Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 September 2004

It’s been well documented that 2004 has been a dismal year for cinema in Australia.  As a paid-up member of the Australian Film Institute, I have taken pride each year in selecting the 4 films I believe worthy of a nominee for best picture at the Institute’s annual awards.  This year, just 10 Australian films have been made (a record low) and some of these weren’t even given a release here in Brisbane.  That’s probably a good thing since those Aussie films that did make it into cinemas, were obliterated by the U.S. competition at the box-office.

Somersault isn’t our greatest film but it’d be the pick of the bunch this year.  It centres on Heidi (Cornish), a young girl from Canberra who is looking for love much too quickly.  After a fight with her mother, she jumps on a bus and heads to the quiet snow town of Jindabyne to meet up with a man who once left a business card with her.  As always, she has misinterpreted the situation and is left stranded in Jindabyne with no guy and no accommodation.

At a bar, she meets Joe (Worthington), a Jindabyne local who has a reputation as being somewhat of a ladies man.  The two strike up a conversation and end up spending the night in a cheap motel room.  From this point on, Somersault becomes a complicated romance that I applaud for its realism.  Heidi is a complicated girl and her character reminded me of Charlize Theron’s in Monster.  She is not an intelligent girl and continually makes poor decisions but you feel for her because of her innocence and inexperience.

The story has its lulls and drags towards the end but the highlights for me were the performances of newcomer Abbie Cornish and regular Sam Worthington.  It’s easy for an actor to play a more superior character but not quite as easy when playing a character with so many flaws.  Cornish has only a handful of screen credits to date but she steps up to the plate with a brave showing.  I see her as the leading contender to win the best actress prize at the Australian Film Institute’s awards in November.

Somersault is destined to perform poorly at the box-office.  Deep and meaningful Australian dramas don’t appeal to our audiences and their short attention spans.  It’s a shame but a fact that can’t be ignored.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 September 2004

I’m a big fan of The Simpsons and one of my favourite lines is when Lisa goes to Homer – “but if you’re the police, then who will police the police?”  The Corporation is an explosive documentary which looks at the seemingly limitless power that corporations have generated for themselves across the globe.  You may be surprised to know that corporations didn’t come about until the 19^th Century.  They were heavily regulated, couldn’t borrow money, couldn’t own other corporations and were only allowed by the government if they were to provide a lasting service to the community.

How things have changed.  In 1999, the Bolivian government (on advice from the World Bank) privatised the supply of water.  This precious resource was now owned by a subsidiary of Bechtel, one of America’s leading corporations.  Water rates subsequently doubled and it even became illegal for residents to capture rainwater in tanks.  American shareholders were the winners.  Bolivian families were the losers.         The Corporation is a Canadian documentary which looks at the repercussions of capitalism and the unstoppable ascendancy of the modern day company.  It’s undeniably fascinating and if you’re wondering why you haven’t heard some of these amazingly diverse stories before, you’ll soon find out.  In the words of a leading Fox News executive to an investigative journalist - “we just paid 3 billion for these television stations – the news is what we say it is.”  

This brilliant film does everything a good documentary should.  It poses questions of the audience and leaves us continually thinking and questioning our beliefs.  It’s provided at least two hours worth of conversation for me since I left the cinema last night.  It acknowledges that corporations do have benefits but the ultimate goal is no longer to provide a service to the community, it is to increase shareholder value.  In America each year, leading corporations are fined hundreds of millions of dollars by the government for breaches of environmental law.  The problem with this is that it’s cheaper for corporations to pay these fines than to find more environmental friendly resources.  And so, they continue to pollute the earth at a rapid rate and the share price stays healthy.

Each view will draw something different from the film but for me, it was a realisation that something needs to be done and so.  We are plundering the earth’s resources at a rapid rate and if we continue to do so, little will be left for generations which follow.  Unfortunately, governments are finding themselves less and less able to intervene in this problem.  It is the corporations which control the government and not the other way around.  In one interviewee’s words corporations are now the “high priests and reigning oligarchs of our system”.  Governments of the world have privatised many basic services and continued to open barriers to free trade.  What may be good economics has ramifications which are scarily going unnoticed.

I must sound like a political spokesman rambling on like this.  I admit that I have believed in this topic for many years.  Don’t think though that it is crazy propaganda designed to smear corporate high-flyers.  The film was placed 3^rd by the audience at one of the world’s most prestigious showcases, the Toronto Film Festival, and was voted the best documentary by the audience at our own Brisbane International Film Festival.  All I ask is that you see it for yourself and make up your own mind.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 September 2004

From Singapore to New Zealand and the U.K. to Australia, Borders has welcomed book and music lovers on three continents outside North America.  Every Borders store offers a vast selection of books, music, movies, and more, tailored specifically to the interests of the community it serves.  We provide cozy chairs, comfortable cafes, and listening stations, so our customers can relax and stay awhile. Our knowledgeable staff is always happy to help you find what you're looking for, or you can use our convenient Title Sleuth stations to explore on your own.  Our customers often refer to their local Borders store as "my Borders."  We appreciate it, and the feeling is mutual.

Yes, that’s right.  I’ve become a corporate sell-out.  I am now selling space in my reviews so that multi-national organisations can “inconspicuously” promote their product.  I figure that if Steven Spielberg can do it, then why can’t I?

There was a point about half way through the film when I thought to myself “I can’t believe Spielberg directed this.”  The script is boring and lazy and the direction simple and plain.  It’s the kind of film where you think someone wrote it and filmed it in a single day.  The Terminal is horribly rough around the edges which is a huge disappointment when you consider the talent involved both in front of and behind the camera.

