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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 February 2025

Brazilians lived under a military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985 and during that time, those considered a “subversive threat” by the government were subject to imprisonment and torture.  A post-regime commission identified that over 400 deaths or disappearances.  One such individual was engineer-turned-congressmen Rubens Paiva who was taken from his beachside home in Rio de Janeiro on 20 January 1971 and never seen again.

It’s a story which could be covered from many angles but instead of focusing on Rubens or the oppressive military, the screenwriters largely tell the story from the perspective of the wife, Eunice.  This makes it more of a family drama, and it’s a very good one, as opposed to a whodunit-style thriller.  The source material is a 2015 autobiography written by Rubens and Eunice’s son, Marcelo, and the director is the talented Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) who knows a thing or two about the era.

The reason this film is connecting with audiences is because of the wonderful lead performance of Fernanda Torres as Eunice.  She’s a household name in Brazil but the 59-year-old, who has been acting since the 1980s, is now having her “breakout” moment.  She recently earned a Golden Globe award for best actress in a drama (beating the likes of Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman), and she now has an Oscar nomination to go with it.  It comes with a dash of nostalgia given Torres mother, Fernanda Montenegro, was nominated herself in 1999 for another Salles film, Central Station.

We may not have dealt with a situation as tragic as Eunice Paiva but through Torres powerful performance, we understand her mindset, her actions, and the emotion of the situation.  She was a loving mother to five children and first and foremost, her instinct was to shield them from the horror.  She concealed information and made many sacrifices to ensure their childhood as normal as possible.  This wasn’t easy (some were older and savvier than others) and a moving epilogue helps answer questions about how much the children really knew.

Torres deserves the acclaim, but the child actors also deserve a shoutout.  It’s not often you see a family unit as convincing as this.  There are times when they’re arguing and talking over each other… and there are moments when they’re hugging, dancing, and showing true affection.  They also externalise their emotions which serve as important contrast to Eunice who is forced to bottle hers in.

Profiling a darker chapter in Brazil’s history, telling a beautiful family tale, and highlighting the power of photographs and memories, I’m Still Here is great cinema.  Academy voters honoured it as one of the year’s 10 best pictures… and it’s easy to see why.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 February 2025

She’s a two-time Academy Award winning actress (Cold Mountain, Judy) but when it comes to Renée Zellweger’s filmography, the character she’s (arguably) best known for is Bridget Jones.  Adapted from the novels of Helen Fielding, the series began in 2001 and was followed by further instalments in 2004 and 2016.  Bridget’s romantic calamities have been popular with the three movies grossing more than $750 million USD at the global box office.

There’s a plethora of returning characters for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (it’s like an episode of This is Your Life) but the noticeable absentee is her husband, Mr Darcy.  We learn during the introduction that he was killed 4 years ago while on a humanitarian mission in Sudan.  In the aftermath, the now 50-something-year-old Bridget became a stay-at-home mum looking after her two primary school-aged children.  The self-pity is evident.  She refers to herself as “asexual” given a non-existent love life and whines every time it’s suggested she get out of the house and socialise.

She’s become more reclusive in nature but the world around Bridget is the same as it’s always been.  Whether it be family, friends or colleagues, everyone is offering advice on how Bridget should live her life.  The conversation almost always turns to men and sex.  It’s reached the point where a close friend has signed her up to Tinder (without telling her) and, when she rocks up a work with a beaming smile one day, co-workers are asking whether she recently got laid.  It’s a bit weird (not sure I could get away with it in my own workplace) but it’s just how things work in Bridget’s comical, soap opera-like ecosphere.

With Bridget now a single widow, the stage is set for the three-person screenwriting team to introduce a group of potential suitors.  Hugh Grant (Heretic) reprises his role as the womanising Daniel Cleaver and while there are times when he’s as slimy as ever, there’s now a softer side shining through.  Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) is a science teacher at the children’s school with differing views when it comes to religion and the afterlife.  Leading the candidates is Leo Woodall (One Day) as a 29-year-old biochemistry student with a chiselled body but the significant age gap creates mental hurdles.

Several subplots get no time to breathe (Colin Firth’s odd bedtime cameo, Hugh Grant’s estranged son, Isla Fisher as the next-door neighbour) and while it’s a bit all-over-the-place at times, there’s enough humour and charm to make Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy a success.  Yeah, her life is one exaggerated misadventure after the other (e.g. buying condoms, undermining the babysitter) but Zellweger makes her a likeable person regardless.  There’s also a “heart” to Bridget Jones which becomes more evident in the film’s second half.

Released in Australian cinemas the day before Valentine’s Day, director Michael Morris (Better Call Saul) has delivered an entertaining film to fit with the occasion and audience’s expectations.

You can watch/read my chat with director Michael Morris by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 February 2025

There are many talented filmmakers and writers working in the horror genre but when the name “Stephen King” appears in the opening titles, it adds an extra pinch of excitement.  His books have been developed into countless movies including The Shining, Misery, It, Pet Cemetery, and Children of the Corn.  He’s one of the most adapted authors of all time… but still aways behind runaway leader William Shakespeare.

First published as a short story in 1980, The Monkey is the story of an old wind-up robotic toy with sinister powers.  Two young boys stumble across the toy while looking through boxes left by their now absent father.  They turn the winder on the monkey’s back, music plays, and then it does a short drumming routine.  It’s not until their babysitter is killed shortly after in a freak accident that we realise the object’s power.  Every time it is played with, someone in the vicinity will die in a bizarre yet gruesome manner.

