Reviews
Bowling For Columbine
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Michael Moore |
| Released: | December 26, 2002 |
| Grade: | A |
Most gun-related deaths? The United States “blows away” the competition. Bowling For Columbine is a documentary made by American Michael Moore in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre. It provides the facts on gun laws and gun control in the States and explores what people think is the real reason for their obsession with guns.
Never before have I seen a film made by Americans that pays out Americans to such a large extent. It is very confronting and not surprisingly, has created its fair share of controversy. If anything, this is attracting patrons. The film has made $20m at home and been honoured abroad with a special prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Let’s just look at what Michael Moore gets up to in Bowling For Columbine. He visits a bank in Northern Michigan where if you open a new account, you get a free gun. It seems they are both a bank and a licenced gun dealer. All you have to do is put $1,000 in a long-term deposit and they’ll give you a huge catalogue to choose your weapon of choice.
He interviews people in a town called Virgin. Here, it’s law that every resident must own a gun. One interviewee says “I think it’s a great place to raise your children” and actually means it.
Moore visits the home of James Nichols, the brother of convicted Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nicholas, to talk about his enjoyment of firearms. He even shows Moore the gun he keeps under his pillow and at one stage, points the loaded gun directly at Moore’s head.
There’s a swag of interviews with notable celebrities including singer Marilyn Manson, the creator of South Park Trey Parker and in the film’s final scene, the head of the National Rifle Association, Charlton Heston. Moore also interviews regular people off the street. He’s looking to show both sides of the coin and does a pretty good job.
Criticism has been drawn to the film because of its one-sidedness and loose statistical data. I’ll acknowledge that I too was curious where some of his factual data came from. I’m not saying its wrong, but he throws numbers out there and not even the film’s website shows where he’s gotten them. I don’t think it should detract from the film because the heart is still there. No matter what you say, American’s are a bunch of gun nuts and finally someone is telling them this to their face through this film.
So what does Moore think to be the greatest contributor to this obsession with guns? Fear. American’s live in a society where the media instills fear. One the interviewees states that whilst gun related deaths fell 20%, exposure on the news rose 600%. As they say, “if it bleeds, it leads”. Moore interviews one of the producers of Cops and suggests he make a new series called Corporate Cops. The producer thinks its a good idea but admits it wouldn’t work unless the corporate criminals took off their shirt and be willing to be chased by the police for television. That says it all doesn’t it.
Moore’s point about the media reminds me so much about the recent paranoia created by the Washington sniper. There are so many other aspects of the film that time hasn’t given me the opportunity to explain. Whilst its hilariously funny at times, there is a strong seriousness that dominates pivotal scenes. There is actual footage of the Columbine massacre and a sample of 911 calls. There are interviews with people who have been victims of gun related crimes.
Documentaries don’t get much cinema time in multiplexes but thankfully, Bowling For Columbine is receiving valuable exposure. In my eyes, it’s the most important film of the year and at all cost, cannot be missed.
Sweet Home Alabama
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Andy Tennant |
| Written by: | C. Jay Cox |
| Starring: | Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen, Mary Kay Place, Fred Ward |
| Released: | December 19, 2002 |
| Grade: | C |
Melanie Carmichael (Witherspoon) has it all. She’s a young fashion designer living in New York City who has just received outstanding praise from critics for her inaugural show. She’s dating the most eligible bachelor in the country, Andrew Hennings (Dempsey), who’s mother (Bergen) is the mayor of New York. She’s finally shrugged off her “shameful” Alabama heritage and has a host of new friends to wine, dine and hang out with.
It gets better. Andrew proposes to her in a blissfully romantic fashion and naturally, the answer is yes but the reaction comes somewhat of a surprise to Andrew. Melanie tells Andrew that she’ll like to go home, to a place she hasn’t been in seven years, to tell her parents in person and she’d prefer it if Andrew didn’t come along just yet. So what exactly is Melanie hiding? Well she’s still married to some guy, Jake (Lucas) back home and whilst they separated many years ago, he never actually signed the divorce papers.
