Reviews
Gone Baby Gone
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Ben Affleck |
Written by: | Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard |
Starring: | Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Amy Ryan, Amy Madigan |
Released: | April 17, 2008 |
Grade: | C+ |
A 4-year-old girl has been abducted from her mother’s home in the middle of the night. No one knows who took Amanda McCready or whether she is still alive. The story has captured the attention of the Boston media who are giving it maximum coverage. Journalists are camped outside her house and are impatiently waiting for any news.
Three days pass and Amanda’s aunt, Beatrice (Madigan), decides to bring in a private investigator. She feels the police aren’t doing a good enough job. Responding to an advertisement in the paper, Beatrice hires Patrick Kenzie (Affleck) and his girlfriend, Angie Gennaro (Monaghan). Patrick and Angie are up front and admit that they don’t have the experience for such an important case. Beatrice wants them anyway. She feels that their friendships with locals in the area will help them sniff out information that the police have been unable to find.
Beatrice is right. Within a day, Patrick and Angie start making breakthroughs. They learn that Amanda’s mother, Helene (Ryan), has been trafficking drugs for some nasty individuals. A couple of weeks ago, Helene and her boyfriend stole $130,000 from a powerful drug dealer named “Cheese”. It looks like they’ve found a suspect and a motive.
If you think it’s a simple matter of “case closed” then think again. There are a lot of twists to this tale. Everything appears to be all wrapped up after about an hour but the story then goes off on a new tangent. It’s a perfect film for people who are after some suspense and like to be kept guessing.
By major qualm with the movie is that I felt it too hard to believe (one of my most common criticisms). Every time Patrick starts asking questions, people seem to open up and spill their guts. Is it really that easy in real life to get information out of someone? I also had issues with some of the big surprises at the very end. Could this actually have happened? I’ve got serious doubts.
My review probably won’t mean too much because Gone Baby Gone has been well reviewed by most other critics. It also scores highly from the public on the Internet Movie Database. I guess I just didn’t get it. Amy Ryan picked up a number of major awards for her role as Amanda’s mother. She also earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress but lost out to Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton).
It’s worth mentioning that the film marks the directorial debut of actor Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting). Affleck also wrote the screenplay with friend Aaron Stockard. It’s based on a novel written by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River). I think Affleck does an admirable job as first-time director. His film will leave you asking questions of yourself. Will you agree with the actions of certain characters? Whilst I liked the ethical issues being explored, I can’t overlook my grievances with the story as a whole.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Nicholas Stoller |
Written by: | Jason Segel |
Starring: | Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd |
Released: | April 17, 2008 |
Grade: | A |
I have to be really careful with films that I love. If I talk up a movie too much, then people’s expectations are raised and they may not enjoy it (at least to the same level that I did). I didn’t know a lot about Forgetting Sarah Marshall before I saw it. I thought it was going to be another standard, low-brow comedy. Now that I’ve seen it, my opinions have completely changed. This will probably be the best romantic comedy of the year.
The film was written by 28-year-old Peter Segel. When you look at his resume, you’ll see that Segel is a guy who has been acting for a long time but hasn’t found his big break. He’s had small roles in films such as Can’t Hardly Wait, Dead Man On Campus and Knocked Up. For the last 4 years, he’s been a feature actor in the television series How I Met Your Mother.
In 2008, the time has come for Peter Segel to shine. He’s written his own script and put himself in the leading role. Putting their money behind him and producers Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson, the same two people behind Superbad, Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. I guess they liked his script and it’s not hard to see why.
Segel plays Peter Bretter, a music composer who works on a high-profile TV show called “Crime Scene: Scene Of The Crime.” His long-time girlfriend is Sarah Marshall, the star of the show. It may sound strange that a big name actress is dating a nerdy looking guy like Peter but there you go. There’s hope for some of us yet.
Bad times are ahead however. Sarah tells Peter that’s she breaking up with him. She’s fallen in love with a rock musician named Aldous Snow (Brand). The “break up” scene is actually quite funny (as strange as that sounds). Peter is a blubbering mess for a few days and just can’t stop crying. On the advice of a friend, he decides to go on a spur of the moment holiday to Hawaii to help clear his head.
