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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.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 May 2023

Freedom of speech is a continual topic of discussion within universities across the globe.  These places aren’t corporate, for-profit entities where everyone has to toe the line of upper management.  Universities are shaped by the differing views of academics, students, professional staff, donors, alumni, and granting bodies.  The opinion of two economics professors may vary widely but they’re still entitled to publish their respective research papers and explain their conclusions as representatives of the same university.

This tenet is at the heart of Cairo Conspiracy, a thriller from Swedish director Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident).  It is set in Egypt where the Grand Imam who oversees the prestigious Al-Azhar University has passed away.  In appointing a successor, those on the University Council are leaning towards a well-respected, open-minded academic.  However, the Egyptian President wants to further consolidate his power by appointing a candidate who is more aligned to his own political and religious views.

The story is largely told from the perspective of an unlikely individual.  Adam (Barhom) is the son of a rural fisherman and has been accepted into Al-Azhar on a full academic scholarship.  It sounds like a great, life-changing opportunity but Adam becomes unwillingly caught up in the abovementioned power struggle.  He is blackmailed by State Security, told to infiltrate certain groups within the University, and then report back to a meddling intelligence agent (Fares).

It’s an eye-opening narrative for those unfamiliar with Egyptian culture and customs.  Religion plays a huge part in day-to-day life.  When accepted into university, Adam’s father describes it as “part of God’s plan”.  When practicing his handwriting in class, a teacher praises Adam’s skills by saying “God has blessed him with a steady hand.”  That sounds harmless enough but Saleh deftly shows us the hypocrisy that often exists within religion and the way in which it is used as a weapon for suppression.  The McDonalds scene gave me a laugh!

The Egyptian setting will heighten curiosity levels but when you look beyond that, it’s a standard, Hollywood-style, spy thriller.  Dodgy deals are made, people can’t be trusted, and the “bad guys” can be easily distinguished.  I wasn’t convinced by Tawfeek Barhom in the lead role.  He walks around with a constant sense of scared bewilderment on his face and it’s hard to believe in his ability to gather intelligence for his boss.

Winner of the best screenplay prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and making the 15-film shortlist for best international feature at the recent Academy Awards, Cairo Conspiracy is conventional but still interesting.

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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: 03 May 2023

There’s much chatter right now about rising interest rates, significant cost of living pressures, and a slowing economy.  Are we heading into a recession, how bad will it be, and is there any way it can be avoided?  The Hollywood equivalent of these issues/questions is currently playing out within the world of superhero movies.

Marvel’s Ant Man and the Wasp, released back in February 2023, has grossed just $475m USD at the global box-office.  This it the worst take for any sequel within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  One month later, Shazam! Fury of the Gods became the worst performer within the DC Extended Universe by pulling it just $133m USD globally.  Have audiences grown tired of the increasingly formulaic genre and are ready to move on to something else?  The Super Mario Bros. Movie is making gazillions right now!  Or is this just a quick blip from which the genre will soon recover?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be seen by many as a litmus test.   The first two flicks, released in 2014 and 2017, were successful at the box-office and this fresh instalment is being billed as a culmination of the trilogy and, possibly, the end of the road for some heroes.  In addition to the big-name cast, James Gunn also returns as writer-director to help close subplots and character arcs he first conceived a decade ago.

The narrative is ho-hum.  Rocket the raccoon (Cooper) is injured in a surprise attack and will die in roughly 48 hours if his friends, headlined by professional thief Peter Quill (Pratt), are not able to locate the deactivation code for a “kill switch” located inside his body.  This sends them on a series of dangerous missions across the universe where everyone wants to capture or kill them.  Headlining the list of enemies is the High Evolutionary (Iwuji), a man trying to create an alternative Earth where everyone is happy, and violence is non-existent.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the 32^nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (wowzers!) and the creative well has seemingly run dry in creating interesting, complex villains.  The High Evolutionary likes to shout and boss people around but he’s a bland baddie with seen-it-all-before plans for world domination.  I’d argue the best Marvel flicks are those with the best antagonists – see Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War or Killmonger in Black Panther. 

The action is a bit all over place at times (I had no idea what the Guardians were strategizing during the hectic finale) but this is still entertaining because of its comedy and the chemistry between its leads.  They’re a humorous, depreciating group with distinctive personalities.  The tone is light, the zingers and plentiful, and there’s a splash of genuine emotion at just the right moments.  The visual effects and production values are also strong.  One of the best scenes takes place on a colourful, gooey, “living” spaceship.

150 minutes is a touch long for an action-comedy (the opening is slow) but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a (just) good enough entry to close out the story of these music-loving superheroes.

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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