This is the story of Orry-Kelly, up until recently Australia’s most successful – and yet, unknown to most – Oscar winner, with three Academy Awards for Costume Design (1952, 1958, 1960) from his work on over 300 films. But documenting his story is difficult: while there are reels and reels to choose from when it comes to documenting his work, there is very little footage of his life, and few who worked with him are still around to tell his spectaular, larger-than-life tale.

Director Gillian Armstrong has chosen therefore to mix the real and the created: between interviews with film historians and costume designers, we hear ‘directly’ from Orry and his mother in the form of actors Darren Gilshenan and Deborah Kennedy, narrating the tale of a young gay man from country Victoria who went on to dress, and undress, the biggest names in the world.

Orry’s story is no doubt an interesting one – crossing paths with just about every star the Golden Age of Hollywood had to offer. Becoming the ‘it’ designer of the time, dressing the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis. Designing frocks for Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in Some Like it Hot. And living and working with a young Archie Leach, who would go on to be better known by his stage name Cary Grant.

Anyone with an interest in film history would be well advised to put on their finest suit or dress and head over to Coombs for a night of good old-fashioned Tinseltown glamour.

Claire and Laura have been friends since childhood and have shared everything with each other. So when Laura tragically passes away in her 30s, Claire reaches out to Laura’s husband, David. While they were never really close before, Claire and David become attached to each other in their shared sadness. They start meeting up in covert fashion, visiting each other on lunch breaks, matinee movie dates and little side trips to the countryside.

Looking from the outside, anyone would think that they’re having an affair, but there’s far more to this relationship than at first meets the eye…

While you’d be forgiven for thinking that this charming little French drama might be a depressing slog through the grief process, director François Ozon (In the House) gives everything a light touch and some gentle humour. This well-told tale (based on a story by Ruth Rendell) is a little unconventional but is ultimately quite sweet and touching. Anaïs Demoustier and Romain Duris, in the rather difficult roles of Claire and David, respectively, are tasked with carrying the film on their shoulders and both handle it splendidly.

If you’re a fan of any of Pedro Almodóvar’s kinky melodramas, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect and are strongly encouraged to give this unusual film a go.