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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 December 2001

From Academy Award winning writer/director Cameron Crowe comes Vanilla Sky.  The film has an interesting story.  It’s a remake of a 1997 Spanish film called Open Your Eyes which was directed by Alejandro Amenabar (and also screened at the Brisbane International Film Festival a few years ago).  Penelope Cruz plays the same roll in both films.  Amenabar made his Hollywood debut this year when he directed The Others starring Nicole Kidman.  Kidman split with Cruise after he developed a relationship with Cruz during the filming of Vanilla Sky.

The above coincidences make a better story than the film itself.  It begins with wealthy company owner David Aames (Cruise) being awoken after his alarm clock whispers “open your eyes”.  He wakes up, gets dressed and heads to work but it’s all wrong - the streets of New York are deserted and there’s not a soul in sight.  But suddenly he’s awoken after his alarm clock whispers “open your eyes”.  That’s what the film is all about - the difference between dreams and reality.

David meets “moth” Sofia (Cruz) at a party and the two feel love at first sight.  The catch is that David is currently screwing Julie (Diaz) who is jealous that he’s found another.  And so she does what anyone else would - she picks David up and then drives off a bridge at 80m/hr.  Julie is killed but David survives and awakes from a long coma with a heavily disfigured arm and face.  His perfect world has been shattered and he’s gone from the person everyone wants to be around to the person no one wants to see.

After a romantic-free first hour, the complicated plot takes shape.  The film doesn’t make a lot of sense but we follow it anyway because we hope for a key scene where it will all fit together.  That scene does come but the explanation was unsatisfying.  Over the past year, Memento and The Pledge have been prime examples in showing how to leave the audience hanging (and thinking) with a crafty finale.  I would love to begin a heated discussion as to why the ending of Vanilla Sky is poor but won’t ruin it for those who wish to see it.

Tom Cruise continues to frustrate.  He is too over-passionate and I’m tiring of his sensitive shtick - he’s just milking our emotions.  Penelope Cruz offers little to the film and I continue to endorse my position that she’s typecast as Spanish eye candy in romantic dramas.  This is her fourth film in 2001 (following Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Blow and All The Pretty Horses) and if you just “open your eyes”, you’ll find she’s the same person in all four films.  As the exception, Cameron Diaz did impress with a juicier role that does deserve acclaim.

Cameron Crowe is a great director but the deep material contrasts his style and he hasn’t adapted to suit it.  To confound us, the story is interwoven with fragments from the past and the future but it doesn’t add to the intrigue, it just adds to the confusion.  Vanilla Sky is a film that needs to be seen multiple times to understand.  I’m sure I’d appreciate the film more on a second viewing but after what I saw the first time, I’ve no desire to go back.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 November 2001

Played by 11-year-old newcomer Daniel Radcliffe, Harry’s story begins in great contrast from how it ends.  Believing his parents died in a car accident when he was a baby, Harry has lived with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and their son Dudley ever since.  All three are inordinately cruel towards him - he’s given shabby clothes, little food and often locked in a small cupboard beneath the stairs.

Resolved to an upbringing of misery, a mysterious letter arrives.  Despite Uncle Vernon’s fierce intention on keeping it from him, the time has come and Harry’s life is about to change.  With the guidance of a giant named Hagrid (Coltrane) who suddenly arrives on their doorstep, he discovers a most important secret - that he, Harry Potter, is a wizard.  And not just any old wizard.  Eleven years ago, his parents were killed by an evil wizard name Voldemort but his powers backfired when attempting to kill Harry and he was never heard from again.  Harry became known as “the boy who lived.”

Escorted by Hagrid, Harry is taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he is to be taught the arts of magic.  En route he meets and forms friendships with fellow classmates Ron (Grint) and Hermoine (Watson).  At school, Harry’s past unwillingly brings him much attention but not everyone is a fan and not everyone can be trusted.  There are those who wish to bring power back to Voldemort and the Dark Arts...

The accepted truth of any book adaptation is that the film will always seem inferior.  Harry Potter is no exception.  In staying loyal to Rowling’s writings, screenwriter Steve Kloves (Wonder Boys) has shown little creativity.  Watching the film is like checking off in your mind each event as it happens.

Additionally, the humour of the book doesn’t come through on screen.  Kloves and director Chris Columbus (Home Alone) have treated the material too seriously.  It’s the light-heartedness of the novels that I believe make them so enjoyable.  In the film, no time was given to the magic lessons which in the book were always the subject of mayhem, mischief and important discoveries.

Aside from Harry, Ron and Hermoine, characters were not developed.  Professor Snape (played brilliantly by Alan Rickman) is hardly seen and yet he is so important to the story.  It’s as if we are expected to have read the book and know the characters to understand their history.  Snape hates Harry but we’re not shown the degree of hatred or the reason behind it.  Student Draco Malfoy is also an enemy of Harry but says hardly a peep.  Columbus seems more obsessed with close-ups of his smirking face to get the impression across.

Radcliffe, Grint and Watson deliver performances expected of their age.  Their personalities purely match their respective characters but all three struggle with dialogue and lack spontaneity.  Some of their later scenes are near laughable (particularly those from the chess board scene).

Whilst I initially sound negative towards the film, this is not the case.  Every aspect of the production itself deserves high praise.  The dazzling sets, the beautiful costumes, and the imposing film score are all the work of innovative professionals.  The best scene of the film, that of the Quidditch match, showcases this talent. 

