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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 April 2001

That’s all I’ll reveal.  I’d heard so little about the film and had never seen a trailer.  The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last September and followed that up with a screening in Toronto.  It’s had a very limited release in the States and similarly in Australia, it’s screening on only a few selected screens.

I’m not sure why this is so because the film is brilliant and rivals the shocking twists and turns of The Sixth Sense.  The style is unique and you’ll know what I mean within seconds of the opening credits.  Never before has a thriller left me thinking throughout the entire film and just like Leonard, we too will be wondering about his past.  I thought I’d figured the mystery out after 34 minutes (I looked at my watch) but I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It will leave you thinking many hours after you see it.

That is not to say the screenplay is flawless.  How can he remember he has a memory problem in the first place?  How does he remember where he’s going when he’s driving?  How does he remember to look in his pockets for photographs that help him remember?  The more you think about it, the more inconsistencies you’ll come across and unfortunately it stops the film from achieving “masterpiece” quality.  The concept, whilst fascinating, is just too difficult to make the story truly believable.

30-year-old Christopher Nolan is both writer and director and his first “big time” production will guarantee him a certain future.  He’s already signed with Warner Bros. to direct a thriller starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank which has George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh as executive producers.  That says something and shows I’m not alone in praising Nolan’s talent.

Memento is a simple story.  When you break it down, there are just a handful of characters at a handful of locations.  But like a good joke, it’s how you tell it that’s important.  Just wait till you see how this story is told.

“Don’t believe his lies.”

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 April 2001

Naturally, it's not easy.  When an actor signs on the dotted line they often don't know who else will star or even who will direct.  All they have in front of them is a screenplay which is bound to go through thousands of rewrites.  Actors use their instinct in picking roles but most always they'll need advise from agents and those more experienced in the biz.

Several weeks ago, I spoke about Sandra Bullock being a perfect example of a great actress who can't find the right film.  She makes truckloads of money and always gives 100% but critics agree that most of her flicks are woeful.  What if Sandra Bullock had all of Julia Roberts' roles and vice-versa?  Who would be the bigger star in Hollywood today?  I'd bet on Sandra.

Why I've begun my review like this is to comment on the intelligence shown by Julia Stiles, the star of Save The Last Dance, in choosing her own roles.  Despite opening with a few small parts, Julia burst onto the scene with 10 Things I Hate About You - one of the few teen flicks that doesn't take itself too seriously and doesn't propose to answer life's problems.  In the two years since its release, Julia has featured in the critically acclaimed Hamlet and David Mamet's State And Main (both which are yet to be released in Australia).  Later this year, we will see her starring beside Matt Damon in The Bourne Identity.

Stiles makes the movie.  It's the story of Sara, a 16-year-old whose mother was killed in a car accident whilst rushing to see her audition for a place in a prestigious ballet school.  Forced to move to Chicago to live with her estranged father, her life has been turned upside-down.  She now attends a local school where most of the students are black and fitting in is a big problem.  She falls for classmate Derek (Thomas) and despite his mutual affection, their love is strained by constantly having to defend their inter-racial relationship to everyone.  The two compliment each other as Derek helps Sara rediscover her ballet and Sara helps Derek put his shady past behind him and look to a future at college.

Most of director Thomas Carter’s experience has come from television but his skills are an asset.  No time is wasted in the introduction and I loved the way he showed Sara’s past with quick flashbacks as she took the train to Chicago.  I was also impressed at how he captured the action of the nightclubs and Sara’s big dancing finale.  Screenwriters Duane Adler and Cheryl Edwards effectively capture the difficulty of being “white” in a “black” world.  So many current films show the opposite perspective and don’t do a very good job for that matter.

Aside from Stiles, the best performance comes Terry Kinney, a small-time actor who you may recognise from films such as The Firm and Sleepers.  Like most of the cast, his character shows human qualities and doesn’t degenerate into a stereotype.

I’ve been a sucker for “dancing” films following my affection for Centre Stage, Bootmen and Billy Elliot.  When you mix great choreography with great lighting and cinematography, it’s just as good as being part of a live theatre audience.  This story though is about more than just great dancing - it has a soul.  The best way of summing up what Save The Last Dance has to say (and I love that title) is to simply read the catchline from the poster and remember - The only person you have to be is yourself.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 April 2001

In this story, the sweet and innocent Gilly Noble (Klein) is just looking for that perfect girl who’ll give him goosebumps all over.  At the local hairdresser, he meets Jo Wingfield (Graham) and they are a perfect match.  That is until Jo accidentally chops off Gilly’s ear when giving him a haircut.  Oh well, all is forgiven and six months pass before they take the big plunge and consummate their relationship.

Things go askew when a friend of Gilly believes he’s finally tracked down his natural birth mother and her name is Valdine Wingfield (Field), Jo’s mother.  Given that she’s just “poked” her own brother, Jo flees to Oregon to be with her wealthy ex-boyfriend Mark (Cibrian).

