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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 April 2024

It’s the summer of 2019 and two 31-year-old professional tennis players take to the court in the men’s final of a low-grade Challenger event in New York State (first prize is just $7,200).  On one side of the court is Art Donaldson (Faist), a 6-time grand slam winner desperately trying to find form in lead up to the only major title that has eluded him, the U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows.  On the other side is Patrick Zweig (O’Connor), an unorthodox-serving journeyman with an empty bank account and a similarly empty trophy cabinet.

These two guys have a long, complicated history and writer Justin Kuritzkes (husband of Past Lives director Celine Song) explains through a series of flashbacks which mirror the momentum of the current day match.  Art and Patrick became close friends when they attended a tennis boarding school as 12-year-olds and, knowing each other’s games inside out, they teamed up to win a junior doubles title at the U.S. Open a few years later.  The world was at their feet.

Professional athletes are curious creatures.  When golfer Scottie Scheffler spoke to the press after winning The Masters earlier this week, he was asked about his mindset before the final round.  He was forthright in saying that “I wish I didn’t want to win as badly as I did” and that “I love winning, and I hate losing.”  There are many elements which go into a development of a top-level sportsperson, but these comments highlight that one often needs an intensely competitive personality to succeed.  The fear of failure can be a great motivator or a career-ending retardant.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name), Challengers taps into the idea that competitive juices can’t be simply switched off upon leaving the court.  It’s part of our DNA.  Art and Patrick fall in love with the same girl, rising tennis star Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), and the pair’s friendship fritters away.  They share a metaphorical “rally”, emphasised through the film’s cinematography and editing, as each tries to execute the perfect forehand winner.  Unsportsmanlike conduct is not confined to the tennis court.

Often the case with sporting flicks, the material is dumbed down to broaden appeal and make the plot more cinematic.  Do I think an out-of-form grand slam champ would play a Challenger event in the lead up to the U.S. Open?  Never.  Do I believe the reactions of the crowd and chair umpire during the big final?  No way.  Do I think the stiff, simplistic “tennis chat” between characters is a realistic depiction of pro athletes?  Nope.  Does the climax make sense?  Um…

Challengers is still a terrific film and it’s great to see Hollywood getting behind a romantic drama with meaty ideas.  The three stars are superb – Josh O’Connor (God’s Own Country) as the smooth-talking extrovert who likes pushing people’s buttons, Mike Faist (West Side Story) as the submissive boy-next-to-door who is continually unsure of himself, and Zendaya (Dune) as the no-nonsense puppeteer who wants a piece of them both.  The power games between the trio are riveting to watch and their probing conversations offer insight into their characters without giving everything away.  It also triggered memories of the brilliant Alfonso Cuarón 2001 drama Y tu mamá también.

Guadagnino spices things up with a 1980s-like techno film score from Oscar winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (The Social Network) and a stylish depiction of the tennis scenes to avoid them looking like a traditional televised match.  With lots of memorable scenes (everything from a sauna confrontation to a Tinder date in a hotel lobby), Challengers is a movie which entertains while offering plenty to chat about afterwards.  Relationships come in many shapes and sizes!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 April 2024

Dev Patel is doing quite well for himself.  He was a 17-year-old when he made his feature film debut as the lead in Danny Boyle’s Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire.  He was a 26-year-old when he earned his first Academy Award nomination for his excellent supporting performance in Garth Davis’s Lion.  Now, as a 33-year-old, he’s making his directorial and screenwriting debut with the action-thriller Monkey Man. 

The tradition with action flicks is to go with a simplistic, over-the-top “bad guy” intent on destroying the world, and a suave, charismatic hero who thwarts those plans.  In interviews promoting the film’s release, Patel talks about wanting to make something with more substance and grit.  He’s achieved just that.  It’s set in the fictitious Indian city of Yatana and shows a world where religion is used as the smokescreen to create an even wider gap between rich and poor.

