite a bit but honestly, at 2.5 hours this film is great but at 2 hours it could have been brilliant. Call me Eddie the Expert but it just seems like undisciplined film making to me.

The main character is Sandra, a German woman living in the French alps with her French husband and son who has low vision. Sandra’s husband dies early in the film and she is suspected of his murder and faces trial, defended by an old lawyer friend. The trial reveals the complexity of their relationship including infidelities and accusations of plagiarism; Sandra and her husband are both writers. It also reveals the complexity of having low vision… did you really see that or did you think… or perhaps hope, you saw that?!

Anatomy of a Fall is great. It’s interesting that almost always the French version of language is more beautiful than the English, with the exception of the name of this film which is French is ‘Anatomie d’une Chute’. Just makes me chuckle.

This film is in cinemas now, runs for 2.5 hours (as discussed sigh) and is rated MA15+. If you see it, let me know what you reckon. Trailer here.

THE COLOR PURPLE - film

This movie is toooooo loooooooong. Seriously! Stop it, film makers! Long does not equal good!

I haven’t read the novel on which this film is based and nor have I seen the 1985 version of the film starring Oprah Winfrey, who’s an executive producer on this remake. All of which is to say, these are fresh eyes and I am offering my view of this film and this film alone.

It’s a musical, y’all! Did you know that?! As a musical lover I’ve gotta tell you, they’ve nailed the song and dance numbers in this! Do they feel a bit at odds with an at times fairly serious films, navigating topics like slavery and family violence? Why yes, yes they do. It’s like there’s two things happening in this movie that are both good but don’t belong together. A serious take on the experience of black people in American in the 1900s? Sure, sounds interesting. A musical filled with absolute bangers accompanied by dancing that’ll leave you toe-tapping and soaring ballads that’ll move you? Sure, sounds great! But jam them together in one film and something doesn’t quite gel.

I didn’t hate this (other than the length) but I also didn’t love it. The Guardian gave it three stars and I agree with that I think. It’s mid-range territory. Give the review a read if you’d like to know more about the film.

The Color Purple is rated M, runs for 141 minutes (YUCK) and opens on Thursday 25 January 2024. Trailer here.

ALL OF US STRANGERS - film

HOOOO BOY. This film is brilliant.

I’ve thought a lot about whether to try to explain the plot at all in this blog and have decided that I won’t other than to say it’s a story of grief, childhood trauma, navigating coming out as gay, imagination but most of all grief. There’s a lot of grief. Take tissues. Did I mention the grief?!

It stars Andrew Scott (AKA ‘Hot Priest’ IYKYK) and Paul Mescal and they’re both brilliant. Why aren’t they winning all the awards either?! Scott especially. His performance will move you to your flippin’ core. Did I mention you should take tissues?!

About three quarters of the way through the film I started thinking to myself, this film is so good; I can’t believe how good it is; why isn’t this film winning best picture at all the awards etc. I stand by that now.

Now. Let’s talk caveats. It’s a bit confusing BUT on that I would say, even if you don’t follow the twists, the story you think you’re watching is super compelling, so does it matter? The fact that one of the drop downs when you google “All of us strangers” is “explained” says something. Not everything is as it seems in All Of Us Strangers and in my reading online after seeing the film, I can see that some people get that as they’re watching the film and others don’t. But I reckon it doesn’t matter. But don’t let that put you off! Watch the film then read one of the explainers. Easy!

Another caveat (it’ll seem like a spoiler at first but lemme finish!) … well, trigger warning, I guess, is that if you have sensitivity for any reason around the death of a parent or both parents, I imagine this will be just too much for you. Don’t do it to yourself. Especially if the death(s) occurred when you were a child. Now I know that seems like a spoiler and of course it kind of is but the death of the parents thing is known early in the story and the whole thing is really based on that fact.

This film is up there with the best I’ve seen. Don’t miss it!

All Of Us Strangers is rated MA15+, runs 105 minutes and is in cinemas now.

PRISCILLA

Based on Priscilla Presley’s memoir, this is a biopic about a women best known for marrying superstar Elvis Presley.

I found it pretty dull, to be honest. I didn’t know anything at all about her going into this and really very little about Elvis as it turns out! I kept thinking, is this going somewhere?! Some would argue this is an unsophisticated take that lacks nuance … well derr Fred, you’re on a blog called ‘cut to the chase’!

