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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 April 2013

You’re never too old to step out of your comfort zone and try something a little different. That’s the warm-hearted message contained in Song For Marion, the closing night film from the 2012 Toronto Film Festival.

When we first meet Arthur (Stamp) and Marion (Redgrave), we see that they’re a long-time married couple now entering their twilight years. Marion is a relaxed, easy-going and adventurous. She recently joined a choir group that performs at a local community hall. They go by the name of the OAPz – that’s Old Age Pensioners with a “z” – and a led by a young lady (Arterton) who enjoys helping out.

You won’t see Arthur in the choir though. He comes across as a tired, cranky old man who seems to take great pleasure in complaining and being miserable. He can’t understand why his wife enjoys singing with a group of strangers. When asked if he too wants to participate, his response comes as no surprise – “you know how I feel about enjoying things”.

Arthur’s narrow-minded view of the world will be shaken when Marion is diagnosed with terminal cancer. She has only a few months left to live. Arthur demands that she give up on the choir and not jeopardise her deteriorating health. Marion has no such plans. She wants to go out in style and perform one last time with her friends in a prestigious choir competition. Realising that her mind cannot be changed, a reluctant Arthur agrees to help out.

This is a film full of clichés – a fact that writer-director Paul Andrew Williams will freely admit. Drawing from experiences with his own grandparents, Williams never wanted to make a genre-changing Oscar winner. His intent was to create a comforting, easy-to-watch movie that will put a smile on your face. This is evidenced by the song selections of the OAPz which include “Let’s Talk About Sex” and “Love Shack”.

The film’s comedic elements are a bit clunky but Song For Marion clicks into gear when it starts pulling at the heart strings. There’s a beautiful scene in which Vanessa Redgrave sings the song “True Colours” that will leave some reaching for tissues. The nice performances from veterans Terence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave also deserve a mention.

Most cinemas will be swamped with Iron Man 3 fans this weekend but Song For Marion is there to offer a worthy alternative.

You can read my chat with writer-director Paul Andrew Williams by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 April 2013

Some will want to see this because they’re a fan the science fiction genre. Others will want to see it because they’re part of a shrinking collective who like Tom Cruise. I don’t fall into either of those categories, however. Oblivion excited me as it marked the follow up feature from director Joseph Kosinski. This is the guy who brought us Tron: Legacy in 2010 – a film that created a cool, futuristic world and filled it with striking visuals, booming sound effects and a memorable music score.

It would appear those features are part of Kosinski’s signature, at least for the moment. I can use the same descriptors when talking about Oblivion. The story is set in the year 2073 where the Earth has been all but destroyed after a war with an alien race. The aliens were defeated but the planet is now uninhabitable due to the effects of nuclear weapons. A tiny portion of the population survived and they’ve been transported to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, to try to forge a new existence.

This isn’t like apocalyptic films such as Deep Impact, Armageddon or The Day After Tomorrow. Those films are more about emotion. We follow a bunch of characters and we hope that they’re going to make it to the end of the movie and wrap their arms around their loved ones. Oh, and it’d be also nice if the Earth still exists.

There is a small, not-so-convincing emotional element to Oblivion but this is a film to be enjoyed more for its mystery and intrigue. As it begins, we discover that Tom Cruise plays Jack – a mechanic who is one of Earth’s last remaining residents. He and his partner (Riseborough) live in a space-ship like house that can be found high above the clouds.

They’ve been tasked with the responsibility of protecting a number of large machines which are extracting water from the Earth’s oceans and converting it into energy. It’s taken many years but their work is almost done. In two weeks, they’ll join the other human survivors on Titan and the energy will be used for the benefit of the new colony.

Things aren’t that simple, however. There’s a sudden flurry of activity on the Earth’s surface that Jack is struggling to explain. Why are the machines being attacked? Did a few aliens manage so survive? Jack has also been having strange dreams. He sees himself standing atop the Empire State Building in the company of a young woman (Kurylenko). What do they signify?

