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Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (M)

In a small Italian village in the 1930s between the two World Wars, local woodcarver Geppetto (David Bradley) grieves for his young son Carlo (Gregory Mann) who was lost in a bombing raid. In a drunken stupor, Geppetto passionately carves a young boy in Carlo’s image from wood, which is soon visited by an angel (Tilda Swinton).

Director del Toro made the movie in stop-motion based on the darker designs of Gris Grimly’s 2002 edition of Pinocchio. Like del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth, the threat of World War II casts a large shadow over the villagers who, before the rise of Mussolini, are forced to act like obedient puppets lest they upset the apple cart.

The rambunctious, exuberant, and excitable Pinocchio is the antithesis of Geppetto’s lost boy Carlo and is quick to draw the attention of the local Priest who questions his holy design, the local government official (Ron Pearlman) who wishes him to be an immortal soldier, and puppet master Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz) who wants to exploit Pinocchio for the good of his travelling circus.

Like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Pinocchio is left to his own devices to find out what it takes to be human so that he may heartbreakingly attempt to gain the love of his father. For his sins, Geppetto, too, is to learn to accept that his Carlo is gone, and that Pinocchio is his own person. Verdict: A distinctive take on the story of Pinocchio from del Toro’s own childhood experiences. 3 stars. - Luke McWilliams themovieclub.net Viewed at Dendy Cinemas.

Book talk

Jeff Popple reviews three enjoyable Australian coffee table books for Christmas. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com

The Complete Trip in a Van Guide to Australia by Bec and Justin Lorrimer

Allen & Unwin, $49.99 This gorgeous book about Australia will make for a great Christmas present. For the past seven years, Bec and Justin Lorrimer and their three children, have been living the dream and travelling around Australia in a van. In this lavish book, they share their experiences and reveal some of their favourite places to visit. They also provide useful tips on how to plan a trip, and the sort of things you need to be aware of when travelling with children. Full of beautiful photos and helpful itineraries for every state and territory, this book will inspire you to set out on your own adventure.

Best Australian Political Cartoons 2022 edited by Russ Radcliffe

Scribe, $35 Those after some light humour to finish off 2022 will appreciate this annual collection by Russ Radcliffe of the best Australian political cartoons of the year. From the federal election campaign to climate change and the devastating floods, to the politicising of COVID-19 and the tragedy of Ukraine, the cartoons cover all the highs, and lows, of the political year. They range from the very funny to the bitingly satirical to the nicely reflective. There are also some great jabs at the political influence of the Murdoch press. A good gift and an amusing, and occasionally sad, reminder of a difficult year.

Great Australian Rascals, Rogues and Ratbags by Jim Haynes

Allen & Unwin, $32.99 Jim Haynes’ account of Australia’s greatest crooks and ne’er-do-wells is a terrific book to dip into after Christmas lunch or on the beach this summer. In his usual easy flowing manner, Haynes highlights 15 memorable rogues from colonial times to the modern era, including convict Mary Bryant, who escaped from the penal colony and somehow made it back to England, to the infamous Kate Leigh of the razor gangs, to the bumbling John Gillespie of the ‘Fair Cotton Affair’. The best story, however, is about the larrikin ANZAC John Leak who was repeatedly disciplined, but also won a Victoria Cross. Recommended.

Canberra Weekly competition winners

The winners in Canberra Weekly’s latest round of competition draws are: Jabra Elite 7 Pro earbuds: G Gianakis, Oxley. Orbeez: K Hoy, Kambah; D Stevens, Theodore; L Ranasinghe, Fraser; M Gaskill, Hall; K Smith, Harrison; C Logan, Googong. Rachael Johns novels: C Hinkley, Kambah; L Wilson, Ngunnawal; D Sutherland, Amaroo; G Young, Nicholls. I Wanna Dance with Somebody film passes: S Mei Kong, Karabar; D Gale, Evatt; J Cumberland, Jerrabomberra; A Coll, Denman Prospect; P Bayliss, Goulburn. November subscriber: C Haron, Gungahlin.