It seems that fate is conspiring against Peter. When he arrives at his beach-side hotel, he finds that Sarah is also there on holiday. He doesn’t want to look like he’s running away so he decides to continue on with his holiday. Unfortunately, watching her have fun with her new boyfriend only seems to make things more difficult. She pops up everywhere he goes and he can’t get her out of his head.
It’s not all bad though. Helping Peter out is a kind hotel employee named Rachel Jansen (Kunis). She too is coming off a bad break-up and she starts spending time with Peter to make him feel better. They go out for drinks and to a relaxing beach party. Is something developing between them? Peter isn’t quite sure.
In a lot of ways, this film reminded me of There’s Something About Mary. The leading character is a vulnerable male and there are quite a few gross-out moments that will catch you off guard. Within the first few minutes, you’ll see why the movie received an MA rating in Australia. I liked the edginess and the way in which certain scenes (such as the sex between with the newly wed couple) are thrown in with utter randomness. You don’t know what to expect next.
Backed with some memorable supporting characters, Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a likeable film that deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.
Semi-Pro
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Kent Alterman |
Written by: | Scot Armstrong |
Starring: | Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin, Maura Tierney, Andrew Daly, Will Arnett, Andy Richter, David Koechner, Jackie Earle Haley |
Released: | April 3, 2008 |
Grade: | B |
Semi-Pro is your typical Will Ferrell movie. That’s the easiest way of describing it. If you’ve watched Blades Of Glory, Talladega Nights or Anchorman, you’ll know exactly what to expect. In all four movies, you’ll see (1) Will Ferrell dressing up, (2) Will Ferrell deliberately over acting and (3) Will Ferrell getting laughs from playing an idiotic character.
This time around, he’s playing a 70s basketball player named Jackie Moon. Moon is the captain, coach and owner of a basketball team known as the Flint Michigan Tropics. They compete in the American Basketball Association League (ABA). Jackie loves the sport but he loves himself even more. If there’s a way of getting himself in front of a microphone or a camera, he’ll find it.
The problem for Jackie is that interest in his team is starting to wain. They’ve been losing consistently and crowd numbers for home games are at record lows. Jackie thinks his problems are solved when the ABA agree to merge with the National Basketball Association (NBA) at the end of the year. The top 4 teams in the ABA will get to join the new league but the remaining teams will be dissolved. If Jackie can get the Tropics into the top 4, then his team will survive and he can realise his dream of playing in the more high-profile NBA.
To help improve their on-field performance, Jackie brings in a new player. His name is Monix (Harrelson) and he comes with a shaky reputation. He seems more interested in stalking his ex-girlfriend (Lynn) than playing basketball. Also of concern for Jackie is the fact that his team must average a home crowd of 2,000 people per game or else they won’t be considered for the NBA. He needs to find a way of attracting fans.
This is a bizarre movie. I laughed quite a bit but it wasn’t because of its intelligent, witty humour. I laughed at how crazy the whole scenario is. Some of the scenes are strange to say the least. The scene at the poker table is a good example. Looking back on the film, I’d swear that Will Ferrell’s character had Tourette’s Syndrome. He’d be talking normally and then throw in some completely random profanity. It’s childish humour but I couldn’t help but smile.
It’ll be interesting to see how long Will Ferrell continues with these types of movies. He’s tried to branch out into more meaningful films (such as Stranger Than Fiction and The Producers) but he somehow ends up making another low-brow comedy where you have to have your brain switched to the “off” position to sit through it. I’m not complaining since I think that Ferrell has talent both as an actor and a comedian. I just don’t want to see him end up like, say, a Chevy Chase. We’ll see.
The Painted Veil
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | John Curran |
Written by: | Ron Nyswaner |
Starring: | Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Live Schreiber, Diana Rigg, Toby Jones |
Released: | April 24, 2008 |
Grade: | A- |
There’s a lot to like about The Painted Veil. What impressed me most was the complexity of the characters. It comes as no surprise that this has been adapted from a highly regarded novel. The late W. Somerset Maugham (The Razor’s Edge) wrote the book and Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia) has condensed it into a two hour screenplay.
