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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 September 2007

As a child, I used to watch the local rugby league here in Brisbane.  I can remember the fierce duals between teams such as Brothers and Wynnum-Manly in the mid 1980s.  It was what many people did on a Sunday afternoon – they headed down to their local league club and watched a game of footy.  With the development of the national competition (which started with the introduction of the Broncos in 1988), interest in the Brisbane rugby league soon fell away.  I don’t think I’ve been to a local game since the 1987 grand final.

It’s a simple truth that sports change over time.  We may not like it but it cannot be helped.  No matter what the sport, you’ll always hear someone saying how much better it used to be in the “old days”.  This notion is explored The Final Winter, a great new Australian film from directors Brian Andrews and Jane Forrest.

Set in Sydney in the early 1980s, Grub Henderson (Nable) is a star player for the Newtown Jets.  He’s been part of the team for over a decade and is highly respected by his fellow team mates and coach Jack Cooper (Johns).  He’s at an age though that has some people talking retirement.  It’s a scary thought for Grub who doesn’t know what he’ll do without a football career.  It’s straining his relationship with his wife (Hill) and two young daughters.

Murray “Colgate” Perry (Jarratt) is a real estate agent who has just been appointed the new CEO of the Jets.  Colgate is part of a new breed.  He senses the game is becoming more professional and that the club should be run as a business.  He’s prepared to get rid of some of the loyal, long-serving players (who have been with the club since they were juniors) to bring in more high-profile talent.  It’s all about increasing crowds and boosting profit.

This doesn’t sit well with Grub and his frustrations come to a head in the penultimate game of the season.  He is sent off by the referee for a high shot on an opposition player (who just so happens to be his brother).  Grub has been asked to front the tribunal and many believe that he’ll get a lengthy suspension.  His troubles have gone from bad to worse.

The Final Winter is a tribute to rugby league in the 1980s.  You have to laugh when you see the players smoking at half time and enjoying a beer after training.  It will leave you thinking just how much has changed in the past 25 years.  The game has become more professional but has it come at a cost?  It’s an interesting question.

Writer Matt Nable came up with the idea for the film back in 1995.  It’s taken a long time and a lot of drafts to see his idea come to fruition.  I’m glad he stuck with it because this is a top movie that will appeal to a lot of people.  Like films such as The Castle and Kenny, it celebrates Aussie culture and our love for the game of rugby league.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 25 August 2007

I like seeing different types of movies and if you feel the same way, then you’ll need to catch Dr. Plonk.  It is a black and white, silent comedy in the same style as those starring Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton in the 1920s.  It’s a weird feeling to be sitting in a packed movie theatre for 90 minutes without hearing a single shred of dialogue.

The film has been written and directed by Rolf de Heer, an Australian director who seldom puts a foot wrong.  He has won two Australian Film Institute Awards for best director – for Bad Boy Bubby in 1994 and for Ten Canoes in 2006.  The only other directors to have won the prize twice are Peter Weir, Fred Schepisi, Bruce Beresford and Ray Lawrence.

The creation of Ten Canoes was a very draining experience for de Heer.  In trying to come up with ideas for his next film, he knew that he wanted to make something that was fun.  After reflecting on the silent comedies he loved watching as a youngster, de Heer came up with the idea for Dr. Plonk.  Only a director with de Heer’s reputation could have managed to obtain funding for such an audacious project.

Turning now to the film itself, Dr. Plonk (Lunghi) is an eccentric scientist living in the year 1907.  It seems that when he’s not working on a crazy invention, Dr. Plonk is abusing his lazy assistant, Paulus (Blackwell).  After scribbling an array of crazy figures and symbols on a sheet of paper, Dr. Plonk comes to the conclusion that the world will end in 2008.  He takes his information to the Prime Minister (Anthoney) but is only laughed at.

Determined to find proof, Dr. Plonk creates a time machine that can transport him into the future.  Both Dr. Plonk and Paulus then travel back and forth between 1907 and 2007 in search of answers.  As you’d expect, they get themselves in some crazy situations.

Rolf de Heer has done an amazing job in bringing this film to life.  You’ll swear that it was made back in the 1920s when you see it on screen.  The camera is kept in the same position for long periods and the characters move a little faster than normal.  The piano music that plays in the background (composed by Graham Tardif) only adds to the experience.  I felt like I should have been going home from the cinema in a horse and carriage.

