Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 July 2007

Answering a knock at the door, Linda (Bullock) sees a police officer standing on her porch.  He tells her that her husband was involved in a car accident and was killed instantly.  It happened the day before but the police had trouble identifying the body and hence, the next of kin.  Linda goes into shock.  Her mother comes over to comfort her.  She picks up her two daughters from school and tells them the bad news.  As she goes to bed that night, she realises that her life is forever changed.  Or is it?

When she awakes the next morning, she goes downstairs and finds her husband, Jim (McMahon), making breakfast and going about his day like he ordinarily would.  What’s going on here?  Was his death just a vivid dream?  Or was it some kind of premonition?

It was at this point where I gave up on the film.  I watched the rest of it knowing exactly what would happen.  I think everyone in the cinema knew but for some unknown reason, Sandra Bullock’s character couldn’t put the pieces together.  It was very frustrating.  If I’m going to watch a suspense thriller, I’d at least like to be kept guessing.  How could such a major film have such a thin plot???

Premonition deserves my lowest grading.  I’ve seen B-grade straight-to-video releases that are more interesting and entertaining.  I can’t believe I spent $8.50 on it at the cinemas (thank goodness I had a discount card).  Rotten Tomatoes, a film website which collects reviews from major critics across the world, found that it received 12 positive reviews and 138 negative reviews.  It’s comforting that I find myself in the majority.

I try to be positive person but films like Premonition depress me.  The good news is that my memory of the film is quickly fading and I’m off to see another film tonight.  It can only be better.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 July 2007

Set in the western suburbs of Sydney, West takes us into the lives of two young men who live in a world consumed by sex, drugs and alcohol.  This isn’t exactly new material.  Twelve months ago, we saw Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish star in Candy - an Australian film with similar themes.

That said, West is a still a strong film.  It is violent, shocking and confronting.  It highlights issues that a big problem for today’s teenagers in lower-class societies.  There’s plenty of food for thought.

The central characters in the film are Pete (Chittenden) and Jerry (Phillips), two cousins who live together.  Pete is a small-time drug dealer who gets his product from bigger players.  Jerry is trying to clean up his act and has accepted a job at a McDonalds-like fast food store.  Each night, you’re likely to find them drinking at a local pub and trying to pick up women.  If unsuccessful on the female front, they’ll hide out in the canals and smoke weed.

When it comes to women, Jerry is the one who always knows what to do and say.  He’s had many one-night stands and loves to brag about it.  Pete is the exact opposite.  His quiet, shy disposition sees him freeze up in the company of women.

At the pub one evening, Jerry and Pete meet Cheryl (Alexy), an attractive blond-haired girl with a bold personality.  Both fall for her but of course it’s Jerry that takes her home.  It becomes more than a one-night stand though and they start spending more and more time together.  This leaves the jealous Pete on the outer.

I’ve just touched the surface of what is an interesting story.  I really enjoyed the dialogue from writer-director Daniel Krige and the characterisation from the young Australian cast.  These characters are dumb and immature but that’s what I liked about them.  They remind me of kids I see roaming the Brisbane streets at night.

One problem the filmmakers recognise is that a film like this is often seen by the wrong people.  It is shown at boutique cinemas (such as the Palace or Dendy) which aren’t frequented by young audiences.  So whilst this film is being released in just 8 cinemas across Australia, they’ve made sure that it’s screening at one particular cinema frequented regularly by teenagers – the Greater Union George St cinemas in Sydney.  It’s good to see.

It’s worth noting that West is rated MA and contains “strong themes, violence and drug use, strong sex scenes and coarse language”.  I believe it’s all necessary to the story but those perturbed by sex and violence might want to give it a miss.  There were a couple of walk outs at my screening.  I stuck it out (although it did give me a bit of a shock) and was happy to have done so.  It left an impression.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 July 2007

A group of Iraqis and Cambodians have travelled from Indonesia to Australia on a tiny boat.  They have paid big money for the trip and are looking to start a new, prosperous life in Australia.  The owner of the boat has left them on a beach with instructions to climb the large sand dunes.  On the other side, they’ll find a bus stop which will take them to Perth.

They soon learn that they have been taken for fools.  There is no bus and there isn’t even a road.  There’s nothing but dirt and sand in every direction.  They boat operator has taken their cash and fled back to Indonesia (to find more suckers).

Their arrival hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Australian military.  They have sent a three-man army unit to drive around the area in their jeep and look for any sign of these illegal aliens.  For these army guys, it’s a very boring assignment.  They pass the time by kicking the football around and going for a swim at an isolated watering hole.

Most of the new arrivals are captured but three remain lost in the harsh Pilbara Desert.  They are trying to find their way to Perth, unknowing that it’s 2,000 kilometres away.  Good fortune is keeping them alive and helping them evade their potential captors.  It’s a humorous journey of an unlikely trio on an even unlikely journey.  Will they find what they are looking for in this “paradise” that is Australia?

This is a curious idea for a film but I think it will struggle to find an audience.  There are no big-name actors, it is set entirely in a remote desert and there are large portions of subtitles.  Lovers of Australian cinema will be interested but there aren’t enough of them in this country.

