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The Sydney Film Festival is wrapped up for 2019! Click here to check out our must-see films with the SWITCH team's reviews.x
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
DANIEL LAMMIN
Daniel Lammin has worked extensively as a theatre director, playwright and actor, and his passion for storytelling recently led to him graduating from the post-graduate Directing course at NIDA (2011). His very candid approach to film critiquing comes from his high standards in all creative pursuits, and love of movies from an early age.

TOP 3 ARTISTS: David Ford, Bob Dylan, Death Cab For Cutie
TOP 3 MOVIES: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Zodiac
BEST CONCERT: London Symphony Orchestra with Jean-Yves Thibaudet - 2010
FIRST MEMORY OF A FILM: Seeing 'The Neverending Story' recorded from the TV onto a VHS when I was 3 or 4.

daniel@maketheswitch.com.au
www.twitter.com/DanielLammin
www.instagram.com/DLammin

Toy Story Trilogy - Celebrating the crown jewel of Pixar Animation
TOY STORY TRILOGYCelebrating the crown jewel of Pixar Animation
The 'Toy Story' trilogy is one of the great works of American cinema. It's perfect, not just for its unbroken quality, but for the joy and the gift it gives us.
Godzilla II: King of the Monsters - The king stumbles in this loud and blundering mess
GODZILLA II: KING OF THE MONSTERSThe king stumbles in this loud and blundering mess
Promising to build on the great work already laid out for this franchise, it's instead predictably dull and a plodding bore. It doesn’t even manage to be a fun, brainless monster movie.
Rocketman - A fascinating musical biopic that never finds its feet
ROCKETMANA fascinating musical biopic that never finds its feet
A moving and occasionally stirring portrait of Elton John, yet the fact it never fully commits to its musical fantasy conceit is a bit of a disappointment.
NT Live: All About Eve - A powerful stage adaptation of a cinema classic
NT LIVE: ALL ABOUT EVEA powerful stage adaptation of a cinema classic
The acerbic wit falls away to an emotional violence that haunts you long after, especially with powerhouse performances from Gillian Anderson and Lily James. A fascinating production of a masterwork.
The Favourite - Revisiting the delicious modern classic
THE FAVOURITERevisiting the delicious modern classic
It's a modern classic, one of those rare gems where everything falls so perfectly into place and only gets better and better every time you see it. It might even be a masterpiece.
Avengers: Endgame - This is the way it all ends - not with a bang, but with a whimper
AVENGERS: ENDGAMEThis is the way it all ends - not with a bang, but with a whimper
It had the opportunity to bring it all together in a big, thunderous finale, but in the end, fine was still all it could manage. If only they’d aimed for something greater.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? - One of the best films of 2018 comes to DVD
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?One of the best films of 2018 comes to DVD
It's an absolute delight - it brews that intoxicating mix of first-rate entertainment with a witty and moving story, and Melissa McCarthy is simply exhilarating as Lee.
Alien - Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece screams on 4K
ALIENRidley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece screams on 4K
On the surface, it's nothing more than a haunted house story set on a space ship, but B-movie concept is elevated by Ridley Scott’s classical hand, approaching the film like gothic horror.
Aquaman - The DC ocean opera shines on 4K
AQUAMANThe DC ocean opera shines on 4K
Its set pieces are impeccable, it looks remarkable and it totally leans into its ridiculous operatics, giving you permission to laugh with it.
Gloria Bell - A dazzling remake and a glorious performance
GLORIA BELLA dazzling remake and a glorious performance
This is Sebastián Lelio at his best and Julianne Moore at her absolute best, delivering one of the finest performances of her career and one of the best performances of the year.
Mary Poppins Returns - Disney's unexpected triumph dazzles on 4K
MARY POPPINS RETURNSDisney's unexpected triumph dazzles on 4K
It has so much heart, such a tremendous sense of fun and so much love in it. It comes at a time where it feels most needed, just like its titular character, a breath of optimism during dark times.
