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Canberra Today 8°/10° | Tuesday, April 30, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Sigourney’s slow burn amid the ‘lost flowers’

Sigourney Weaver as June Hart, a fiercely protective owner of a flower farm that doubles as a safe haven for women escaping violence.

Spanning years, this a deep dive into a young woman’s psyche and how she comes to terms with her childhood trauma” Streaming columnist NICK OVERALL looks at “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart”.  

AMERICAN Sigourney Weaver gives her all at putting on an Australian accent in Amazon Prime Video’s new drama series “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart”. 

Does she pull it off? Well, it’s hit and miss but it’s a testament to the actress that her performance in this seven-part mini-series is no less enthralling because of it.

Weaver plays June Hart, a fiercely protective owner of a flower farm that doubles as a safe haven for women escaping violence. 

Among those who find refuge at the farm is June’s granddaughter – the eponymous Alice – a nine-year-old left orphaned after causing an accident that kills her saintly mother Agnes, and her abusive father Clem.

The following episodes span years, charting Alice’s recovery and how she comes to know her reclusive grandmother, who is imbued with rich intrigue thanks to Weaver’s committed performance.

For those who aren’t familiar, it might not be hard to guess “Alice Hart” is based on a novel of the same name, penned by Aussie author Holly Ringland.

The plot is a sprawling and stunning slow burn. Spanning years, this is a deep dive into a young woman’s psyche and how she comes to terms with her childhood trauma. Viewers should be warned the series doesn’t hold back in this exploration of domestic violence and abuse.

The cinematography here is an absolute highlight. Dazzling shots of storms, seas and sunsets paint an awe-inspiring picture of the Australian landscape.

It’s great to see an Aussie setting captured vividly on the international streaming stage and I’d wager “Alice Hart” could be well in line to sweep next year’s award season.

THERE has not been a more dramatic and controversial fall from grace for a modern musician than Kanye West.

A winner of 24 grammys and a seller of more than 160 million records, the American rapper carved himself out as one of the world’s most successful artists.

But in the last few years West, or “Ye” as he prefers to be known, has stirred up a furore through a string of increasingly provocative social media posts and publicity stunts.

Among them is wearing a “white lives matter” T-shirt as well as an appearance of Alex Jones’ far-right conspiracy website “Info Wars”, where he infamously remarked: “I see good things about Hitler”.

These moments would result in Adidas cutting ties with West, a move that reportedly lost the company more than half a billion dollars as a result of unsold “Yeezy” shoes.

It was only so long before this mounting uproar would make its way into a documentary, and “The Trouble with KanYe”, now streaming on Binge, is just that 

Hosted by award-winning journalist Mobeen Azhar, the BBC doco paints a thorough timeline of the rise and fall of West. Among those interviewed are friends and colleagues who explain their own confusion and hurt over his descent into extremism.

Azhar also investigates the rapper’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder, questioning to what extent his radical actions may be a result of deteriorating mental health.

“The Trouble With KanYe” offers a fascinating look at the downfall of one of the world’s most popular musical artists and releases ahead of the US election next year, where it’s rumoured “Ye” may even try his hand at running for president.

THIS month marks the unexpected return of an animated TV comedy hit.

“Futurama”, famously created by the same man behind “The Simpsons”, is back with an 11th season now streaming on Disney Plus after an almost 10-year hiatus.

The show follows the story of pizza delivery guy Fry, who accidentally sends himself to the 31st century while working late on New Year’s Eve, 1999.

While this far-flung futuristic setting may be 1000 years from now, it certainly only serves to amplify a witty social commentary of our current age.

Take, for example, one of the new episodes titled “The Impossible Stream”, where Fry risks going insane while attempting to binge-watch every TV show ever made. Sound familiar?

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Nick Overall

Nick Overall

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Update

Canberra actor John Cuffe dies aged 91

One of the last remaining luminaries from the explosion of professional theatre in Canberra during the 1970s has died after complications from lung cancer. He was 91.

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