Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 February 2024

In the history of Australian-made cinema, only 16 films have grossed more than $20 million AUD at the local box-office.  Director Baz Luhrmann dominates with his lavish, big-budget productions (he has 5 films including the recent Elvis) but the list reminds us of the smaller flicks which wove their way into the record books through positive word of mouth.  These include Lion, Red Dog, The Dressmaker, and one of the big success stories of the COVID-impacted 2021, The Dry.  The Robert Connolly-directed feature featured a plethora of great performances and, in also being nominated for 11 AACTA Awards, rightly deserved its success.  See it if you haven’t already!

Journalist-turned-author Jane Harper has penned three novels centred on police detective Aaron Falk.  Eric Bana brilliantly brought the character to life in The Dry (loved the subtlety) and he reprises the role in this adaptation of Harper’s follow-up book, Force of Nature.  It’s marketed as “The Dry 2” to help with ticket sales but in reality, this is a fresh narrative with zero connection to the earlier movie.  The only returning character is Falk himself.

Another visible point of difference is the setting.  The Dry was set in a small, drought-stricken country town whereas Force of Nature takes place in one of the lushest places imaginable – a dense, wet, near-impenetrable rainforest.  It’s referred to in the film as the fictious Giralang Ranges but shooting took place at Victorian national parks known to many Aussies – the Otways, Dandenong Ranges, and Yarra Valley.

The story revolves around a middle-aged woman, Alice Russell (Torv), who has gone missing in the ranges while “building teamwork” on a multi-day, corporate hiking retreat.  The local police have enlisted a sizeable team to help with the search but Falk has involved himself because of a professional connection with Alice.  He suspects foul play and, along with his fellow detective (McKenzie), seeks to interrogate other employees on the retreat.  The more questions he asks, the more secrets spill into the open…

It’s not the smoothest flowing storyline.  As we saw with The Dry, director Robert Connolly juggles two main time frames – Falk solving a mystery in the present while haunted by something from his past.  The childhood flashbacks don’t add much and feel too convenient.  In terms of the current day material, there’s a degree of cinematic “stage managing” which is hard to shake.  Someone’s life is in immediate danger… and yet the interviews of key individuals take place over several days.  Doesn’t add up.

On the whole though, Force of Nature is a worthwhile trip to the cinema.  I loved the greyness to the characters and the difficulty in determining which players to root for.  Even the “nice guy” Falk has his flaws.  The whodunnit served up is also a good one and it’ll hold your attention for two hours as you look for signs of slippage in the probing conversations.  Kudos to the crew for highlighting the sights and sounds of the rainforest – it’s as much of a feature character as the actors themselves.

Featuring strong performances once again (it’s hard to pick a standout), Force of Nature should satisfy fans of The Dry, and fans of Australian cinema.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 January 2024

I’ve never been called up for jury duty but if I had, I can imagine a similar experience to that offered up by the latest film from writer-director Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall.  A woman has been charged with the murder of her husband and it’s up to us as the audience to see the evidence presented, listen to arguments of both the prosecution and the defence, and form a view as to her guilt.

I’d describe the film as a court room drama but not in a traditional sense.  Don’t be expecting grandiose speeches, convenient twists, and an easy resolution.  This isn’t A Few Good Men where an arrogant Jack Nicholson-like character will lose his cool on the witness stand and get what he deserves.  This is a more realistic drama which delves into miniscule details, and explores the complexity of the human condition.

The opening hour chronicles the death and the subsequent investigation.  A blind boy, Daniel (Machado-Graner), returns from a walk with his guide dog and finds his father, Samuel (Theis), dead in the driveway.  The body is below an open window in the attic of their remote, snow-covered French chalet.  Did he fall accidentally?  Did he commit suicide?  Was he pushed?  There are no witnesses or CCTV footage to unequivocally verify either way.

Authorities believe there is enough evidence to prove murder and so the man’s wife, Sandra (Hüller), is put on trial.  The court room scenes make up the bulk of the film’s remaining 90 minutes with some lengthy interrogations of Sandra and other individuals including a psychiatrist, a journalist, and their son.  Your views as to Sandra’s guilt will likely oscillate – the prosecuting lawyer will make a persuasive point only to have the defence team counter with an equally compelling argument.