The actors who play Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) and Elvis (Jacob Elordi - an Aussie) are very talented. However on Elordi as Elvis, we’re gonna need some subtitles guys! I know the muttery delivery is true of the man himself but if there’s times where you can’t understand what he’s saying that seems kinda problematic to me!

People whose opinion I rate loved it. Case in point, ABC music commentator (and more) Zan Rowe who absolutely raved about it on her Instagram. She’s on board with *some* of the proper critics - for example, this chap in The Guardian.

However I’ve also seen reviews that are more in line with me, two star kind of affairs. (The one I read which I most agreed with in the Washington Post is behind a paywall so I won’t bother sharing the link.)

Priscilla is rated M, runs 113 minutes and is in cinemas now.

NEXT GOAL WINS - film

Next Goal Wins, directed by Taika Waititi, is based on the true story of the American Samoa soccer team, who suffered the worst loss in soccer World Cup history in 2001, losing to Australia 31-0. With the 2014 World Cup approaching, the team recruits coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) to help turn their fate around. There’s a reason Rongen is available for this gig that’s … unusual… for a professional coach. He’s got some demons in his past.

A transgender player in the team helps give the film some heart and complexity. This aspect of it is done well, I think.

This film is very, very funny. It’s not perfect but if you want a good laugh, it’s perfect. And it’s a PROVEN FACT that gags delivered with a New Zealand accent are 10% funnier so there’s a good bonus for you.

Next Goal Wins is rated PG, runs 104 minutes and is in cinemas now.

THE HOLDOVERS - film

This film is a joy! It’s about 25 minutes too long at 2 hours 13 minutes but otherwise I highly recommend it.

Paul Giamatti plays a grumpy, principled high school history teacher Mr Hunham who draws the short straw and has to stay at school over the Christmas holidays to supervise the boarding students who don’t have anywhere to go. To cut to the chase, the small student group whittles down to just one, a cheeky kid called Angus whose story winds up being way more complicated than Mr Hunham or anyone could have predicted. They form a bond of sorts along with the school caterer Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who is also around for the Christmas holidays to cook for them. Randolph steals the show in this - she gets some good gags to deliver and also has her own moving story that emerges.

The Holdovers is rated M and in cinemas now. Here’s a four star review if you want to read more.

MEAN GIRLS - film

I wish it were better news, team.

I didn’t love Mean Girls BUT I didn’t hate it so … here we are in middle-town, I guess?

There’s basically two audiences for this ‘remake’ of the 2004 version, I reckon. I’m in one of them (people who liked the original and are back for more with a nostalgic lens) and my 16 year old niece who I saw it with is in the other (young kewl people) so I reckon we have this covered for you. There’s a third outlier group whose view I can also bring you - people aged 40+ who haven’t seen the original.

In summary…

Me: As mentioned, didn’t love, didn’t hate - 2.5 stars.

16 year old: Bit the same, liked some elements, didn’t like others - 3.5 stars.

40+ year old woman who hasn’t seen original: Enjoyed it way more than she expected to but had pretty low expectations - 4 stars.

Australian actress Angourie Rice plays the main character and she’s excellent, so that’s something. That kid is going places.

OOOOH IMPORTANT FACT YOU MAY NOT KNOW …. this is a musical! The distribution company seems to have been at pains to conceal this; you certainly wouldn’t know it from the trailer. But if you’re a kewl young gal about town like my niece, of course you know that because you’re all over the talents of the other main actress in the film - the meanie/baddie - Renee Rapp. She sure can sing, and a lot better than Angourie.

Here’s The Guardian giving it three stars, if you want to read a proper review.

Mean Girls is rated PG, runs 112 minutes and is in cinemas now. It’s a ‘wait til it’s on a streaming service’ for me.

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT - film

MEH

How did director George Clooney make this remarkable true story about a group of young men learning very quickly to row and winning a gold medal so dull?! The Boys in the Boat is paint-by-number film making. And to release it during awards season when there’s so many brilliant films around was dumb. Good one, delusional Hollywood executives!

• Young man from poor origins trying to pull himself up by his bootstraps who, you won’t believe it, is handsome … TICK

• Beautiful young woman by his side … will she distract or inspire him?! … TICK

• Wise old man who doesn’t say much but when he does it’s somehow profound and insightful … TICK

• A privileged enemy who tries to unfairly stop the fairytale story in its tracks … TICK

• Team struck by adversity in the form of a suddenly sick member … will he come good in time to row for the gold medal?! … TICK

This film is so vanilla I could barely stay interested for most of it which really makes no sense when you consider that the true story on which it’s based is really quite cool. To be fair, my interest did pick up at the end to some degree but the reality is, Hollywood ain’t making films about rowing teams that came second so we knew they were going to win.

