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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 February 2024

It took longer than expected to reach this point.  Firstly, some folks weren’t aware (before its release) the 2021 movie was only one-half of Frank Herbert’s book, and they’d need to wait for the climax.  Secondly, the Hollywood actors’ strike created marketing woes which saw the arrival date for Dune: Part Two pushed out by four months.  Considering the first instalment grossed over $400m USD internationally and won 6 Academy Awards, expectations are high.

Director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) doesn’t muck around with flashbacks or gentle character reintroductions.  We’re straight into the action with Part Two and background knowledge is essential.  We continue to follow the journey of Paul Atreides (Chalamet), a handsome, nimble warrior who resides on the desert planet of Arrakis and has uncontrolled visions of the future.  Against the advice of his own mother (“your father didn’t believe in revenge”), he goes after the villainous Baron who murdered his dad and other close friends (a plot point of the first film).

It’s clear that Villeneuve, working with co-writer Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), wants this to be more than just action and entertainment.  He delves into an array of interesting themes including the pros and cons of religion, the ability to change one’s predetermined destiny, the realities of colonialism and “white saviour complex”, and the ways in which power invariably leads to suffering (we can’t all be happy no matter who is in charge).  I can’t say I was ever bored, and the 167-minute run time is justified given what needs to be covered.

It’s not perfect though.  In covering several narrative points in depth, like Paul’s continual unwillingness to be seen as a liberator to the native Fremen people, other subplots are rushed and undercooked.  One example is Florence Pugh (Little Women) who plays the sage daughter of the universe’s leader.  She’s introduced in the opening scene, but her purpose and fate (won’t spoil) is difficult to reconcile given we know so little about her own background and political persuasions.  The same could be said of a character played by Léa Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Colour).

My quibbles are minor is the big scheme of things.  Just like its predecessor, Dune: Part Two deserves its “see it on the big screen” tag and is to be celebrated for its production values – particularly the sets, costumes, and Hans Zimmer (Interstellar) music score.  The visual effects are evident but they’ve bee used to create sequences which are crisp, bold, and striking.  A moment in a packed, grey-coloured arena is a case in point.

Boasting great performances which aren’t too shouty and overdramatised (loved Timothée Chalamet again), Dune: Part Two is an engaging epic that will satisfy thirsts.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 February 2024

The Zone of Interest is the story of a well-to-do family going about their day-to-day lives.  The father is a military man who, in trying to earn promotion, puts in long hours and is passionate about his work.  The mother is a stay-at-home type who tends to the backyard garden and provides direction to the hired help.  The five children are given ample time for play – picnicking on the grassy banks of a beautiful river, and swimming in the confides of their private swimming pool.

It’s probably the right time to reveal this not a traditional, wholesome family drama.  The year is 1943, the Nazi dad is commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, and the two-storey home borders the camp itself.  Hundreds of great movies have been made about World War II and, if compiling a list of the best, The Zone of Interest deserves a place near the top for its boldness, originality, and emotional heft.

The idea came to the mind of English writer-director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Under the Skin) after reading a fictionalised book authorised by Martin Amis.  Years of research followed which included visiting the actual home (it’s still there today), working with historians at the museum at Auschwitz-Birkenau, reading first-hand testimonies, and scanning archival photos.  In interviews about the finished film, Glazer talks about the heavy weight of responsibility in making sure the story is told as authentically as possible.

It’s hard to watch The Zone of Interest and not feel its deliberate coldness.  Glazer’s approach is to only show things from the perspective of the household.  We don’t see inside the concentration camp at all.  Folks make innocuous small talk in the garden while smoke billows from furnaces in the background.  Lunch is prepared inside the house while gunfire and screams are heard in the distance.  One of the world’s greatest atrocities is taking place on their doorstep and this family couldn’t care less.