It’s interesting to see a movie where the keynote villain is a popular spiritual figure, and the cons of organised religion are placed under the spotlight.  Makarand Deshpande plays Baba Shakti, a powerful man who promotes peace and understanding to his cult-like followers but behind closed doors, he uses the power of a corrupt media and police force to supress dissent amongst poorer folk and deepen his already bulging pockets.  I wish there was more insight into his background, rise and motivations, but he still makes for an intriguing adversary to root against.

The supporting players aren’t a huge focus as this is the Dev Patel show.  In addition to his work behind the camera, he steps into the shoes of the film’s protagonist – an unnamed orphaned man from the slums of India who seeks vengeance against those responsible for the death of his mother.  He appears in almost every scene and gives it everything with his passionate performance in terms of both emotion and physicality.  The fight sequences left me contorting in my seat with their brutal, jarring nature.  I’m surprised the film snuck through Australian censors with an MA rating (as opposed to R).

Monkey Man is a touch uneven in places.  It’s as if Patel wants to blend the intensity of a John Wick instalment (that character even gets a mention) with the reflective, visual imagery of a Terrence Malick movie.  The slow introduction (plot details are deliberately kept vague) and continual use of up-close, out-of-focus shots is a minor annoyance.  Still, the film hits its stride in the second half and culminates with a quick-paced, violent finale that ends without an unnecessary epilogue.

Originally intended to be a direct-to-streaming release for Netflix, renowned horror director Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope) saw an early cut and, in coming on board as a producer, helped get Monkey Man in cinemas across the globe.  With the film tracking to earn roughly $20 million USD in its opening weekend in the US, Peele’s decision looks to be the right one!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 April 2024

Given its relative low cost and opportunities to demonstrate creativity, the horror genre has been an effective pathway for young/upcoming Aussie filmmakers hoping to make a name for themselves on the international stage.  Examples this century include the Spierig brothers (Undead), James Wan and Leigh Whannell (Saw), Greg McLean (Wolf Creek), Snowtown (Justin Kurzel), Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), and most recently, the Philippou brothers (Talk to Me).

We’re seeing it again with siblings Cameron and Colin Cairnes and their breakout hit, Late Night with the Devil.  It was shot in Melbourne with a largely Australian cast but, given its a co-production involving funding from overseas, it’s set in the United States to befit the narrative and broaden the film’s international appeal.

While not entirely necessary, a short prologue provides the film’s context.  Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian) is a late-night talk show host who has been toiling away for six years (a good stint) but never has he been able to achieve the fame and ratings of rival Johnny Carson.  Jack’s current TV contract is about to come to an end and, unless something dramatic were to happen, he’s likely to get the boot.

What follows is the footage of an infamous episode that took place on Halloween night 1977.  It was the start of sweeps week and the shows guests included a famous psychic (Bazzi), a vocal sceptic (Bliss), and reluctant psychologist (Gordon) who has recently published a book about a teenage girl (Torelli) in her care who can conjure the devil.  Jack hopes to perform a quasi-exorcism on the show in desperate search of a ratings boost.

Late Night with the Devil provides a refreshing spin on the horror / supernatural genre.  It’s a simple idea but also a very effective one.  We’re just watching an 80-minute episode of a 1970s talk show.  It begins with a monologue, features a band and a joke-telling sidekick (Auteri), and has the cheesy production values we know from that era.  During the show’s short advertisement breaks, grainy behind-the-scenes footage fills the gap so that we continue to follow as events play out in real time.

The Cairnes brothers, supported by cinematographer Matthew Temple, have us believe we’re watching an old, scratchy recording of an actual late-night talk show.  It feels much more credible than a standard horror flick.  Star David Dastmalchian (Dune) is outstanding in creating a lead character who blends charm with desperation.  The supporting characters are richly distinctive with standouts including Ian Bliss (The Matrix) as the sceptic, and Rhys Auteri as the side-kick (making his feature film debut).

Ending on just the right note, Late Night with the Devil is one of the year’s best releases.  Start spreading the word!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 April 2024

Last year, Goodbye Julia became just the second film from Sudan to be submitted to the Oscars for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category.  It wasn’t nominated (nor did it make the shortlist) but it’s still a terrific movie which reminds us of the creative talent which exists in countries not widely known for their film industries.  It was selected for the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival (won by the recently released How to Have Sex) which itself is a huge honour.

