Reviews
The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Andrew Adamson |
Written by: | Ann Peacock, Andrew Adamson, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely |
Starring: | Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton, Jim Broadbent, James McAvoy, Liam Neeson, Ray Winston |
Released: | December 26, 2005 |
Grade: | B+ |
With German planes bombing from overhead, London is not a safe to be. To keep her four children safe, Mrs Pevensie has sent Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy to live with an elderly professor on a large country estate.
Playing a game of hide and seek, Lucy finds a huge wooden cupboard in an empty room. It looks like an ideal hiding place. Lucy opens the door, steps inside and slowly walks towards the back. The problem is that there is no back to the cupboard – it leads to a snow filled land known as Narnia!
After convincing the others that the cupboard is for real, all four enter the world of Narnia. They soon learn that their presence has not gone unnoticed. Narnia has been controlled for a hundred years by the evil White Witch (Swinton) but there is a prophecy which foretells that four humans will destroy her reign.
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy do not want to be involved in this war but they are forced into combat when the White Witch kidnaps Edmund. With the help of two talkative badgers, they are introduced to a lion named Aslan and the army he has assembled to take on the White Witch. Can they stop the Witch before she stops them?
I can best describe The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe as The Lord Of The Rings for children. It’s an epic story set in a world of fantasy and filled with an assortment of strange creatures. The similarities don’t end there. Like Rings, the Wardrobe was filmed in New Zealand, was directed by a New Zealand born director, Andrew Adamson (Shrek), and is being released in Australia on Boxing Day. At a cost of roughly $180m, it’s another huge boost for the New Zealand film industry.
The film has been marketed as a family motion picture and is rated PG here in Australia. By keeping it to a PG rating, the violence has been toned down and you will see few deaths in the main battle sequences. This annoyed me and the death of one certain character could have been made much more suspenseful. I know we don’t want to disturb small children but surely C.S. Lewis’ book contained more graphic detail.
My favourite of the cast was 10-year-old Georgie Henley as Lucy. She has an adorable smile and a natural charm. That said, all four children have been well chosen and give admirable performances, even if their dialogue is a bit stiff at times. The most recognisable names amongst the cast are those you won’t see on screen. Liam Neeson, Ray Winstone and Rupert Everett voice three of Aslan’s animal inhabitants.
With its superb visual effects and overall grandeur, The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe will lure big crowds over the Christmas holidays. It’s not as exciting as I’d hoped but it’s definitely worth a look.
Russian Dolls
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Cedric Klapisch |
Written by: | Cedric Klapisch |
Starring: | Romain Duris, Kelly Reilly, Audrey Tautou, Cecile De France, Kevin Bishop |
Released: | December 26, 2005 |
Grade: | A- |
One of my favourite foreign language films of 2003 was The Spanish Apartment. I saw it first at the Brisbane International Film Festival (where it finished first in the audience vote) and had to see it again when it was released to the public in cinemas. If you haven’t seen the film, it was the story of a 25-year-old French student who went to Spain to study for a year. He stayed in an apartment with five other students who each came from a different country. It was a great advertisement for anyone who has thought of working or studying overseas. Some great times can be had.
Russian Dolls is the sequel to The Spanish Apartment and catches up with the housemates five years later. They are in Russia for the wedding of William (Bishop), the funny yet politically incorrect brother of Wendy (Reilly). William is marrying a Russian ballet dancer who he met whilst working backstage at a show.
The focus is not on William though but rather our star from the first film, Xavier (Duris), and his trials and tribulations with the female race. Now working as a writer, Xavier has fine-tuned his craft at seducing beautiful women but is yet to find a woman he loves.
The opening is slow and messy but things improve greatly with the re-introduction of Wendy. Roman Duris (The Beat My Heart Skipped) and Kelly Reilly (Mrs Henderson Presents) share some wonderful conversations on life, love and romance. These characters are far more interesting than those we see in the standard romantic dramas from the States. Writer-director Cedric Klapisch has done it again.
Just like The Spanish Apartment, a variety of languages are spoken. Some scenes are in English but the remainder are in Russian, French, Spanish or Italian. You might also see a few familiar tourist sights with the film spread across England, France and Russia. It all adds up to a great example of “world cinema”.
