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Ladies in Black (2018)
Nostalgia isn't an excuse for no narrative
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this as much as many others seem to have. The design is terrific, but I felt it was allowed to excuse the need for a decent plot line or any character development. The cast is terrific, but none are allowed to get into their roles with any depth. The dialogue is incredibly inane and the lack of any conflict at all really makes the film drag. Every scene is very short, and it's all so ... nice. Could have been much better had it focused more on just one of the women's stories - probably the Noni Haselhurst character which had an interesting back story that was only touched on. Compared with something like Brooklyn this is a bit disappointing, especially given the talent behind it.
The Water Diviner (2014)
Lots to recommend, but...
This film has a lot to recommend it. The beautiful saturated palette, the fact that it gives (rarely for a Gallipoli-themed movie) a good dose of the Turkish perspective (including a salient reminder that "You invaded us") and a powerful central theme. Crowe's performance is nicely understated for the most part and it was great to see Jacqueline McKenzie back on the big screen, if only briefly. At under two hours long it is just the right length too. It falls apart in the last half hour however, as Crowe turns all Indiana Jones for no particular reason and the love interest subplot just becomes silly – especially in the final shot of the picture. Could have been better.