Lucky Miles a decent comedy which makes light of a topical issue.  It’s not trying to make a political statement regarding illegal immigrants and detention centres – it’s just trying to have a bit of fun.  It succeeds to an extent but I think it’s a fairly thin plot when considering its 105 minute running time.  My attention span was waning after about an hour.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 08 July 2007

It feels like only yesterday that I was watching the first Harry Potter movie.  In reality, it’s been almost six years.  I’ve been critical of all the sequels released in the past two months but the Harry Potter series is different.  There is depth in each story.  The idea of a two hour movie based on a novel rich in detail is a lot more enticing than a three hour pirate movie with no plot.

The Order Of The Phoenix starts with a dark, menacing tone.  Harry (Radcliffe) is attacked by a Dementor, an evil being which sucks life from you.  He manages to fend off the attack by using powerful magic.  Unfortunately, he performed this magic in the company of a Muggle (someone without magic ability) and so Harry been called before the Ministry of Magic to explain himself.

There are some at the Ministry who want Harry to be severely punished.  They do not believe Harry’s Dementor story or his claims that the dark Lord Voldermort has returned.  Thanks to the help of the persuasive Professor Dumbledore (Gambon), Harry is found not guilty and is allowed to attend Hogwarts School for his fifth year of education.

Not happy with the outcome of Harry’s trial, the Ministry has sent Dolores Umbridge (Staunton) to Hogwarts as its new teacher of Dark Arts.  She is keeping a very close eye on Harry and is reporting on his activities to the Ministry.  Knowing that he receiving no valuable training in his Dark Arts classes, Harry and his friends establish a secret club where they can practice defending themselves against evil spells.  They just have to make sure that Umbridge and her cronies don’t find out about it.

There is a lot more to this story.  Those that have read J.K. Rowling’s novel (and there are many millions of them) will know how it ends.  It won’t stop Harry Potter fans (myself included) from seeing this film.  Screenwriter Michael Goldenberg has done a top job in condensing Rowling’s novel into movie length.  Something is always happening and there are no lulls in the story.

The film has been directed by David Yates, a British director whom I’d never heard of previously.  Yates will also be directing the next film in the series, Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, which is due for release in November 2008.

Of the cast, there is one clear standout.  Her name is Imelda Staunton and she plays Dolores Umbridge.  Staunton was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for her starring role in Vera Drake.  As one of the villains in this tale, Staunton is amazingly obnoxious (that’s a compliment).  I couldn’t wait for the scene where she finally got she deserved.  Every scene in which she features is a highlight.

I’ve liked every film in the Harry Potter series and this one is no exception.  I don’t think it’s as good as some of the others but it still provides much entertainment.  Both kids and adults will be enchanted (and maybe even a little scared in parts).  Bring on the next movie!

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 July 2007

Ann (Redgrave) is in the final days of her life.  She is confined to her bed and is taken care of by her two daughters, Nina (Collette) and Constance (Richardson).  Slipping in and out of consciousness, Ann mumbles the names Harris and Buddy.  She describes Harris as her only true love and then goes on to say that she killed Buddy.  This comes a shock to Nina and Constance who don’t know what their mother is talking about.  She had never mentioned these people before.

We then slip into the past to fill in the blanks.  Ann (played now by Claire Danes) has just arrived at a beautiful sea-side mansion which is home to two of her best friends, Lila (Gummer) and Buddy Wittenborn (Dancy).  Lila is getting married tomorrow and Ann will be her bridesmaid.  As Lila and her mother (Close) finalise the nitty-gritty details of the ceremony, Ann and Buddy spend time together.  Buddy has always had a crush on Ann and he hopes to take their friendship a step further.

What should be a fun, happy weekend for Ann is about to become far more complicated.  A dashing gentleman by the name of Harris Arden (Wilson) enters the picture.  He is a wedding guest and long-time friend of the family.  There’s an instant attraction between Ann and Harris which only grows in the lead up to the wedding.  This does not go unnoticed by Buddy who realises he now has competition.

My feeble attempts to describe the plot do not do this film justice.  There are many layers to the characters and you will learn more about them as the movie progresses.  This rich story comes from the novel by Susan Minot (first published in 1998) and has been adapted for the screen by Minot and friend Michael Cunningham (author of The Hours).  I’ve seen many two hour movies which were an hour too long.  In this instance, the film feels an hour too short.  With so many characters in the film, there isn’t enough time to develop them all fully.  I wanted to know more about them.

Evening is being advertised as having one of the finest female casts of the year and I cannot argue.  In what is one of her best ever roles, Claire Danes (Romeo & Juliet) is breathtaking.  She lights up the screen in every scene in which she appears.  I’d like to think she’s a chance at an Oscar nomination.

Of the remaining cast, it’s worth pointing out a few interesting relationships.  Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson play mother and daughter in the film, just like they are in real life.  Mamie Gummer as the young Lila and Meryl Streep as the old Lila look strikingly similar because they are also mother and daughter in real life.

Hungarian-born director Lajos Koltai has been working as a cinematographer since the early 1970s.  Recent credits include Being Julia, The Emperor’s Club and Malena (which earned him an Academy Award nomination).  Now sitting in the director’s chair, he has called on the services of fellow cinematographer Gyula Pados and has created a film with striking visuals.  From the sunlight streaming into the church to the moonlight glistening off the ocean, everything looks beautiful.

Each year, there are usually a couple of movies I like that I didn’t expect to.  Evening was savaged by American critics as being slow, sappy and jumbled.  I guess this film hit the right notes for me with its insights on seizing the day and living life to its fullest.  My thumbs are up.