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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 June 2006

Sean Boswell (Black) is a teenager who continually finds himself on the wrong side of the law.  There is nothing he loves more than taking his car and seeing how fast it can go.  His latest escapade though has ended in an arrest.  After challenging a classmate to a match race, Sean wrote off his car and caused thousands of dollars damage to a house under construction.  It’s the last straw for his mother who has sent now sent him to Japan to live with his dad and hopefully, straighten himself out.

His mother’s wish is not to be.  On his first day at school in Tokyo, Sean befriends a group of fellow racers.  Their style of street racing is different however.  It is known as “drifting”.  It’s a new concept to me and thankfully, it was explained by an expert at the preview screening I attended.  Drifting is the art of driving your car sideways.  To do this, you must have plenty of sharp turns.  It may sound like fun but it’s extremely hard to maintain control.

The top drifter in town is DK (Tee) and his expensive cars are funded by his uncle, a member of the Japanese yakuza.  Sean quickly becomes an enemy when he starts flirting with DK’s girlfriend, Neela (Kelley).  The two face off in a one-on-one race where DK is a comfortable winner.  Determined to square the ledger, Sean gets help from a wealthy and experienced drifter named Han (Kang).  Now that he’s mastered the craft, Sean is ready to prove himself…

Tokyo Drift is the third film in The Fast & The Furious franchise.  Paul Walker starred in the first two films but has not returned this time.  I can only think that he read the script and was as dissatisfied as I was to see it.  Why did Sean’s dad change his opinion on racing?  Why did Han befriended Sean and let him use his expensive cars?  Why did the police turn a blind eye to all this illegal racing?       

If you’re going to see this film simply for its action, then you might also be disappointed.  There are only a small number of action sequences and too much time is wasted trying to develop the nonsensical plot.

The final scene of the film sees Sean at the starting line of a fresh race.  After the words “ready, set, go” were uttered, I was off… to the exit.  I was the first one out and maintained my lead all the way to the cark park.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 June 2006

Do you know the actor Richard E. Grant?  He’s been in the business for over 25 years and his credits include Gosford Park, The Portrait Of A Lady, The Age Of Innocence, Dracula, The Player, Hudson Hawk and L.A. Story.  Now for the first time, he’s taken on the challenges of being a film director.  Grant isn’t doing this to see how comfortable the director’s chair is.  He’s written a story very close to his heart and wants to share it with a worldwide audience.

Grant was born and raised in Swaziland, a small country bordering South Africa, and it is here where the film is set.  From what I understand, it is the first major film to be shot in Swaziland.  The entire story is based on Grant’s upbringing as a teenager and the strained relationship he had with his two parents.  The names in the film may be different but this essentially, an autobiography.

Young actor Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy) plays an introverted teenager named Ralph Compton.  Ralph’s parents divorced several years ago and he was sent to boarding school not long after.  Now that his studies are complete, Ralph has returned home to live his father (Byrne).  Things have changed however.

His father has married a cheery American air hostess named Ruby (Watson).  The thought of his dad being with a new woman makes Ralph feel uneasy but he soon finds himself drawn to Ruby’s impulsive personality.  They become close friends and Ruby becomes the strong mother figure that he’s gone without for so long.  Life looks good.

That is until two major obstacles arise.  The first is the reemergence of his real mother (Richardson) who has returned after moving to London.  The second is an alcoholic addiction which has taken control of his father.  Ralph is a likeable, happy-go-lucky kid but these escalating problems at home threaten to leave a lifelong scar.

It’s an admirable directorial debut from Richard E. Grant.  He’s crafted interesting characters and a finale which will reduce many to tears.  Unfortunately, the emotional impact of the film is lessened by the fragmented nature of the story.  By jumping quickly from event to event, it looks more like a highlight reel than a following story.

The top performance is that of Gabriel Byrne.  He wasn’t Grant’s first choice for the role but in hindsight, it’s hard to think who would have done a better job.  Byrne has cast aside his usual Irish accent and produced a believable English one.  The other performances feel slightly over done.  Emily Watson’s American accent is a stretch and Nicholas Hoult’s dialogue didn’t feel natural.