Give The Boys in the Boat a miss I reckon. How sad.

It’s getting mixed reviews - two stars from The Guardian and a more positive 3.5 stars from The Age. Check out one of these if you’d like to know more about the storyline but tbh I wouldn’t bother.

The Boys in the Boat is in cinemas now. It’s rated PG and runs for 124 minutes.

ANYONE BUT YOU - film

A truly awful movie. Don’t waste your money or time.

POOR THINGS - film

This film is absolutely bonkers and you should absolutely see it! I loved it!

I noticed the Wikipedia entry for the film describes it as “science fantasy black comedy” which I share because I think it gives you a sense of how hard it is to categorise it as one thing. It’s definitely funny and darkly so and I wouldn’t call it science fiction per se so I get why ‘science’ made the cut without the fiction bit and it’s definitely fantasy!

I’ve thought a lot about whether to to try to fill you in on the plot but a) the plot and concept are sufficiently nuts as to make it almost impossible to cut to the chase and b) I think there’s joy in going in blind to Poor Things.

Emma Stone will win Best Actress at all the awards ceremonies for this, mark my words. She’s spectacular in the lead as Bella Baxter, a quirky AF role.

This film isn’t for everyone but if you have an open mind and enjoy things that are a bit brain bendy then I highly recommend Poor Things.

If you do want more details - I get it, I get it - read this review in Variety which is very positive and explains the premise and plot of the film, which is written by Aussie Tony McNamara.

Poor Things opens 26 December, is rated MA15+ and runs for 141 minutes. (A smidge too long in my view but it’s good so you’ll survive, just as I did.)

WONKA - film

Well this was fun!

WONKA is a prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory starring Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka. Whilst he ought not expect to win a Grammy or Tony any time soon for his singing - yes Wonka is a musical - it’s serviceable, and his acting is perfect for this role with just the right amount of kooky.

This origin story of the ultimate chocolate maker is full of interesting characters and familiar faces. Willy is trying to make his start as a chocolate entrepreneur but is up against a bunch of baddies. Olivia Coleman is flippin’ glorious as Mrs Scrubbit, a role unlike anything I’ve seen her in before, and a trio of chocolate-making competitors including Matt Lucas as 'Prodnose,’ bring some funny and at times slightly dark vibes. Hugh Grant as Oompa Loompa (yes there’s only one in this - for shame!) is also excellent though he appears less than I expected given his prominence in the promotion of the film.

The songs in Wonka are good though I dare say won’t catch on quite like some other musical soundtracks have of late. I like a musical but I know they’re not for everyone!

So in short, is Wonka perfect? Nah, but it’s jolly good fun and I’d happily recommend it. The kids at the premiere all seemed to love it too though thinking of them does remind me that it’s a smidge too long if you ask me, especially for a kids’ film.

Here’s a 4 star review in The Guardian if you’d like to read more. It’d be 4 stars from me too and the two people I saw it with, including a 16 year old, concurred.

Wonka opens Thursday 14 December, is rated PG and runs for 116 minutes.

BOTTOMS - film

Gosh this was a good time! Bottoms is a coming of age/high school movie that’s modern and funny but not for everyone and not for the faint-hearted. I reckon my teenage niece would love it but I reckon my octogenarian father would react the same way as the old wowser critic I was sitting near at the media screening who said at the end, “Well that was awful.” WHATEVER, OLD DUDE! THIS ONE IS NOT FOR YOU AND YOUR KIND!

The two main characters, lesbian high school students PJ & Josie, cook up a dumb plan (you don’t need the details!) and the result is hammy and silly but often funny. These two actresses - Rachel Sennott (also co-writer) and Ayo Edebiri - are both brilliant and among a wider cast of equally excellent young actors. I reckon this will be a break-out opportunity for many of them!

So to cut to the chase, if you’re an old wowser give this a miss but if you’re fun and don’t need every damn thing to make sense and be realistic and just want some lols, get along to Bottoms for some great laughs!

Here’s a proper review (4 stars) if you want to read more.

