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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 February 2023

The words “inspired by true events” is doing a lot of heavy lifting on the promotional material for Cocaine Bear.  It’s the equivalent of saying Toy Story was inspired by kids playing with toys, or Star Wars was inspired by the existence of other galaxies.  The “true events” occurred back in 1985 when a 175-pound black bear was found dead in a Georgia forest.  An autopsy found “three or four grams” of cocaine in the bear’s blood stream – the source being several plastic containers containing the drug which had been dropped by a parachuter in a botched smuggling operation.  Alas, there was no one else died and there was no murderous rampage from a cocaine-fuelled bear.

This film will find an audience.  It’s reminiscent of the Samuel L. Jackson led action flick Snakes on a Plane.  It’ll be remembered more for the title than its cast and narrative.  Here, we’ve got a giant bear who stumbles across several bags of cocaine and, now that he’s got a taste for it, will kill almost anyone who gets in his way.  Framed as a horror-comedy, it’s an interesting pivot for actor-turned-director Elizabeth Banks after Pitch Perfect 2 and Charlie’s Angels.

In terms of characters, we’ve got two kids skipping school, a mum out looking for them, a pair of horny park rangers, a dog-loving police officer, some ambulance workers, a dim-witted group of thugs, and a bunch of drug dealers.  The actors bringing these folk to life include Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Alden Ehrenreich and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.  They know… and we know… no one is winning any awards for their performances.  There’s a tinge of sadness given it marks one of the final appearances of Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) who passed away in May 2022, a few months after shooting wrapped.

The screenplay is very, very average.  None of these characters are interesting or intelligent, and the illogical disregard they have for risk is tiringly repetitive.  Attempts at creating a family dynamic (in the case of the mum and kids) also feel misplaced.  Aside from a few okay jokes, the film only really works when the psychotic bear is centre stage and gorily ripping people’s limbs off (that’s an indication of the violence if you’re a bit squeamish).  We needed more of that… and less “filler” like a scene where a drug runner beats up three youths in a bathroom.

Worth a look just once, Cocaine Bear is 95-minutes of trashy, forgettable entertainment.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 February 2023

Ten films have been nominated at this year’s Oscars for best picture of those, Women Talking is the last to be released in Australian cinemas.  It’s the latest from the accomplished actor-turned-filmmaker Sarah Polley (Away from Her, Take This Waltz) who has adapted the 2018 novel authored by Canadian Miriam Towes.  It is based on actual events that took place in Bolivia in the early 21^st century but is aptly described in the opening credits as “an act of female imagination.”

Narration is required in the first act to set the scene.  A group of women from a remote, heavily religious community have learned a truly horrific detail about their existence.  The male leaders have been drugging women with a tranquilizer spray and then raping them on a nightly basis while unconscious.  The victims have long suspected the crimes but not until recently did they capture a man in the act and verify their claims.

The women believe there are three choices.  They can “do nothing”, forgive the men, and carry on as if nothing had happened.  They can stay in the community, fight their male oppressors, and create a more respectful world.  Or they can pack up their belongings, leave the town, and find somewhere better to live.  A formal vote takes place but, as it does not produce a clear result, a small group of women gather to debate the alternatives and agree on a course of action.

It might not be the most glamorous of titles but Women Talking is exactly that.  The violent men are deliberately kept off screen and the film’s focus is solely on these women, their often heated discussions, and the important decision they must make.  The cast includes Rooney Mara (Carol), Claire Foy (The Crown), Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter), Judith Ivey (What the Deaf Man Heard), and Frances McDormand (Nomadland).  Each character has a distinctive personality which provides value to the broader conversation.

This is a strong film.  It has something to say about topics such as community, family, power, gender imbalance, adolescence, groupthink, religion, and forgiveness.  It also offers strong production values – from the disorientating nature of the setting (it’s part current, part period piece), to the moving music score of Oscar winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker), to the outstanding actors who have been nominated for best ensemble at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for their passionate performances.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 February 2023

It’s amazing what power an old family photo or an old home movie can wield.  They have the ability to revive long forgotten moments and to clarify those which have been unknowingly altered over time.  Who hasn’t looked at a photo album and thought about the past?  They remind us of people no longer in our lives – whether it be because they’ve passed away, or because they now live different lives which don’t intersect with our own.

These thoughts are at the emotional core of Aftersun, a blisteringly good debut feature from Scottish-born director Charlotte Wells.  Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last May, the film has been fuelled by positive word of mouth and remained in the minds of filmgoers.  It’s now reached the point where 26-year-old star Paul Mescal (Normal People) has been nominated at the Academy Awards for best actor, and Wells has received a nod by her peers at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards in the first-time theatrical feature film director category.

Aftersun is the story of a woman (Rowlson-Hall) quietly reflecting on a low-budget holiday she shared with her father in Turkey two decades earlier.  Part of her musings are based off footage from a well-worn, non-digital video camera used to capture a handful of innocuous moments from the trip.  This includes a brief clip in the hotel room where the naïve, 11-year-old Sophie (Corio) asks her reserved, 31-year-old dad (Mescal) about his life goals growing up.  It might have been a simple question at the time, but it now carries an incredible potency given Sophie is a mature, hardened adult with a child of her own.

The remainder of Sophie’s holiday reflections come from memory.  Some scenes could be described as “coming of age” as she hangs out with older kids, befriends a nice boy, and develops a sense of independence – free from the burden of constant adult supervision.  Other scenes tap into the complex connection between parent and child.  Looking through a Sophie’s eyes, there are instances when Dad is a cool best friend (going to karaoke, buying a Turkish rug) and instances when he’s a semi-detached stranger.  It raises a question about how much kids really understand about their parents and whether that changes with age?

