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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 June 2008

You may be familiar with the names Anthony Hayes and Brendan Cowell.  Hayes is a 30-year-old actor from Brisbane who has been in the business for over 20 years.  He won the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for best supporting actor in both 2005 and 2006 for his performances in Look Both Ways and Suburban Mayhem.  Cowell is a 31-year-old from Cronulla who was nominated for three Silver Logies for his work in the television series Love My Way.  He was also nominated for an AFI Award last year for his great performance in the film Noise.

These two guys met in 1999 and became great friends.  Unhappy with the lack of good scripts being offered up in the Australian marketplace, they decided to start their own production company.  In 2002, the made a short film entitled New Skin which won an award at the Sydney Film Festival.  Ten Empty is their first full-length feature film.  Together, Cowell and Hayes wrote the script and helped secure $1.4m in funding from a variety of sources.

You might enjoy the film but you’re unlikely to walk out with a smile on your face.  It’s depressing.  It’s about a family going through some dark times.  Elliot Christie (Frederiksen) is a 29-year-old who has been living in Sydney for a number of years and has made a half-decent life for himself.  He has returned to his home in Adelaide for a few days for the christening of his newly born half-brother.

It’s a trip that he is making reluctantly.  There are issues that Elliot does not want to have to deal with.  Following the death of his mother many years ago, Elliot’s father (Morrell) started a relationship with his mother’s sister (Bell).  They are now married and this has created unease between Elliot and his father.  Furthermore, Elliot’s younger brother, Brett (Budge), has become a recluse.  He locks himself in his room and doesn’t speak to anyone.

Elliot’s return home brings these problems into the open.  There will be many conflicts and a great deal of soul-searching.  Can this broken family find a way to heal old wounds and move forward?

I think the emotions of the film are a little over-done but for the most part, I liked Ten Empty.  I felt there was a “realness” to the characters and the relationships they have with each other.  There’s also a distinctive Australian flavour to the movie which makes it feel even closer to home.  It will resonate with some audience members more than others.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 June 2008

Let me come straight out and say it – I love this movie.  It’s funny, charming and perceptive.  I hadn’t heard of it before when I walked into the cinema and now, I can’t seem to forget about it.  With a mix of comedy and drama, it’s another feather in the cap of brilliant English director Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies, Topsy-Turvy, Vera Drake).

The central character is a 30-year-old primary school teacher named Poppy.  As soon as you meet Poppy, you’ll find yourself drawn into her world.  It may sound hard to believe but she is always happy.  She finds the silver lining even in the most depressive of situations.  In the opening credits, you see her ride her bike through the streets of London whilst wearing a brightly coloured outfit and a beaming smile on her face.

Unfortunately, her positive outlook on life doesn’t sit well with everyone.  Her driving instructor, Scott (Marsan), has a very cynical view of the world and is frustrated with Poppy’s sunny disposition.  He doesn’t think that she’s taking the lessons seriously.  Their personality clashes make for some humorous conversations.

Then, there’s Poppy’s sister, Helen (Martin).  Helen and her husband have moved into a new home and they are expecting their first child.  They are stressing over their finances and their upcoming parenthood.  When the bubbly Poppy pays them a visit, Helen’s insecurities come out into the open.  She’s jealous of Poppy’s “happy-go-lucky” lifestyle.  She can’t understand why she doesn’t want to settle down, find a husband and have children.

Sally Hawkins plays Poppy and it’s one of the finest performances I’ve seen all year.  I’ve seen interviews with Hawkins and even off screen, she has a naturally endearing personality.  She steps it up a notch here and in doing so, has created a very memorable character.

There’s more to the story than what I’ve described above.  Serious events and confrontations occur that leave Poppy questioning her inner self.  Can she continue to act the way she does or will she have to change to conform with society?  When her best friend tells her that she can’t make everyone happy, Poppy responds with “there’s no harm in trying though, is there?”

I usually associate writer-director Mike Leigh with darker material and perhaps he enjoyed the challenge of a lighter screenplay.  He’s done a terrific job and I particularly enjoyed the film score from Gary Yershon - it suits the material perfectly.

Could you be friends with someone as enthusiastic as Poppy?  Would you feel better about yourself or worse?  Would you see her as amusing or infuriating?  All I know for sure is that Sally Hawkins put a smile on my face and for that, this film deserves the highest praise.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 June 2008

It feels like every time I’ve seen a movie this year, the trailer for Kung Fu Panda has been shown beforehand.  The quantity of advertising for this film has been extreme to say the least.  The wait has been worth it.  This is a great animated flick which is going to provide much entertainment for both kids and adults these school holidays.

Po (Black) is a panda who loves kung fu.  The problem is that he’s not very good at it – he’s inflexible, overweight and lazy.  Not a good combination.  Po idolises a group of kung fu experts known as the Furious Five.  They are made up of a tiger, a crane, a monkey, a viper and a praying mantis.  Guided by their teacher, Master Shifu (Hoffman), the Furious Five have defeated many adversaries.

It has been prophesised that an evil snow leopard named Tai Lung (McShane) will soon attack.  Tai Lung wants the Dragon Scroll – an object which is believed to hold the secret to unlimited power.  The only way that Tai Lung can be stopped is for a kung fu expert to take on the position of “Dragon Warrior” and read the scroll first.

The appointment will be made by Master Oogway, a wise tortoise who is held in high regard.  That is until… he selects Po to be the Dragon Warrior!  Everyone is dumbfounded by the selection.  Master Shifu and the Furious Five object strongly to the decision but it cannot be changed.  With no other alternative, Master Shifu starts training Po in the basics of kung fu.  It’ll be his greatest challenge…

There’s a lot to like about Kung Fu Panda.  The cast is probably what stands out most.  Jack Black (School Of Rock) plays Po and it’s one of his funniest roles.  I could almost picture Jack Black when looking at Po on screen.  He has the perfect sense of humour.  Also notable was Randall Duk Kim as Master Oogway and Dustin Hoffman (Rainman) as Master Shifu.