Missing Link - Another gorgeous stop motion marvel from Laika
MISSING LINKAnother gorgeous stop motion marvel from Laika
The film stands with confidence as a work of genuine beauty, a heartfelt story of family and acceptance, hope and tolerance, of believing in yourself and in those you care about.
The Captain America Trilogy - The finest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe come to 4K UHD
THE CAPTAIN AMERICA TRILOGYThe finest films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe come to 4K UHD
These films are driven by rich characters, sharp narratives and fascinating questions of what constitutes right and wrong and what makes someone a good man.
Burning - One of the best films of the decade
BURNINGOne of the best films of the decade
This film is a masterpiece, a remarkable work of modern cinema, a desperate and infernal poem on the deep terror of being a human being. It hypnotises you and never lets you go, even after you leave.
mid90s - An adequate debut with a wild heart at its core
MID90sAn adequate debut with a wild heart at its core
Pet Sematary - A nightmare of an adaptation for all the wrong reasons
PET SEMATARYA nightmare of an adaptation for all the wrong reasons
It assumes so little of its audience's intelligence, goes for the cheapest scares, and doesn’t care whether it makes any sense or not. This is one of the most inept horror films of the past few years.
Dumbo - Another pointless remake of another Disney classic
DUMBOAnother pointless remake of another Disney classic
‘Dumbo’ will make a lot of money and people will go on about how much they cried during it, but this film and this whole woeful remake endeavour doesn’t deserve neither the money nor the praise.
Us - Another jaw-dropping classic from a new master of horror
USAnother jaw-dropping classic from a new master of horror
Jordan Peele aims higher with his second feature, crafting a highly ambitious, unwieldy and shockingly bold horror classic that elevates his work into the operatic.
Annihilation - Alex Garland's startling sci-fi nightmare finally comes to Blu-ray
ANNIHILATIONAlex Garland's startling sci-fi nightmare finally comes to Blu-ray
It may be the one of the most overwhelming works of science fiction of the past decade, starring stunning-as-always Natalie Portman and directed with startling clarity of vision by Alex Garland.
Making Montgomery Clift - Family and legacy in the shadow of a Hollywood icon
MAKING MONTGOMERY CLIFTFamily and legacy in the shadow of a Hollywood icon
Even with its shortcomings, it's far more handsomely and intelligently crafted than you would expect, making it a competent and sometimes fascinating portrait of this cinema and queer icon.
Captain Marvel - Brie Larson shines in a film that's exactly what you expect
CAPTAIN MARVELBrie Larson shines in a film that's exactly what you expect
It’s slick, enjoyable, funny and charming, and does have more character than most of the middle-tier films in the Marvel franchise. It’s just a pity that it couldn’t find a way to be something more.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms - Disney's latest forgettable fairy tale on 4K
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMSDisney's latest forgettable fairy tale on 4K
‘Four Realms’ suffers first and foremost from a painfully convoluted plot, one that requires its screenplay to spend most of its time explaining what's going on with dull exposition.
Love, Cecil - A playful portrait of a great twentieth century artist
LOVE, CECILA playful portrait of a great twentieth century artist
Executed with energy, playfulness and clarity, ‘Love, Cecil’ is about a wonderful portrait of Cecil Beaton. It’s impossible not to walk away with a greater appreciation for him as an artist.
The Little Mermaid - Disney's timeless animated classic comes to 4K
THE LITTLE MERMAIDDisney's timeless animated classic comes to 4K
This is one of those eternal films, one that will always have an audience, and justifiably so. From the moment it begins, you know it can’t be anything other than a classic.
Greta - Isabelle Huppert: horror icon?!
GRETAIsabelle Huppert: horror icon?!
Let’s just get this out of the way - ‘Greta’ is absolute trash, a throwback to when thrillers were nasty, gnarly and nuts. Even though it is in no way a great film, it’s sure as hell a fun one.
Watchmen - Reassessing the impossible adaptation ten years later
WATCHMENReassessing the impossible adaptation ten years later
In many ways, Zack Snyder’s film was doomed before the cameras rolled, due entirely to the fact that its source material is the apex of its storytelling form.