Director Osgood Perkins (Longlegs) makes the interesting choice to frame the story as a comedy.  I like the idea and it makes The Monkey one of the “funnier” Stephen King movies of all time.  The premise is already bat-shit crazy with lots of plot points that don’t make sense (e.g. the monkey moves around) and so why not have fun with it?  From the over-the-top deaths through to the “you can’t say that” dialogue, there’s a plethora of eyebrow raising moments for those with darker sense of humour.

There’s also a thought-provoking subject at its core.  What would you do with such a toy monkey if it came into your possession?  Would those with sinister intentions use it for mischief, particularly knowing that the user themselves can’t be killed?  For nicer individuals, would you keep it hidden to ensure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands?  These questions are posed of those who come into its possession.

The set-up is great but the film limps home with a weak finale.  I’d argue the characters don’t stay true to themselves and while I’m fine with a supernatural monkey, I wanted more realistic actions and motives from the humans.  The rushed ending is particularly clumsy.  The Monkey works as a comedy but in terms of its dramatic themes involving death and family, it misses the mark.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 February 2025

I can’t help but think of the famous proclamation – “the king is dead, long live the king!”  Whilst the Chris Evans’ version of Captain America didn’t technically die in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, he’s reached the age of retirement and so it’s time to hand the title to someone else.  That person is Sam Wilson.  Played by Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker), he’s the former U.S. Air Force guy introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The film opens with another returning character, however.  Thaddeus Ross appeared in several movies as a not-always-friendly ex-army guy who has transitioned into politics.  He was previously played by Oscar winner William Hurt but following his death in 2022, the role was recast with another big name – 82-year-old Harrison Ford.  Ross has always been an influential guy, but he’s now climbed to the top of the mountain and is the newly elected President of the United States.

The MCU has been low on ideas in recent years and while Captain America: Brave New World is far from perfect… it’s a step in the right direction and the kind of superhero movie I endorse.  It doesn’t go overboard with CGI-heavy action but rather, it’s more of a drama-thriller where story, for the most part, takes precedence over battles.  It’s delving into themes such as abuse of power, broken promises, strategic alliances, and forgiveness.  I’m trying not to give too much away!

At a high level, a new mineral has been discovered on Earth’s latest island (you’ll remember it from previous movies).  President Ross is trying to negotiate a treaty between France, Japan and India so the mineral’s potential can be shared without resorting to underhanded tactics.  That’s proving difficult.  It’s not so much because of their poor negotiation skills but rather, there’s a mysterious, villainous group trying to thwart their efforts and upend the world order.

The splashes of comedy don’t always hit the mark, but I generally enjoyed the narrative and conversations.  The interplay between Anthony Mackie and Danny Ramirez, who plays Captain America’s latest sidekick, is good fun.  Harrison Ford makes for a convincing President and the supporting players, headlined by Shira Hass and Giancarlo Esposito, make every scene a winner with their memorable characters – in terms of both look and personality.

Captain America: Brave New World is an engaging instalment.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 February 2025

Pamela Anderson made a name for herself on 1990s television (Baywatch, Home Improvement) but it’s been a tougher run, speaking professionally, in the decades to follow.  She’s kept in the public eye with several film cameos (often playing herself) and celebrity appearances on the likes of Big Brother and Dancing on Ice, but not since the 1996 release of the awful Barb Wire have Australian audiences seen Anderson in a leading role on the big screen.  Until now.

Drawing from a true story, The Last Showgirl is centred on Shelly (Anderson), a 57-year-old who spent almost her entire adult life working as a topless dancer for a Moulin Rouge-style cabaret show in Las Vegas.  The pay isn’t great, and she’s made of lot of personal sacrifices along the way, but Shelly is devoted to her work.  She loves going out on stage every night in lavish costumes to the rapturous applause of excited audiences.  She’s also made genuine friendships and taken some of the younger dancers under her wing as a quasi-mother.

Her world is upended when the show’s producer (Bautista) announces that due to a changing of the times and declining ticket sales, the show will permanently close in two weeks and be replaced by a Cirque du Soleil-like act.  It’s an alarming wake-up call for the now unemployed Shelly who doesn’t know what to do.  Finding another dancing gig at her age is near impossible.  On top of that, she now faces financial woes having put aside no savings or other assets for retirement.

Directed by Gia Coppola (Palo Alto) and written by Kate Gersten (The Good Place), The Last Showgirl is rough around the edges.  I’ve no concerns with the short 89-minute runtime but you get a sense a few subplots were shortened and/or left on the cutting room floor.  As an example, the hot-and-cold relationship between Shelly and her distant daughter (Lourd) needed more depth.  There’s a similarly rushed moment involving Shelly and another showgirl (Shipka) who arrives on her doorstep begging for help.  Why doesn’t this lead to anything?

The Last Showgirl still succeeds though as a character study and it’s easy to see why Pamela Anderson was nominated by her peers for best actress at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.  Audiences will empathise with Shelly and understand (possibly relate) to the emotional rollercoaster she is enduring.  When you devote your entire life to an artistic medium and it’s suddenly taken away from you… yeah, it’s heartbreaking.  At the same time, there’s a naivety to Shelly which has you asking questions about the extent to which her problems are self-inflicted.  Should she have taken a simpler, better-paying job before now?

Bolstered by a fun supporting performance from Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once), this movie is worth your time.  Take a bow, Pamela Anderson.