To great effect, the film explores ways we perceive and judge others.  At times, Sandra is unsteady on the witness stand.  She misremembers certain events and is unable to provide a clear explanation for other details.  Is this because she’s lying? Is it because we often forget trivial things that happened months ago?  Is it because of the nervousness of being on the witness stand and knowing your freedom is at stake?

Triet serves up other interesting subplots to keep minds occupied.  Sandra is German-born and so while she can speak half-decent French, it’s far from perfect.  This makes it difficult to precisely articulate her mindset to the judge and jury.  There’s also the awkward relationship that now exists between mother and son.  Daniel believes his mother is innocent but, at the judge’s insistence, an observer must temporarily live with the family to ensure Sandra is not tampering with her son’s recollections or testimony.

Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Anatomy of a Fall is the kind of movie you’ll be thinking about days after first seeing it.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 January 2024

62-year-old director Todd Haynes has made some wonderful films – Velvet Goldmine, Far from Heaven, Carol – but May December may be his best yet.  I wouldn’t describe it as a true story (too many details have been changed) but it’s loosely inspired by the creepy tale of a 34-year-old schoolteacher who had a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old student in 1996, conceived two children, and subsequently served a seven-year prison sentence for child rape.  Upon release, she rekindled the relationship with the student, and they married a year later.

I like the film-within-a-film structure adopted by screenwriters Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik.  Set in 2015, the central character is a well-known actress, Elizabeth (Portman), who is tasked with playing the paedophile schoolteacher, Gracie (Moore), in a major movie due to start shooting in a few weeks.  Somewhat surprisingly, Elizabeth has been invited into the home of the now 59-year-old Gracie and 36-year-old Joe (Melton) to get a deeper understanding of the real-life person she will be depicting on screen.

If I tried to tally the number of questions asked by the characters in May December, I’d quickly lose count.  It’s power games aplenty as folks try to glean useful information for their own benefit.  Elizabeth uses her good looks and celebrity status to coax details from the family and connected townspeople.  Gracie tries to ascertain what the movie will focus on and how she’ll be portrayed.  There’s even a Q&A session (a great scene) where Elizabeth is invited to speak at the local high school and students pry into the world of a Hollywood starlet.

This is one of the best films of the year.  On one hand, it’s a thought-provoking drama about an unthinkable family unit.  How would you feel as one Gracie and Joe’s grown children (they have three in the film) knowing the way your parents first met?  You can sense the awkwardness throughout.  On the other hand, it’s an uncomfortable thriller about the way such stories are exploited for financial gain.  How genuine are Elizabeth’s intentions and does she care about any of the people she smooth talks?  What is the truth, and does it really matter?  A powerful moment involving the contents of a pink envelope reveals a great deal.

The music score of Brazilian composer Marcelo Zarvos (Wonder) establish the sinister tone and the cinematography of Christopher Blauvelt (First Cow) leaves its own impression.  There’s so many memorable conversations and long-takes – whether it be a simple scene applying make-up in front of a mirror, to more complex sequences where characters become highly emotional.  Oscar-winners Natalie Portman (Black Swan) and Julianne Moore (Still Alice) are cunningly sensational, but I like the advice of director Todd Haynes in describing it as Joe’s story above all else.  Charles Melton (Riverdale), in a career-launching role, skilfully portrays the character with a mix of passion and mystery.

Largely overlooked at this year’s Academy Awards (it received just a single nomination for best original screenplay), May December is as good, if not better, than other best picture nominees.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 January 2024

African American author Alice Walker moved to a quiet part of Northern California in the late 1970s and while there, she wrote The Colour Purple.  The narrative was inspired by the relationship of her own grandparents and, since its first publication in 1982, the novel has defined her long and successful career.  It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 and millions of copies have been bought across the world.

