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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 June 2012

Billy Connolly recently attended the Sydney Film Festival for the Australian premiere of Brave, the new animated film from Pixar.

 

I was lucky enough to talk with Billy about the film and what goes on behind the scenes of an animated film…

 

You can download a 3 minute audio extract of the interview by clicking here.
 

Matt:  I know you’ve done voice work before on films like Open Season, Paws and Pocahontas.  What’s the secret?  How do you keep landing all of these roles?

 

Billy:  I don’t know.  I think they like the originality of the noise that I make.  I don’t audition or anything like that.  They just phone up and ask would you like to do it.

 

Matt:  I was going to ask about how they audition process works for an animated film.  Just knowing your voice… is that all they go off?

 

Billy:  That’s all, especially in an animated film.  The voice is all you’ve got.

 

Matt:  So when did they approach you about Brave?  Did they send you out a script so you can see what the film is going to be about?

 

Billy:  No.  You just get your own bit.  They just tell you roughly the story and when you get to the studio, you record only your own lines.  So it was really exciting going to the premiere as I hadn’t seen the movie.

 

Matt:  So which other actors had you interacted with?  Do you do the voices opposite them in the studio?

 

Billy:  No, you do it on your own.  You don’t interact with anybody.

 

Matt:  Wow!  All the conversations that we see in the movie, you were basically talking to yourself and it’s all mixed together later?

 

Billy:  Absolutely.

 

Matt:  In terms of your character in the film, the laid-back Scott, King Fergus, do you get any say yourself in terms of the look of the character?  Can you throw in a few one liners yourself?

 

Billy:  You can throw in bits and pieces.  Sometimes you might not like the sound of a word.  You don’t like the way it fits in your mouth or you don’t think it’d be something the King would say.  I’d then give them a Scottish word and they’d all panic because they thought I was trying to sneak something dirty on them.

 

Matt:  The mental image I have of directors is sitting in a chair, looking through the camera lens and yelling action.  So what’s the relationship between an actor and a director on an animated film?

 

Billy:  It’s lovely!  He just sits at a desk to your left and you stand at a music stand with the script nailed to some cardboard.  You get one page at a time and you do your bit.  He laughs or otherwise and then you move along.  It’s a lovely process.

 

Matt:  Does it take a lot of takes to get it just right?

 

Billy:  Yes.  There are usually about 5 to 6 takes with different voices.  He’d get me to say things in different ways – high, low, loud, angry, funny, sombre, and then go from there.

 

Matt:  You mentioned that you only got to see the film for the first time recently.  What were your thoughts on it?

 

Billy:  I thought it was a really smashing film.  It’s a great movie to take your daughter along to.  I have 4 daughters and I like the way the world is becoming for women.  They are encouraged to do their own thing and stick to their guns and go for their own destiny.

 

Matt:  The story is set in the highlands of Scotland and pulls a little from ancient folklore.  I was actually curious about the “wisps” that pop up during the movie.  Is that part of Scottish legend?

 

Billy:  The will-o’-the-wisps are spoken of but they don’t glow in the dark like they do in the movie (laughs).  They’re just a little bit of steam that comes up in boggy ground.

 

Matt:  Now you’re in Sydney for the Sydney Film Festival.  What was it like at the big Australian premiere?

 

Billy:  It was lovely.  There were a lot of people with curly red haired wigs which was funny.  The whole “red hair” thing took me by surprise.  I didn’t realise people were going to latch onto it in such a big way.

 

Matt:  Well that’s one of the things that struck me about the film.  How red her hair is in the movie.  It’s so bright!

 

Billy:  Yes!  It’s if her hair is alive, isn’t it?

 

Matt:  I should finish in a quick mention for The Hobbit which I know we’re going to see later in the year.  Has shooting wrapped up for that?

 

Billy:  No.  It wraps up July 7.  I’m not in the first film.  I’m in the second film.

 

Matt:  What can we expect?  Can you reveal anything about it at all?

 

Billy:  It’s extraordinary.  I’ve seen bits of it and it’s beyond belief.  The way they’ve filmed it – it’s 3D but they’ve filmed it faster than a film is normally filmed and has more frames per second.  It’s given it an amazing clarity so it kind of looks like a cartoon.  It’s unbelievably beautiful.

 

Matt:  I can’t wait to see it but in the meantime everyone can check out Brave which I think is terrific, another wonderful animated flick from Pixar.  Billy Connolly, thanks for talking with us this morning.

