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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 May 2023

As proven by the mockumentary television series What We Do in the Shadows, there’s a place in the world for vampire comedies.  There’s nothing flash about the storyline but Renfield allows its three stars, Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy), Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), and Awkwafina (The Farewell) to showcase their comedic talents and generate well-earned laughs.  They’re having fun and that vibe is imparted onto the audience.

Hoult plays the title character of Renfield, a one-time real estate agent who, many decades ago, took up the opportunity to be Count Dracula’s (Cage) submissive assistant.  When Dracula wants to go on a “blood sucking bender”, it’s Renfield who tends to his needs – getting his cape dry cleaned and finding unsuspecting victims for him to feed up.  The “Prince of Darkness” has a penchant for happy couples, tourists, nuns, and cheerleaders.  He has no issue with diversity either.  He’s quick to point out that he’ll joyously suck the blood from either a man or a woman.

Dracula has largely kept a low profile (he hides out in an abandoned hospital in New Orleans) but with new ambitions for world domination (people can either be followers or food), Renfield has decided to pull the rip cord.  Just like a bad, one-sided relationship, he wants to break away from Dracula’s control and start a new life for himself with colourful clothes, a tidier hairstyle, a decorated studio apartment… and yes, a job where he doesn’t have to kill people.  He also finds romance with Rebecca (Awkwafina), a lowly ranked traffic cop who is seemingly the only uncorruptible person within the police force.

There’s a subplot involving a much-feared crime family headed by a ferocious matriarch (Aghdashloo) and her not-so-competent son (Schwartz) but it doesn’t add much.  Renfield is at its best when the three lead characters are venting about their bizarre troubles and, keeping their faces as straight as possible, bouncing jokes off each other.  Hoult’s character attends a self-help group for co-dependent relationships which also serves as an opportunity for humour.

Fitting the film’s comedic tone, director Chris McKay goes for outlandish, over-the-top gore as opposed to something more graphic and sinister.  Based on the audience reactions at my preview screening, the loudest laughs are saved for unexpected moments where heads explode and blood is splattered over everyone and everything (okay, I’ll admit this isn’t for the squeamish).

Underperforming at the box-office when released in the United States last month, Renfield isn’t a game changer but it’s still an entertaining watch for its concise 93 minutes.      

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 May 2023

Book Club: The Next Chapter is the latest movie to make reference to the COVID-19 pandemic.  With folks asked to avoid interacting in person, the four long-time friends stayed in touch by discussing nominated books over Zoom (complete with technical difficulties).  Thankfully, those days are over and with Vivian (Fonda) now engaged, the wealthy quartet decide to make up for lost time by going on a makeshift bachelorette party/trip to Italy.  Regions to be visited include Rome, Venice and Tuscany.

The 2018 movie was far from perfect but it eked out over $100 million at the box-office and turned a tidy profit.  Writers Bill Holderman and Erin Simms were given the green light for a sequel and, as if taking on board some of the negative feedback, they’ve crafted a screenplay which improves on the original (it’s rare to say that).  Annoying family members have been omitted, the male leads have been pushed into the background, and the four brilliant lead actors spend more time together.

No topic is off limits as Diane, Vivian, Sharon and Carol talk about life, love, sex, wine, food and fate.  There are moments where they have deep philosophical discussions about old age and finding happiness… and there are moments where they act like immature teenagers and use double entendres to joke about the romantic misadventures.  Once again, it’s hard to pick a favourite out of Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen – they’re all so good!

It feels odd to be saying this but the lack of tension serves as a positive.  Instead of trying to create unnecessary villains and faux drama, it’s a film that understands what its audience wants and so the tone is kept light throughout.  This is a feel-good flick… and a good one at that.  Even when the four women are locked up in an Italian prison cell, it creates a humorous opportunity for them to open up and talk about their feelings for each other.