On arrival in sweet home Alabama, the memories come flooding back. She remembers why she left the place and why Josh was so impossible to live with. She phrases it best by saying that “people should need a passport to come down here.” Josh initially refuses to sign the papers on account of Melanie becoming a snobbish bitch and so she’s forced to hang around a little while longer.
Of course it’s here where the transformation begins. Melanie drops in to see her parents, meets with old friends and spends more time with Josh. There’s no place like home and Melanie is soon learning that lesson. What to do? Is this just some infatuation with the past or is this the place where she really belongs? What about her life in New York and what about Andrew? Which life fits best?
Horribly predictable, this is the lowest Reese Witherspoon has sunk. She’s a marvellously gifted actress, and is the best part of the movie, but the material is not on par with her ability. There’s nothing original about this overused romantic theme and the jokes that screenwriter C. Jay Cox has conjured up are tired and lame. It’s too “sweet” for its own good.
All the characters are one-dimensional and have walked straight out of an American screenwriter’s textbook. I’m not asking for amazingly complex characters – this is a romantic comedy after all – but a little depth wouldn’t go astray. Something fresh to liven up this prissy cast and stop them acting as if they’re reading of an autocue. Too precise for my liking.
Reese’s next project is a sequel to Legally Blonde. This has me worried. Has an actress with the world at her feet fallen victim to Hollywood commercialism? I think I’ll go watch Election again to give myself some reassurance.
Blue Crush
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | John Stockwell |
| Written by: | Lizzy Weiss, John Stockwell |
| Starring: | Kate Bosworth, Matthew Davis, Michelle Rodroguez, Sanoe Lake, Mika Boorem |
| Released: | December 5, 2002 |
| Grade: | B |
I’m sure it’s no coincidence that the release date of this film coincided with the first week of summer in Australia. Somehow I don’t think it might have had the same impact if it was released six months ago.
Anne Marie Chadwick (Bosworth) was once a junior surfer prodigy and won many titles to justify this claim. That was until she was injured in a freak surfing accident. A big wave crushed Anne and she hit her head on the coral reef deep below the water surface. Since the accident, she’s continued to surf, but isn’t game to take on any more big waves and has avoided all competitions.
Suddenly, she’s given a lifeline. The women’s Pipe Masters Championship is to be held at her local beach and she’s been given a wild-card entry to challenge the best in the world. With the help of her friend, Eden (Rodriguez), she’s been practicing hard but still lacks the courage to take on the big waves. On top of her surfing dramas, Anne is battling hard to care for her younger sister, Penny (Boorem) since their mother walked out on them.
Both Eden and Anne work as housekeeping in a luxury hotel nearby. In the week leading up to the competition, Anne meets and falls for a visiting football players named Matt (Davis). The two begins a very quick summer romance but it’s only going to complicate Anne’s life even further. With all the time she’s spending with Matt, her surfing practice is being neglected. Further, is Matt just a one-night stand or is there something more permanent in this blossoming romance? Tough, huh?
Positively, there’s a fresh, hip soundtrack to compliment the surfing. And whilst it won’t be winning any costume design awards, the small bikinis our stars wear enhances the eye-candy. You don’t have to be a huge surfing fan to understand most of the story. There’s a very annoying commentator who’ll explain it all to you during the final competition.
Negatively, the editing really stinks. There’s some great cinematography but it doesn’t fit together when edited. From one scene to the next, the waves look different sizes, the characters look different (because of stunt doubles) and the special effects leave a lot to be desired. I know it’s tough given the scenario (on water) but it is frustrating to watch. Maybe I’m looking to hard and not enjoying the film for what it is. Maybe I needed more popcorn.