 

Billy:  Thank you for talking to me!

 

You can read my review of Brave by clicking here.

 

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 June 2012

  

I’m back in Brisbane after my whirlwind 3-day adventure at the Sydney Film Festival.  It was my first trip to the Festival and it appeared to be very well supported with big crowds and long queues.

 

Without wasting any more time, here’s my wrap…

 

 

Friday, 8 June 2012

 

I snuck away from work at lunchtime, caught a flight to Sydney and was at my hotel just after 4:30pm.  I chose to stay at the Hilton (because of its proximity to the cinemas) and I was not disappointed.  Ok, it was a little pricey but it was worth it.  I enjoyed the spa bath too.

 

Enough about that.  Onto the movies.  My first evening of films was at the Event Cinemas on George Street.  It’s a huge complex and the main cinema holds over 800 people.  It reminded me of the old cinema 3 at Brisbane’s Regent Theatre.  The two films I saw…

 

Where Do We Go Now? is a nice, albeit simplistic tale, of a group of women in Lebanon who come up with a cunning plan to stop the men in their community from fighting.  It’s a crowd-pleaser (no question about that) and whilst I don’t agree with the decision, I can why it won the Audience Award at Toronto last year.  Grade: B+.

 

Jeff, Who Lives At Home is a dumb comedy an unemployed bum (Jason Segel) who leaves his house to buy some glue but ends up being a part of his brother’s crazy adventure.  I hated these characters, disliked the “zoom in, zoom out” camerawork, and didn’t find much at all to laugh about.  Grade: C+.

 

The Festival started rather strangely for me as the Where Do We Go Now? screening didn’t have subtitles for the first 10 minutes.  People were scratching their heads and wondering whether this was part of the director’s intent.  Nope, it was not.  In the end, the screening was stopped and the movie restarted.

 

After the two films, I was lucky to catch up with a bunch of fellow critics who I know through Twitter – Simon Miraudo, Julian Buckeridge, Greg Bennett, Sarah Ward, Sam McCosh, Andrew Buckle and Ian Barr.  We started out at the Festival Lounge at the Grasshopper before moving to the Criterion Hotel, where we stayed until 2am talking movies.  Was tired the next morning but was well worth it.

 

Saturday, 9 June 2012

Saturday was always going to be my big day with 4 movies planned.  It was back to the Event Cinemas on George Street in the morning for…

 

First Position was an amazing ballet documentary that reduced me to tears.  It follows a series of kids as they navigate their way to the final of the Youth America Grand Prix in New York.  Director Bess Kargman picked a great group of people to follow and you’ll feel the tension as the camera zooms in on the faces of the dancers, coaches & parents.  Grade: A.

 

Beasts Of The Southern Wild came with big wraps having won key prizes at Sundance at Cannes. It took a while to warm up (such a strange setting) but it develops in a moving story that explores the relationship between father and daughter in a remote community near New Orleans.  In her first acting role, 8-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis is simply extraordinary.  Grade: A-.

 

For lunch, Julian took me to a terrific place just around the corner from the cinemas – the Encasa Deli.  They serve these awesome Spanish sandwiches (bocadillos) which well and truly gave me the energy to get through the rest of the afternoon.  After a quick/expensive shopping trip in the Pitt Street Mall, it was back to the movies for my evening sessions…

 

Not Suitable For Children is an Australian film about a guy (Ryan Kwanten) who desperately wants to father a child when he learns he has testicular cancer and will have his ball removed in a few weeks.  I’m sure people will see this because of Kwanten but it is Sarah Snook who steals the film as his flatmate.  It has its moments but it’s a shame that so much of this film is hard to believe.  Grade: B-.

 

Moonrise Kingdom is the latest from Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Life Aquatic) and whilst it’s not his best work, it has all his familiar trademarks and will leave you smiling many times.  It’s set on a small island and revolves around a young boy and girl who run away from home and have seemingly everyone pursuing them.  I’d have liked more from the great adult cast but the kids are fun and I’m always a fan of Anderson’s off-beat style.  Grade: A-.

 

I was pretty wrecked after another long day but I had time for a quick drink at the Criterion and caught up with Sydney film fans Mat Whitehead, Sam Downing and Sam Rodgers at some Cuban bar.  I was back at the hotel by midnight where my head hit the pillow very quickly.

