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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 25 November 2019

45-year-old writer-director Rian Johnson (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) loved Agatha Christie books growing up and now, thanks to his growing influence in Hollywood, he gets the chance to create a murder-mystery of his own for the big screen.  There’s nothing understated or restrained about the set up.  A character describes the case as being like a game of Cluedo and it’s an apt description given its clichés and farcical nature.

The location is a huge, lakeside mansion adorned with statues, ornaments and paintings.  The victim is a renowned mystery writer (Plummer) who has been found dead at his 85^th birthday party.  The suspects are an eclectic group of family members who are all given a plausible motive to within the film’s opening half-hour.  The detective (Craig) is an mysterious individual described as “the last of the gentlemen sleuths”.   The only thing missing is Colonel Mustard and a candlestick!

There’s a catch though.  In a recent interview for Variety magazine, Johnson stated that the “whodunit” element of such movies is often the weakest part and he wanted to take that onus off viewers.  I don’t want to give too much away but you won’t have to wait until the final scenes to see all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.  The film changes tack at several points and becomes more of a quirky, offbeat comedy as opposed to something borrowed from the pages of Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle.

I’ve read some glowingly positive reviews for Knives Out thus far but my thoughts are mixed.  It boasts a huge ensemble cast but the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon and Toni Collette are given next-to-nothing to do.  The opening sequence of interviews are unnecessarily drawn-out and the film is overstaying its welcome at 130 minutes.  I’d preferred something more fast-paced.

The two positives are easy to spot.  Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) gets the best of the dialogue as the humorously named Detective Benoit Blanc.  He keeps everyone guessing (including the audience) throughout the film as to whether he’s incredibly astute and ridiculously goofy.  Ana de Armas will be lesser known to mainstream audiences but her career is on an upward trajectory following her memorable performance as a hologram in Blade Runner 2049.  She too has fun with her role as an anxious nurse with a propensity to vomit when telling a lie.

Rian Johnson deserves credit for giving the whodunit genre a good shake-up and whilst Knives Out wins points for creativity, I didn’t care about these characters as much as I should.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 November 2019

South African director Gavin Hood has ventured out into a range of genres including science fiction (Ender’s Game), action (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and home-grown dramas (the Oscar winning Tsotsi).  That said, there’s one subject that Hood seems particularly attracted to.  Rendition (2007) recounted the true story of a Lebanese man illegally tortured by the CIA.  Eye in the Sky (2015) was a fictional tale about British military folk using drones to spy on militants in Kenya.

The theme of secret government surveillance is explored once again in Hood’s latest effort, Official Secrets.  It’s based on the real life tale of 28-year-old Katharine Gun (Knightley) who in 2003, was employed as a translator within the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in South West England.  Her job was to listen on wiretaps involving Chinese subjects, translate into English, and relay sensitive information to her superiors.  In simpler words… she was a back office spy.

It was around this time that the United States was pushing strongly for war with Iraq under the belief they were developing a nuclear weapons program.  The U.S. sought a resolution from the United National Security Council to sanction military action in Iraq but there was uncertainty as to whether enough countries would vote in support (it required an affirmative vote from 9 of the 15 member countries).

To improve their chances, the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States asked their British counterparts to gather intelligence on Security Council delegates by intercepting their phones and emails.  They would target officials from the likes of Chile, Mexico and Pakistan with the hope of using damaging information to “blackmail” these countries into supporting the Iraq war.  It was dodgy stuff.

Gun never felt comfortable with the request and after much soul-searching, she slipped a copy of the NSA’s memo to a friend who subsequently passed it on to journalists at the Observer newspaper.  The story became front page news on 2 March 2003.  The GCHQ launched an immediate investigation and, worried that someone else might take the blame, Gun confessed to her role as the whistle-blower.  She was charged for leaking sensitive government information under the Official Secrets Act and faced a lengthy jail sentence.

Gavin Hood couldn’t believe that he’d never heard about Katherine Gun’s story when first approached about the movie.  It was “big news of the day” that was quickly forgotten when the war itself began.  Hood flew to London and spent hours with Gun, the journalists and the lawyers to create a realistic, authentic script.  He also refuted the demands of action-loving studio executives who were looking for a script with more carnage and car chases.  The finished product makes for great viewing.