Set in the 1920s, the story begins in London. Kitty Garstin (Watts) is a young woman who yearns to escape her overbearing parents. They want her to find a husband and have threatened to cut her off financially unless she does so soon. Kitty doesn’t want to marry unless she meets a man that she truly loves. It sounds like something out of a Jane Austen novel, doesn’t it?
At a social gathering, Kitty meets a scientist named Dr. Walter Fane (Norton). Fane is smitten with Kitty and the very next day, he asks her to be his wife. A shocked Kitty sizes up the situation. She can either marry this man she knows nothing about or risk living the rest of her life with her domineering family. Kitty takes a chance and accepts his proposal.
In turns out that Kitty and Walter are as different as chalk and cheese. Walter is a workaholic - obsessed with his study of infectious diseases. He is always very serious and never seems to have time to do anything fun. Kitty, on the other hand, loves to socialise. She tries to get Walter out and about but he is very unwilling. She feels trapped in a loveless marriage.
In search of something to keep her spirit alive, Kitty has an affair with a high-profile diplomat (Schreiber). Walter discovers their secret and reacts with bitterness. Instead of granting her request and giving her a divorce, Walter volunteers their services to help with a cholera outbreak in a remote Chinese village. They will live in the middle of nowhere and risk their lives to save a small group of non-English speaking strangers. He wants Kitty to suffer for her infidelity.
Edward Norton and Naomi Watts deliver terrific performances. You can sense the distain that they have for each other. You’ll pick this up from the opening scenes which show them travelling through the Chinese countryside. From the way they speak to each other, you know that things aren’t right. They are as stubborn as each other and they hate to show any sign of weakness. It’s a bizarre relationship but fascinating at the same time.
The director of the film is Australian John Curran (Praise). It was Watts who suggested Curran for the project after they worked together in 2004’s We Don’t Live Here Anymore. The production team looked all over China to find the right place to film the movie. After getting all the necessary approvals from the China Film Bureau, they settled on a tiny village called Mei-tan-fu in Southern China. It’s a beautiful setting.
It’s taken a long time for The Painted Veil to reach Australia cinemas. It was released in the United States way back in December 2006. As a movie soundtrack fan, I’ve been looking forward to seeing the film since it won the Golden Globe for best score (music) in January 2007. It has finally arrived and the wait has been worth it.
Lars And The Real Girl
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Craig Gillespie |
Written by: | Nancy Oliver |
Starring: | Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider, Kelli Garner, Patricia Clarkson |
Released: | April 3, 2008 |
Grade: | A- |
Lars Lindstrom (Gosling) is single 27-year-old guy. He lives with his older brother, Gus (Schneider), and his pregnant sister-in-law, Karin (Mortimer). He has a regular job, goes to Church every Sunday and is well liked by everyone in the small town. He sounds like the perfect catch for a young woman looking for love. In fact, there’s a cute girl from work named Margo (Garner) is trying hard to get his attention.
The problem for Margo is that Lars has an extremely introverted personality, particularly when it comes to dealing with women. He actually lives out in the garage (separate from the main house) so that he can avoid interacting with his brother and his wife. He is a very private person. Lars’s mother died at childbirth and he was raised as a child by his father and brother. Could this have something to do with how he turned out?
One day, Lars knocks on the front door of the house and tells Gus and Karin that he’s met a girl named Bianca. Their initial excitement turns to shock horror when Lars brings her over for an introduction. Bianca is a sex doll that Lars ordered over the internet! Lars keeps her in a wheelchair and talks to her as if he were a real person. Gus and Karin don’t know what to think. The local psychiatrist (Clarkson) suggests they go along with the façade or else it might further upset Lars’s fragile mental condition.