 

Sunday, 10 June 2012

After an early morning check out, I dashed off for an early 9:30am start at the State Theatre for a screening of Bully.  It was my first glimpse inside the Theatre which I believe seats close to 2,000 people.  It’s such a shame we don’t have a similar venue in Brisbane!

 

Bully rubbed me up the wrong way.  I realise it’s an important issue but I found director Lee Hirsch’s approach too one-sided for my liking.  I wanted to see the perspective from the bullies themselves and also from a school (or two) that has done something to address the problem.  Grade: C+.

 

I had a few hours spare and so was able to squeeze in lunch at the luxurious food court at Westfield Centre Point.  I also managed to find a pair of black casual shoes!  This was a highlight of my week since I’d been looking for a pair that fit (I have big feet) since I wore my old shoes out at Toronto last September.

 

It was then time for my final two films as the rain descended over Sydney…

 

On The Road was a complete snoozefest.  It’s a decent looking cast on paper but this new film from Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) never got going.  Set in the late 1940s, we follow a budding writer’s travels back and forth across the U.S. but for what purpose?  Stuff happens.  More stuff happens.  The end.  I couldn’t have cared less what happened to these characters.  Grade: C.

 

Undefeated won the Academy Award for best documentary and whilst it doesn’t provide any new revelations into the world of high school football, it’s still an amazing story about a coach’s efforts to take his team and make them better people – both on and off the field.  One scene in particular left my eyes very moist.  Grade: A-.

 

The rain was pouring down as I left for the airport and having caught the last plane of Sydney (queue the Cold Chisel song), I was back in Brisbane by 11pm.

 

The standout films for me were First Position, Undefeated, Moonrise Kingdom and Beasts Of The Southern Wild.  If I had to pick one out, First Position was my personal favourite and I hope it gets a national cinematic release.

 

And that my friends, was that.  I’ll be closely following those that are still in Sydney for the Festival which still has another 6 days to go.  Hopefully I’ll be able to do it again next year!

My accommodation at the Sydney Hilton. Nice!

Picking up my media accreditation from the Press Centre.

Sunset on the Friday night in Sydney.

The Festival box-office at Event Cinemas George Street.

A look inside the 800+ seat cinema at Event George Street.

Catch up with Perth's Simon Miraudo at the Grasshopper.

Meeting Sydney's Andrew Buckle and Sam McCosh.

Critics drinking at the Criterion Hotel.

Meeting Melbourne critic Julian Buckeridge at the Criterion Hotel.

The view from my hotel on Saturday morning.

An awesome Spanish sandwich from the Encasa Deli.

A healthy dinner at the Westfield Centre Point on Saturday night.

My first look inside Sydney's State Theatre on the Sunday morning.

Shopping in the Pitt Street Mall.

It only took 9 months but I finally found new black casual shoes!

The "old style" candy bar inside the State Theatre.

People lining up inside the State Theatre for On The Road.

Down comes the rain on the Sunday afternoon.

At the airport and ready to return to Brisbane with all the right things.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 June 2012

Imagine that you have a 20-year-old daughter who has landed a feature role in a university musical.  You go along to the opening night and you are stunned by just how bad it is. You can see your daughter is trying her hardest but she just can’t cut it.

When you see her backstage afterwards, what do you say?  Do you lie and say how much you loved the show and her performance?  Or do you be honest and find a polite way of expressing what you really think?

This was a question I posed in a review from last year.  If someone has the magic answer, I’d love to hear it.

It leads into what I want to talk about this week - are critics softer when it comes to reviewing locally made stuff?

I debated this with a friend last Friday night after having seen a theatrical production (Elizabeth, Almost By Chance A Woman) at the Powerhouse here in Brisbane.

I don’t have any direct evidence when it comes to theatre but so many plays and shows that come to Brisbane receive praise.  It’s not always glowing praise but I’d say reviews range from “excellent” to “pretty good”.

I have done a little more research when it comes to cinema.  Over the past 5 years, a total of 103 Australian movies have been eligible for best feature at the AACTA Awards (previously known as the AFI Awards).  Of these, 95 have been reviewed by Australia’s two most well-known critics, Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton, on their ABC program At The Movies.

For those familiar with their program, the results shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.  The following table shows the star ratings for the abovementioned films:

	Margaret	David
5 stars	1	2
4.5 stars	4	7
4 stars	34	13
3.5 stars	30	36
3 stars	17	18
2.5 stars	3	9
2 stars	3	7
1.5 stars	0	3
1 star	0	0

Of the 187 reviews for Australian films, the statistics show:
  - 13% of reviews had a score of 2.5 stars or worse.
  - The average grade was 3.43 stars.