It’s a film to be celebrated for two main reasons.  Firstly, it raises awareness about Sudan’s politics and people.  It covers a period from 2005 to 2011 in which there was much division between the northern part of the country, largely Arabs and Muslims, and the southern part, mainly African and Christian.  Conflict between the sides had existed for decades and it led to an independence referendum where voters decided to split the nation in two.  Early scenes highlight the key themes of the time including a significant wealth disparity, and ongoing fears of violence.

The second justification is because it tells a bloody good story.  Writer-director Mohamed Kordofani frames the narrative around two families who come together under tragic circumstances.  Mona (Youstif), a wealthy Muslim from the northern half of Sudan, accidentally hits a young boy with her car while driving by an impoverished shanty town.  She panics, drives off, and is then followed by the father of the boy who angrily pursues on his motorcycle.  On arriving home, Mona’s husband is waiting out front and, not understanding the situation, sees the aggression of the father and kills him with a recently purchased gun.

What follows is a rich, complex story of lies, forgiveness and redemption.  Mona doesn’t tell her husband why she was being chased so that he’s not burdened with the guilt of killing an innocent man.  Suffering from her own remorse, she reaches out to the wife (Riak) of the deceased man and offers her a job as housemaid.  Both she and her son (who survived the accident with just minor injuries) are also offered a place to live in a shed adjoining the house.  The catch is that only Mona knows about her husband’s involvement in the shooting.

It may sound contrived but Goodbye Julia works as a riveting drama.  In telling lies while trying to atone for her own mistakes, Mona digs a metaphorical hole from which it is near impossible to extricate herself.  She makes for a riveting character study.  Mona becomes close friends with the mother and extends her a financial lifeline…  but can she be considered a good person if this connection is based on such a large deception?  Mona’s blindsided husband develops his own meritorious interpretations of his wife’s strange actions.

The acting is a touch stiff in places but that’s a minor quibble given the strength of the script and direction.  Goodbye Julia deserves your time and attention.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 April 2024

When the Academy Award nominations were announced on 23 January 2024, one nod which put a smile on many faces that for Robot Dreams in the best animated feature film category.  It was a European film made on a budget of just €5 million which had not yet been released in the United States.  Based on great word of mouth at film festivals including Cannes and Toronto, it wove its way into the hearts of Oscar voters over more conventional films.

The story is simple and powerful.  It’s set in the 1980s and features a dystopian version of New York City where the landmarks are the same… but animals live there as opposed to humans.  The central character is a lonely dog who has a nice apartment but no friends to share it with.  In search of companionship, he orders an Amica 2000 robot after seeing a television infomercial.  The two quickly become inseparable with the fast-learning robot developing a habit of mimicking those around it (whether it be holding hands, or giving the “middle finger”).

Tragedy then strikes.  After a day swimming at the beach, the robot malfunctions and its limbs seize up (probably should have got it wet).  The dog has no way of fixing his friend and it is left on the shoreline as security lock the beach’s gates for the upcoming winter.  Not only is he back to being alone, the poor dog now as the added baggage of losing his closet companion.

It takes a little while to get going but this is an outstanding film.  Now is probably for the time to mention there isn’t a single word of spoken dialogue in the entire movie.  Just like The Shaun the Sheep Movie, we understand and empathise with these characters because of their actions and facial expressions.  This approach also gives it universal appeal.  It’s a Spanish-French co-production but with no words, there’s no need for subtitles.

The script is based on a 2007 graphic novel authored by American Sara Varon, and writer-director Pablo Berger deserves praise in keeping the essence and grittiness of the material.  There’s an upper layer which kids can easily follow but there are other deeper layers which require a higher maturity level to fully grasp.  It creatively blends dreams with reality, it delves into the subject of loneliness, and it’s not afraid to be dark and sad.  There’s much to soak up within the 102-minute running time.

At a time when animated features are feeling more and more formulaic, Robot Dreams is an original entry which stands out from the pack.