It might take you a little while to get your head around the ending (there was some confusion at my preview screening) but Oblivion will hold your attention for the full two hours. It kept me guessing and for that, I am grateful.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 April 2013

When I was in North Korea last November, I asked my tour guides how they learned the English language. They were taught at university but not by an experienced, well-versed lecturer. They were taught by Tom Cruise. Well, kind of. The university library was filled with Western movies on DVD and students learned simply by watching them. One of my guides professed her love for Titanic, Gladiator and yes, all things Tom Cruise.

I’d be interested in their take on Olympus Has Fallen. I’ve become accustomed to the bad guys in action movies coming from Russia or some other “nasty” European country. It seems the North Koreans are now the flavour of the month. Many will remember the hilarious 2004 comedy Team America: World Police but in the past six months, we’ve seen the might of the United States get the better of the North Koreans in Red Dawn, G.I. Joe Retaliation (at least during the opening) and now Olympus Has Fallen.

The film begins with a tragic event. The President (Eckhart) and his wife were being driven by the Secret Service from the secluded Camp David to a fundraising event. The car skidded on the snow-covered road and for a few moments, perilously hung over the edge of a bridge. Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Butler) was able to rescue the President but unfortunately, the car fell into the frozen river before his wife could be saved. The end result – the President lost his wife and Mike lost his job.

We now pan 18 months into the future and find that Mike has a boring desk job with the Treasury Department. As for the President, he is about to meet with the South Korean Prime Minister at the White House. They are discussing the increasingly tense situation between North and South Korea. War is looking more and more likely.

It’s at this point where you need to turn your brain to the “off” position. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes we like to watch fun, exciting, unrealistic action movies. The James Bond films come to mind. That said, no matter how unrealistic the situation may be, the audience still needs to believe in the characters and what they're fighting for. They might be trying to save a loved one from a treacherous situation. They might be trying to save the world from complete annihilation.

Herein lies the problem with Olympus Has Fallen. So much of this film doesn’t add up. A small North Korean army (there’s only about 40 people in total) manage the following – (1) they get a military plane through U.S. air space which then attacks landmarks in Washington D.C., (2) they infiltrate the South Korean Prime Minister’s security team who forgot to do background checks, and (3) they use explosive devices to break into the White House and kill every single member of the Secret Service. Given the amount of money the U.S. spends on defence every year, I’d have expected better.

The President and a few other high-profile politicians are then kidnapped by the North Koreans and taken to a top-secret underground bunker beneath the White House. The bad guys plan on holding them for ransom. Either the United States remove their military forces from South Korea or the President will be killed.

You’d think this would be an easy choice for the “top thinkers” assessing the situation at the Pentagon. Do we risk the lives of 50 million people in South Korea? Or are we prepared to sacrifice the life of the President? The answer to that question becomes even easier when the North Koreans start trying to access the nuclear defence system codes. A computer simulation shows there’ll be a high “death rate” in the United States and yet, the Acting President (Freeman), after a soothing cup of coffee, still decides it’s better to rescue the President. He must have had a high approval rating.

The very best of the Secret Service weren’t up to the challenge and so it’s up to Mike Banning to save the day. He’s going to sneak into the White House, kill all the North Koreans and rescue the President. It’ll be “redemption” for that night 18 months ago when he wasn’t able to save the President’s wife.

Oh please. The premise bad enough but what makes Olympus Has Fallen even worse is the fact it takes itself so seriously. We listen to a deep, brooding film score. We see residents of Washington D.C. killed in graphic detail. As the screen faded to black and the credits started to roll, I wasn’t energised by the fact the “good guys” won. Rather, I was concerned by the stupidity of almost every character within the film. If this is how their real life counterparts would act, we’re all doomed.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 April 2013

It premiered at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival. I first saw it last June at the 2012 Sydney Film Festival. Now, almost two years after it was completed, First Position is finally getting a cinematic release, albeit a limited one, here in Australia.

My first reaction – thank goodness! I’ve mentioned this film to many people since I saw it in Sydney and I was worried that others wouldn’t get the same chance. I’m a huge supporter of the documentary genre and if this film doesn’t put a smile on your face, you are too hard to please.

There is a coveted ballet competition held each year in New York City known as the Youth America Grand Prix. It is open to those aged between 8 and 19 and performers qualify for the finals through a series of heats that are held around the world. Younger dancers are looking to win trophies. Older dancers are looking to win scholarships into prestigious ballet schools. The stakes are extremely high.