Time passes and out of the blue, a mysterious gentleman arrives on the Wingfield’s doorstep who has validation that he is the Wingfield’s lost son.  Now that the horrible misunderstanding has been cleared up, Gilly tries to track down Jo to tell her the good news but just about everyone is standing in his way...

This is cheap, tiresome crap that isn’t close to being funny.  There’s a great scene at the start with the family around the dinner table but that was the lone moment bringing a smile to my face.  Other “jokes” include Gilly mistakenly getting a blow-job from a cat and Gilly getting his arm stuck in the ass of a cow.

Say It Isn’t So is lacklustre and like a broken coke machine, takes your money and gives nothing in return.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 March 2001

Tell me if you've been through a similar situation.  Jesse (Kutcher) and Chester (Scott) wake up one morning and cannot remember a single moment from the night before - they must have gotten so "wasted".  Their girlfriends call winging about how their house has been trashed and they'd better be over there soon with their anniversary gifts or else.  Sounds simple enough but when they open the front door, Jesse's car is strangely missing and the question is asked - dude, where's my car?

The next hour sees them fit the pieces together and I won't spoil the many surprises for fear of ruining this cinematic masterpiece.  The complex political and ethical issues it deals with will put it on the curriculum of English departments across the country.  It will be spoken about, studied and analysed for decades to come.

Television director Danny Leiner has broadened his horizons and is now illustrating his immense talent on a bigger screen.  One can expect 20th Century Fox and the world's other leading film studios to be flooding him with millions of dollars to produce their finest scripts.  And just where has writer Philip Stark come from?  His brilliant screenplay must have required years of research to capture the depth he does of its characters.

Speaking of the cast, That 70's Show's Ashton Kutcher and American Pie's Seann William Scott will blow you away with their performances.  Look out Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, there's some new competition on the block.  I've heard there's an intense bidding war between Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese to secure their services for upcoming projects.

Dude, Where’s My Car? shows that with each day, we are getting closer to achieving perfection of the craft.  I'm sure I'll be suffering from post-film depression for days as I yearn to see it again and appreciate all that I missed from the first viewing.  Disregard Almost Famous.  Forget Traffic.  Ignore Cast Away.  This is as good as it gets.

Now that's sarcasm!

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 April 2001

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has introduced a new category into its annual Academy Awards starting in 2002 for best animated full-length feature.  It stems from the fact that so many good animations are created and aren't considered by Academy voters because they don't feature real people.  The only animated film ever to be nominated for best picture was 1991's Beauty And The Beast.  The award’s inception is sure to increase both the quantity and quality of animations in years to come.

Traditionally, Disney has monopolised the market but given their appeal, the last five years has seen most leading film studios hunting for a slice of the very sweet pie.  For the first time in a decade, Disney did not release an animated film in the last American summer (choosing instead to release the computer animated Dinosaur) and the viewing calendar was lacking.  Instead, December saw the release of the Emperor's New Groove and finally in Australia, we have the chance to check it out.

This fun-loving tale sees Emperor Kuzco preparing celebrations for his own 18th birthday party.  He's spoilt rotten and given his position, has everything his own way.  His adviser, Yzma, has been getting a little power hungry of late so she was promptly fired.  Yzma retaliates and prepares a potion that will kill the emperor but thanks to her idiotic husband/assistant, Kronk, he is transformed into a llama. 

Asked to take the llama out of town to kill, Kronk again makes a mess of things and the llama escapes on the wagon of a distant villager, Pacha.  Pacha isn't a fan of the emperor given that he intends to demolish his house to build a holiday home (complete with a waterslide) and is amused to see the emperor in his new condition.  This gives him an opportunity to negotiate a deal.  He'll help the emperor get back to his castle for the potion that can re-transform him but in return he'll have to find a new location for his holiday home.  And so, the adventure begins...

Narration of films is an often dangerous technique.  Some films are wrecked by voice-overs but for others, it adds to the experience.  David Spade voices Emperor Kuzco and also provides the narration throughout the film.  I can't recall anyone being as good as Spade in any previous film.  He’s side-splittingly hilarious and combined with animation, his character is one of the funniest Disney has created.  Other voices include Spade's Just Shoot Me co-star Wendie Malick, John Goodman, The Dish's Patrick Warburton and Eartha Kitt.

Judging by the laughter of both the adults and children at the advance screening I attended, The Emperor's New Groove hits the mark.  Many recent animations have had few jokes for the kids but this film had them laughing constantly at the idea of an arrogant talking llama and I too was laughing with them.  If you're thinking "there's no way I'm going to see a kids flick" then it is time to wake-up.  If it's that embarrassing, find some kid of a friend or relative and take them with you.  You'll score brownie points whilst having a great time in the process.  Who said babysitting was a chore?