Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2001

Out of concern for her son, Margaret confronts Darby and tells her never to see Beau again.  Darby doesn’t care and the very same night travels from Reno to see his lover.  Beau sneaks out to meet Darby in the boat shed but the two heatedly argue over his mother’s wishes and Beau heads back into the house.

Throughout this, Margaret has been working on her laptop upstairs and heard noises emanating from the shed.  The next morning she investigates and finds the dead body of Darby Reese impaled on an anchor by the shoreline.  The guard rail of the jetty ramp was broken in the spot from where Darby fell.

Believing that Beau has pushed Darby to his death, Margaret acts to protect her son.  Taking the body out on her dingy, she disposes of it in the lake.  Her problems though are only beginning.  Within days, the body is found.  Just as quickly, a man by the name of Alek Spera (Visnjic) arrives on her doorstep with a videotape of her son and Darby Reese engaging in sexual activity.  If she does not pay $50,000 within 24 hours, he will hand the tape over to police, implicating Beau in the murder.

The Deep End is an extremely well-woven drama.  What begins as a murder cover-up becomes a much deeper, darker tale.  Writer/directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel make it impossible to foretell the film’s direction.  This isn’t a good versus evil story where the lines are clearly defined.  This is a movie about secrets and the actions that result when we keep secrets from those we love.

Tilda Swinton (The Beach) is brilliant and flawlessly captures her character’s emotional state.  Within 24 hours, she’s gone from being the mother of a perfect son with unlimited academic potential, to the mother of a son who’s just murdered his gay lover.  The shock and adrenaline of the situation causes her to act without thinking of the ramifications.  All she wants is the problem to go away but as more people become involved, the hole only gets deeper.

The cinematography from Giles Nuttgens is a worthy talking point.  The wide expansive shots of the breathtaking vistas around the lake contrast heavy close-ups of the actors themselves (particularly in the car) to intensify their emotions.  Nuttgens was rewarded with the top cinematography prize at the recent Sundance Film Festival.

Without spoiling or revealing any of the film’s messages, The Deep End throws convention out the window to tell a story the way it should be.  Just don't keep this film a “secret”!

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2001

Ray does the admirable thing and marries Beverly but everyone’s lives and plans have turned upside down.  Beverly wanted to go to College and become a writer but is forced to drop out of school to care for her son.  Her father (Woods) won’t talk to her for disgracing the family name.  Her husband isn’t proving to be quite the supporting man she hoped for.  And her best friend, Fay (Murphy), has also fallen pregnant and faces a similarly disenchanting future. 

Screenwriter Morgan Ward has chosen to tell the story by way of flashbacks.  We are introduced to Beverly as a 35-year-old travelling in a car with her son, Jason (Garcia), who is now 20.  Then in a serious of length scenes, we look back on the defining moments of the last 20 years.  It’s an unoriginal style which I guess suits the unoriginal screenplay.

It is boring.  It’s obvious that a female audience is targeted but I’m sure even they will be as disinterested as I.  Despite the magic of make-up, I was disappointed in their ability to age characters over time.  Drew Barrymore at 15 looks much the same as Drew Barrymore at 35 - the only difference is her hairstyle.  And I couldn’t believe they cast Adam Garcia as her son.  Do you realise he’s actually two years older than her in real life!

Melodramatic is the perfect word to describe Riding In Cars With Boys.  What more do you expect from a film directed by Penny Marshall?  I’m not consciously discriminating against her but she takes sentimentality to unnecessary levels.  Credits include Awakenings, A League Of Their Own and The Preacher’s Wife.

Save yourself the trouble.  If you do happen to be “riding in cars with boys”, make sure you’re not heading in the direction of the local cinema to see this film.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2001

Charged with a breach of military protocol that resulted in heavy loss of life, Irwin pleaded guilty and received a ten year sentence.  Winter feels awkward accepting Irwin as a prisoner and initially treats him with respect.  He even asks him for an autograph.  Irwin is solemn and when asked what he expects from his time in prison he gives the model answer - “Nothing.  I just want to pay my time and go home.”

Soon enough though, Irwin finds that Colonel Winter’s warm introduction wasn’t typical of his persona.  Irwin’s natural leadership qualities earn him respect from the other prisoners and they tell of Winter’s reign of extreme discipline.  There have been several deaths under his rule and the standard of life is inadequate.  Instinct tells Irwin to act and so the prisoners rally to take control of the facility to remove Winter from command.

What should have been a very powerful motion picture fizzes out with what is becoming commonplace - a ludicrous ending.  There were several moments during the final battle where logistics were questioned.  Why weren’t more prisoners injured in the attack?  Why did the prison guards retreat?  And where the hell did they get the slingshot from?

