Throughout the election campaign, Labor leader Anthony Albanese did not hesitate to remind us of his humble roots: the housing commissions of rough and tumble western Sydney, raised by a single mother on a disability pension. Yes, he may have sounded like a broken record, but one could make the argument that if you had such an uplifting story, you’d probably struggle to keep it to yourself. But in the current attention economy, the fight to win over the imagination of voters

ACTION FILM REVIEW Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Run time: 2h 6mins Who: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor Where, when: In cinemas now Rating: 4/5 stars Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most recent movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is for both diehard fans of the franchise, and movie-goers looking for an enjoyable two hours of action. It combines classic MCU with throwback superhero sequel arcs and 80s horr

FILM REVIEW The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent People: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish Where: In cinemas now Nicolas Cage has been in the film industry so long that audiences kind of take him for granted. Even in a time when one-off movies have given way to billion-dollar franchises and cinematic universes, he’s stuck around far longer than many stars who started working in Hollywood around the same time he did. In the current cinematic landscape, it’s diff

FILM REVIEW Petite Maman Run time: 1h 12mins. Who: Céline Sciamma (director), Joséphine Sanz, Grabrielle Sanz, Stéphane Varupenne, Margo Abascal. Where: In cinemas When: From May 5 Rating: Hard to fault. Céline Sciamma’s film Petite Maman , released in France last year, is as gorgeous and gut-wrenching as its predecessor, Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Petite Maman follows Nelly (Joséphine Sanz in her screen debut) as she forms an improbable bond with the child version of h

As grunge’s mainstream popularity started dying out in the mid 1990s, a new and happier ’90s emerged, one that laid the groundwork for the TRL bubblegum pop and Y2K fashion of the later part of the decade. There are many explanations for why the ’90s eventually turned out this way, but the one that seems the most obvious is that it was a happy time: the Cold War was over, the American economy was good, and 9/11 had not yet come to harsh the public’s mellow. Romy and Michele

BAR REVIEW Bar Paradox Where: downstairs at Supernormal, Flinders Lane, CBD When: until April 24 Bar Paradox is a pop-up venue adding to the many attractions bringing people back to the CBD during the second half of the Comedy Festival. Open from April 11 to 24, the project is spearheaded by Orlando Marzo, crowned World Class Bartender of the Year in 2018. Paradox is an intimate and pensive venue. The low lighting and quiet sound create a delightful space for conversation to

A large cast is one of the film’s shortcomings. FILM REVIEW Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Run time: 2h 20mins Who: David Yates (director), Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen Where: In cinemas now After delays, controversies and a global pandemic, the third entry in the divisive Fantastic Beasts series has finally arrived. This instalment focuses on a younger Dumbledore and his attempt to stop the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald from seizing control of

Genevieve Nardella savours the spinster vibes of the highly-anticipated B2 - but not without a warning for the history buffs among you.

Batman films have always been a good gauge of the West’s big social problems of the day. This was explicit in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, grounded in a post-9/11 America that defined itself with fear and paranoia. But the Dark Knight films were made more than a decade ago, with the final instalment, The Dark Knight Rises , released in 2012. Nolan’s brand of fear is specific to the Bush era and its politics – fear of the foreign with Ra’s al Ghul and his League

MUSIC REVIEW BAND: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever When: March 25 Where: The Forum, Melbourne. Duration: 1h 25m The cruellest of ironies has been lifted from the shoulders of Melbourne five-piece Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. The crowning achievement in their nationwide tour was originally set for May 14 in 2021 but was rescheduled three times. Their homecoming gig, supporting the album that was inspired by their unrelenting stints overseas, had been postponed because of

Eighty years after his first appearance in Detective Comics, Batman has become an icon of the superhero genre. Just this month, Gotham’s caped crusader made a new and critically acclaimed entry into theatres and cinemas across the globe. How we have come to see Batman, and how he fits into society, owes a lot to the Christopher Nolan trilogy and the Arkham Series video games, produced by Rocksteady Studios. Nolan said he was inspired by the 1989 Batman movie starring Michae

Fashionable cinematic men come in a variety of forms, but one kind that never goes out of style in Hollywood is the slick guy in an equally slick suit. Reservoir Dogs, Goodfellas and Steven Soderbergh’s Oceans series are just a few examples of this look over the last few decades. While all are masterclasses in cool clothes, one giant looms over them: The Godfather . Set in the decade after the end of WWII, it tells the story of the Corleone family, headed by Vito (Marlon B