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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 September 2010

I always make time to see a new Australian movie but there are many people who think differently.  You’ve only got to look at our box-office figures to see that Aussies would rather watch a big blockbuster from the United States than a locally made drama.

Animal Kingdom has been one of our big “success” stories this year.  Thanks to exceptional reviews and strong word of mouth, it made almost $5m at the box-office over a 10 week period.  To put that into perspective, Toy Story 3, Twilight: New Moon and Inception all made more than that in just their first weekend.

Writer-director Stuart Beattie has taken a gamble with Tomorrow When The War Began.  It’s Australian-made but he’s disguised it as a Hollywood action movie.  In the trailer, you’ll see big explosions, chase sequences and a variety of accents.  On the poster, you’ll see a giant fireball and fighter planes in the air.  I’m sure this will help market the film internationally but the big question is – can it be sold to Australian audiences?

This is his first time in the director’s chair but this style of movie is nothing new to Stuart Beattie.  He’s a notable screenwriter and his credits include Collateral, Australia and the three Pirates Of The Caribbean movies.  He has taken the widely read novel from John Marsden and tried to great something just as suspenseful on the big screen.

I think he’s done a good job.  The dialogue is cheesy but I was impressed by the tension that builds throughout the film.  The story centres on a group of teenagers from a small community who go camping for the weekend.  When they return, they discover their town has been invaded by a foreign army.  All the citizens have been locked up in a makeshift prison which is closely guarded by many men with many guns.

As the gravity of the situation sinks in, these teenagers are forced to make an important decision.  Should they hide and hope that help arrives?  Or should they use their knowledge of the area and try to fight back?  The answer to this question understandably creates conflict within the group.  This is an incredibly scary situation.  What are they going to do?

Tomorrow When The War Began is clearly targeted at a younger audience.  The novel was first published in 1993 and has been read by numerous high-school students as part of the curriculum.  I’m sure many will be keen to revive their interest in the story through this movie version.  The attractive cast, including ex-Neighbours star Caitlin Stasey and ex-Home & Away star Lincoln Lewis, should also result in more bums on seats.

Will this be the first in a long running series?  I hope so.  It will all depend on the support this film receives from the Australian public over the next few weeks.  I’ll be watching the box-office figures with a close eye.

You can read my interview with star Caitlin Stasey by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 August 2010

If you scan through the list of films which have topped the weekly box-office in New Zealand this year, you’ll find some familiar titles – Avatar, Alice In Wonderland, Toy Story 2 and Inception.  What do they have in common?  They’re all big-budget movies (both in terms of production costs and marketing) and they’re all American.

It’s pretty hard for filmmakers to compete against these blockbusters but Kiwi director Taika Waititi has found a way.  Shot on a relatively small budget, Boy has become the biggest locally-made film at the New Zealand box-office (passing Once Were Warriors and The World’s Fastest Indian).  It spent an amazing 16 weeks inside the top 10.

So why was this film so popular?  It’s doesn’t have a popular Hollywood star and it doesn’t have expensive special effects.  What it does have… is a great story.  It starts out as a fairly innocuous comedy but it gradually develops into something more dramatic, more meaningful.  Based on its success in New Zealand, it’s very easy for me to call it a “crowd pleaser”.

Boy (Rolleston) is an 11-year-old kid who comes from the small town of Waihau Bay.  He lives with is grandmother and younger brother, Rocky (Eketone-Whitu).  His mother died several years ago and his father hasn’t been around.  To compensate for the lack of a father-figure, Boy has made up a bunch of stories about his dad.  He tells everyone at school that his father is a war hero and a deep-sea diver.

It’s all about to change however. The father (Waititi) unexpectedly appears and wants to become part of his two son’s lives.  Things go well at first.  The dad takes them to the beach and takes them for a ride his flashy car.  Rocky has a few hesitations but Boy has developed an instant liking for this father.  He thinks he’s really funny and cool.

The novelty of the situation starts to wear off however.  Boy soon realises that his dad has many flaws.  He’s like a big kid who never grew up – making big promises and avoiding responsibility.  Boy must try to reconcile his perfect “fantasy” dad with his not-so-perfect “real” dad.  It leaves him wondering.  Does he really need his father after all?

Audiences will fall in love with Boy and Rocky – played by newcomers James Rolleston and Te Aho Aho Eketone-Whitu.  They had no previous acting experience but that’s exactly what Waititi was looking for.  He wanted them to be natural.  You’ll enjoy their silly, immature nature too.  They’re good “eggs”.

With many humorous references to the 1980s (just wait until you see their clothing), Boy is a well-told tale with a nice balance of comedy and drama.  It’ll leave you feeling good.

You can read my interview with director Taika Waititi by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 August 2010

Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore) are a lesbian couple who have been together for over 20 years.  They live in Los Angeles and have two children.  Joni (Wasikowska) is an intelligent 18-year-old on the verge of going to college.  Laser (Hutcherson) is an athletic 15-year-old who loves team sports.  They are a happy family… or so it would seem.

For a while now, Joni and Laser have been curious to know the identity of their biological father.  All they’ve been told is that their mothers received sperm from the same anonymous donor.  After snooping through some old records at home, they get in touch with the sperm bank and subsequently, their father.  His name is Paul (Ruffalo) and he’s currently running an organic restaurant.