The screenplay and editing are significant flaws.  Aside from the above discrepancies, the issue as to why Winter is so hated isn’t explored.  How are we supposed to hate this guy if we don’t know why he’s so bad?  Also, the prisoners are portrayed like innocent pawns.  The story of why many came to be in the jail isn’t told.  I guess they felt if we knew they were all murders, we wouldn’t like them as much.

Robert Redford offers little more than a smile and an occasional inspiring remark in a disappointing appearance.  James Gandolfini is the standout with an excellent performance but The Last Castle’s silly ending greatly reduces his character’s credibility - it’s just too over the top.

The high benchmark set by The Shawshank Redemption will probably never be eclipsed but it hasn’t stopped filmmakers trying to show what it’s like on the inside.  All I ask for is a little realism.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 November 2001

Jake Hoyt (Hawke) is a young army officer who wants to become a detective to fight battles closer to home.  He’s been assigned to assist Detective Alonzo Harris (Washington) but Jake must satisfy Alonzo’s criteria in a rigorous first “training day” if he’s any chance of making a career.

Jake’s inexperienced to the biz but he’s certainly not blind sighted by his surroundings.  Soon realising that things aren’t done per the manual, he’s abruptly forced to evaluate his own ethics in a life defining moment.  Is it worth bending the rules if better justice can be served?  Does the means justify the end or should the end justify the means?

Training Day begins as a very interesting exploration of corruption and the theory of justice but is ruined but a ludicrous ending that I should have expected.  Without revealing too much, there’s an absurd plot twist involving Jake in a bathtub that sends the film into a downward spiral.  The bloody yet laughable finale, manufactured to satisfy the audience, contradicts the seriousness of the issues explored.

Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke are accomplished actors and I loved the lengthy character development between the two during the early scenes.  Both are intrigued by the other for different reasons and their conversations seek to suss out their true motives and intentions.  The disappointing conclusion lets both actors down in forcing Washington to overplay his role and Hawke to miraculously transform his persona.

Senseless violence is employed to add gravity to the situation but only serves as a distraction.  Screenwriter David Ayer was also responsible for last year’s WWII submarine drama, U-571, and this year’s smash, The Fast And The Furious.  I’m surprised Ayer gets credit since all three scripts had major flaws and a lack of substance.

There’s a pitiful running gag throughout the film where Alonzo tells his targets “do you want to go to jail or do you want to go home” in an endeavour to get them to confess and avoid police involvement.  I could ask a similar question.  Do you want to go to see Training Day or do you want to go home?  It’s a rhetorical question.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2001

Malena Scordia (Bellucci) is a model of beauty in a small Sicilian town.  World War II has begun and Italy is now involved.  Malena’s husband, Nino (Aronica), has been sent off to war.  With such an attractive woman living alone, everyone is whispering.  Men talk of her splendour and fantasise of being her lover.  Women are crazy jealous and spread rumours of her unfaithfulness to her husband.

12-year-old Renato Amoroso (Sulfaro) is coming of age and Malena is the object of his desire.  He knows he’s too young but he keeps a constant eye on the luscious Malena and spies on her through a small hole in her home’s second story window.

Word arrives that Nino has been killed in combat and Malena is left with nothing.  Her pension is cut off, the women of the town have abandoned her and no one is willing to help.  The quiet and unassuming Malena is now being undeservedly punished for the beauty she was born with.

In Australia, we don’t see many foreign language films but many will see the similarity with Life Is Beautiful - a romantic comedy set against the tragedy of war.  In comparison, Malena’s total lack of substance makes it inferior.  The story is too simple.  Subplots are raised but never developed.  Renato’s bizarre relationship with his parents was more interesting than the love story but this element of the story was given little film time.

Malena was nominated for two Oscars earlier this year and there’s no denying the deservedness of Lajos Koltai’s cinematography and Ennio Morricone’s music score.  I love the way Koltai softly moves the camera during many scenes.  It gives a wider perspective and is a change from the simplicity of keeping a camera in one spot and zooming in and out.  Morricone’s peaceful music is ideal and is sure to find a place in my soundtrack collection.

All the elements are present but the story just doesn’t work.  It’s very sexual in looking at Renato’s pubescent development but the jokes are too silly and cute to create emotional feeling.  Malena’s story is tragic but I had little respect for either her or Renato.  It’s not easy trying to mix comedy and drama and Tornatore doesn’t get the job done.

In a time when few foreign language films are seen in this country, it’s a shame we’re given a weak entry when many other acclaimed foreign pics can’t find distribution.