Spirited Away
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Hayao Miyazaki |
| Written by: | Hayao Miyazaki, Cindy Hewitt, Donald Hewitt |
| Starring: | Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Michael Chiklis, Suzanne Pleshette, Lauren Holly |
| Released: | December 12, 2002 |
| Grade: | A |
I’ve enjoyed the recent wave of animated and computer generated family flicks to come from leading Hollywood studios such as Disney and Dreamworks. I’m referring to films such as Monsters Inc., Shrek and Ice Age. Of concern however, is a growing problem in that these films are relying on the same familiar formulas and hence, falling victim to the same flaws. Screenwriters aren’t willing to broaden the horizon because there’s just too much money at stake.
Writer-director Hayao Miyazaki is a leader in Japanese animation. He established his own production company, Studio Ghibli, in 1985 and hasn’t looked back. None of his previous films have been released in Australia and our only access to his works has been through video stores. This has contributed to Miyazaki developing a cult-like status in both Australia and the United States.
Despite rave reviews, his last film, 1997’s Princess Mononoke couldn’t find an Australian distributor. Finally, the hype surrounding Miyazaki’s work has become too hard to ignore and like a magical spirit itself, Spirited Away has woven its way into theatres this week. Back in February, the film claimed its highest honour - top prize at the Berlin Film Festival (which is shared with Bloody Sunday). If you’re looking for a benchmark, previous winners of this award include Magnolia, The Thin Red Line, The People Vs. Larry Flynt, Sense And Sensibility and In The Name Of The Father.
So how strongly do other critics think of this film? Rotten Tomatoes is a leading web-site (visited by over 2.7 million people monthly) that summarises every leading American critic’s review against a positive (fresh) or negative (rotten) scale. Spirited Away had 114 fresh reviews and 1 rotten review for a total approval rating of 99%. Adjectives used included “breathtaking”, “evocative”, “enchanting”, “gorgeous”, “imaginative” and “wonderful”.
The film centres on a small girl named Chihiro who is driving with her parents to their new home when the father takes a wrong turn and winds up at an abandoned theme park. Chihiro wanders off and by crossing a bridge to explore a large bath house, crosses over from the human world into the spirit world. She is immediately detected but with the help of a young boy named Haku, she learns the ways of the spirit world and can begin her quest to return home and rescue her parents (who have now been turned into pigs).
The story focuses on Chihiro’s adventure but in the background of every scene, there’s an inventive tapestry of animation. There any many types of spirits and I look at them with awe-filled curiosity - it’s a truly amazing world. Obviously, the film was initially made with Japanese dialogue. English speaking actors have been chosen to dub this updated version and thankfully, you can’t tell the difference.
Watching this film reminded me of when I was a kid. A time when both before and after school, I religiously watched my beloved cartoons. It’s ironic that another Japanese animated series, Astro Boy, was my personal favourite. Spirited Away certainly isn’t a leader in animation technology, but it set a new benchmark in animation storytelling. Glorious!
Killing Me Softly
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Kaige Chen |
| Written by: | Kara Lindstrom |
| Starring: | Heather Graham, Joseph Fiennes, Natascha McElhone, Ian Hart |
| Released: | November 28, 2002 |
| Grade: | C |
Yikes, what a stinker! On paper, you’d think actors like Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes wouldn’t even glance twice as such a pitiful script. Their agents should have shredded the paper as soon as it arrived. But somehow, that which should not have happened, unfortunately has.
Hmmm, let me try to make some sense out of this script although thanks to some dodgy editing and screenplay full of holes, there are some elements that may never be explained. Alice (Graham) is pretty content with life and has a nice boyfriend. Walking to work one morning, she reaches to push the pedestrian button at a set of streetlights only to find another gentlemen (Fiennes) pushing the button at the same time.
Their eyes meet - oh my god, it’s true love. So they wind up going back to his place and making love, um, quite a few times. The next day, she finds out his name, Adam, and more about him. He’s a renowned mountain climber who’s previous girlfriend was killed in a nasty avalanche. Alice immediately breaks up with her current boyfriend, and soon Alice and Adam are married and living together.