The screenplay is also strong and has been written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.  Both worked as writers on the King Of The Kill animated television series.  They’ve created a film with a simple story and a worthy message.  This makes it ideal for young kids who will be able to understand what’s going on.  The jokes are great also and this will give it just as much appeal to the adult audience.  Be sure to check it out.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 June 2008

Each year, television studios are inundated with ideas for new shows.  Only a select few make it into production and of those, not many last longer than 12 months.  It highlights just how hard it can be to create a popular television show.

The first episode of Sex & The City aired in the U.S. on a Saturday night in June 1998.  It was watched by 3.7 million people (not too bad for a debut).  However, by the time the last episode aired in 2004, more than 10.6 million people were tuning in.  Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda were household names.

Four years have passed since the finale but interest in the show hasn’t diminished.  The cult-like following is bigger than ever.  Repeats can be seen every night on pay-TV.  HBO Films and New Line Cinema sensed that the fans wanted to see these characters again.  They were right.  When released last weekend in the United States, Sex & The City took in a staggering $56.8m at the box-office.  Can this series become any bigger?

Before I go any further, I should probably cut things short for those who haven’t watched the show.  You can stop reading this review right now.  If you had no interest while it was on the small screen, why would you fork out money to see it on a big screen?  I’ll catch up with you some other time.

For those who are interested, the movie picks up where the television series finished off.  Carrie (Bradshaw) is planning her wedding after becoming engaged to Mr. Big (Noth).  Samantha (Cattrall) has moved to Los Angeles to manage the career of her soap-star boyfriend.  Miranda (Hobbes) is trying to juggle her career and her family life.  Charlotte (Davis) is devoted to raising her 3-year-old adopted daughter.  I won’t go into much more detail in terms of the plot but once again, I’m disappointed that the trailer gives too much away.

I was a fan of the television show.  I didn’t watch it religiously but I found it to be both funny and insightful.  The movie isn’t of the same quality however.  It’s much too long at 148 minutes and the storyline is predictable and repetitive.  I was hoping for more action and more surprises.  I got bored watching them talk about the same problems over and over (whilst wearing designer clothes and sipping alcoholic beverages).

Bah!  What difference will my opinion make anyway?  I’m a guy! The studio research from the States showed that roughly 85% of moviegoers who saw the movie on opening weekend were female.  There was a similar ratio of guys to girls at my preview screening here in Brisbane.  There were lots of laughs from the ladies and I think they were more receptive to many elements of the film.

Then Carrie gives her personal assistant a Christmas gift, she pulls a box from under her bed that has the name Louis Vuitton written on it.  I could hear many gasps from the females sitting near me.  I guess I just didn’t get it.  While I’m illustrating my ignorance, how does Carrie afford a personal assistant?  How does she afford all her clothes?  She says at one point that she’s using the advance from her latest book to buy furniture for her apartment.  If she’s that strapped for cash, I’m sure she could get away with wearing the same outfit twice.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, I’ll leave my criticisms at that.  Let’s face it – it’s an unrealistic storyline but it’s no more unrealistic than a macho action flick.  If a guy can fight 10 people at once and win, then I’m sure a girl can have 100 designer dresses in her wardrobe.  Men are from Mars and women are Venus but both sexes love escapism when it comes to the movies.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 June 2008

I don’t know what to make of this film.  It’s pretty “out there”.  I usually associate Adam Sandler with screwball comedies (some good, some bad) and this one is no exception.  It plot is insane but underneath, there’s some interesting political messages and a few intelligent jokes.  This was better than I thought it would be.

Sandler plays Zohan Dvir, an Israeli counter-terrorist agent who has super-human powers.  There is no assignment too challenging.  He has captured many Palestinian terrorists and given them what they deserve.  His latest mission to re-catch The Phantom (Turturro) who was recently let out of an Israeli jail in a prisoner exchange program.

The problem is that Zohan is sick of the fighting and wants to get out of his profession.  He wants to go to the United States and become a hair dresser.  Go figure?  He knows this won’t go down well with his colleagues and his family and so Zohan decides to fake his own death.  He does this when he goes head-to-head with The Phantom.

Life isn’t as easy in the U.S. as Zohan expects it to be.  He struggles to get a job as a hairdresser because he has no experience and a very eccentric personality.  The only job he can find is as a cleaner is a Palestinian hair salon.  Zohan turns down the offer at first but realises he’ll have to take it on as a stepping stone to something bigger.

That opportunity arrives when the manager of the salon, Dalia (Chriqui), agrees to let Zohan cut the hair of a customer.  He offers a very unique service which leaves the customer incredibly satisfied.  Almost instantly, the salon develops a strong reputation and ladies are queuing up outside the store to get their hair cut by the legendary Zohan.

It took a while to get going but as I’ve indicated earlier, this is a decent film.  Some of the terrorism related jokes will be offensive for some but I liked the audacity of the writers to take on more challenging material.  One of the co-writers of the screenplay was Judd Apatow, the man responsible for Knocked Up and the Forty-Year-Old Virgin.  He’s one of the sharpest writers in the business today.

Sandler also helped write the film but he’ll be most remembered for his performance.  He has a few memorable catchphrases and body features.  Zohan is a very strange character and Sandler is the perfect person to play him.

You Don’t Mess With The Zohan is a “hot potato” – you’re either going to love it or hate it.  For maximum enjoyment, I think you’re best to see it with a positive attitude and a willingness to go along with something a little different.  I’ll leave it with you.