If you’ve seen and loved The Spanish Apartment, this is one film I won’t have to convince you to see. If you never had the chance to see it, I’d recommend you rent it over the Christmas holidays and then get to the cinemas to see this entertainingly meaningful follow-up.
Broken Flowers
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Jim Jarmusch |
Written by: | Jim Jarmusch |
Starring: | Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Julie Delpy, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Christopher McDonald, Chloe Sevigny, Tilda Swinton |
Released: | December 26, 2005 |
Grade: | B- |
A hand places a pink envelope inside a mailbox. We do not see who is sending it. The letter is destined for Don Johnston (Murray), an ageing bachelor who has been with many women but has never married.
When Don opens the letter, he’s in for a shock. It reveals that he has a 19-year-old son who has gone on a road trip and may be looking to find his father. It’s a polite warning just in case he should show up. The letter has been written on a typewriter and is unsigned. Is this for real? Does he really have a son? If so, who is the mother?
Don’s next-door neighbour, Winston (Wright), is a part-time detective and insists on helping out. After Don compiles a list of his five girlfriends from 20 years ago, Winston uses his computer to find out their current details and addresses. Somewhat reluctantly, Don begins his own road trip to learn who sent the pink letter.
The strong cast may lure you in but Broken Flowers is a strange, unconventional film from a strange, unconventional filmmaker. Director Jim Jarmusch’s last film, Coffee & Cigarettes, was an hour-and-half of people talking whilst smoking and drinking coffee. There’s more substance to Broken Flowers but the open ended conclusion will undoubtedly leave some viewers unsatisfied.
The film boasts a large cast and includes Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange and Tilda Swinton. It also has the most unexpected nude scene of the year but I won’t spoil that surprise. It’s another nice performance from Bill Murray and his tired, disenchanted character reminded me of him in Lost In Translation. The part was written by Jim Jarmusch will Bill Murray in mind.
There’s great intrigue in the story but the ending has me stumped. Jarmusch is a talented, original filmmaker but I’m not on his level.
Fun With Dick And Jane
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Dean Parisot |
Written by: | Judd Apatow, Nicholas Stoller |
Starring: | Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni, Alec Baldwin, Richard Jenkins |
Released: | December 26, 2005 |
Grade: | C- |
Dick works at a massive IT company which has just gone bankrupt. On the day it declared bankruptcy, Dick was promoted to Vice President of Communications and set-up by his boss to be the fall guy. On the same day, Dick’s wife Jane quit her job at a travel agency thinking that her husband’s promotion would afford her the chance to stay home and look after the kids.
So Dick and Jane no longer have a job. All their savings (including their pension plan) was invested in company stock which is now worth nothing. It’s a carbon-copy of the Enron bankruptcy which occurred in 2003. Believe it or not, there are no employment opportunities out there for either of them (seems strange) and their luxury house has plummeted in value (seems very strange).
Dick and Jane now turn to a life of crime. They start robbing their neighbours, convenience stores and restaurants. They use the proceeds to help pay off their mortgage and buy a new car. I know this is supposed to be a comedy but isn’t this a little distasteful? Should I feel sorry for a couple who are robbing people who are worse off than they are? Jim Carrey waves his arms in the air and tries to make us laugh by acting crazy. Trust me, it’s not funny.
There’s more to this story but I won’t go any further. I stop not because it gets any better but because I don’t want to spoil it for those who wish to see it. The ending is hopeless and the short running time (just 90 minutes) suggests that much was left on the cutting room floor. Jim Carrey is one of my favourite actors but if I ever get the chance to meet him, I’ve love to ask him straight out whether he liked the finished product of Fun With Dick And Jane. I think it’s the worst film he’s done.
This is the worst film I’ve seen all year. I was insulted by the entire lack of logic, sense and plausibility. If you think you’ll have fun with Dick and Jane, think again. All they want is your money.
King Kong
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Peter Jackson |
Written by: | Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson |
Starring: | Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Andy Serkis, Jamie Bell, Kyle Chandler, Colin Hanks, Thomas Kretschmann, Lobo Chan |
Released: | December 14, 2005 |
Grade: | A |
If you want value for money, King Kong is the true movie experience. I was initially sceptical as to how this film was going to hold my attention for over three hours? My doubts have been answered with a phenomenal mix of adventure, suspense, action, comedy, drama and romance. My only sufferance was a sore butt.
