Newsfront

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Newsfront

PG

1978

1h 51m

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

As the onset of television threatens his livelihood, newsreel cameraman Len Maguire (Bill Hunter) tries to bolster his failing company as his co-worker and brother, Frank (Gerard Kennedy), leaves to work for a competing outfit. Len finds a new source of frustration in his rigid wife, Fay (Angela Punch), whom he marries after realizing that fellow employee Amy (Wendy Hughes) loves Frank. As ambitious Frank looks to new forms of electronic journalism, Len remains committed to traditional ways.

Elliott Stein

Film Comment Magazine

It is fascinating material, reasonably exotic.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 12, 2017

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Newsfront is, in any case, a pleasant and nostalgic movie, told in a key a little too low to constantly involve us.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 6, 2005

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

Mixing true events gives the impression of being in history with the narrative following these lives of news chasers.

Mar 7, 2023

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The way the newsreels are woven into the fictionalized story is seamless.

Rated: B+

Apr 17, 2009

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 25, 2005

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Audience Member

Philip Noyce made his feature film debut with this true story of an Australian newsreel company.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

Excellent drama, with great attention paid to historical authenticity.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

uses both colour & blk n white to tell the story of 2 brothers year s/b 1978

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

A quiet epic on both the making of a nation, and the craft of those who documented it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

A fascinating movie about by-gone era.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

A very specific of topic for a film, covering the history of Australian newsreel cameramen and reporters from their inception through their eventual decline, largely due to the advent of television. Not at all being familiar with Australian newsreel history, I didn't have any kind of nostalgia for this topic, which the filmmakers clearly did, but the film is absolutely engrossing. Directed by the underrated Phillip Noyce before he hit it big with "Dead Calm" and then moving over to the US to direct Hollywood pictures, he seamlessly incorporates vintage newsreel footage with the fictional lives of the newsreel reporters, brilliantly editing together color and black & white footage of the reporters' lives. The film is an absolute love letter to this period, and although I have not experience with this particular bit of OZ history, it was fascinating none-the-less.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Phillip Noyce

Director

Bill Hunter

Len Maguire

Chris Haywood

Chris Hewitt

Angela Punch McGregor

Fay

Gerard Kennedy

Frank Maguire

Wendy Hughes

Amy Mackenzie

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Synopsis

As the onset of television threatens his livelihood, newsreel cameraman Len Maguire (Bill Hunter) tries to bolster his failing company as his co-worker and brother, Frank (Gerard Kennedy), leaves to work for a competing outfit. Len finds a new source of frustration in his rigid wife, Fay (Angela Punch), whom he marries after realizing that fellow employee Amy (Wendy Hughes) loves Frank. As ambitious Frank looks to new forms of electronic journalism, Len remains committed to traditional ways.

Director: Phillip Noyce
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 5, 2020
Runtime: 1h 51m