WHAT’S ON

CANBERRA CHRISTMAS PARK: Raising funds for St Anthony’s Bread to help families in need, enjoy an evening of Christmas cheer with a jumping castle, Santa sighting and food available, Hall Pony Club, until 24 December; christmaspark.com.au

CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY: Free merry-goround rides until 24 December, music and roving entertainment until 18 December; christmas. inthecity.com.au/events

CANBERRA GLASSWORKS: Shop handcrafted Australian glass, Wed-Sun 10am-4pm (21-23 December 9am-5pm). In the Gallery, exhibitions by Hannah Gason and Consuelo Cavaniglia continue to late December; canberraglassworks.com

CREATIVELY AGEING: Residents from the Calvary Haydon aged care home showcase work in their first public exhibition, Belconnen Arts Centre, until 5 February; belcoarts.com.au

WEIRD YEARS: An exhibition birthed in the final years of a teenager struggling with mental illness hopes to highlight the importance of support for young people and their carers, Smith’s Alternative, until end of January

TRESPASS: A hybrid arts event presented by Promenade Theatre exploring the act of crossing boundaries, Hotel Mottainai, City West, 7-9 December; stagecenta.com

ACT HUB: Presents Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Ernest, 8-17 December 7.30pm, 14 Spinifex Street, Kingston; acthub.com.au

NATUREART LAB: Annual end of year student art and photography exhibition, NatureArt Lab, Griffith, 8-11 December; natureartlab.com.au

WINGING IT! THE MUSICAL: Lightbulb Improv will thrill you with songs made up on the spot to create a full musical, Canberra Theatre, 8-10 December; www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au DISRUPT, PERSIST, INVENT: Discover the stories of the many ways Australians have achieved social change, National Archives of Australia, until 12 June 2023; naa.gov.au

Midland brings The Last Resort tour to UC Refectory, 8 December.

NATIONAL OPERA: Perform Handel’s Alcina at Llewellyn Hall, ANU, 8 & 10 December; nationalopera.org.au

MIDLAND: The US country music trio brings The Last Resort tour, with special guest Travis Collins, to UC Refectory, 8 December; midlandofficial.com

HANDMADE MARKETS: A special festive edition of the iconic Markets, in time to tick off your gift list, EPIC, 9-11 December; handmadecanberra.com.au

GUILTY PLEASURES: The 2022 members’ showcase at Canberra Contemporary Art Space, 9-11 December; ccas.com.au

CAPITAL REGION FARMERS MARKET: Fresh seasonal produce and gourmet goods at EPIC, Saturdays 7-11.30am; capitalregionfarmersmarket.com.au

THE LITTLE BURLEY MARKET: Lakeside Christmas markets at Elizabeth Terrace, Saturdays 10, 17 and 24 December 9.30am-1.30pm; thelittleburleymarket.com.au

ROLAND BULL: The triple RAW Comedy state finalist returns home to Canberra with his new show, Mess with the Bull!, 10 December, Sideway Bar, East Row; tickets via linktr.ee/robucomedy

CANBERRA POTTERS: Christmas Fair offers the opportunity to buy handcrafted gifts and wares, Canberra Potters, Watson, 10-18 December; canberrapotters.com.au DAYDREAM MACHINE: An expo showcasing the small businesses of our neuro-divergent youth with markets, live music, and more, Daydream Machine, Fyshwick, 10 December 10am-2pm.

GOOGONG CHRISTMAS: Returning after three years, the Googong Christmas Carols and Markets return to Bunyip Park, Googong, 10 December 5pm; googong.net

CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT: The Woden Valley Youth Choir in association with Canberra City Band present your favourite merry tunes, Stage 88, 10 December 7pm.

CHRISTMAS IN QUEANBEYAN: Two festive events bring joy - a Christmas Street party on Crawford Street, 10 December 6pm, and Community Christmas Carols, 15 December 6pm; qprc.nsw.gov.au

CANBERRA QWIRE: (proudly LGBTIQ+) Merry and Gay, a concert full of beautiful, fun and queer vocal music, Sunday 11 December 3pm, The Q, Queanbeyan; canberraqwire.org.au

NANCY SEVER GALLERY: Presents Terrain by multimedia artist Janenne Eaton, 11 December-29 January; nancysevergallery.com.au

ALAN CARR: The English comedian brings his Regional Trinket tour to Canberra Theatre, 11 December 7.30pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

HUMAN NATURE: The Aussie superstars bring A Christmas Celebration tour to Canberra Theatre, 14 December 7.30pm; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

COMEDY ACT CHRISTMAS SHOW: Finish the comedy year with a bang as the best and upcoming local talent take the stage, Transit Bar, 14 December 7.30pm; trybooking.com

HAIG PARK CHRISTMAS MARKETS: Haig Park Village Markets get into the festive spirit on Sundays 11 and 18 December 8.30am-2pm; haigparkvillagemarkets.com.au

Send your free entertainment listings to: arts@canberraweekly.com.au with ‘what’s on’ in the subject field. Deadline is 10 days prior to Thursday edition date.