Grace Boschetti
Grace Boschetti is a screen critic from Naarm/Melbourne. Her writing has appeared in Metro, Senses of Cinema, ScreenHub, Rough Cut, In Review Online and The Big Issue.
Letterboxd: @gracedaisy
Location: Melbourne
Movie location I call home: The butterfly-filled bedroom from Jane Campion’s Bright Star.
What was the film or experience that made you want to write about the screen?
I’ve always had a curiosity about film, but I only really started to watch a lot in my late teens. I think seeing Faces Places was particularly formative for me, because that was the first time I had ever gone to the cinema alone. I was actually a bit anxious about it because I thought I was going to feel awkward, but it was this wonderful experience, and such a perfect, life-affirming film. It definitely helped shape my perspective, as I was starting to realise how much movies really mean to me.
Why do you think film criticism matters in 2024?
It does unfortunately feel like we live in a time in which cinema is devalued. I sincerely hope that Australia can continue to have a robust screen culture, and I think criticism is an important part of that.
Who is a critic that inspires you?
I really look up to both Rochelle Siemienowicz and David Heslin. As well as being great writers, they’ve been generous in sharing their guidance with me. I’m also very grateful to have had the chance to learn from the late David Tiley, whose enthusiasm, humour and kindness I’ll always remember.
In five words, the future of cinema is: In need of safeguarding.
What’s your favourite film that you’ve seen this year?
Here in Melbourne, we are so lucky because we have fantastic screenings on pretty much year-round. Both the Jia Zhang-ke and Ousmane Sembène programs at ACMI were great. I loved getting to revisit Nicholas Ray’s extraordinary In a Lonely Place at Melbourne Cinémathèque, and I’ve also really enjoyed the Ann Hui, Powell and Pressburger and Makhmalbaf Film House seasons. Probably the biggest highlight of the year so far has been the Cinema Reborn festival. I got a lot out of everything I saw, but was most taken in by Rio Bravo, Il Grido, Days of Heaven, and especially Chantal Akerman’s brilliant La Captive. In terms of 2024 releases, I was a big fan of Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast, which is so bold and enlivening.
My MIFF 2024 theme music is:
Not film related but I love Taylor Swift’s ‘The Bolter’.