Jane Freebury
Tomatometer-approved critic
Cinema journalist for 30 years on many platforms, writing reviews and features. In print (The Jakarta Post, the former Australian Society magazine and Australian film journal Metro and currently The Canberra Times), on radio and a blog. I've taught screen studies at university, and my book on the intriguing Australian auteur director, Rolf de Heer, was published in 2015. A member of the Film Critics Circle of Australia since the 1990s.
Movies reviews only
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Till (2022) |
Told from the perspective of a mother's love, the story of a lynching that galvanised the 1960s civil rights protests has dignity and raw emotive power - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Mar 17, 2023
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Aftersun (2022) |
Dreamy, deft and light on detail, this elusive tale of memory and loss has a playful summer-holiday home movie look and a compelling emotional resonance - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Mar 02, 2023
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Women Talking (2022) |
Despite stellar names attached and much else going for it, including a real-life backstory, this powerful tale about a community of women dealing with abuse falters for its lack of dramatic energy, and fails to resonate - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Feb 25, 2023
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Corsage (2022) |
Breezy encounter with Viennese royal history that dares to tell a wildly divergent story, connecting an impetuous empress with modern times - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Feb 19, 2023
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Close (2022) |
Not unlike a documentary developing through observation and character study, this modest and moving film is a telling observation on a world of teenage friendship shattered, and a young life rebuilt - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Feb 19, 2023
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) |
Despite brilliantly and lovingly crafted visuals, the irresistible strangeness of the original tale is lost in an allegory of political thuggery - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Jan 16, 2023
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The Swimmers (2022) |
Engaging characters and an uplifting story based on the refugee experience, but it tries to cover too much and tonal shifts are distracting - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Jan 16, 2023
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Triangle of Sadness (2022) |
Dark satiric take on the uber rich and ridiculously influential from a filmmaker with a wicked eye and ear for how we behave, and a gift for sending us up - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Dec 31, 2022
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The Lost King (2022) |
Charming light comedy in which Sally Hawkins is as winning as ever, but it doesn't make great use of the potential in its backstory, an astonishing recent historical find under a Midlands carpark - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Dec 31, 2022
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The Volcano: Rescue From Whakaari (2022) |
Forensic anatomy of a disaster in this fine documentary that explores a tragic episode in adventure tourism, while detailing the unfolding tragedy and interrogating the risks taken that led to it - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Dec 31, 2022
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Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022) |
While the screenplay doesn't do enough justice to the vigour and indignation of D H Lawrence's classic novel, the generous lead performances and the beautiful aesthetic definitely do - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Neptune Frost (2021) |
A playful mash-up from deep within Africa, part dystopian dream and part cyberpunk futurist vision, dispensing striking imagery, pulsing rapper rhythms and messages against the international system - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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The Road Dance (2021) |
The commanding sense of place is most memorable in this naturalistic story of female bonding, a sweeping, sensitive melodrama about the consequences of a single violent act in a remote community - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019) |
While it is on one level an armchair trip through the remote Bhutanese wilderness, it has things to say about teaching that we could well learn, all over again. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Dec 16, 2022
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Stars at Noon (2022) |
Despite the sex, the violent backdrop of political corruption, and a moody jazz score, it runs out of things to say before the final scenes - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Dec 09, 2022
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Margrete: Queen of the North (2021) |
Inspired by history but occasionally bogged down in the facts, attention to detail and weighty tone are enlivened by the central performance - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Dec 09, 2022
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) |
A fast-moving satirical spoof that bristles with clever ideas, giving the beautiful people and uber successful a serve if not as many laughs as the original - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Dec 09, 2022
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She Said (2022) |
Very impressive, handling an immense amount of material with flair, making the case with persuasive, impassioned performances, it's a testament to how bad things can get - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Nov 30, 2022
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Is That Black Enough for You?!? (2022) |
With enough material squeezed in for a three-part TV miniseries, this passion project is a different take on the canon that is articulate, bold and provocative - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Nov 30, 2022
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My Father's Dragon (2022) |
As visually entrancing as the hand-drawn classics of yesteryear, and while the characters are not as engaging and rather slight, it still resonates with today's world - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Nov 30, 2022
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The Velvet Queen (2021) |
Languid and enthralling, this long, patient quest to capture a rare creature on film in its sublime habitat becomes an audience obsession too - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Nov 20, 2022
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The Wonder (2022) |