In terms of the finale, a few plot points are predictable but there are also a few surprises (I won’t give them away) which add to the film’s charm.  If you’re looking for another valid reason to buy a ticket, the music choices are great too.  Any film which finds a way to effectively use the Italian song “Gloria”, made famous in the United States by singer Laura Branigan in 1982, is a winner in my eyes. 

Book Club: The Next Chapter shows what can be achieved when placing intelligent, rational characters in a fun, entertaining adventure.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 May 2023

There’s only so much juice you can squeeze from a single orange.  That’s the first thought which came to mind as the credits rolled on Fast X, the latest in the long-running Fast and the Furious franchise which began with a simpler, humbler film back in 2001.  Based on what’s served up here over 141 minutes, there’s nothing more this series can offer in terms of action sequences and character development.  It only continues as a money-making vehicle for the studio and key cast members.

The film opens with our car-loving heroes being secretly engaged by government head honchoes to recover stolen military hardware in Rome.  It turns out the whole thing is a ruse and, after being framed for a terrorist attack which almost destroys Vatican City, Dominic Toretto (Diesel) becomes the world’s most wanted criminal.  He and his crew are forced into hiding and must formulate a plan to clear their names.

The bad guy is Dante Reyes (Momoa), a relaxed, happy-go-lucky Brazilian goon looking to avenge his father’s death who was killed off at the end of 2011’s Fast Five.  If you’re not in the mood to revisit/remember that effort, a quick re-cap is provided at the start of Fast X.  As the villain, Jason Momoa is the best thing in this.  His camp, comedic, over-the-top turn brings back memories of Javier Bardem’s scene-stealing performance in Skyfall.  It’s as if Momoa’s character is the only one in the movie who realises the narrative is farcical and so plays it for maximum silliness.  The others are far too serious.

The rest of the movie is stuff we’ve seen before.  The heroes miraculously have time for deep, idea-sharing conversations before having to make split second decisions (like stopping a giant, rolling bomb).  Dom constantly reminds us about the importance of family (“without family, you’ve got nothing”) and puts his life in danger again and again because of his “faith.”  Oh, and the filmmakers continue with the annoying idea that the late Paul Walker still exists within the Fast and the Furious universe… even though we never see him.

If you’re at the film’s two-hour mark and wondering how the 14,000 open plot lines will be resolved in the final moments, the answer is they won’t be.  Vin Diesel stated at the world premiere that Fast X is likely to the first in a three-part trilogy that will bring a close to the franchise.  A quick scene part way through the closing credits provides a glimpse of what’s in store for the next movie (scheduled to be released in two years).

It was a bumpy ride for the cast and crew… both on and off the screen.  Director Justin Lin (F9) quit a week into principal photography after a falling out (if you believe the tabloids) with Vin Diesel over the script.  French director Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, Now You See Me) then took over.  I’m interested to see what long-time fans think of this and where it ranks.  Plenty of money has been splashed around on the sizeable cast and elaborate, CGI-laden action but does it add up to anything memorable?  I’m not convinced.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 May 2023

On 13 November 2015, an Islamic State terrorist cell conducted a series of attacks across Paris which took the lives of 130 people.  It was the deadliest attack in France since World War II.  President François Hollande declared a state of emergency and in the days that followed, Parisians were urged to stay indoors given unanswered questions about what had unfolded, and the fear of further attacks.

November is a French drama which provides a condensed look at the five days following the terrorist attack from the perspective of local investigators.  The film makes the curious decision not to show any part of the attack.  After an unnecessary prologue set in Greece, director Cédric Jimenez opens the film with a powerful scene.  A lone government agent is in a dimly-lit office building when suddenly, every phone starts ringing.  He has no comprehension of what’s just unfolded but knows it must be serious.

In the same vein as Paul Greengrass’ brilliant United 93, November is trying to provide a gritty, documentary-like feel and illustrate the behind-the-scenes chaos as thousands of detectives and police officers piece evidence together.  In keeping the run time to a concise 100 minutes, the film is largely centred on a small part of the investigation – the hunt to locate Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian-born jihadist who was suspected of orchestrating the terrorist attacks.