Widows - A second chance for this stunning heist thriller on 4K
WIDOWSA second chance for this stunning heist thriller on 4K
This is a film fashioned with the sharpest of edges, a crisp piece of genre storytelling where the subtext enriches rather than overcomes it.
Stan & Ollie - Great performances can't save this lacklustre biopic
STAN & OLLIEGreat performances can't save this lacklustre biopic
It’s a pity that ‘Stan & Ollie’ ends up being as lacklustre as it is. The story has potential, the performances are terrific and the subject manner is fascinating.
Sleeping Beauty - A history of Disney's masterpiece on its 60th anniversary
SLEEPING BEAUTYA history of Disney's masterpiece on its 60th anniversary
It's a masterpiece of beauty and wonder, danger and excitement, humour and heart, but foremost it is a complete work of art, and even after sixty years, there hasn’t been anything like it.
Vox Lux - Art and violence collide in Brady Corbet's ambitious melodrama
VOX LUXArt and violence collide in Brady Corbet's ambitious melodrama
Thrills and surprises in equal measure, for the most part the film feels like an artistic and thematic coup, with yet another stunning performance from Natalie Portman.
Maria by Callas - A moving portrait of an opera legend
MARIA BY CALLASA moving portrait of an opera legend
‘Maria by Callas’ offers a moving, stirring and ultimately heartbreaking portrait of one of the greatest singers who has ever lived and an icon we will never completely understand.
Bad Times at the El Royale - Drew Goddard's intoxicating puzzle on 4K
BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALEDrew Goddard's intoxicating puzzle on 4K
‘El Royale’ really was one of the unexpected gems of 2018, and I suspect it’s a film we’re going to be talking about for many, many years to come.
If Beale Street Could Talk - Love is a many splendid thing indeed
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALKLove is a many splendid thing indeed
Barry Jenkins had a lot to live up to after ‘Moonlight’. Yet this film refuses to stand in comparison, rather in compliment. It's deeply beautiful, a work of extraordinary poetry and truthfulness.
Most anticipated films of 2019 - Must-see movies for the coming year
MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS OF 2019Must-see movies for the coming year
2019 is already looking like another year full of great releases, so here are some of the big films to be excited about in the next 12 months.
Vice - A potentially promising film buried under confusion and noise
VICEA potentially promising film buried under confusion and noise
‘Vice’ is a film where all the pieces don’t fit together right. In an awards season more full of disappointments than surprises, the failure of ‘Vice’ is just another to add to the pile.
The Favourite - A delicious work of magnificent insanity
THE FAVOURITEA delicious work of magnificent insanity
There really is no way to prepare yourself for this film. It’s insane and sincere, vicious and heartfelt, thunderous and mournful. No one, including the audience, comes out of this without bruises.
Bumblebee - A Transfomers movie... with heart?! Tres scandaleux!
BUMBLEBEEA Transfomers movie... with heart?! Tres scandaleux!
‘Bumblebee’ is brimming with sincerity and heart, and turns out to be pretty good! The bar in the 'Transformers' series was pretty low, but at least it’s an improvement.
The Madness of George III - Presented by National Theatre Live
THE MADNESS OF GEORGE IIIPresented by National Theatre Live
This is a play of the kind of scale we can’t see in Australia, so this NT Live screening offers us a rare opportunity to see the play at all, bolstered by a tremendous performance from Mark Gatiss.
Roma - A transcendent work of memory and cinema
ROMAA transcendent work of memory and cinema
Alfonso Cuarón has not just delivered a personal ode to a city he loves, to a time and a place that haunts him, to a figure who defined him, but given us the chance to see the same within ourselves.
Incredibles 2 - A thrilling sequel that defies expectations
INCREDIBLES 2A thrilling sequel that defies expectations
‘Incredibles 2’ is just such a joy of a film. It not only lives up to expectations but exceeds them, refusing to play by the tired and safe sequel rule of just giving audiences the same again.
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