Bottoms run 92 minutes (YES!!) and is rated MA15+ and opens Thursday 30 November.

SALTBURN - film

Hooo boy, Saltburn - a black comedy psychological thriller - is something else. In a good way! It’s terrific. I saw a review that described it as “a tale of grotesque overprivilege” and to that I say, BOOM, you are correct good lady.

Starring faces familiar to *ahem* my vintage, Saltburn features Rosamund Pike and Richard E Grant (both hilarious in this) as well as Hot Young Things Jacob Elordi (Euphoria & Priscilla) and Barry Keoghan (Banshees of Inisherin). There’s also a relatively small but hilarious role for Carey Mulligan.

Set in the early 2000s, Saltburn follows Ollie (Keoghan) to Oxford University where he’s known as the scholarship kid wearing clothes from op shops. He strikes up a friendship with aristocratic Felix (Elordi, who is Australian) and is introduced to Felix’s family and whole world when he visits their country manor Saltburn for the summer. WEIRD STUFF HAPPENS IN THE SUMMER AT SALTBURN YOU GUYS. Like, super weird. Honestly, I gasped numerous times! I also laughed a lot too so it’s not all bleakly gasp-worthy!

Regular readers will know I love a film that runs 90-100 minutes and at 131 minutes I reckon Saltburn could have easily coped with a 20-25 minute trim and still been an excellent film, but it’s a small gripe really.

Saltburn is rated MA15+ and opens on Thursday 16 November 2023.

OPPENHEIMER

J Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist born in 1904 and ‘Oppenheimer’ is a biopic, starring Cillian Murphy as the man himself, that hones in on his time leading a top-secret project to build nuclear weapons and specifically to create a bomb to end World War II. Spoiler alert - he was successful in doing so.

Now, we need to talk about the fact that this film is three hours long. Long-time readers of this blog will know I’m a 90-100 minutes kinda gal and I know I’m not alone! A three hour film is literally twice as long as a good film should be! (My view is correct… der.) For me, Oppenheimer is too long in the general comfort and attention span way but also content-wise, it could comfortably be 30-60 minutes shorter and be a great film. I think there’s a tendency to assume longer = better (epic!) and maybe more likely to win awards and I’m just not here for that. *steps off soap box*

The film jumps around in time and context and it’s easy to follow (and if I think it’s easy to follow it is - I typically get confused by films that do this) but this is an indication of how much is going on in the story. There are two US government hearings to cover as well as Oppenheimer’s life and work including his romantic relationships. (He was a bit of a dirty dog, you see, though the film doesn’t focus hugely on this.)

The first act of the film is the build up to whether Oppenheimer and his team will successfully build the atomic bomb. It’s long - too long - and seeks to build tension as indicated by the soaring soundtrack to these moments. But here’s the thing … I didn’t feel any tension. At all. I’ve pondered whether this is because I knew they would successfully get the bomb off the ground (pardon the pun) but I’m not sure it’s that. But I’m not sure what it is.

There’s an all-star cast. Cillian Murphy leading (he’s excellent), Robert Downey Jnr (also excellent, playing a political enemy of Oppenheimer), Emily Blunt (wife), Florence Pugh (fling), Matt Damon (military boss) and Rami Malik in a surprisingly small role.

Oppenheimer is, by and large, getting very positive reviews. Lots of 4 and 5 stars including this 5 star review in the Daily Telegraph. For me it’s more like 3 and whilst I didn’t ask him for a star rating, the friend I took to the screening agreed with me that it didn’t live up to the hype. So we’re a sample of just two but for what it’s worth, The Age has given it 3.5 stars and is certainly less glowing than many.

This blog is a bit longer than I like them to be. I blame the length of Oppenheimer - look what they made me do! I’m a mess! So here’s me cutting to the chase on Oppenheimer … it’s not as good as I hoped or expected but it’s not terrible, far from it. Heaps of people will like it. But you’ve gotta be up for three hours. ARE YOU UP FOR THREE HOURS?!

Oppenheimer is in cinemas now and is rated MA 15+.

BARBIE

Oh Barbie. My fear is that, in trying to be something for everyone this film has become nothing for anyone. Because, to cut to the chase, this film isn’t ideal for kids and isn’t ideal for adults and that just leaves… teenagers? I guess to be fair, there were plenty of teenages in the screening I was at and they seemed to love it.

