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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 December 2014

Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.  Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets.  Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine.  These are just a few names that you’d find on a list of cinema’s great “grumpy old guys”.  Now in his mid-60s, it seems iconic actor Bill Murray (Lost In Translation) wants his spot on that list.  Writer-director Theodore Melfi has provided the vehicle in what is his first feature film, St Vincent.

Murray plays Vincent – an elderly man who pretty much does whatever he wants.  He drinks, he smokes, he gambles, and he goes to strip clubs.  Vincent doesn’t have a job and so all of his activities have been funded by drawing down on his home loan.  Unfortunately, house prices have plummeted and the bank isn’t giving him another dime.

Vincent’s got a few more problems too.  He’s been sleeping with a Russian prostitute (Watts) who is now pregnant with his child.  He owes a significant sum of money to a loan shark (Howard) after losing at the local race track.  He’s also months behind on his payments to a respite centre where his wife, suffering from dementia, now resides.

As is the case with most of cinema’s great “grumpy old guys”, Vincent goes through somewhat of a transformation.  The catalyst is a shy, insightful kid named Oliver (Lieberher) who has moved in next door with his single mother, Maggie (McCarthy).  Maggie has to work long hours at a hospital and so she’s reluctantly asked Vincent to babysit Oliver for a few hours each day after school.  Don’t think Vincent is doing this out of the kindness of his heart.  He’s demanding $12 an hour as part of his conditions.

St Vincent is designed to be a crowd pleaser.  It finished 3^rd in voting for the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival back in September (that’s a big honour).  The film’s opening half is largely comedic with Bill Murray uttering insult after insult.  It’s his preferred method of pushing people away.  He lives alone and doesn’t want anyone to get beneath his tough exterior.

Events become more dramatic in the second half.  There are some touching moments that may leave some audience members reaching for tissues.  There’s a particularly powerful scene where Maggie opens up to Vincent about her uneasy past (she fled from her cheating husband) and her concerns for Oliver going forward.  It all leads to a conclusion that is both sweet and poignant.

The film’s heart is in the right place but the story is jumbled.  There are some problems, such as Vincent’s run-in with the loan shark, that don’t add value and are resolved far too easily.  Other issues aren’t even followed through at all (such as when Vincent “borrows” money from Oliver’s new bank account).  I was also baffled at the “romance” (for use of a better word) between Vincent and the Russian prostitute.  What did they see in each other?

The bottom line though – I’ll always pay money to see a Bill Murray movie.  Yeah, the script has a few flaws but it’s nice to see Murray interact with Melissa McCarthy (in a rare dramatic role) and bond with young actor Jaeden Lieberher (in his first big screen performance).  It’s perfect fare for the Christmas holidays here in Australia.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 November 2014

11-year-old Alexander Cooper (Oxenbould) has been having a bit of a bad run.  He tripped over and landed on his face when trying to impress a girl.  He set fire to a poster at school while conducting a science experiment.  Now, he’s just found out that a super-popular classmate has scheduled his 12^th birthday party for the same date and time as his own (meaning no one will come to his).

Alexander’s family aren’t offering a lot in the way of sympathy.  They’ve taken the optimistic view that “there’s no such a thing as a bad day, it’s all how you look at it.”  I guess it’s any easy philosophy to buy into when things are going well.  His dad (Carrell) is set to get a better job at a cool company, his mum (Garner) is up for a big promotion at work, his older brother (Minnette) is set to get his driver’s licence, and his older sister (Dorsey) is about to star in a high school play.

So as the clock reaches midnight and his 12^th birthday begins, Alexander makes a simple wish – that his fellow family members realise what it feels like to have a bad day.  Sure enough, it comes true in spectacular fashion.  The next few hours will see the cheerful Cooper family go through a wild assortment of dramas that provide a very different perspective on life.

This is a good, old-fashioned family comedy.  It reminds me of similar live-action films I enjoyed growing up in the early 1990s including Home Alone, Mrs Doubtfire and Jumanji.  Kids will have no trouble following the simple storyline.  Adults will be able to relate to the broad premise – let’s be honest, we’ve all had terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days at some point in our lives.