Like so many great pieces of literature, Walker’s work has been interpreted via other artistic mediums.  A 1985 film directed by Steven Spielberg earned 11 Academy Award nominations (winning none) while a 2005 Broadway musical was similarly honoured.  The production was updated in 2016 and, in launching the career of star Cynthia Erivo, took home the Tony Awards for best actress and best revival of a musical.

The time has now come to take the Broadway show and transform it back into a movie.  It adopts a similar approach to the recently released Mean Girls in that the songs have been parred back to create a part-musical, part-drama.  Ghanaian filmmaker Blitz Bazawule (Black is King) gets the chance to direct while singer-turned-actor Fantasia Barrino makes her feature film debut in the lead role.  Other notables to appear include Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures), Colman Domingo (If Beale Street Could Talk), and 87-year-old Louis Gossett Jr (An Officer and a Gentleman).

The challenge of taking a 300-page book and condensing it into a 140-minute movie (with time for songs) is evident.  There just isn’t an opportunity to sufficiently explore romantic flings and surprising reconciliations.  The fact it’s spread across several decades makes it even tougher.

Thankfully, the film still carries a strong emotional heartbeat because of Barrino’s central performance as Celie.  Through her demeanour and facial expressions, we feel the suffering when she is abused, and feel the joy when given the chance to make a decision independent of the domineering men around her.  If new to the tale, it chronicles the trials and tribulations of her extremely tough life.

The other performance receiving attention this awards season is that of Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black) who is also very good as Celie’s spirited friend, Sofia.  With a flashy, overly exuberant personality, her character pops up at just the right time to add an energy boost.  She’s ticked off all the precursors and should earn an invite to the upcoming Academy Awards when the nominees are announced later this week.

Not really improving on Spielberg’s 1985 film, The Colour Purple is good… but not groundbreaking.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 January 2024

Drawing on his own family’s experience, writer-director Anthony Shim wanted to craft a film which showed the challenges of uprooting from one country and crafting a new life in another.  The topic has already been covered in wonderful films such as Minari, Brooklyn and The Namesake, but Riceboy Sleeps shows there is room for more.  In winning the best screenplay prize at the 2023 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, I’m not alone in describing this as a rich, beautifully-told tale.

The opening act takes place in 1990 where a single mother, So-Young (Seung-yoon), and her 6-year-old son, Dong-Hyun (Dohyun Noel Hwang), have emigrated from South Korea to Canada.  It’s a rough time for both.  The mum takes a dead-end factory job where she’s on her feet all day and subjected to workplace harassment.  The child, who can barely speak English, has to assimilate into a new school where he his teased about his background and appearance.

Shim wanted to highlight the lack of compassion and empathy that many have for migrants.  The film is set in Canada but, as we’ve seen in Australia with “love it or leave” taunts, the feelings exist all over the world.  There’s a powerful scene where Dong-Hyun is teased about bringing sushi to school (the kids have sandwiches) and so he tosses it in the bathroom bin so as not to attract further attention.  Not long after, a school teacher suggests to So-Young that she give her son a Western-sounding name to, once again, help him fit in.

These moments ask audiences to reflect on multiculturalism within our societies.  To what extent should immigrants adjust to fit with the country’s existing norms?  Riceboy Sleeps offers two interesting perspectives.  So-Young grew up in Korea and has that culture engrained within, whereas Doing-Hyun will grow up in Canada and become more Westerised.  This is on show in the film’s second act where we fast-forward to the year 1999 and see how things have changed for the two leads.  There’s tension between them.  Is this because of their different upbringings, or is it just because teenagers usually rebel in garnering a sense of independence?

Choi Seung-yoon is superb in portraying So-Young as the mum who is always putting the needs of others, particularly her son, ahead of her own.  It’s hard to believe this is her first feature film performance!  From the difficulties of grasping the English language, to the turmoil created from her pent-up emotions, she has created a complex character who audiences will care about.  We sympathise with her plight… while also questioning the decisions she makes (are they the right ones?)

It’s been over 16 months since Riceboy Sleeps had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and it’s nice to see getting a small window in Australian cinemas.  It’s worth your time and money.