Keira Knightley is outstanding in the lead role as she grapples with the validity of her acts.  There are times when she’s glad she leaked the memo but other times when she regrets her decision (to the point where she’s physically ill as she struggles to deal with the aftermath).  In the same vein as the Academy Award winning Spotlight, we also follow the actions of the journalists as the dig to confirm the memo’s veracity.  Considering the newspaper had made the decision to support the Iraq war (acting as a quasi-PR machine for Prime Minister Tony Blair), there was much angst about the decision to publish.

There’s an unforgettable punchline to this tale which involves Gun, her lawyer (Fiennes), and the Director of Public Prosecutions.  Not easily forgotten, Official Secrets is another reminder about the dangers of unchecked government power.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2019

There was no doubt that a sequel would be made.  In 2013, Frozen reeled in $1.3 billion at the global box-office making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time (not adjusted for inflation).  Critics were just as enamoured and the film won Academy Awards for best animated feature and best original song (“Let it Go”).

This time around, the key ingredients are largely unchanged.  Inspired by a research trip through the forests of Scandinavia, writer-directors Chris Buck and Jennifer have returned with a fresh, creative story.  Songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez are back on board with 7 new songs including the memorable “Into the Unknown”.  Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad have all reprised their roles as the film’s reluctant heroes.

If your memory is a little hazy as to what took place in the original movie, there’s a humorous sequence at the end of the opening act where the talking snowman, Olaf (Gad), provides a fast-paced summary.  It culminated with the magical Queen Elsa (Menzel) and the brave Princess Anna (Bell) harnessing their collective talents to save their small kingdom from the villainous Hans.  The tale was loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Snow Queen.

The five-person writing team have done well to craft something distinctively different for the sequel.  Not too far from the Kingdom of Arendelle lies an enchanted forest.  Its residents, a mysterious group of people, can summon the elements of air, water, fire and earth as part of their day-to-day existence.  However, the forest has been surrounded by an impenetrable mist for more than 30 years following a battle that “enraged the spirits”.

Queen Elsa had been told this story as a child but it’s only now become relevant because of an odd musical tune that’s ringing in her ears (I was humming it too on leaving the cinema).  Tracking its origins to the enchanted forest, Elsa is able to use her magic powers to break the mist and, working with her fearless crew, goes in search of answers.  As per the advice of a wise troll – “the truth must be found”.

Frozen II is a notch below its predecessor but still has a lot to offer.  Josh Gad wins big laughs as the deep-thinking Olaf, there’s a cute frog that will win audiences’ affections, and, while I can’t believe I’m saying this, there’s a scene stealing performance from a gust of wind (although it might be tough to sell merchandise based on that character!)

The story is great too.  It’s a cool, strange, mystic world where you’re not quite sure what lies beyond each corner.  The character interaction is also terrific with the film delving into the theme of siblings growing up and developing their own sense of independence.  There are some great, often tense, conversations shared between Elsa and Anna that many will relate to.

A research study published in 2016 showed that for Disney animated features involving princesses, male characters produced the majority of the dialogue in almost all cases (the only two exceptions were Tangled and Brave).  The original came up a touch short (59% of the words spoken were from men) but if Frozen and Frozen II are any indication, female-driven adventures are in high demand.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 November 2019

The year is 1963 and a furious Henry Ford (Letts) laments that the Ford Motor Company, founded by his father more than 60 years ago, is experiencing the “worst sales slump in US history”.  There’s a sequence where he berates his staff (both the blue and white collar guys) and demands they come up with new ideas or else they’ll be fired.

His army of executives and vice-presidents believe they’ve got the answer.  The Ford brand has become tired and wealthy customers are now lured by the likes of Jaguars, Aston Martins and Ferraris because they feature in renowned, televised motor races and are associated with “victory”.  Ford buys into their theory and bankrolls a racing program with the end goal of winning the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in France and demonstrating to the public that Ford cars are the fastest on earth.

Many people had a part to play in achieving Ford’s dream but this film, directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line, Logan), focuses on two key characters.  The first in Carroll Shelby (Damon), an American driver who won at Le Mans several years earlier but subsequently retired due to life-threatening health issues.  The second is Ken Miles (Bale), a penniless British driver who is blessed with talented but struggles to get opportunities on the track due to his “hothead” nature.

