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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 August 2009

The reason I’ve referred to Gran Torino is that it reminded me of Charlie & Boots – which I think is a better film.  It opens in exactly the same way.  Charlie (Hogan) is attending the funeral of his wife with whom he’d been married for 40 years.  Following the burial, he shuts himself away at his home.  He closes all the curtains and just lies on the couch.

Boots (Jacobson) is his oldest son and the two have shared a rocky relationship in recent years for reasons which become known mid-way through the film.  Seeing that his dad needs help, he extends the olive branch and takes him on a trip.  They are going to drive from Melbourne to the most northern tip of Australia in Cape York to go fishing.  It is something they’ve both always wanted to do.  Now’s the time to do it.

You could say there are many purposes to the trip.  It’s a chance for Charlie to get out of the house and move on following the death of his wife.  It’s a chance for both Charlie and Boots to heal the rifts that have developed between them.  It’s also a chance to have fun on a good old fashioned road trip.

The pair go through a mix of country towns on their way north and I’m sure audiences will enjoying seeing a few familiar sights.  They see the Giant Koala near Horsham and the famous musical hall in Tamworth.  They even stop in at Tenterfield – a small town in northern New South Wales which I visited myself earlier this month.

I’d describe the film as a comedy but there are elements of drama which give the film a nice balance.  Thankfully, it’s nothing like Paul Hogan’s last comedic effort, Strange Bedfellows with Michael Caton.  Hogan and Jacobson (of Kenny fame) make a good pair and they work well off each other.  I laughed several times through the film and can safely recommend it as a crowd pleaser.

It’s no co-incidence to see Charlie & Boots being released the week before Father’s Day and hopefully that will give it a boost at the local box-office.  It’s a much more believable tale of redemption than that dished up Gran Torino.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 August 2009

This is a beautifully told story centred on a shy young man named Elias (Scamarcio).  When we first meet Elias, he is travelling in a freighter on the Aegean Sea.  He is escaping his current life and is looking to start a new one on the European mainland.  As the boat nears the coast, it is spotted by the authorities.  Not wanting to be captured and deported, Elias jumps ship and swims ashore.

He ends up at a coastal holiday resort which is packed with tourists.  The police are scouring the place for any illegal immigrants who did escape from the freighter and so Elias must conceal himself.  He befriends a French woman who allows him to hide out in her room.

Whilst at a resort party, Elias helps a travelling magician who promises him a job if he can find his way to Paris.  Thus begins a live changing journey.  He meets an assortment of people along the way – some helpful, some not so helpful.

Elias is a likeable character but there is greyness to the story.  It gives you plenty of food for thought regarding illegal immigrants and their place in the world.  Yes, what they’re doing is wrong but if you were in the same position as them, would you do the same thing?  I think many people would answer that question in the affirmative.

Like the magician in the film, I had a sense that director Costa-Gavras was trying to weave a little magic of his own – transforming the film into a modern-day fairy-tale.  There are a few close shaves for Elias and there are few peculiar happenings also.  I particularly liked the note on which the film ended.  Not everything was wrapped up into a neat little package.

 Shot in Greece and France, Eden Is West put a smile on face and held my attention for the full two hours.  I hope it’ll do the same for you.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 August 2009

This new version has been updated to take advantage of today’s technology but it’s basically the same story.  A man who identifies himself as Ryder (Travolta) has stopped a New York City subway train and taken 19 passengers as hostages.  He demands $10m in cash within an hour or else he will start killing the hostages one by one.

The man at the other end of the phone line is Walter Garber (Washington), an employee of the New York City Transit Authority.  The police try to bring in their special negotiators but Ryder only wants to speak with Garber.  He realises Garber is just an ordinary guy – someone more reliable and trustworthy than the authorities.

With the premise for the film established, the audience will now ask themselves the big question.  How will the bad guys escape from the subway tunnel when the police have it surrounded, especially if they’re carrying $10m in cash?   Of course I can’t answer that in my review (I’d be giving everything away) but let me say I was unconvinced by the ending and some of the plot “twists” – which were visible from a mile away.  The audience was laughing, when they weren’t supposed to, at several scenes during the preview screening I attended.