Quick (sorta) synopsis: Margot Robbie plays the main Barbie (perfect - she’s stunning) and whilst living in Barbieland, a world full of happy, successful and diverse* Barbies and Kens including main Ken played by Ryan Gosling (also perfect - also stunning), she has an existential crisis which sees her visit the real world. Honestly, the storyline of how she gets there, what she does there, and how it’s resolved is all just silly but hey, this isn’t claiming to be intellectual. But maybe it is with Greta Gerwig as director … my brain doesn’t know how to process this!

To expand re kids and adults, I think most of the storyline will just go completely over kids’ heads. It’s not a kids’ film in the way, say, Frozen is. Since I don’t have kids I wanted to test this thinking with people who do and my sample size of two - thanks H & M and L & W - confirmed that thinking. It’s not that it would be problematic for kids - there’s plenty of colour and great songs to entertain - but I just think they’ll potentially get bored and they’ll be disappointed if they go into it thinking it’ll be comparable to Frozen!

And re adults, well, we’re not a homogenous bunch I guess but for me, whilst I enjoyed the high-brow gags, the feminist themes and the camp performances (Ryan Gosling kills it) overall it was just a bit … dumb?!

So in summary, I didn’t love it but certainly didn’t hate it. And frankly no matter what the reviews said (they’re mixed) I would have seen this just to satisfy my curiosity and I suspect many readers will be the same! So go forth and see this and let me know what you think please, especially if you take kids!

Barbie is in cinemas now. It runs 114 minutes and is rated PG.

* three cheers for there being a fat woman (Barbie!) on the big screen and her being happy and not miserable! There are happy fat people you guys! (Massive tangent now but if you’ve seen The Whale and particularly if you liked it, read this please and thank you)

Melbourne International Comedy Festival

It’s that time again! We are so lucky to have this festival in Victoria! I’m going to let you know about two shows I’ve seen but also give some general recommendations for the festival and comedy from the comfort of home too.

Prue Blake: I caught Prue’s show with a friend and we really enjoyed it! It’s Prue’s first solo comedy festival show and for a first-timer, it was really funny! Her show ‘Unfriended’ explores some of the funny complexities of friendships, especially when you’re younger - lots to relate to! There’s a line in her show about dulce de leche which still makes me chuckle when I hear her in my head saying it. Prue could easily end up in the next crop of successful comics like Anne Edmonds and Celia Pacquola … she’s got the talent and more flying hours on stage will help polish her act.

Laura Hughes: You might recognise Laura’s face from TV shows such as At Home Alone Together and Legally Brown. Her common name, though, is the basis for this show in which she introduces us to six characters, all named Laura Hughes. The opening gambit - a TED Talk-delivering wellness guru - is strong and funny but the second of six - a woman who show jumps dogs - was a low point which I’m surprised she hasn’t ditched from the show given it’s pretty clear she can see it’s not a winner. (It’s a shame - that concept has such potential and with time it could have been so much better.) Watching Millionaire Hotseat with her ill father was a throughline of the show and the excerpts she played on stage were as baffling as they were hilarious but unfortunately the ending to the stand up routine where she circles back to the death of her father fell flat. The crowd just didn’t know what to do with such a sombre ending and there hadn’t been enough discussion of her dad through the show for us to be engaged with the return to the topic. My friend and I both agreed this is probably a 2.5 star show but in the interests of fairness, there was a man-spreading gent in the row in front of us who laughed A LOT AND VERY LOUDLY so she was obviously more up his alley than ours!

Having only caught two shows myself so far, here’s some suggestions of comics I’ve seen and loved in the past… (I can’t vouch for their 2023 shows but past quality is often a good yardstick!) Try Anne Edmonds (though she’s doing disappointingly few shows this year), Geraldine Hickey, Nath Valvo doing a best-of, Dave O’Neil & Luke Heggie.

And for those who want to LOL from your comfy couch instead of get out and see a show (BUT YOU SHOULD GET OUT AND SEE A SHOW!) here’s some great stand-up you can watch for free on ABC iView…

Celia Pacquola - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/celia-pacquola-all-talk

Zoe Coombs Marr - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/zoe-coombs-marr-bossy-bottom

Judith Lucy - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/judith-lucy-vs-men

Anne Edmonds - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/anne-edmonds-what-s-wrong-with-you

2023 MICF gala - https://iview.abc.net.au/show/melbourne-comedy-festival/series/2023/video/LE2216V001S00