Filmmaker George Miller described Mad Max: Fury Road as “a film we see with our ears” and The Zone of Interest could be described in the same manner.  What we see on screen is important… but it’s the sounds which allow us to visualise the horror taking place on the other side of the wall.  Sound designer Johnnie Burn (The Lobster) compiled a 600-page research document, painstakingly recreated the background noises, and added them all in post-production.  Kudos also goes to Oscar-nominated cinematographer Łukasz Żal (Ida, Cold War) for creating a “hidden camera” look as characters move from room to room.

It’s easy to look back and simplify events with the benefit of hindsight but Glazer wants us to think about today’s world.  What are we currently turning a blind-eye to which future generations will judge us on?  Nominated for best picture, best director and best screenplay at the upcoming Academy Awards, The Zone of Interest is chilling and thought provoking.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 February 2024

The 96^th Academy Awards are less than two weeks away and, in addition to capitalising on the popularity of the year’s best features, it’s a chance to celebrate other parts of the industry.  For example, a select number of cinemas across Australia are screening the wonderful short films, both live action and animated, which have been nominated this year.  It’s a rare chance for audiences to see “shorts” in the comfort of a big-screen theatre.

The same applies to documentaries.  As proof the Academy’s eyes are opening to a world outside of the United States, 2024 marks the first time in history that all five of the nominees for best documentary feature have come from outside the United States.  The subjects include a Ugandan singer trying to become President, a Chilean journalist battling dementia, an Indian farmer seeking justice for his raped teenage daughter, and a Ukrainian documentarian chronicling the war in his home country.

The final nominee is Four Daughters.  It’s centred on Olfa, a single mother from Tunisia who, as a result of mistakes she will freely admit, saw two of her four daughters leave home and join the Islamic State in Libya.  It fractured the family (obviously) and became an international media story.  It reached a point in 2016 when Olfa was appearing on television news programs and criticising her own government in allowing Islamic State “recruiting” to take place.

Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania takes an interesting approach to the material.  She conducts open, honest, tear-jerking interviews with Olfa and the two younger sisters who stayed in Tunisia.  Amongst these discussions, Ban Hania includes re-enactments where hired actresses play the two older sisters and a “stand-in” mother steps into the shoes of the real-life Olfa when things become too heavy and emotional.  We also follow the actors as they prepare for scenes and understand their characters.

Instead of a straight-forward narrative, Four Daughters has the vibe of a movie which is part documentary, part dramatization, and part behind-the-scenes filmmaking.  There are times when you’re not certain which category a particular scene fits into.  Am I watching two characters argue for real… or is it prep for a scene?  As explored in the recent May December, there’s also the challenge in working out how to depict the characters (emphasis on the mother) and settle on a version of the truth that the majority can agree upon.

While I like the creative approach, I don’t think the film offers a full understanding of the two older daughters and the way they were indoctrinated into Islamic State.  Reading a few online articles, as I have done, will help fill in the knowledge gaps.  I don’t think Four Daughters will win the Oscar (20 Days in Mariupol is a firm favourite) but it’s nice to see its audacity recognised by the Academy in receiving a nomination.  Check it out.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 February 2024

The quality of film festivals varies from year-to-year but most would agree the 2023 Official Selection at Cannes was a top-notch vintage.  The top two prize winners, Anatomy of a Fall and Zone of Interest, have been nominated at the Academy Awards for best picture.  Perfect Days won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for best film.  The likes of May December and Asteroid City have appeared on critics’ top 10 lists across the globe.

The latest graduate from that class to be released in Australia is Fallen Leaves, an 81-minute dark comedy from Finnish writer-director Aki Kaurismäki (Le Havre).  It took home the Jury Prize at Cannes (awarded to a film which “embodies the spirit of inquiry”) and made the shortlist for best international feature at the Oscars (just missing out on a nomination).

