PICK OF THE LITTER – ★★★ – Nice doco following the path of a litter of five puppies from day one till the day they make it (or don’t) as a guide dogs for the blind. Lots of hand-held camera work that made me feel a little nauseous at points (something I’ve not experienced before), and could easily wait for a TV stream later. The aww-factor was high. #MIFF2018

THOROUGHBREDS – ★★☆ – Another year and another film inspired by Heathers. This time, two girls decide that step-dad’s gotta go, but there doesn’t seem to be much building of empathy for them. Rather, they come across as spoiled and slightly unhinged in their logic. From a story perspective, it didn’t fit well either. I much preferred previous films like Tragedy Girls (MIFF 2017) and Pretty Persuation (MIFF 2005). #MIFF2018

THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST – ★★☆ – A dramedy(?) set in the 1990s about a young lesbian, who when discovered by her aunt, is sent to a religious school to ‘help’ fix her through therapy. In a sense, the laughter in the session was expected given how insane some of the beliefs were around the treatment, but I couldn’t help but feel how tragic it was for the poor kids that had to live through this (and some who still may). I guess the world is getting more tolerant, but it would be nice if history could stop repeating. #MIFF2018

The mothership has landed at the Regent Theatre. Loved the re-introduction of this venue for #MIFF2018.

SHOPLIFTERS – ★★★☆ – I was looking forward to this film, as I really enjoyed Kore-Eda’s ‘Still Walking’ (MIFF 2009). Safe to say that if you like one, you’ll like the other, as this also is a family based drama that runs at a pleasant, leisurely pace, and gives some insight into Japanese family life and culture. The final act was a little surprising to me and altered the tone of the film, but I still very much enjoyed it. #MIFF2018