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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

Frozen 2 - Elsa and Anna return with the magic (mostly) intact
FROZEN 2Elsa and Anna return with the magic (mostly) intact
It is a pity that the story never finds its feet; a combination of this level of craft and a real ripper of a yarn would have made this a slam-dunk. As it stands, the magic is still there.
Official Secrets - Exposing lies at a time of war
OFFICIAL SECRETSExposing lies at a time of war
As much as it never quite finds its groove, it’s still an often thrilling and genuinely entertaining film, profiling an important figure in the movement against the Iraq War.
Pavarotti - A perfunctory portrait of an opera superstar
PAVAROTTIA perfunctory portrait of an opera superstar
This documentary plays like an artist bio mixed with a best-of album, offering nothing new and leaving almost no impression, thoroughly unlike its legendary subject.
NT Live: Fleabag - The birth of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's masterwork
NT LIVE: FLEABAGThe birth of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's masterwork
‘Fleabag’ has changed the cultural landscape. Having the opportunity in Australia to see Phoebe Waller-Bridge's groundbreaking masterpiece is one you simply cannot miss.
Midsommar: The Director's Cut - Ari Aster elevates an already remarkable film to a masterpiece
MIDSOMMAR: THE DIRECTOR'S CUTAri Aster elevates an already remarkable film to a masterpiece
With his director's cut, Ari Aster has elevated an already incredible film to the status of a masterpiece.
Long Day's Journey into Night - Art and technology meet in a dream-like film noir
LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHTArt and technology meet in a dream-like film noir
The protagonist’s myth-like search into his physical and metaphysical past is a feat of filmmaking that's as impressive as it is vital, where dream and fantasy and longing flow together.
It Chapter 2 - The ambitious conclusion to the beloved horror epic
IT CHAPTER 2The ambitious conclusion to the beloved horror epic
Epic, ambitious, crazy, witty and unafraid to go for the heart as well as the throat. This adaptation of maybe Stephen King’s greatest work feels singular in the landscape of modern horror cinema.
Amazing Grace - An extraordinary document on the power of music
AMAZING GRACEAn extraordinary document on the power of music
An exhalation to the ecstasy of music, how it can affect the body and soul of those who create it and receive it. This raw and beautiful film captures an artist at the height of her powers.
And Then We Danced - A passionate and remarkable classic in the making
AND THEN WE DANCEDA passionate and remarkable classic in the making
Levan Akin has made a remarkable film, a passionate dance for love, for country, for tradition, for art and for survival. This will easily go down as an LBGTIQ+ classic.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire - A perfect film on the language of desire
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIREA perfect film on the language of desire
This is a rare and precious film, breathtaking in its craft and intensely honest in its passions, and one of the best films of this or any year. This is great, great cinema.
Pain and Glory - Almodóvar delivers a rhapsodic masterwork
PAIN AND GLORYAlmodóvar delivers a rhapsodic masterwork
A portrait of an artist entering the last act of their lives, looking back at what they have created and the battlefield left in their wake, and facing the fear of never creating again.
A Family - A unique and intriguing premise that never finds its feet
A FAMILYA unique and intriguing premise that never finds its feet
There’s a tremendous amount of promise in the film from Jayden Stevens, and while it’s certainly an ambitious undertaking, never comes together in the end.
Matthias and Maxime - A magical film on the complexity of friendship and love
MATTHIAS AND MAXIMEA magical film on the complexity of friendship and love
This is a tender love story beautifully told, made with such love and care, sincerity and grace, showcasing everything that makes Xavier Dolan such an arresting filmmaker.
The Souvenir - A flawed but fascinating act of autobiography
THE SOUVENIRA flawed but fascinating act of autobiography
There’s no doubt that we’re witnessing something deeply personal, and some moments are shattering in their honesty, while other aspects seem to lack an objective understanding for its viewers.
Alita: Battle Angel - An entertaining sci-fi stuck between the past and the future
ALITA: BATTLE ANGELAn entertaining sci-fi stuck between the past and the future
The Lion King - A catastrophic and soulless remake of a Disney classic
THE LION KINGA catastrophic and soulless remake of a Disney classic
Rendered thunderously dull, lacking in any tension or complex characterisation, this film makes it abundantly clear that Disney has no interest in making great cinema or honouring its own legacy.
Toy Story 4 - Entertaining but thoroughly unnecessary
TOY STORY 4Entertaining but thoroughly unnecessary
Rather than offering an even more potent ending, this ends up being an unnecessary epilogue, offering little to enrich the overall narrative of the series and never cashing in on the possibilities.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
 
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