The performances also deserve a mention.  As we aren’t able to hear them, the only way we can understand the actors is through their actions.  You’ll see plenty of hand-waiving and concerned-looking expressions.  It’s enjoyable to watch.

As much as I applaud the idea, the film couldn’t quite maintain my attention for the full 83 minutes.  The novelty wears off after a little while and you realise that there isn’t much to the story.  It’s more of a tribute to the great silent comedies rather than something truly original.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 September 2007

After dishing out bad review on pretty much every animated film since The Incredibles (released in December 2004), my faith in animation has been restored with Ratatouille.  It’s a terrific film with a rather odd title.  It’s pronounced ra-ta-too-ee and for those not familiar, you’ll find out exactly what it means when you see the movie.

The central character in this delightful adventure is a rat named Remy (Oswalt).  Unlike the rest of his family, Remy hates eating food left in the garbage.  He has a heightened sense of taste which makes him a very fussy eater.  He’d love to be able to find fresh ingredients and cook up delicious meals for everyone to share.  Food is his passion.

It all goes wrong for Remy whilst trying to steal food from the home of an old lady.  She catches him in the act and comes after him with a shotgun (in a rather humorous fashion).  The whole colony of rats is then discovered and they flee for the nearest sewer.  In the mayhem that follows, Remy is separated from his family and he ends up lost under the streets of Paris.

When he pops his head above the surface, Remy is stunned to find himself outside a restaurant known as Gusteau’s.  Several years ago, it was one of the city’s most highly regarded restaurants.  It all turned sour however after a bad review from a leading food critic named Anton Ego.  It was too much for chef Auguste Gusteau who died not long after.

The restaurant is still open but it has never returned to its former glories.  It is now run by a Skinner, a spiteful chef who is looking to cash in on Gusteau’s good name.  Instead of focusing on the restaurant, Skinner has been selling a range of microwaveable dinners in supermarkets.  One of my favourite brand names was “Gusteau’s Tooth-Pick’n Chicken.”

Working as a cleaner at the restaurant is a young boy named Linguini.  He’s been struggling to hold down a job and it doesn’t look like he’ll last long here either.  The only thing he seems to be good at is making mistakes.

On one busy evening, Remy sneaks into the kitchen, pushes a few ingredients into a boiling pot and creates a delicious soup.  No one sees the rat of course and they all think this new soup was somehow created by the clumsy cleaner.  Only Linguini knows what really happened and it gives him an idea.  This unlikely duo develops a partnership whereby Remy will come up with the recipes and Linguini will do the cooking.  It will be their little secret.

If you want to keep someone’s attention, you have to be a good storyteller.  Writer-director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) has proven that in Ratatouille.  My plot description above (which is longer than what I’d usually write) only scratches the surface of what is a rich, intricate tale.  There’s a message to be taken from the film but it’s not force-fed down your throat like many recent animated flicks.  First and foremost, Bird’s film tells a great story.

In doing so, Bird and his team of collaborators have come up with some brilliant characters.  Linguini and Remy (voiced by unknown actors Patton Oswalt and Lou Romano) are immensely likeable and I was cheering for them all the way through.  I particularly loved hearing veteran actor Peter O’Toole voice the food critic, Anton Ego.  There’s a terrific monologue from O’Toole at the end of the film where he speaks of the “bitter truth” about being a critic.

Even if you can’t pronounce the title, make sure you don’t pass up the tasty dish which is Ratatouille.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 August 2007

Cris Johnson (Cage) has an incredible ability.  He can see roughly 2 minutes into his own future.  This may not sound like much time but when you think about, it’s an exciting concept.  It’s explored in the opening scenes when Cris heads to a casino.  He loves playing the blackjack tables because he can predict exactly what cards will come his way.

The problem with having such a talent is that it must be concealed.  If the casino owners knew for example, he’d be banned for life.  Cris therefore lives his life as normally as possible.  He lives alone and works as a magician (funnily enough).  At the casino, he makes sure he loses a few hands as to not attract any attention.

After watching him in action, FBI Agent Callie Ferris (Moore) has picked up on his unique gift.  She is currently trying to locate a nuclear weapon which was stolen by a terrorist organisation and thinks that Cris can help.  By looking into the future, he might be able to tell her where the bomb is and when it will explode.

