Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2010

The first day of a new job can be pretty scary.  You’re never quite sure what the work is going to be like and whether you’ll get along with the other employees.  Those thoughts are certainly going through the mind of Officer Shane Cooper (Kwanten) as he steps through the front door of the Red Hill police station.  He gave up his job in the city and moved to this small country town (with a population of just over 100) for the benefit of his pregnant wife.

After a routine call out, Shane returns to the police station to find that hell has broken loose.  A convicted murderer named Jimmy Conway (Lewis) has escaped from a prison near Melbourne and is en route to Red Hill.  Jimmy’s motivation is pure revenge.  He wants to get those responsible for his incarceration more than 15 years ago.

Leading the defence of Red Hill is the town’s dictatorial police chief.  He’s known to everyone as Old Bill (Bisley) and I’d hate to get on his bad side.  There’s a great sequence early in the film where he meets Shane for the first time.  To describe Old Bill as “domineering” would be an understatement.  This guy feeds off power and control.

Over the next 24 hours, young Shane Cooper will be put through the wringer.  He will be left bloodied, bruised and tortured.  I used the term “scary” before but I could think of much stronger adjectives to describe his first day.  I won’t reveal too much more about the plot but suffice to say that the body count is high.  The population of Red Hill will be greatly reduced by film’s end.

Red Hill is an impressive debut feature from writer-director Patrick Hughes.  He’d tried numerous times to get a film off the ground without success.  In the end, he took inspiration from his favourite filmmakers and developed a “let’s go out there and make it” attitude.  He wrote the script, mortgaged his house and then shot it over 4 weeks in country Victoria.

The gamble paid off.  The film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival back in February 2010 and received some positive reviews.  It has now been picked up for distribution in many countries around the world (including the USA).  It’s great to see another talented Australian filmmaker getting his start.

As for my thoughts on Red Hill, I’m describing it as a film of two halves.  The first hour is very strong.  I loved the interaction between Ryan Kwanten and Steve Bisley.  The casting of Kwanten will help boost the film’s box-office (given his notoriety from the TV series True Blood) but it also highlights his capability as an actor.  His performance here helped grab the attention of acclaimed director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) who has cast Kwanten in his next film.

Another impressive attribute of Red Hill is its cinematography.  From its wide panoramic vistas to its tight close ups, Hughes has created a suspenseful setting.  He didn’t make it easy on himself though.  Much of the movie was shot at night in freezing temperatures – a challenging hurdle for any budding filmmaker.

The film’s weaknesses are exposed in its second half.  I thought it became too much of a “Hollywood-style” action film in the later stages.  It’s hard to believe that Jimmy Conway was able to evade his pursuers for so long.  There’s one scene where he shoots at Shane but then decides to let him live a few minutes later.  It didn’t add up.  The dialogue also gets a little cheesy (some lines are cringe worthy) and I’m still confused about the relevance of the mysterious panther.

I’ve often been critical of the Australian film industry but I’m proud to say that 2010 has been a diverse year.  We’ve covered most genres and it’s nice to see us making films that will reach out to a wider audience (such as Daybreakers and Tomorrow, When The War Began).  I’m confident that there’s decent sized audience for a film like Red Hill.  Hopefully they find it.

You can read my interview with star Ryan Kwanten and director Patrick Hughes by clicking here.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 November 2010

So who is this American?  It seems that only a few people know the answer.  Jack (Clooney) is a highly paid assassin who keeps a low profile.  You’ll realise early on that he’s the consummate professional – he takes his time and goes about his assignments with the utmost skill.

Unfortunately, his cover has been blown.  Jack was attacked at his hideout in Sweden and he narrowly escaped with his life.  He’s now fled to Italy and the small town of Castel del Monte.  His employer has strongly suggested that he stay there for a while.  To help pass the time, he’s been left a small task – to put together a sniper rifle for the use of another assassin.

Under the guise that he’s a simple photographer passing through town, Jack makes two new friends.  The first is the local priest (Bonacelli) who has a sense that Jack isn’t who he appears to be.  The second is a prostitute (Placido) who finds herself easily won over by Jack’s class and charm.

This is an impressible shot film from director Anton Corbjin (Control).  It’s the kind of film that I’d be usually jumping up and down about – where the visuals do the talking as opposed to the dialogue.  There’s an aura of mystery about all the characters and you’ve got to wait patiently for more details to be revealed.

My problem however was with the screenplay.  There were many moments which left me wondering why Jack’s actions (and those of others) weren’t attracting more attention.  There’s a car chase which I’ll sight as an example.  I also disliked the ending.  A predictable plot twist was followed by a melodramatic finale.  It felt out of place with the rest of the film.

It may boast the star power of George Clooney but The American isn’t a film for everyone.  I had a healthy debate with a couple of friends (both who liked it) after I saw it at the Brisbane International Film Festival.  It deserves credit for its style but the holes in the screenplay were too hard for me to ignore.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 November 2010

Ree Dolly (Lawrence) is a 17-year-old who lives with her sick mother and her two younger siblings.  They’re from a small community who live in the Ozark Mountains.  To call their situation bleak would be an understatement.  Their house is old and shabby.  They’ve got virtually no money.  They rely on the charity of neighbours to put food on the table.