Using this as the subject for her first feature film, Bess Kargman has followed a group of very different dancers in the lead up to the 2010 competition. They’re all ridiculously talented. There’s no question about that. They practice for hours every day and put their bodies under immense stress.

This film is about more than just great dancing, however. For starters, it highlights the value of passion, hard work and dedication. These kids have sacrificed so much in pursuit of their dreams. Joan Sebastian is a 16-year-old who left his family in Colombia and moved to the hustle and bustle of New York City to pursue his career as a dancer. There’s a heartfelt scene where he telephones his parents, who he hasn’t seen in more than a year, and opens up about how much he misses them.

There’s also the story of Michaela – a 15-year-old who was born in war-torn Sierra Leone. Her father was murdered, her mother died of starvation and at the age 4, Michaela was fortunate to be adopted by an American family in New Jersey. She now has lofty ambitions – to become a successful ballet dancer and to one day return to Sierra Leone to start her own dancing school.

There’s a reason that my eyes were a little moist during the film’s closing moments. This is a documentary that makes you care about these people. You understand who they are and you want them to find happiness. The final half hour, where they compete in the New York City finals, will leave you enthralled. You see every emotion – from the nervousness in the dressing room to the sheer euphoria as they complete their performance and soak in the audience’s applause. It’s all on display and Kargman captures it through the camera lens.

You’re likely to feel a little nervous yourself as you watch the presentation ceremony. Which dancers will earn prizes? Which dancers will earn scholarships and contracts? You’ll see not just the shock of those on stage but also the split-second reactions of the coaches and family members in the audience. It’s so beautiful to watch.

A documentary on ballet dancing could have targeted the negative elements associated with the industry – pushy parents, overbearing coaches, dodgy judges, boys being teased at school and kids losing their childhood. These elements are touched on within First Position but they’re not the focus, nor should they be. This film is intended to be a celebration of dance and a look at how hard one must work to succeed.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 April 2013

Unsure of what he wants to do with his life, 17-year-old Joseph (Sitruk) is preparing to join the Israeli army and commence his national service. An odd detail stands out during his medical examination. Joseph is of the blood type A+. His two parents are of the blood type A-. Such a statistic is genetically impossible.

His mother (Devos) starts asking questions and it leads to a shocking revelation. Joseph is not her son. On the night that he was born, the hospital was bombed and all patients were hurriedly evacuated into an underground shelter. Amidst the confusion, her child was inadvertently switched with another, born at the same time.

I don’t know if there’s an appropriate way of describing the emotion that comes with such a situation. Perhaps the best thing to do is picture yourself in their shoes. How would you react if you discovered that your 17-year-old child was nor your own? Would you tell him? What about your biological son? Would you want to track him down? Would you want to take an active interest in his life?

Joseph’s parents decide to reveal the truth to their son. They also learn that their “other son” lives across the fortified border in neighbouring Palestine. His name is Yacine (Dehbi) and he has been raised by a Muslim family.

All of the above details are covered quickly during the opening 20 minutes of The Other Son. It’s a wise move by writer-director Lorraine Levy as it allows the rest of the film to explore something far more interesting – the connection that grows between the two families and also between Joseph and Yacine. Despite the horrifying nature of the mistake that happened 17 years ago, it’s possible that this story could have a happy ending.

The setting deliberate and it’s obvious that the film is making a point about the conflict that currently exists between Israel and Palestine. Joseph has been raised as a Jew and as Israeli. He strongly believes in his religion (he’s one of his synagogues best pupils) and defends his country’s stance in the conflict. When he learns that he should have been raised as a Muslim and a Palestinian, it leaves him questioning his long-held views and values. Which side of the fence should he be on? Should there even be a fence at all?

Critics of The Other Son have targeted the simplistic view it seems to take of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While I admit the film doesn’t explore the history and the politics, I don’t think it needed to. At its heart, this tale shows that a tragic event can bring very different people together in unexpected ways. It could have been set in any country. What’s most important is that it feels real, honest.

Featuring four different languages – English, French, Hebrew and Arabic, The Other Son is an interesting, life-affirming story that I highly recommend.