culture

Patrick Hartigan Jenny Watson’s assured handling of paint, and the worlds hidden beneath it, as well as her exploration of feminism and psychoanalysis, make her a vital Australian artist.

Peter Craven Sam Strong’s production of the timeless farce Noises Off  falters in pacing and believability, delivering an awful production of a play that is about an awful production of a play.

Christos Tsiolkas In remaking The Beguiled, Sofia Coppola has captured some beautiful and atmospheric moments of the antebellum south. But, the film fails to confront the defining issues of the time.

Helen Razer

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney’s sharp comedy Catastrophe gets to the truth of love and marriage, in all its strain and splendour.

Patrick Hartigan An eclectic collection at UNSW Galleries explores human interaction with working models, as they straddle the divide between the imagined and the functional.

Dave Faulkner

The lean sound of Big Thief’s second album Capacity is a stripped-back platform for songwriter Adrianne Lenker to build on the promise of their celebrated debut.

Helen Razer As the latest Twin Peaks again pushes the boundaries of everyday morality, the viewer ponders its creator’s desire to illuminate the darkness in our souls.

Marcia Langton While the photography in Tracey Moffatt’s exhibition at the Venice Biennale bears touches of the knowing melodrama of her early work, her film work comes with a disaffected Hollywood air.

Peter Craven In Lally Katz’s latest play, the MTC fails to capture the dramatist’s magic, despite fine performances by two grand dames of the stage.