Based on a true story (rather loosely I’d suggest), our film is set entirely within New York’s JFK airport.  Viktor Navorski (Hanks) speaks barely a word of English and has just arrived in the States en route from his home country of Krakoshia.  Unfortunately for Viktor, his country’s government was overthrown while in the air and now the U.S. will not acknowledge his passport and visa.  He cannot return home either since Krakoshia no longer exists.  He has, in the words of airport controller Frank Dixon (Tucci), “fallen through the cracks”.

There is now only one place Viktor can call home – JFK Airport.  He sleeps on a self-made bed near Gate 67, he get spare change by returning luggage to refund machines, he learns English from books picked up a Borders (another free plug) bookstore, he finds love with a stewardess (Zeta-Jones) and he finds new friends amongst the many of the airport’s employees.  It’s a fun adventure but Viktor hasn’t lost sight of what he really wants – to walk outside through the front entrance.

I’m not sure what genre to best classify this mess.  There are many attempts at humour but quite a few moments are aimed at generating an emotional response from the audience.  Not helping is a pathetical long and tiresome introduction where Viktor and Frank Dixon talk in his office.  You’ll tire of Hanks’ accent very quickly and you’ll ask yourself why the great Stanley Tucci is playing such a silly one-dimensional character.

Since Viktor’s story isn’t enough to fill a full feature, a few extra subplots are thrown into the mix to bulk it up.  All were worthless.  Topping the list had to be the attempts of food service attendant Enrique Cruz (Luna) to win the heart of another employee.  Without spoiling how it evolves, the word “farce” comes to mind.

So if you’re thinking about checking out The Terminal, my advice is to terminate any such thought.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 September 2004

If you don’t know young director M. Night Shyamalan by name, you will most likely know him by reputation.  He burst from obscurity in 1999 with one of the highest grossing movies of all time, The Sixth Sense, and he followed that with 2000’s Unbreakable (starring Bruce Willis) and 2002’s Signs (starring Mel Gibson).  His films are distinct in that he tries to keep us on guard and on our toes.  Things are rarely as they appear to be and you ought to be paying very close attention…

The Village follows this trend.  It’s certainly an intriguing film but is it an interesting film?  I’m not so sure.  I am not at liberty to divulge the film’s secrets but looking back on it, I found the story didn’t grasp me in the way Shyamalan’s previous three films did.  Box-office numbers from the U.S. suggest I may be in the majority with this assessment.  It’s second weekend, the film dropped a whopping 67.5% in business which could only suggest very bad word of mouth.

The opening introduces us to a quiet community in a small American village.  This village is tucked away in a forest clearing and since their arrival many years ago, none of the townsfolk have ventured back into the world they once left.  You see, there are dangerous “creatures” in the woods with whom a truce has been reached.  They do not come into the village and in return, the townsfolk do not enter the woods.

This may sound rather horrible but in fact, the townsfolk and very happy and always peaceful.  There’s no need for money, everyone pulls their weight, and the go about their serine lives with the utmost dignity.  Most are satisfied with their surroundings but there are some who wonder what is beyond the forbidden woods.  One in particular wants to take on these creatures and embark on a journey to a world he can only imagine…

That’s all I’m prepared to say on the plot but the cast is another story.  It’s of the highest quality and includes William Hurt, Signorney Weaver, Adrien Brody, Joaquin Phoenix and Brendan Gleeson.  The star of the film is newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard who plays a blind girl with a remarkable foresight.  Her performance would be the stand out of the film.

From the director’s chair, Shyamalan does a strong job.  He has a knack for finding fresh camera angles and I like his variations in film editing.  Sometimes he’s quickly cutting back and forth between shots but at other times, he’ll hold on the same camera for a long time.  From the writer’s desk however, Shyamalan doesn’t impress.  It’s a lacklustre story and the film’s finale is drawn out and predictable.  As good a filmmaker as he is though, I won’t hold it against him.

The Village is sure to provide ample post-movie conversation but I don’t believe it’s a film you’ll be talking about much longer after that.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 September 2004

I’m a fan of Ben Stiller but as I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I see him as a very hit and miss actor.  When he’s hot, he’s hot and when he’s not, he’s not.  Looking back, Stiller seems better suited to more over-the-top, sarcastic comedies such as There’s Something About Mary and Zoolander.  I find him weaker in more straight down-the-line, quasi-emotional comedies such as Meet The Parents and Along Came Polly.

Judging from my grade, you can tell this film falls into the better Stiller category.  He is White Goodman, owner a multitude of gymnasiums spouting the motto – “we’re better than you are”.  Goodman’s looking to expand one of his biggest gyms by building a new multi-level car park.  It just so happens that the land he has earmarked for this project is owned by one of his competitors.  Next door is the gym of Peter La Fleur (Vaughn) and the bank has given him 30 days to pay his outstanding bills or they will seize the property and sell it to Goodman.  I guess the nice-guy La Fleur should have seen this coming since he brought in a dime of revenue in over a year.

With no chance of coming up with the $50,000 needed to save his gym, La Fleur and his buddies stumble across a crazy idea.  The national dodgeball championships are soon to be held in Vegas with first prize being (wait for it) $50,000.  Of course none of this team has ever played serious dodgeball before and if you were a betting man, you’d consider them the ultimate underdogs.  Will they succeed?  Only time will tell.

Comedy is the hardest genre to perfect as everyone has a different sense of humour.  The mood you are in when entering the cinema can also have a significant influence on your experience.  Well the cards were in favour of Dodgeball because I found myself laughing on many occasions at the great one-liners of Ben Stiller and Rip Torn (as the dodgeball coach).  Vince Vaughn is also funny because he’s the only normal character is a film of zany misfits.  I love good sarcasm and Vaughn continually delivers.

It’s quick and offers many laughs.  What more do you want from a comedy?  Dodgeball delivers both on and off the court.  It’s one of the best comedies of 2004.