I love the Valentine’s Day release here in Australia because it’s perfect for those who love a weird, wacky, offbeat love story.  Holappa (Vatanen) is an alcoholic construction-site worker going nowhere in life.  Talking to a friend, he humorously articulates his Catch-22-like problem – he’s depressed because he drinks… and that he drinks because he’s depressed.  Ansa (Pöysti) is a shy woman who lives alone and holds down a menial, low-paying supermarket job.  She has no television set, and spends her evenings eating expired meals and listening to news stories on her radio (the war in neighbouring Ukraine features heavily).

The pair meet at a bar and promptly go on a hilariously awkward first date.  It begins with Holappa making pointless small talk about the lack of rain, and it finishes with a trip to the local cinema where they watch a “classic” rescreening of the American comedy Zombieland.  There’s no immediate follow-up date because Holappa promptly loses Ansa’s phone number the minute he writes it down.

Hollywood has a way of making romantic comedies and we saw it recently with the extremely popular Anyone but You.  You cast good looking actors, write a joke-heavy script filled with zany scenarios, throw in over-the-top supporting players, and have the chatty leads fall in love with a few bumps along the way.  It’s a proven, successful formula.

They clearly have a different funny bone in Scandinavia because Fallen Leaves does not fit that mould.  Stars Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen deliver their dialogue, and there isn’t much of it, in a dry, slow, monotone fashion.  That approach creates as much humour as the characters themselves.  In blending the laughs amongst the darker themes of poverty and alcoholism, Kaurismäki has created a movie which stands out from the pack.

It may not be for everyone but, in leaning into its quirky nature, Fallen Leaves offers one of the more interesting and authentic romances over the past year.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 February 2024

When asked about my favourite filmmakers, my list always includes Ethan and Joel Coen.  I was first introduced to their work in 1996 with Fargo and have since been wowed by the likes of The Big Lebowski, Intolerable Cruelty, No Country for Old Men, and Burn After Reading.  Just like a successful music band, Wikipedia and the broader film world sees the duo as a single “Coen brothers” entity given the challenge in differentiating the artistic contribution of each.  Of the 13 Academy Award nods they’ve received, 12 were joint nominations.  The only exception was Fargo when different rules were in place preventing two directors being credited (Joel therefore was director while Ethan was producer).

It’s therefore weird to be talking about the pair in isolation.  Joel directed his first feature independent of his brother in 2021 (The Tragedy of Macbeth) and Ethan is now doing the same with Drive-Away Dolls.  Can I still call them Coen brothers movies?  If you’re worried why they’re doing their own thing, there’s no need to fret.  The 60-something-year-olds are still close and plan to work together again soon but for now, they each wanted a short break to pursue projects of personal interest.

With a runtime of just 84 minutes, Drive-Away Dolls is a short, slick comedy set in 1999.  It follows two young women, Jamie (Qualley) and Marian (Viswanathan), who embark on an impulsive, 2-day road trip from Philadelphia to Tallahassee to kick start a new life.  They grab a vehicle from the surly manager of a car-hire company (Camp) but, unbeknown to the women, there’s a silver briefcase hidden in the trunk which gangsters are looking to get their hands on.

The story doesn’t quite come together in a way which maximises humour.  The punchline is a good one (I won’t spoil it) but the scenes along the way involving the inept criminals are a too “one-note” and highlight the slight narrative.  The better subplot is the romantic one which develops between the chatty Jamie and the timid Marian.  These two couldn’t be more different in terms of personality but, in spending several days together, they gravitate towards a middle ground where each takes on attributes of the other.

In the same vein as a classic, low-brow American comedy, the film also has a few decent scenes which don’t advance the plot… but generate laughs regardless.  The best involves Jamie and Marian befriending a female soccer team after a food-related detour and it showcases the comedic timing of stars Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers).  Having names like Colman Domingo, Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal on the poster might add to the box-office but for fans of their work, keep your expectations in check as their involvement is negligible (feels like they shot all their scenes in one day).

It takes a little while to get going but if looking for a quick, entertaining comedy with a splash of outlandishness, Drive-Away Dolls offers enough.