Ford demands the best so he can “bury Ferrari 100 feet under the finish line” and so this unlikely duo have been recruited.  Shelby is there for his experience, his business acumen and his star power.  Miles is there for his skill behind the wheel and his knowledge when looking under the bonnet.  Their goal is to design a car that can achieve speeds exceeding 300 km/hr while also being durable enough to withstand 24 hours of consecutive racing, in all weather conditions, on a rough track.

This fascinating true story has been slightly over-romanticised by the 3-man writing team.  There’s a scene where a jetlagged Miles can’t sleep and so he goes for a late night wander to soak in the vibe of a quiet race track (where he runs into Shelby doing the same thing).  There’s another odd moment where Miles’s wife (Balfe) makes a point to her husband by engaging in ridiculously dangerous driving on a windy suburban road.  These parts lack authenticity and feel like they’ve been included solely to add unnecessary comedy/drama to a story that can already stand on its own two feet.

The film’s other weak spot is its one-note villain.  Josh Lucas plays Leo Beebe, a high-ranking executive within the Ford Motor Company with a petty vendetta against Ken Miles.  I’m not sure why he’s such a sabotaging jerk, why no one else can see that, and why Henry Ford decides to put him in charge of the racing program.  He’s a character with zero depth.

Qualms aside, Ford v Ferrari makes for compelling viewing and my attention was held throughout the lengthy 152 minute running time.  The interplay between Matt Damon and Christian Bale is terrific and the racing scenes, shot from every camera angle imaginable, do a great job recreating the tension of the races while also highlighting the dangers faced by the drivers.  These fast-paced action scenes are nicely balanced with a quieter, moving subplot involving Miles’s young son (Jupe) who idolises his father but also worries for his safety.

I was sweating as the final credits started to roll and given that was from the effects of the film (as opposed to eating too much popcorn), I can say Ford v Ferrari achieves its mission in telling a great true story.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 November 2019

I’m a big fan of New York City but even I was sceptical on first seeing the trailer for 21 Bridges.  It shows a crime being committed followed by the police shutting down every single exit from the island of Manhattan to stop the perpetrators from getting away.  How is that logistically possible?  Wouldn’t the criminals have time to escape given their head start?  Couldn’t they find a decent hiding place given the size of the city?  What about the public disruption to the 2 million people going about their daily lives?

The answers to some of those questions are provided but the twist to this film is that the 21 bridges (that includes tunnels) are rather irrelevant.  There are a few minutes worth of flyovers that show these landmarks but the reality is that the bad guys don’t even go near them.  The crux of the narrative is set around key locations in Manhattan (such as Chinatown and the Meatpacking District) where the “heroes” try to take down the “zeros”.

The featured protagonist is Andre Davis (Boseman), an NYPD detective with a reputation for using his gun a little too often (although he’d disagree with that assertion).  He’s brought in when 8 police officers are brutally killed in a drug robbery gone wrong.  Time is of the essence and so he must rely on the support of a narcotics expert (Miller) and the team back at the station who are providing him with instant access to CCTV footage.

We also see events unfold from the opposing perspective.  Ray (Kitsch) and Michael (James) are the two guys responsible for the crime and it’s a struggle to avoid detection given the number of police officers involved and the fact their mug shots have been plastered across TV screens.  They’re an odd combination but they’re prepared to stick together with hopes of escaping the city and making a better life for themselves.

We’ve seen this storyline many times before and we’re likely to see it many times more.  There are early scenes involving Andre’s upbringing and his mother that are included to make his character look like a decent, honest guy (they weren’t necessary).  Once the investigation is in full swing, the characters rush from place-to-place with Andre having a magical “sixth sense” that allows him to foresee the criminals’ next moves.  There’s also a not-so-subtle hint that several cops can’t be trusted. 

Director Brian Kirk has spent the last decade in television as part of shows such as The Tudors, Luther and Game of Thrones.  21 Bridges marks his feature film debut and while it can boast a strong cast with the likes of Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Sienna Miller (The Girl) and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), it’s ultimately a very standard cop thriller.