This is in comparison to the non-Australian films (between 2007 and 2011) where the statistics show:
  - 22% of reviews had a score of 2.5 stars or worse.
  - The average grade was 3.26 stars.

Some could make an argument that Australia makes better films than the rest of the world.  I personally don’t think that’s the case.  We’re not special.  We make great movies (Samson & Delilah, Animal Kingdom) but we also make some shockers (A Heartbeat Away, Big Mamma’s Boy).

The best explanations as to why critics are softer on local product always seem to revolve around the future of the industry in this country.  We are a small fish in a very big pond.  Even in a good year, you’d be lucky to see 20 Aussie films make their way into our cinemas.  Most of these only get a limited release in small theatres and they struggle to find an audience when up against the huge marketing budgets of Hollywood blockbusters.

Those with influence will therefore do whatever they can to protect the filmmaking industry in this country.  We need people to hand over their hard earned dollars and help boost the box-office for Australian films.  If we don’t, fewer films will get made and it’ll make it even harder for our budding actors, directors, writers, editors and cinematographers to forge a career.

But are forgiving film reviews helping or hurting?  If critics “talk up” an Aussie film and the public are subsequently disappointed, are we doing everyone a disservice?  It’s kind of like the boy who cried wolf.  Sooner or later, people will stop believing and they’ll look at every review of an Australian movie with a degree of scepticism.  I have friends who feel this way already.

It’s a fine line and I’m not purporting to have an easy answer.  I try to be independent and objective when writing a review but every now and again, I do show a slight bias towards an Australian movie.  That was the case a couple of weeks ago with the Brisbane-based documentary The Curse Of The Gothic Symphony.  It’s rough around the edges but I wanted it to succeed and so gave it a “slightly better than average” review.

To cut to the chase… how do you react to reviews of Australian movies and theatrical shows?  Do you treat them the same as all others?  Or do you read them with an element of doubt?  I’m curious to know.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 May 2012

 

Brace yourself Sydney.  I’ll be paying you a visit in June.

 

I haven’t attended the Sydney Film Festival before but I’m making the effort to do so in 2012.  I’d love to be able to return to the Toronto Film Festival again this year but I won’t be able to given it’s a huge investment of my time and money.  Plus, I have another holiday planned for November.  Perhaps I’ll get back to Toronto in 2013 but for now, Sydney is at the front of my mind.

 

I'll be doing a special Sunday afternoon show on ABC Digital (which can be heard around Australia) covering my time at the Festival and hopefully there'll be some good stories and good films to talk about.

 

I’ll be at the Festival for 3 days – flying down on the morning of Friday, June 8 and returning in the evening on Sunday, June 10.  I’m squeezing 9 films into the calendar and for those interested, here’s what I’ll be seeing.  The plot overviews come from the IMDB.

 

Where Do We Go Now?

Friday, June 8 – 6pm

A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village.  Winner of the audience award at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival.

 

Jeff, Who Lives At Home

Friday, June 8 – 8:30pm

Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.

 

First Position

Saturday, June 9 – 10am

A documentary that follows six young dancers from around the world as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world.

 

Beasts Of The Southern Wild

Saturday, June 9 – 12pm

Faced with her father's fading health and environmental changes that release an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy leaves her Delta-community home in search of her mother.

 

Not Suitable For Children

Saturday, June 9 – 4pm

A young playboy who learns he has one month until he becomes infertile sets out to procreate as much as possible.  An Australian film that stars Ryan Kwanten

 

Moonrise Kingdom

Saturday, June 9 – 9pm

A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out and find them.  The latest from director Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums) and the cast includes Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand.

 

Bully

Sunday, June 10 – 9:30am

A documentary on peer-to-peer bullying in schools across America.

 

On The Road

Sunday, June 10 – 2pm

Dean and Sal are the portrait of the Beat Generation. Their search for "It" results in a fast paced, energetic roller coaster ride with highs and lows throughout the United States.  Stars Viggo Mortensen.

 

Undefeated

Sunday, June 10 – 4:30pm

A documentary on an underdog football team who look to reverse their fortunes with coach Bill Courtney.  Winner of the 2012 Academy Award for best documentary feature.

 

If you’re going to be in Sydney yourself for the Festival, do let me know (through email, Facebook, Twitter) and I’ll try to say hi.

 

Hopefully it’ll be a great few days.