Soon enough, Lars is taking Bianca everywhere with him. He takes her to church, he takes her to parties and he takes her on romantic drives. He even has photos of her at his desk at work. Everyone in the town starts following the lead of Gus and Karin in pretending that she’s real. No one has the guts to tell the likeable Lars what they really think so they let the charade continue. How long can this go on for though? Is this a permanent condition or will Lars eventually realise what’s going on?
It’s a strange idea for a movie but it deserves a huge wrap for its originality. Writer Nancy Oliver was nominated for best original screenplay at the Oscars earlier this year (but Diablo Cody’s Juno script went on to win). This bizarre scenario provides a lot of room for good jokes. Some of the best scenes involve people meeting Bianca for the first time. There’s an emotional impact as well – whilst you may laugh at Lars, you feel sympathetic towards him and the people around him at the same time.
As you’d expect, Ryan Gosling (The Notebook) is terrific the leading role. His character could easy look foolish (talking to a sex doll all day) but Gosling is believable. It’s hard to describe how but trust me, he is! The supporting cast are also wonderful. They include the underrated Emily Mortimer (Match Point), the underrated Paul Schneider (All The Real Girls) and the underrated Patricia Clarkson (Pieces Of April).
I was surprised to learn that the director of the film is an Aussie. Craig Gillespie (whose only other credit to date was the forgettable Mr. Woodcock) moved to New York when he was 19 years old and studied film at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. Having made television commercials for the last few years, Gillespie has stepped up to plate and taken a swing at being a feature film director. With Lars And The Real Girl, he’s hit a home run.
Prom Night
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Nelson McCormick |
Written by: | J.S. Cardone |
Starring: | Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, Dana Davis, James Ransone, Jonathan Schaech |
Released: | April 10, 2008 |
Grade: | C |
Seeing the trailers for Prom Night reminded me of Wes Craven’s Scream trilogy. The first Scream film was released back in 1996 and starred David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. It was the story of an unidentified psychopath who was killing school students in a small, California town. The Scream movies deserve to be included in any list of great horror films. They’re terrific.
It’s been 8 years since the final film was released and many of today’s teenagers would be unaware that the trilogy even exists. Writer J.S. Cardone (The Covenant) has felt that it’s time for audiences to be treated to another teen horror movie. Prom Night will feel new for some viewers. I’m sure plenty of young moviegoers will pack movie theatres to see it. As for me, I’ve seen this all before and it offers nothing new whatsoever.
For Donna Keppel (Snow), tonight should be one of the best nights of her life. It’s her high school formal and the night has been carefully planed. She’s being accompanied by her picture-perfect boyfriend (Porter), she’s arriving with her friends in a huge stretch limousine and she’s spending the night in a luxurious hotel suite. All’s good for Donna.
Well actually, it’s not. A year ago, there was a school teacher named Richard Fenton (Schaech) who became obsessed with Donna. When he realised that she wouldn’t return his affections, he came to her house and murdered her family. He was found to be insane at the court trial and was placed in a mental institution. Donna now lives with her aunt and uncle.
Can you guess what will happen next? That’s right, Fenton escapes from the nut house and goes looking of Donna. His desire to be with her hasn’t diminished. He turns up the hotel, checks into a room on the same floor and waits for her to arrive. He’s prepared to kill anyone who gets in his way. The police are doing their best to help but from what I saw, they couldn’t catch a cold let alone a psychopathic killer.
I see that Prom Night topped the box-office in the U.S. last weekend and took in $22.7m. Considering that the film cost roughly $18m to make, you’ll have to agree that it is a success. People have been enticed by the trailers and advertisements. They’ve put their money on the counter and asked for a ticket. Well done to the film’s investors.
If I had my way however, I’d see this film sent straight to video. It’s awful. The plot is terrible and it uses tired, familiar formulas. The killer always seems to be able to find a way to sneak around and pop up at just the right moment to kill someone. It’s as if he’s both psychic and psychopathic. There’s a cool party trick. The guy looks suspicious from the moment he walks into the hotel and I can’t explain why the staff don’t think the same way.
I couldn’t sleep after seeing Prom Night. That’s not because I was scared by the movie but because I was scared by the thought that they may make a sequel. Please god, noooooooooooo!