Verve’s film picks for the month of October
DUMB MONEY
5 October
Dumb Money is an American biographical comedy-drama about a regular guy who flips the script on Wall Street after his viral post causes ordinary Americans to invest in Gamestop, skyrocketing its stock prices, and losing hedge funds billions of dollars. Emmy nominees Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, and Nick Offerman star in this irreverent, David and Goliath true story of everyday Americans who brought Wall Street to its knees.
STRANGE WAY OF LIFE
12 October
A man rides a horse across the desert that separates him from Bitter Creek. He comes to visit Sheriff Jake. Twenty-five years earlier, both the sheriff and Silva, the rancher who rides out to meet him, worked together as hired gunmen. Silva visits him with the excuse of reuniting with his friend from his youth, and they do indeed celebrate their meeting, but the next morning Sheriff Jake tells him that the reason for his trip is not to go down the memory lane of their old friendship….
ANATOMY OF A FALL
12 October
This year’s Palme d’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall is a French courtroom crime thriller that centres around a woman on trial for the suspicious death of her husband, in which their 11-year-old blind son is the only witness. Directed by Justine Triet, the film explores the fall out of Samuel’s death, and simultaneously traverses Samuel and Sandra’s complicated relationship, and the years of resentment that led to the decline of their marriage.
SIMONE: WOMAN OF THE CENTURY
26 October
A biopic by Olivier Dahan, Simone explores the life of Simone Veil, a Holocaust survivor who went on to become a French politician, human rights advocate, and a trailblazing feminist. Told through a collection of non-chronological memories, the film goes through Veil’s childhood to her fight for women’s reproductive rights, told through pivotal events of the 20th century.
SHAYDA
26 October
Shayda is about a young Iranian mother and her six-year-old daughter who find shelter in an Australian women’s refuge during the two weeks of the Iranian new year. Shayda, escaping an abusive husband whom she fears he will take young Mona from her, finds refuge at the women’s centre. The celebrations signify an opportunity of rebirth for Shayda and young Mona as they navigate a new life.
LOOP TRACK
2 November
Thomas Sainsbury writes, directs, and stars in this New Zealand film about a man who, on the verge of a mental breakdown, retreats into the bush for a four-day journey which turns into a fight for survival. A mix of off-beat comedy and psychological suspense, Loop Track is a creepy but entertaining look into a not-so-peaceful tramp, and the malevolent presences that accompany it.