One of the best scenes in the film is where Joni and Laser meet Paul for the first time.  It’s so incredibly awkward.  No one knows what to say.  No one knows to do.  It’s come as a huge shock to Paul who didn’t even know that his sperm had been used.  Never married and somewhat of a commitment phobe, he’s trying to grasp the reality that he fathered two children.

Over the next few weeks, the family dynamic will be thrown into chaos.  Paul realises that these kids are great and wants to spend more time with them.  How can he do this without dividing the existing family?  Joni and Laser are asking questions of their own.  Do they want their biological dad to be part of their lives?  Caught in the middle are Nic and Jules.  They’re upset that their children’s father has been brought into the mix but they don’t want to be seeing as pushing him away.

The Kids Are All Right was one of the big hits of the Sundance Film Festival back in January.  It’s performed strongly at the U.S. box-office (grossing over $18m to date) and there’s talk of Oscar nominations for the cast and crew.  I know I’m going to be in the minority but I confess to feeling a slight letdown on leaving the cinema.

Whilst there are some great individual sequences (such as the Joni-Laser-Paul intro above), I felt the film didn’t add up to much.  It’s as if it’s trying to cover too much material.  There’s a subplot involving Laser’s problematic relationship with his best friend.  There’s another subplot involving Paul and his current girlfriend who works at his restaurant.  It’s not that I didn’t like these additional storylines.  It’s just that (1) they were undeveloped, and (2) more interesting at times than the major plot.  The ending left me hollow too.

Of the performances, I’m going to single out the younger stars – Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland) and Josh Hutcherson (Bridge To Terabithia).  I’m a fan of both actors and I think they look incredibly natural on screen.  Mark Ruffalo is strong too.  I was less impressed with Julianne Moore and Annette Bening.  Whilst they’re doing it for effect, I didn’t like the way they over-dramatised key emotions.  I also tired of the running gag involving Bening’s character and her “love” for wine.

All of that said, I’m still giving The Kids Are All Right a marginal thumbs up.  I didn’t take a lot away from the film but there are some wonderfully uncomfortable scenes that make it worth seeing.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 August 2010

Over the past 30 years, Australian director Phillip Noyce has put together a very solid resume.  He’s made some emotive dramas (The Quiet American, Rabbit-Proof Fence) but he’s more widely known for his action-thrillers (Patriot Games, Clear & Present Danger).

There’s no question that Salt fits into the “action-thriller” genre.  It’s about a CIA agent named Evelyn Salt (Jolie) who is on the run from her colleagues.  They think she’s a Russian spy and that she plans to kill the Russian President when he visits New York City.  Salt must evade capture and find a way to clear her name.

I have to give credit to Phillip Noyce for the way in which the action scenes have been put together.  Let’s be honest, we all know that Salt will continue to evade her pursuers (otherwise the movie would over in 5 minutes).  I still found it suspenseful though thanks to the well designed chase sequences and speedy editing.  They’ve also come up with some creative escapes.  One of the more exciting moments involves Salt jumping from a freeway overpass onto a moving truck.  It’s pretty cool.

Sadly, the well choreographed action scenes mask the many weaknesses within the story.  When the closing credits started to roll, I was left with several unanswered questions.  I won’t give away any spoilers but I had trouble reconciling the very beginning of the tale.  What were the motives of the other Russian spy (named Orlov) in giving up valuable info on Salt to the CIA?  It didn’t make much sense when his true motivations were revealed later.

Angelina Jolie is not too bad as the film’s heroine – she’s rough, she’s tough.  That said, I’m still unconvinced as to how her character can defeat so many well-trained guys (I hope that doesn’t sound too sexist).  I guess my criticism could be refuted by using the good old “it’s just as action film” defence.  If you’re willing to subscribe to that theory, you’re likely to enjoy this fast-paced adventure.  If not, you'll need to find something else to watch.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 August 2010

For decades, Grégoire Canvel has been making movies.  Not all have been a success but he’s proud of his achievements.  It’s a ruthless industry and Grégoire has been through some hard times but he’s always managed to keep his business afloat… until now.

A major production helmed by an egotistical Swedish director has blown its budget.  Already deep in debt, Grégoire is trying everything to save his business.  He’s negotiating with the tax office and he’s pleading with the bank.  The staff are fighting just as hard.  They’re working long hours in the hope that things will turn around and their jobs will be saved.

Grégoire puts on a brave face but deep down, he’s struggling.  In trying to shield his wife and kids from his problems at work, Grégoire is only adding to his stress levels.  There’s a profound scene where Grégoire walks into his office, turns off the light, takes off his shoes and simply lies on the couch.  You get the sense that sleep is his only solace.  He doesn’t know what else to do.

Father Of My Children is a deeply moving character study.  When you first meet Grégoire, you’ll realise he’s just an ordinary guy.  All he wants is to provide for his family and to make a small mark on the world.  As his business starts to collapse however, those dreams are jeopardised.  I know there are many people who have been through a similar situation and will relate to Grégoire’s troubled mindset.

There’s a lot more to this story which I have not revealed in this review.  It goes down some unexpected paths and explores interesting territory.  29-year-old Mia Hansen-Love deserves credit both as a writer and a director.  This is a very convincing drama.  There’s a “realness” to these characters that you don’t often see on the big screen.

Winner of a special jury prize in the Un Certain Regard section of last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Father Of My Children is another great example of the strength within the French film industry.