In the misery of the Great Depression, film director Carl Denham (Black) has come into the possession of a map. It shows the way to Skull Island, a place “that was thought to exist only in myth”. The self-absorbed Denham sees this map as his ticket to stardom. If he can find this island, it will be the perfect setting for his latest motion picture. People will come from everywhere to see it.
Few would be interested in such a risky movie and Denham misleads his cast his crew by telling them it will be filmed in Singapore. He also forgets to tell them that the studio has withdrawn their funding. With only Denham and his assistant Preston (Hanks) knowing the true destination, they set sail from New York.
Joining them is a last minute inclusion to the cast, theatre actress Ann Darrow (Watts). Having just lost her job in a small theatrical company, Darrow had no choice but to accept Denham’s sudden offer. She isn’t interested in movies but needs the money to survive.
Denham finds Skull Island but it won’t be the setting for his epic motion picture. Instead, it will be a battleground. The cast and crew will come face-to-face with tribal warriors, giant insects, vicious dinosaurs and a 25-foot ape. When Ann is kidnapped by the ape, a rescue team led by writer Jack Driscoll (Brody) set out on a dangerous quest to steal her back.
Peter Jackson has longed to remake this movie since he was a teenager. The success of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy has created the opportunity and what a fantastic job he has done. Like Rings, the action sequences of King Kong are gripping and unrelenting. Just when you think a situation can’t possibly become more perilous, Jackson turns it up a notch. The level of suspense is amazing and on many occasions, I my fists were tightly clenched.
Jackson’s finest achievement though is the emotion he creates between Kong and Ann Darrow. When we first meet Kong, he is a horrifying, scary beast. By the end, we feel sorry for him and understand the loneliness he has endured for so long. It famously ends atop New York’s Empire State Building and the heartbreaking, final look in Kong’s eyes says it all. What a brilliant finale.
Australian Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive) is beautifully delicate in the role of Ann Darrow. Equally good is Jack Black (School Of Rock) who as Carl Denham, looks eerily similar to the legendary Orson Wells. Others you may recognise include Adrien Brody (the Oscar winner actor from The Pianist), Colin Hanks (son of Tom and star of Orange County) and Jamie Bell (the gifted ballet dancer we remember from Billy Elliot).
The seamless visual effects also deserve recognition but it’s the captivating story and its heart which make this film one to cherish.
Mrs Henderson Presents
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
Directed by: | Stephen Frears |
Written by: | Martin Sherman |
Starring: | Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Will Young, Kelly Reilly, Christopher Guest |
Released: | December 26, 2005 |
Grade: | B+ |
Laura Henderson (Dench) is bored. Her husband recently passed away and widowhood isn’t as entertaining as she thought it would be. A friend suggests she find a hobby, such as embroidery. Instead, the wealthy Mrs Henderson buys a run-down theatre. She knows she has no idea what she’s doing but it will not stop this stubborn old lady.
Through one of her many acquaintances, Laura finds the experienced Vivian Van Damm (Hoskins) to manage the theatre. The terms of their agreement give Vivian full artistic control but Laura has the right to offer suggestions which she does on many, many occasions. They bicker like a married couple but as a team, they turned the rundown Windmill Theatre into one of the hottest attractions on West End.
Their success was nudity. With every other theatre in London showing the same shows, Mrs Henderson took inspiration from the Moulin Rogue in Paris. Using her sway to obtain permission from the government, Mrs Henderson presented what everyone wanted – topless women. As World War II commenced, the Windmill became one of the few happy refuges from the trouble world around them.
Based on actual events, Mrs Henderson Presents comes with plenty of English charm. The story struggles to get going at times but the delightful Judi Dench (Mrs Brown) steals the show every time she is on screen. Mrs Henderson has no sense of reality and her silly, outlandish statements provide many laughs (particularly in the early stages). Unknown outside Britain for much of her 40 year acting career, Dench’s worldwide stardom has flourished in the past decade with an abundance of great performances in great roles. If she earns an Academy Award nomination for her work here (which she is tipped to do), it will be her fifth trip to the Oscars in the past nine years. No other actor catch match that.
With plenty of films being released over the Christmas break here in Australia, Mrs Henderson Presents will suit more mature tastes. I should warn you that the funniest scene in the film involves full frontal nudity from Bob Hoskins. That’s the first time I’ve ever used “funniest”, “nude” and “Bob Hoskins” in the same sentence. My hat goes off to him.