But Alice receives notes in the mail and mysterious telephone calls. They warn her to leave Adam before it is too late. This suddenly creates doubt in Alice - exactly how much does she know about her husband’s past? Should she put faith in him or is it time to start investigating the truth in these messages?
Quite frankly, I couldn’t care. The ending is ludicrous and doesn’t even answer half the questions - that’s really frustrating. There’s some unusually steamy sex early on in the production to give a bit of spice but it slides away from there. Everyone just behaves so stupidly and so forcibly to make the script work.
In a quiet theatre (with not too many patrons I might add), the term Killing Me Softly is quite apt. It’s how I felt sitting there watching that screen. So please, make sure that you don’t end up feeling the same way - and just see something else!
Die Another Day
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Lee Tamahori |
| Written by: | Neal Purvis, Robert Wade |
| Starring: | Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench |
| Released: | December 12, 2002 |
| Grade: | B- |
When it comes to Bond, yes James Bond, I feel like using the same review over and over again. Unlike McDonalds, this franchise isn’t offering any “new taste menu”. It has all the formulaic trademarks of a Bond film and therein lies the problem.
This time around, the film began promisingly. Mr Bond (once again played by Pierce Brosnan) is trying to infiltrate a weapons operation in North Korea. After a daring getaway, he is captured at the final hurdle and imprisoned and tortured for 14 months. His captors pressure him to reveal names of his associates by Bond refuses to give in. With hope seeming lost, his life is suddenly spared. The British are holding captive a North Korean terrorist and a trade is negotiated between the two parties. At headquarters, M (Dench) is furious with Bond as it has been rumoured he folded under interrogation and gave names to the North Koreans. Bond denies of course but M removes him from duty.
But that wouldn’t be much of an adventure, would it? Bond continues anyway in his quest to seek revenge on the North Korean terrorist and to find out who set him up. His investigations lead him to Gustav Graves (Stephens) – a wealthy diamond mine operator. After an action packed introduction at a fencing club, Bond knows Graves to be involved in something sinister. Soon after, M tracks Bond down to apologise and reinstate him – so now he’s got all the resources of the intelligence behind him (including fast cars and cool gizmos). He’s going to be assisted by fellow agent Miranda Frost (Pike), who’s been tracking Graves for several months. Yes, Bond sleeps with her along the way.
Throughout this adventure, Bond keeps running into a feisty woman known initially as Jinx (Berry). Yep, he sleeps with her too. She’s clearly out to get Graves also but who is she working for and what is her motive? Are her and Bond on the same side?
This would be the part where I say the plot thickens but this is Bond film, remember? The final 45 minutes is an insanely over-the-top, farcical array of action sequences which looks phoney and generates no excitement. How about an example? In one scene, James Bond is on an iceberg in a very fast car trying to outrun a giant laser beam that is being shot from the sky via satellite (don’t you hate that). On reaching the edge, the laser breaks the tip of the iceberg and he plummets into the icy water below. But wait! Using the hood of the vehicle as a surfboard and a parachute from the boot, he rides the tidal wave back to safe ground. Now don’t tell me that it’s just a bit of fun. Thanks to cheap special effects, the word “plausible” has no meaning.
Oh, and there’s a scene in which instead of shooting Halle Berry, one of the henchman suggests they kill her with a laser beam. So they leave her unattended while the laser beam moves slowly towards her. I mean come on – haven’t the directors seen Austin Powers???
The dialogue has stinging wit but again, it’s too much. The double meanings and sexual innuendoes have become a regular characteristic of a James Bond film but they’re being overused. Of the cast, Halle Berry leads the pack with her spicy role. It’s unusual to see Bond working with another female agent (who won’t betray him) and there’s even talk in Hollywood of Berry starting her own spin-off movies. I pray that Halle turns down the offer because as her Oscar-winning turn in Monster’s Ball showed, she’s better than that.