Despite the film’s 152 minute duration, Harry Potter will keep your attention thanks to a quick pace.  I’m sure kids will instantly love it but the aspects of the novel that gave it equal appeal to adults are absent.  All the correct ingredients went into the pot but somehow the magic went missing...

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 December 2001

The house is left to Arthur Kriticos (Shalhoub) and his two children, Kathy (Elizabeth) and Bobby (Roberts) following the death of his Uncle Cyrus (Abraham).  Arthur’s wife was killed in a house fire six months previous and the family has since struggled both emotionally and financially.  This fortunate break could get their lives back on track.

They take the two hour drive into the secluded forest to see the house for their own eyes.  It’s an archaeological and technological marvel featuring many glass panels, strange rooms and narrow corridors.  On entering the house, they are warned by visitor Dennis Rafkin (Lillard) that there are ghosts locked in the basement and they must leave the house immediately.

In a departure from standard “ghost films”, we don’t go through the whole “I don’t believe in ghosts” routine.  Arthur learns pretty quickly that something is amiss with the house but his son has gone walkabout and he must find him first.  Throughout this, the lawyer has snuck into the basement to find a bag of money left by Cyrus.  When he finds and opens the bag, a mechanism is activated transforming the house into a machine.  All exits are locked, the corridors change and one by one the ghosts are released...

Tony Shalhoub (The Man Who Wasn’t There, Galaxy Quest, A Civil Action) is an usual choice to star in a low budget horror flick but he’s a great choice and gives an even greater performance.  Matthew Lillard has some damn funny lines too.

But back to the house.   I’m positive much of the $20m budget was spent on its creation and Sean Hargreaves, Don Macaulay and Dominique Fauquet-Lemaitre appear in the opening credits and those responsible.  Reminiscent of the indy flick Cube, the entire film is set in one place and it has that claustrophobic feel.  A great job.

Thirteen Ghosts is particularly gruesome and not for the faint of heart.  An early scene involving the lawyer is evidence of that.  But the increased horror pumps the adrenalin and keeps the story rolling.  Not for everyone but good enough for me.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 November 2001

Jack’s intimate knowledge of the House’s structure is a valuable asset but he needs Nick’s experience to crack the safe and steal the sceptre undetected.  Nick’s hesitant at the difficulty of the job and the inexperience of Jack but the thought of one final payoff to let him settle down with girlfriend Diane (Bassett) provides enough lure.

Without divulging more of the intricate screenplay, The Score is absorbing from the very opening scenes.  There are no unwanted subplots – it’s just three characters organising and implementing this cunning idea.  The screenwriters have gone to great depths to develop the concept.  Whilst the robbery itself is what filmgoers will pay to see, I loved watching Nick, Max and Jack plan every minor detail.  By the time theory is put into practice, you’ll be on the edge of your seat.

It’s no surprise Robert DeNiro put his signature to this project.  It’s a great script and a great character for DeNiro to portray.  Edward Norton hasn’t put a foot wrong in Hollywood yet and along side DeNiro they make a dynamite pair.  Marlon Brando has little screen time but in what I’m sure will be one of his final appearances, he makes his presence felt in an ideal role.

Criminal thrillers are a personal favourite of mine but an inability to follow reason and a desire to satisfy the audience with cheap twists is often the pitfall in creating them.  Not so with The Score.  It’s a realistic gritty look at just how easy it sometimes can be when you have the experience.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 December 2001

A year has passed and our cast have just finished their first year at college.  It’s the summer holidays and time to reunite and relive memories from yesteryear.  Kev (Nicholas) is given the idea to rent a beach house over the break as a way of getting everyone together.  Jim (Biggs), Oz (Klein), Finch (Thomas) and Stifler (Scott) help put in the cash and the fun is about to begin.

Jim’s still thinking of the one that got away but when Nadia (Elizabeth) calls and says she’ll be in town soon, things start looking up.  Oz and Heather (Suvari) are still a sizzling couple but with Heather in France for the holidays, the two spend the time apart longing for each other.  Kev and Vicky (Reid) now have an uncomfortable friendship having parted company after school broke up – are they just friends or is there something more between them?  Finally, Finch still dreams of “Stiffler’s mum” and the indication that she’ll be paying a visit is all he needs to make this summer a great one.

There are loads of great gags.  They can be seen coming from a mile away but it suits the film’s style.  Like There’s Something About Mary, each joke is drawn out to its full potential.  Just when you think a scene couldn’t be any crazier, it’s taken to an even higher level.

A visible aspect of the second film is the increase in the rudeness and crudeness of the subject material.  Some borderlines an R-rating but as the movie is seen as a light-hearted teen comedy, the censors have gone a little easier.

In contrast to the original, there’s a clear discrepancy in the screen time each character is awarded.  Oz, Heather, Kev and Vicky are largely in the background.  Sean William Scott as Stifler is the clear winner with his hormonally charged persona attracted the most laughs and attention.  It’s nice to see Eugene Levy as Jim’s dad get more lines also - he’s a very funny guy.  Jason Biggs as Jim obviously has the “big balls” he suggests in taking on this sequel.  In this film alone - he kisses another guy, has a trumpet stuck up his ass, feels another girl’s breasts, wears a revealing diaper, and let’s not forget the aforementioned scene.

Aside from the jokes, it’s the heart and spirit of the story that makes it a winner in my book.  It talks about friendship and how people change over time.  We always wish we could go back to the way it was but often we are blind sighted by just how good we have it now.  Most teen films don’t purport to teach us such lessons and it’s why American Pie is already a classic and American Pie 2 is destined to be.