Paul Mescal and newcomer Frankie Corio are unforgettable in the leading roles.  Wells has written simple, realistic dialogue which makes the relationship between the pair feel real and honest.  Wells also deserves praise for the way she transitions between the two timeframes.  This is particularly evident during the film’s climax which is both beautiful and devastating.  Likely to stick with you after the closing credits have rolled, Aftersun is as good as cinema gets.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 February 2023

17-year-old Nicholas Miller (McGrath) is struggling with depression.  There are glimpses of what’s going on inside, like when he confides in a therapist that he doesn’t feel close with people his own age, but Nicholas refuses to fully open-up.  He speaks vaguely that “life is weighing me down” and “I don’t know how to describe it.”  Every time his mum (Dern) asks a question, Nicholas’ answers are short, defensive, and unemotive.

Academy Award winning writer-director Florian Zeller (The Father), in adapting this from his own stage play, doesn’t delve into the cause of mental illness.  In interviews for the film, he describes depression as a “mystery” where there’s often “no clear explanation” for what’s behind it.  I’m fine with his interpretation but the lack of clarity behind Nicholas’ troubles may frustrate some viewers.

What Zeller does illustrate is the impact of depression on those around us, particularly our close family.  Nicholas’ parents are divorced and having spent several years living with his birth mother, he asks to move in his dad (Jackman) and step-mum (Kirby) for reasons that don’t always make sense.  Their differing reactions to the circumstances are the film’s most thought-provoking elements.  Do these characters deserve any negative judgement?

The dad wants to genuinely help but his approach is to come up with easy answers (e.g. his son probably just got rejected by a girl) as opposed to understanding the deeper complexities of depression.  He’s also struggling to find the balance between his already busy work life and his now semi-upended home life.  The step-mum, busy with a newborn baby of her own, admits to being “unsettled” by Nicholas’ arrival and the new living arrangements.  However, she doesn’t want to push back too strongly so as not to be seen as insensitive.

The Son is scrappy in places.  Two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins appears in a scene which is more of a “cameo” to help boost advertising potential as opposed to something necessary to the film’s narrative.  It’s a trivial subplot which wasn’t even in the play.  Another minor storyline involving the dad possibly working with a U.S. Senator also comes across as a time-filling distraction.  Did we really need a close-up of an obviously distracted Hugh Jackman sitting around a boardroom table?

Qualms aside, I was interested by the interaction between the four leads.  20-year-old Australian newcomer Zen McGrath is up to the challenge of the tricky role and working alongside his experienced co-stars.  I also enjoyed the way in which Zeller slowly builds tension and keeps audiences unsure about whether a happy resolution is possible.  This is highlighted in a great scene where a babysitter cancels and other options are then debated.

Unable to match the awards season love of The Father, The Son reaffirms Zeller’s talents as a great storyteller.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 February 2023

Belgian filmmaker Lukas Dhont (Girl) was looking for script ideas when he came across the research of Dr. Niobe Way, a Professor of Developmental Psychology at New York University, who had interviewed hundreds of boys over a period of two decades.  Way’s analysis showed that friendships during early adolescence can be deeply intimate but, once they enter their mid-to-late teenage years, they become less emotionally expressive and less trustful with male friends.  There’s also a fear of getting too close to someone and being labelled a homosexual.

This idea is at the heart of Close, a gut-wrenching drama which took the runner-up honours at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival (Triangle of Sadness won the top prize).  It’s the tale of two 13-year-old boys, Léo (Dambrine) and Rémi (de Waele), who have been childhood friends for as long as they can remember.  They sleep over at each other’s house, chill with their respective parents, and talk about working together one day – Rémi is a talented oboe player and Léo playfully jokes about becoming his tour manager.

Their first days of high school begin with blissful ignorance.  They sit next to each other class, play at lunchtime, and ride their bikes home together.  It’s in the school’s cafeteria where a female classmate finally voices what others have been thinking – are the two of them a “couple”?  The question takes them a second to answer (“no”) but the ramifications will linger for much longer.  With an increasing level of self-consciousness, Léo looks for reasons to pull away and spend less time with Rémi.  Some are valid (playing competitive ice hockey with new friends) while others are not (lying about reasons why they can’t catch up).  A confused Rémi can’t reconcile their declining connection and at one point, he lashes out with violence in front of others in the school playground. 

Nominated at the upcoming Academy Awards for best international feature film, Close is devastatingly authentic.  Dhont creates this vibe by using handheld cameras, sometimes close-up and sometimes at a long distance, to give it a documentary-like feel.  Dialogue is used sparingly and it’s amazing just how much can be gleaned from a close-up on an actor’s face – whether it be a tear down the cheek, or eyes quickly shifting direction.

The cinematography of Frank van den Eeden is stunning, and the music of composer Valentin Hadjadj is haunting.  They may come across as minor plot points but Dhont and co-writer Angelo Tijssens throw in other interesting elements dealing with masculinity including the connection between two brothers (Igor van Dessel is faultless as Léo’s older sibling), and locker room antics after sporting games.

Above all else though, Close achieves its emotional power because of the incredible performances offered up by teenage stars Eden Dambrine and Gustav de Waele.  They’re two of the finest performances I’ve ever seen from child actors with the now 16-year-old Dambrine nominated at the European Film Awards for best actor.  Dhont cast them six months prior to the shoot and that provided the time to build a legitimate friendship between the pair and allow them to craft their own dialogue and subplots to best fit the characters.

If I see a better film this year, I’ll be surprised.