The problem for Agent Ferris is that Cris Johnson doesn’t want to help.  He doesn’t want the publicity and wants to continue living his inconspicuous life.  Ferris is no chance of catching Cris either because he’ll always be 2 minutes ahead of her.  Cris will know when she’s coming and can deliberately avoid her.

A love interest then enters the picture.  Her name is Liz Cooper (Biel) and Cris has had an eye on her for some time.  Another luxury of being able to see into the future is that Cris knows exactly what to say.  He knows how she’ll react to his pick up lines and so can pick the one that works best.

Cris may have found love but Agent Ferris has found an opportunity.  She senses that she can use Liz to help get to Cris.  But even if she does manage to speak with him, how can she convince him to help the FBI in their search for the missing nuclear device?

I’m not usually a fan of time travel movies because the logic makes no sense.  Next is a little different.  It had me thinking about the all the cool stuff I could do in Cris’s position.  Would I also keep the talent a secret from others?

The idea for the movie has come from a short story written by science fiction author Phillip K. Dick.  He may have been dead for 25 years but Dick’s works are as popular as ever.  Adaptations of his works include Blade Runner, Total Recall, Paycheck, Minority Report and A Scanner Darkly.  His short story (titled “The Golden Man”) has made for an interesting motion picture.  The pursuit sequences are intense and I particularly enjoyed the film’s ending.

So now, what’s next?

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 August 2007

Once is the best romantic film I’ve seen in a long time.  It’s simple and it’s honest.  I first saw it at the Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) four weeks ago and I’ve been struggling to get it out of head.  I’m still humming songs from the soundtrack.

Set in Dublin, there is a guy (Hansard) who repairs vacuum cleaners for a living.  It’s his dad’s business and it doesn’t provide much income but it’s enough to get by on.  His mother died several years ago and both he and his father live together in a small house.  They don’t have a lot of money but you can tell they are nice people.  They make the most of what they have.

When he’s not working at the vacuum shop, this guy goes busking on the streets of London.  He takes his guitar, finds a nice open spot and plays popular music for people to enjoy.  Nothing gives him more satisfaction than brightening the day of a group of passers-by.  If can pick up a few extra dollars then it’s even better.

One evening, a Czech girl (Irglova) walks past and hears the guy playing some of his original songs.  She’s impressed and starts up a conversation.  They share a love of music and a love of life.  Over the next few days, they spend a lot of time together.  They chat about their past and their also their hopes for the future.  The world around them seems to stop – all they want to do is enjoy each other’s company.

The guy has always dreamed of leaving his small job behind and making it professionally as a singer-songwriter.  But it’s always been just that – a dream.  It’s the kind of thing that you hope will happen but deep down, you know it probably won’t.  The girl’s arrival changes all that.  Her enthusiasm for his songs and her willingness to help out is inspiring.  Together, they take out a business loan and hire a music studio for a weekend.  The plan is to make a demo tape which can be sent out to the major music studios.  With any luck, someone will be interested.

You’ll have noticed that I haven’t referred to either the guy or the girl by name.  That’s because they are never mentioned during the movie.  It’s another reason why the film seems so uncomplicated and easy to watch.

The male star of the film is Glen Hansard, lead vocalist of an Irish band known as The Frames.  They have released six albums since 1990 and opened for Bob Dylan on his recent tour of Australia.  As the female lead, Marketa Irglova is also a very talented piano player and song writer.  Hansard and Irglova first met in Prague and eventually released an album together called The Swell Season.

Writer-director John Carney (who was a former member of The Frames) came up with the idea for the film and Hansard agreed to write the songs.  Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins) was cast in the leading role and production was about to begin.

Fortunately (as it would turn out), Murphy pulled out of the project and so did the producers.  Carney convinced Hansard to step into the feature role, despite the fact he had never acted before, and managed to make the film for just $150,000.  The end result is a beautiful motion picture which won the audience award at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival (which celebrates independent cinema).

When I saw this film at BIFF, it was introduced as being the “perfect first date movie”.  It’s an apt description.  Once is filled with happy moments and it subscribes to a theory that I have longed believed in – that good things happen to good people.