This may be a high-profile Walt Disney Studios production but the film’s star is Ed Oxenbould, a 13-year-old Aussie with limited acting experience.  He went through a raft of auditions and beat out more than 500 American youngsters to land the title role.  Director Miguel Arteta described him as a “real kid” who was “not too over-the-top and fake” and yes, I agree with him.  It’s a neat way of summing up what makes Oxenbould’s character so fun and likeable.

The movie is loosely based on the 32-page children’s book of the same name written by Judith Viorst (it was first published in 1972).  I’ve had a few people look at me quizzically when I’ve mentioned the title but I’m glad to see they’ve stuck with it here.  It’s catchy... and it also captures the film’s essence – something that’s fun, silly and crazy.  A great choice for the family as the Christmas school holidays kick off here in Australia.

You can read my chat with Aussie star Ed Oxenbould by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 December 2014

Put yourself in the shoes of Mr Brown.  You’ve just stepped off a train and see a small talking bear waiting on the platform.  It turns out the bear is at the end of an incredibly long journey from “Darkest Peru” and is looking for somewhere to live in London.  Listening to the strong pleas of your wife and two children, you reluctantly agree to let the bear stay the night.

So what’s the first thing you do on getting home?  In the case of this Mr Brown, who just so happens to work as a risk assessor, he calls his insurance company.  He wants to make sure that he’s covered for any “bear related damage” in case the whole thing goes pear shaped.

The point I’m trying to make is that this is more than just a simple kids’ film about a cute coat-wearing bear.  Yes, there are scenes where the bear causes absolute mayhem which will leave most children laughing.  A moment where he uses Mr Brown’s toothbrush to clear the gunk from his ears springs to mind.  Just as importantly though, there’s enough humour for adults (evidenced by the insurance example) to keep them equally entertained.

The film opens with a short backstory.  We learn that Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) was raised by his loving aunt and uncle in a beautiful Peruvian forest.  Many years ago, they were visited by an English explorer who promised that if they ever came to London, he’d welcome them into his home.  That pretty much leads into the current day narrative.  Paddington is travelling alone as his uncle recently passed away and his aunt is quite frail.

The Brown family are doing their best to help Paddington track down the English explorer (no one knows his name) but a villain is thrown into the mix to make life more difficult.  A museum taxidermist (played by Nicole Kidman) is looking to get her hands on the bear so it can be killed and stuffed for her own private collection.

What struck me most about the film was the quality of animation.  I make this statement about so many animated features but the bar keeps being raised higher and higher.  Once you get caught up in the story, you’ll quickly forget that Paddington is the creation of the gifted animation team.  From his mannerisms to his thick fur, the attention to detail is incredible.

The storyline is sweet and simple – another positive if taking young children along.  The film’s weaker moments tend to revolve around Kidman as the villain.  She’s a silly, non-threatening character and it makes me wonder if Paul King and Hamish McColl were afraid of making something that might be too dark for the kids.

With Alexander & The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day released last Thursday here in Australia, it looks like there are plenty of decent offerings for children and their accompanying parents over the school holidays.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 25 November 2014

The way in which people connect has transformed significantly over the past decade.  That’s certainly a key theme in Men, Women & Children – the latest effort from writer-director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up In The Air).  There isn’t really a leading character.  Drawing from Chad Kultgen’s novel of the same name (first published in 2011), the film weaves a group of loosely related stories together.

Starting with the adults… Don (Sandler) is a middle-aged man who seems to be more interested in downloading pornography than sleeping with his wife.  Helen (DeWitt) is a married woman who has found a website designed for those looking to have an affair.  Patricia (Garner) is an overprotective mother who checks her teenage daughter’s internet use every day.  Kent (Norris) is a football-loving father who doesn’t understand why his son has lost interest in the sport.  Joan (Greer) is a single mum who is nurturing her daughter’s aspirations to become a reality television star. 