There’s not a lot of insight on offer here.  This may have been one of the darkest days in France’s history this century but large chunks of the narrative feel they belong in a formulaic television show.  Detectives work ridiculously long hours and put work above well-being.  Gazillions of leads are phoned in by the public and it’s hard to separate useful from useless.  Tension develops between colleagues and departments as they disagree over approach.  Agents go rogue and “take matters into their own hands” for better or worse.  None of this will come as any huge surprise.

The most interesting characters in this ensemble are those who aren’t working for the government.  Lyna Khoudri plays a young Muslim woman who suspects her roommate is helping two terrorists on the run.  She decides to betray her friend (a big decision in itself) but then has difficulty persuading detectives that her information is both truthful and relevant.  There’s much second-guessing on her part as to whether she’s made the right call and whether her own life is now in danger.

The cast is headlined by Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) and is a name that will help with international marketability. France is known for producing a few top-notch dramas each year (e.g. Lost Illusions and Full Time in 2021) but November fails to live up to that high benchmark

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 May 2023

It’s rare to see an Australian documentary released widely in big multiplexes across the country but there’s enough faith from the distributor of John Farnham: Finding the Voice to give it a whirl.  Farnham is an Aussie music icon and while the doco is not revolutionary in terms of style and content, it provides a fitting tribute to the singer’s talent and perseverance.  As we’ve learned from countless music biopics, it’s often a long, windy road to the top for most performers (and it’s even harder to stay on top).

Farnham’s life story is told in chronological order and begins back in the mid-1960s when he was a young, naive upstart singing about Sadie the Cleaning Lady.  The archival footage we see is in black and white – a reminder of just how long ago it was when Farnham started out.  It’s easy to look back with the benefit of hindsight but the next two decades were a struggle professionally, financially, and mentally.  It wasn’t until “Whispering Jack” became a smash hit in 1986 that Farnham truly capitalised on his talent and found international fame.

As if mirroring Farnham’s career, this documentary has gone through its fair share of ups and downs in being produced.  It was a passion project for Glenn Wheatley, the singer’s long-time manager, but sadly, Wheatley passed away in February 2022 at the age of 74.  The film was roughly half complete at the time with Wheatley having recorded an insightful interview, considered to be one of his last, which is seen throughout the film.

Wheatley’s death clearly had an impact on the film.  The finished product of director Poppy Stockell feels as much of a homage to Wheatley as it is to Farnham.  There’s nothing wrong with that approach but some are rushed given time constraints.  Wheatley spending 10 months in prison for tax evasion comes across as an innocuous, throw-away comment which itself could have been the subject of an entire feature length film.  At least it might prompt audiences to do a little post-film reading – rarely a bad thing when it comes to docos.

A bunch of talking heads appear on screen to chat about their memory of events and/or their general admiration for Farnham himself.  The list includes recognisable stars like Celine Dion, Robbie Williams, Jimmy Barnes, Daryl Braithwaite, and Jimmy Emmanuel, but also family members and long-time band members.  Two faces are noticeably absent.  We hear from the late Olivia Newton-John but it’s audio as opposed to video given her health issues at the time.  Farnham isn’t heard from at all.  Given his recent battle with a cancerous tumour, Stockwell relies on archival interviews in telling his version of happenings (as opposed to a reflective, current day conversation looking back).

It takes a while to warm up but the power of John Farnham: Finding the Voice comes from its interviewees.  Some of them become quite expressive and that vibe passes through the screen and onto viewers.  It’s what great storytellers can do – tell a tale which pulls you in.  It also allows the emotion of the moment to be passed from one to the other.  It’s hard not to be moved watching Gaynor Wheatley speak about her late husband and time spent alongside Farnham.

Regardless of how much you know about John Farnham and the Australian music industry, there’s something to take away from John Farnham: Finding the Voice.