A strange, immersive experience involving a devout fasting girl under observation in post-famine Ireland, is told with conviction combining strong central performances and an intriguingly creepy score - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Nov 20, 2022
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Whina (2022) |
A respectful tribute to a remarkable activist with strong central performances, but less restraint and more spirit would have gone a long way - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Nov 20, 2022
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The Woman King (2022) |
Set against a dark backstory, this exhilarating tale of Amazon women, brimming with female energy, has more going for it than most superhero flicks - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Nov 04, 2022
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Decision to Leave (2022) |
Swoony, witty romantic murder mystery about a cop falling for his prime suspect, that plays with our perceptions like shifting sands on the shore - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Oct 28, 2022
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Muru (2022) |
Pumped police take the film into actioner territory despite the breathtaking beauty of landscapes and issues raised like divided loyalties - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Oct 28, 2022
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Amsterdam (2022) |
A mixed experience, replete with stellar acting talent, but the moments of lacklustre writing and uncertain direction end on an awkward note - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Oct 28, 2022
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See How They Run (2022) |
With a focus on two unlikely young coppers instead of the pompous potential victims, this riff on Agatha Christie measures up to farcical fun - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Oct 28, 2022
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Moonage Daydream (2022) |
Sprawling and rhapsodic, experiential rather than informative, it's a kaleidoscopic tribute to an elusive pop star of compelling presence - Jane Freebury
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| Posted Oct 28, 2022
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The Age of Adaline (2015) |
A silly movie that takes itself too seriously. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 29, 2022
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The Green Knight (2021) |
I will always argue that the screen is a very different medium from the page, and that film should be judged as a different medium, but this film version fails... - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 29, 2022
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Honeyland (2019) |
Haditze's character and situation may not appeal to everyone, but those who tune in to it will recognise that Honeyland is a rare achievement. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Girls Can't Surf (2020) |
It is fascinating to hear in Girls Can't Surf from Layne Beachley about this turning point, when she became the poster girl for Billabong... - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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The Donut King (2020) |
The Donut King is replete with lively, energetic characters and important social history, but I think the filmmaker could have drawn from her material more insight into the American Dream. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Just Mercy (2019) |
There can't be any doubt about the sincerity of Just Mercy, though it did not need to exceed two hours' running time to establish these points. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Motherless Brooklyn (2019) |
Motherless Brooklyn is an ambitious undertaking. It's a big-city story that champions the people versus the developers, an important, ongoing subject. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Catch-22 (1970) |
Cinematography by David Watkins and editing by Sam O'Steen are top class... - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Queen & Slim (2019) |
Activist cinema that combines charismatic leads, stylish visuals and great music usually never looks and sounds this good. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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La belle époque (2019) |
This delicious tale of lovers a half century apart is a postmodern romance. Part choose your own romantic adventure and era, part relationship drama. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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The Mystery of Henri Pick (2019) |
This is a whip-smart comedy that celebrates the old-fashioned virtues of the murder mystery, without the murder. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020) |
Will Ferrells latest foray, this time into the flamboyant intrigue of the Eurovision Song Contest, falls strangely flat. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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The Furnace (2020) |
A remarkable first feature film... - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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It Must Be Heaven (2019) |
As a Palestinian who makes funny films, Elia Suleiman has his job cut out, but this gentle, observational comedy about our fractious world is on message, and at the same time a pleasure to watch. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Dolittle (2020) |
It's not hilarious but it is cheerful, good to look at, and has surely at least managed a pass. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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Fatima (2020) |
Fatima explores the concept of faith and doubt, without sensationalism. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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For Sama (2019) |
An amazing documentary, a sensory and immersive as any war film, filmed and voiced by from the frontline by a young wife and mother. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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In the Name of the Land (2019) |
In the Name of the Land is another tragic portrait of the struggling French rural sector... - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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EMMA. (2020) |
Austen is as compelling as ever. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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The King (2019) |
Kings and kingship are not in themselves such a fashionable subject for audiences today, but the question of good leadership and how to govern is as relevant today as it has always been, and will not go away. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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House of Cardin (2019) |
House of Cardin is an unexpectedly fascinating record, well worth a look. - The Canberra Times (Australia)
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| Posted Aug 23, 2022
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