Moving on to the teenagers… Tim (Elgort) is a former football star who has reached out to a new group of friends through an online video game.  Allison (Kampouris) is a cheerleader who is using tips from an ill-informed “extreme dieting” website to lose weight.  Chris (Tope) is an introverted kid who has become addicted to a series of porn sites.  Hannah (Crocicchia) is a wanna-be actress who will do anything to achieve her goals.  Brandy (Dever) is a sheltered youngster who opens up about herself through a secret online blog.

There’s a lot of troubled characters and to the film’s credit, most of them are quite interesting.  The common link is that they’ve all turned to the internet in search of interaction – sometimes in a positive way, sometimes in a negative way.  People often lament about the “good old days” where you met people face-to-face or spoke to them over the phone.  Reitman’s film shows how much the world has changed through the advent of social media, dating apps, blogs, adult websites, and shared video games.  There’s plenty of food for thought here.

In terms of the performances, it’s the younger cast members that shine most brightly.  They deftly illustrate the complexities of finding friends, discovering love and exploring their sexuality in today’s age.  I wasn’t as enamoured by the adult storylines.  Jennifer Garner feels too over-the-top as a mother who essentially stalks her own children.  There are still some nice conversations though and an exchange between Judy Greer and Dean Norris in a restaurant springs to mind.

Much of the film’s hard work is undone by a weak finale.  Most of the characters go through a life-changing epiphany that doesn’t ring true.  It’s as if writers Jason Reitman and Erin Cressida Wilson are trying too hard to wrap everything up neatly for the audience’s satisfaction.  I’ve a hunch that if we revisited these characters in a year’s time, not all would be as happy and as stable as the conclusion suggests.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 December 2014

Released back in 2011, Horrible Bosses was a successful dark comedy that followed three guys of questionable intelligence who attempted to kill their respective bosses.  It didn’t go as planned but in the end, their problems were solved and they all escaped jail time.  It may sound like quite a sick premise but the film worked because (1) it was so ridiculously over-the-top that you couldn’t take it seriously, and (2) there was great comedic chemistry between the three leads – Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis.

This latest sequel reunites them under different circumstances.  Nick, Dale and Kurt no longer have to worry about evil, vindictive, overbearing bosses.  That’s because they’re working for themselves.  They’ve started their own company and are trying to sell a new type of shower head that they’ve named the “Shower Buddy” (after much debate).

After making a deal with a wealthy businessman (Waltz) to invest in the product, our illustrious trio take out a $500,000 loan and kick start production.  Unfortunately, they’ve been set up.  The businessman, Burt Hanson, reveals that no formal contract was signed.  He intends to renege on the deal, bankrupt their company, and take the Shower Buddy stock at a greatly reduced price.

Nick, Dale and Kurt have decided against murder as their revenge tool in this instance.  They’re branching out into something different – kidnapping.  Acting on the advice from an old criminal acquaintance (Foxx), they concoct an elaborate plan to kidnap Burt’s son, Rex (Pine), and demand a ransom of $500,000.  Just like the first film, it all degenerates into a complete farce with plenty of laughs.

Director Seth Gordon didn’t return for this sequel (he was off working on other projects).  Instead, Sean Anders steps into the hot seat as his replacement.  Anders’ resume wouldn’t exactly fill you with confidence (he was a writer on Hot Tub Time Machine, Mr Popper’s Penguins and That’s My Boy) but he’s preserved the spirit of the original and delivered a film worth your money.

In articulating my thoughts, I may as well do a “cut and paste” job from my review of the last movie.  The dynamic between the three leading actors makes the far-fetched premise work.  Jason Bateman plays the serious, logical guy.  Charlie Day plays the moronic goofball.  Jason Sudeikis fits somewhere in between.  The supporting players all make the most of their limited screen time.

The film also picks up points for its screenplay.  Comedic sequels often fall into the trap of sticking too closely to their predecessors but that’s not the case here.  Instead of more “boss killing”, the two-man writing team have crafted a fresh scenario that has room for returning cast members (Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey) as well as new recruits (Christoph Waltz, Chris Pine).

I wouldn’t say it’s better than the original… but it’s very close to being its equal.