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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 March 2011

“Looking forward to a Matthew McConaughey movie tonight. Never thought I’d ever say that.”  That was a tweet I posted a few hours prior to the preview screening of The Lincoln Lawyer.

I couldn’t elaborate on Twitter given the 140 character limitations but my reasons were twofold.  Firstly, this was not a romantic comedy.  I’m sure that was a relief to Mr McConaughey as it was to me.  Let’s just say you won’t find films like Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past, Fool’s Fold and Failure To Launch in my personal DVD collection.  Secondly, this film boasts a killer cast.  When I saw the list of names on the poster, it had my attention.

Having now seen the film, I can say that it’s worth the price of admission.  The Lincoln Lawyer is a smooth thriller that offers decent twists and intriguing subplots.  Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, it’s reminiscent of the John Grisham adaptations we saw throughout the 1990s.  The pieces fit together a little too neatly in these types of films but they’re still fun to watch.  They always have you cheering for the reluctant hero, hoping they’ll expose the truth and giving the bad guys what they deserve.

Our protagonist in this story is a slick defence lawyer by the name of Mick Haller (McConaughey).  He doesn’t always do things by the book but he gets results.  If you find yourself up on a serious charge, this is the guy you want representing you.  He exudes confidence and can sweet-talk almost anyone.

Haller finds himself with a new client.  32-year-old Louis Roulet (Phillippe) has been charged with rape and assault.  Roulet is from a wealthy family and claims that it’s a set up.  He tells Haller that the woman is a vindictive prostitute who looking to pursue him through the civil courts and land a big cash settlement.

Haller’s first thought isn’t one of guilt or innocence.  He’s more concerned about how much he’ll get paid.  It’s a dream job in the sense that his client is rich and he can therefore charge whatever he wants.  As the case progresses however, his focus will change.  There’s something not quite right about the facts presented and so he uses the help of a good friend (Macy) to investigate.

The film moves along at a brisk pace and there aren’t many lulls during its two hour duration.  You could make a valid argument that the film should have been a little longer.  With so many characters, there isn’t enough time to explore their background and their relevance to the story.  A good example is the relationship shared between Haller and his ex-wife (Tomei).

That said, the quality of the cast does a lot to overcome these limitations.  Matthew McConaughey does a nice job creating a flawed yet likeable hero. Marisa Tomei and Ryan Phillippe are great too.  Of the supporting players, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas, Michael Pena and Bryan Cranston make an impact in almost every scene in which they appear.  They add further flavour to the meat in this ensemble.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 March 2011

To the film’s credit, at least it doesn’t muck around with a long winded introduction.  We quickly meet the characters and then bang, it’s into the alien invasion.  They’ve come down in their space ships, landed on the shoreline and started attacking with their high-powered weapons.

One of the first alien invasion flicks I reviewed was Independence Day back in 1996.  I realise it wasn’t an award winning screenplay but it had a few laughs and it generated some excitement.  It also shows the importance of having strong, likeable actors such as Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum.  They helped draw you into the story.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same here.  Aaron Eckhart is great in a comedy (Thank You For Smoking) and great in a drama (Rabbit Hole) but he’s not the sort of guy you want leading a sci-fi action film.  In fact, there’s no one here that wants to stand up and say “look at me!”  They’re all just running around, shooting their guns and yelling at each other.  The writers have tried to give some of them a back story but it doesn’t work.  You won’t care for them at all.

Throughout the film, you will only see things from the perspective of the soldiers fighting against the aliens.  They have no idea if back up will arrive or what else is happening around the world.  They’re just trying to survive.  I would normally like such an approach but it’s been over-edited by director Jonathan Liebesman.  At times, it’s hard to figure out what’s going on and what the characters are saying.

The special effects are decent but that’s one of the few positives in this emotionally vapid film-going experience.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 March 2011

Barney Panofsky (Giamatti) has lived a pretty interesting life.  He’s been married three times, he’s produced a successful television show and he’s even been accused of murder.  I don’t know quite how to sum up his personality but there’s a bit of everything in there – he’s seductive, he’s neurotic, he’s impulsive.

Barney is now in his mid-60s and hasn’t been in the best of health.  It seems to have given him a newfound clarity about himself.  He realises that he’s in the final chapter of his life story and so he takes the opportunity to reflect back on how he got here.  What we’ll see is “Barney’s version” of events.

The film delicately mixes genres by recounting some of the humorous moments and heartbreaking moments in Barney’s life.  He certainly had an up and down ride when it came to love.  He met his third wife at the wedding reception for his second marriage!  The film’s tagline aptly sums it up – “First he got married. Then he got married again. Then he met the love of his life.”

It takes a little while to warm up but Barney’s Version is a charming film that will leave you reflecting on your own life.  I’m not in my mid-60s just yet but if I do make it that far, how will I look back on my life today?  Do I appreciate what I have and am I making the most of my opportunities? 

Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man) gives a fantastic performance and he deservedly won the Golden Globe award for best actor in a comedy.  He has the perfect demeanour for this character – a little rough around the edges but hard not to like.  He’s backed by a strong supporting cast including the elegant Rosamund Pike (An Education) and the scene stealing Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man).

Barney’s Version seemed to get lost amongst the other contenders during the recent awards season in the United States but it’s nice to seeing it getting a release in Australia.  Make sure you check it out.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 March 2011

Let me throw a hypothetical question at you.  Imagine that you have a 16-year-old daughter who has landed the starring role in her high school’s senior play.  You go along to the opening night and you are stunned by just how bad it is.  You can see your daughter is trying her hardest but the storyline is awful and the dialogue is even worse.

When you see her backstage afterwards, what do you say?  Do you lie and say how much you loved the show and her performance?  Or do you be honest and find a polite way of expressing what you really think?

I feel like I’m in a similar position when trying to review A Heartbeat Away.  I really like seeing the Australian public support locally made films.  I know a few within the industry and even more trying to break into the industry.  It’s hard to get financiers to fund Australian features when they see a track record of failures at the box-office.  They’d rather invest in a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez (and that horrible thought keeps me awake every night).

As much as I’d love to tell you to spend a few dollars checking out this film, I sadly cannot.  You are better off saving your time and waiting until a decent Aussie film comes along.  I’ll be sure to tell you when it does.  As Animal Kingdom proved last year, it is still possible for a local film to find success on the back of great reviews and strong word of mouth.

This cliché ridden tale is set in the fictitious town of Montague.  Those from Brisbane will recognise a few of the sights as much of the film was shot in Shorncliffe and Sandgate.  One shot during the opening credits as it’s just a few doors down from my grandmother’s house at Deagon.  If you get bored with the plot (and I suggest you will), you can at least play a game of “spot the landmark”.

The story centres on a marching band that is trying to win the regional championships for the first time in 20 years.  When the regular conductor is injured in an accident, his teenage son reluctantly steps in to help out.  His job will be made more difficult however as there’s a nasty property developer looking to sabotage their chances.  If they lose the competition, he’ll take title of their clubhouse and turn it into a multi-million dollar tourist resort.

At the preview screening I attended, the film did receive a nice round of applause as the credits started to roll.  This leads me to believe that there may be an audience for A Heartbeat Away.  I’m describing it as being like the pilot for a cheesy 90s sitcom that no television network wanted to buy.  As unappetising as that may sound, it could be the perfect dish for those who like a feel-good, innocent drama.

Then again, perhaps the round of applause was because several of the audience members had a small part in the film?  Let’s give it the benefit of the doubt.  This film will need all the help it can get.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 March 2011

Every child should have access to a quality education.  This ideal has been spouted by politicians for decades.  There’s a humorous clip in Waiting For Superman that shows a string of U.S. Presidents preaching about education and why it is one of their most important policies.

Has anything changed though?  Has the education system in the United States improved?  Or has it deteriorated further?  These questions are asked in the latest film from Academy Award winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth).

Guggenheim has tackled this controversial subject matter from a number of angles.  First and foremost, he looks at the children themselves.  He has picked a group of kids from low social-economic background and shown the difficulties that they face in getting a decent education and progressing on to college.

Evidence suggests that the public school system in America is lagging behind the rest of the world.  Amongst 30 developed countries, they are ranked in the bottom third in both science and math.  Roughly 70% of students in the 8^th grade cannot read at that level.

Those statistics aren’t good but there are certain schools that do perform very well.  You can actually check their results on certain websites (similar to our My School system here in Australia).  Why do they outperform other schools?  Guggenheim believes it comes down to one similar answer – they have the better teachers.

The problem this creates is that many parents want to send their kids to these “better” public schools.  When there is an over-enrolment, the school is forced to host a public lottery.  The parents turn up and pray that their number is drawn.  It’s crazy stuff.  A child’s education is effectively put in the hands of Lady Luck.

Guggenheim then shines the spotlight on those with the power to make a difference – the politicians, the bureaucrats, the school boards, the unions and the teachers.  Many have tried to initiate change but they have been met with the brick wall known commonly as “the system”.  What adults say and what they do are very different things.  They may say that a child’s education is important… but in reality, it’s their personal job security that comes first.

Like any documentary, I’m sure some will disagree with the points that Davis Guggenheim is making.  That’s to be expected but it will help generate a badly needed debate on this subject matter.  I’m not saying Guggenheim has all the answers but he makes a persuasive argument that there are fundamental flaws within America’s education system.

Waiting For Superman left me with plenty to think about but I wish the film had of focused more on the stories of those fighting against “the system”.  In particular, the tale of superintendent Michelle Rhee and her battle against the teachers unions.  They were more interesting those revolving around the public school lotteries (which were a little overdone).

We’ve been treated to an impressive crop of documentaries over the past few months (GasLand, Exit Through The Gift Shop, Inside Job) and here’s another one to add to your viewing list.