Life’s tough… and it’s about to get even tougher.  Ree’s father, who was charged with drug-dealing offences, has skipped town.  The bail bondsman arrives at their doorstep and informs Ree that her father put up the home has security.  If he isn’t located, then the house will be seized and sold.  They’ll be out on the street with no where to live.

Ree would love to never see her father again.  The two didn’t get along.  Unfortunately, that’s not an option given the circumstances.  She’s got to track him down and help bring him into custody.  It’s the only way of saving the home and keeping her fragile family together.

When Ree starts asking questions around town, she gets a frosty reception (and I’m not talking about the weather).  Drug trafficking is the number one business in town and the residents want to keep it that way.  They don’t want Ree to find her father.  They’re worried that he’ll bring them all down if he’s caught and forced to talk to the authorities.

Winter’s Bone is a simple story but it’s told very effectively.  It’s the kind of movie that pulls you into its setting and doesn’t let go.  The emotions of the characters come through strongly and you’ll feel their same sense of frustration and hopelessness.

20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence has been touted as a possible Academy Award nominee and it's not hard to see why.  She's amazing in the leading role.  Ree goes through much suffering (both physically and mentally) and you can’t help but feel sympathetic.  It’s tough to watch at times but you’ll be glued to screen – hoping that something might finally go her way.

Winner of a Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Winter’s Bone is a bleak film but it's also a moving film.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 November 2010

If you like your “hit man” movies, it’s a good time to be going to the cinemas in Australia this week.  George Clooney is offering a dramatic version in The American.  Bill Nighy is offering a comedic version in Wild Target.  Which one is worth seeing?  The answer depends on which is your preferred genre.

In Wild Target, Nighy plays Victor Maynard, the best hit man in the business.  He never makes a false move and always gets the job done.  His mother (Atkins) is very proud.  As a birthday gift, she gives him a scrapbook filled with newspaper articles.  Each article details the deaths that he was responsible for.  She’s left a few blank pages at the end too – hoping that his great record will continue.

Unfortunately, Maynard is about to make his first big mistake.  He falls in love with a girl.  Her name is Rose (Blunt) and despite being given orders to kill her, Maynard can’t go through with it.  This leaves both of their lives in danger.  Maynard’s employer has brought in some fresh assassins to kill them both.

Along for the ride is a young guy named Tony (Grint).  Maynard has taken Tony under his wing and is grooming him as a protégé.  He’s got to learn however.  Who’d have known there are so many different ways to strangle someone?

Wild Target begins well enough and there are more than a few jokes to chuckle about.  Bill Nighy nabs most of the laughs with his suave, sarcastic, sophisticated character.  It reminded of his standout performance in The Boat That Rocked.  Rupert Grint isn’t too bad either.  I was less impressed with Emily Blunt – I found her character’s stupidity more annoying than endearing.

The humour tends to dry up in the second half and the film stumbles home with a fairly predictable ending.  I was hoping for something a little more adventurous.  The English generally do it best when it comes to comedy but this is a few notches below what you might expect.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 November 2010

In April 2008, Josh Fox’s parents received a letter in the mail.  It was an offer by a gas company to lease part of their land and use it to extract natural gas.  Josh wasn’t sure of the risks involved so he decided to make a few inquiries.

When he realised the scale of the deception that was being perpetrated by the gas companies in America, Josh decided to spread the word.  He was initially going to make a short Youtube video but it ultimately grew into a full-length documentary.  It won a special jury prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and Josh has been touring the world with his film ever since.

I realise there always two sides to any story.  When I was telling a good friend about the persuasive material in GasLand, he was quick to shoot me down.  Despite not having seen the film, he sided with the gas companies and sprouted the view that sometimes a few people need to get screwed over for the benefit of the wider population.

Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion but I will say that GasLand is a very convincing documentary.  There is a scene in the film where someone turns on their tap and puts a cigarette lighter underneath.  The water bursts into flame!  I don’t know a lot about chemistry but I know that I wouldn’t be drinking any kind of water that catches on fire.

Scientific tests on the water showed that it contained many hazardous chemicals.  The chemicals used in the gas extraction process had seeped into underground wells which provided household water supplies.  This wasn’t an isolated incident.  Josh travelled from state-to-state and found numerous other examples.  The tainted water had left many people with serious illnesses.

If you think the gas companies would admit to the problem, then think again.  If anyone threatened to go public, they’d either (1) deny all involvement and bring in their highly paid lawyers, or (2) fix the problem (sometimes by bringing in truckloads of outside water) and get the family to sign a non-disclosure agreement.  It’s obvious that the gas companies didn’t want this story in the mainstream media.

Josh’s film features interviews with many of the affected families and those who have done testing on the contaminated water supplies.  He looks at the ineffectiveness of environmental protection agencies.  He also points out some of the lobbying done by gas companies to earn exemptions from key pieces of environmental legislation.

It’s shocking, it’s hilarious but most importantly, it’s eye-opening.  GasLand is one of the year’s best documentaries.  I now just have to find a way of convincing my friend to see it…

You can read my interview with director Josh Fox by clicking here.