Helping boost the film is the star-power of Denzel Washington and John Travolta.  They are two of the most likeable actors in the business and both appear to have fun in their respective roles.  Their charm is infectious and I think a key reason why people will pay to see this film is because of these two gentlemen.

We all have different tastes but I’m not a huge fan of director Tony Scott.  He’s an entertainer more than a storyteller.  His movies can be fun to watch on the big screen but there’s not a lot of realism or substance behind them.  That won’t bother some people but it bothers me.  He is most famous for Top Gun but Scott’s recent credits include the underwhelming Déjà Vu, Domino, Man On Fire and Spy Game.  It’s been a while since he knocked one out of the ballpark.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 August 2009

The reason I’m reminiscing is to help explain what this film is about.  It’s about a group of not-so-popular school kids who have put a band together with the hopes of defeating all the other schools at the annual Bandslam competition.  They want to prove to their many critics that they have what it takes.

Managing the band is Will Burton (Connell).  With a distinctive taste in music, shying away from mainstream stuff, Will has always seen himself as an outsider.  He’s just started at the school and is hoping to make some new friends.  Will got the gig as manager having caught the eye of the lead singer, Charlotte (Michalka).

There’s another girl to throw into the mix.  Sam (Hudgens), like Will, tends to stay away from conformity and largely keeps to herself.  The two have plenty in common and after being paired up for a school assignment (which seems ridiculous easy if you ask me) they too become friends.

In the background in a nice supporting role is Lisa Kudrow (Friends) as Will’s mother.  She’s a nice character and provides Will with some valuable advice for his troubles.  Which girl will he end up with?  How will they go at Bandslam?  You’ll have to see the film to find out more.

This is a teen orientated film and I’m happy to report that it doesn’t always follow traditional formulas.  What I’m trying to say is that there aren’t huge character extremes.  These are just ordinary kids (well, kind of) all struggling to fit in.  Charlotte is an ex-cheerleader but be careful not to judge her too early.  I liked the name of the band too – “I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On.”

Before I get everyone too excited, I still wasn’t blown away by this film.  It has some nice touches but I didn’t find Will to be a very exciting central character.  All the letters he wrote to David Bowie seemed more creepy than enlightening.

I’m taking the middle ground on Bandslam and giving it a mild recommendation but am certain that it will appeal more to the younger audience.  The casting of Vanessa Hudgens from the High School Musical trilogy and Alyson Michalka from Disney’s Phil Of The Future television series should tell you that.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 August 2009

Whenever I see one of Miyazaki’s movie, I’m always left asking the question – what drugs is this guy taking?  I don’t say that in a mean-spirited away but I can’t comprehend how he comes out with such off-the-wall material.  It’s nothing like anything you’d see from the more conservative movie studios in the United States.

On that note, let me do my best to explain the premise of this film.  Sosuke is a 5-year-old boy who lives with his mother in a small coastal village.  He doesn’t see much of his father who works on a large boat.  One day, Sosuke finds a large goldfish on the shoreline who has found its head stuck in a jar.  Sosuke rescues it and takes it home in a green bucket.  He names it Ponyo.

You with me so far?  Anyway, it turns out that the fish is not quite what it appears.  When it accidentally comes into contact with a drop of Sosuke’s blood, it transforms into a human – a young girl, in fact.  This isn’t good news for the fish’s father, who is an evil wizard who lives under the sea.  He wants Ponyo back, living in his home as a goldfish.  He then creates a huge tsunami and tries to flood the entire village.

That covers the first third of Ponyo so the remaining two thirds is for you to discover.  I don’t think this is Miyazaki’s best work but I still like watching his film.  You won’t be bored – put it that way.  It’s refreshing to watch an animated film where you don’t know what’s around the corner.

The release of the film here in Australia is an interesting one.  Two versions can be seen – the original Japanese version with subtitles and an English language version with dubbed voices.  It was the subtitled version that I reviewed but you do see the other, you’ll recognise some notable voices including Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey and Liam Neeson.  It’s a good idea to check with the cinema first to know which version is being screened.