Grant was recently in Brisbane to help promote the film and I was lucky enough to hear him speak at a question and answer session.  The tale of what went on behind the scenes of this film was fascinating.  So much so that Grant has written a book which details the challenges he faced when making this motion picture.  It’s called The Wah-Wah Diaries and by the time you read this review, I’ll have already starting reading it.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 June 2006

Cars takes us into a universe where humans don’t exist.  Instead, the world is filled with cars who go about their business as if they were real people.  Lightning McQueen (Wilson) is one of the most well known cars in America.  McQueen is a young race-car trying to become the first car to ever with the lucrative Piston Cup as a rookie.  After the final race of the season ends in a triple dead-heat, McQueen must travel to California for a special race.  The top three cars will compete and only one will be crowned champion.

The problem with McQueen is that he still has his youthful arrogance.  He doesn’t respect his pit crew and attributes his success solely to himself.  That’s about to change when a freak mishaps sees him stranded in a tiny town known as Radiator Springs.  It is home to small number of cars who are oblivious to the outside world.  Once upon a time, this town was buzzing with business.  Now that the main highway has been moved, it’s effectively a ghost town.  You won’t find it on any map.

In Radiator Springs, McQueen will make some new friends.  They’re a strange bunch but their simple, honest lifestyle starts rubbing off on the selfish McQueen.  He starts thinking of others and realises there’s more to life than the quest for an empty trophy.

Cars will undoubtedly be one of the best and most popular animated films of 2006.  It’s been over a day since I saw it and yet I can vividly remember the character names, the locations, the events and many of the jokes.  That’s unusual for me.  Some films you can only watch once but Cars is the kind of film I’d like to watch again once it’s released on DVD and on pay television.  This of course makes it perfect for kids, the target audience.

You’ll recognise Owen Wilson’s (Wedding Crashers) distinctive voice from the moment you hear it.  Other voices were harder to pick.  81-year-old Paul Newman plays Doc Hudson, a respected leader in Lightning Springs.  It may only be his voice but this is the first time we’ve seen the Academy Award winning Newman on the big screen since Road To Perdition (released in 2002).

I keep saying this every time I see a new animated flick but just how good is the quality of animation these days?  From the opening sequence in Cars, I was gob-smacked by the level of detail both in the foreground and in the background.  I suppose that’s why the film cost $70m.  That sounds like a lot of money for a film with no live action but once you’ve seen it, you’ll realise that’s exceptional value for money.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 June 2006

I didn’t want to like this film.  I tire of the continual publicity given to major Hollywood couples.  Every aspect of their lives is detailed on television shows such as Entertainment Tonight and in magazines such as Who Weekly.  I speak of couples such as Tom and Katie, Brad and Angelina and yes, Jennifer and Vince.  Maybe I’ve got tall poppy syndrome but I’m sick of hearing about them and the idea of watching them Jennifer and Vince on screen for 90 minutes did not sound like an attractive proposition.

Dispersions aside, The Break-Up is a fairly entertaining feature.  It opens with Gary (Vaughn) and Brooke (Aniston) meeting for the first time at baseball game.  Gary is trying to convince Brooke to go on a date but she continually resists.  His perseverance finally pays off and during the opening credits, we are presented with a collage of photographs to show how happy they are together.

Things soon change.  It begins with a petty argument over why Gary won’t help Brooke set up for a dinner party.  Gary’s had a long day at work and wants to put his feet up and play video games for a short while.  Brooke wants Gary to have a shower and assist in the preparations before the guests arrive.

Their conflict sends the relationship into a fast moving, downward spiral.  Neither wants to admit the other is wrong and they use blackmail to get the other to admit their guilt.  This is the best and most amusing aspect of the film.  It’s not funny when you’re in the situation yourself but it sure is funny watching from the outside looking in.  You can’t help but laugh at Gary and Brooke’s childishness.

With most sour relationships, you’d go your separate ways.  Unfortunately for Gary and Brooke, they are co-owners of a beautiful apartment in Chicago and neither wants to be the one who moves out.  This only adds fuel to the fire.  Gary tries to annoy Brooke by buying a pool table and putting it in the living room.  Brooke tries to make Gary jealous buy bringing new guys over.  Something has to give.

Vaughn and Aniston are the stars of The Break-Up but the film includes one of the biggest supporting casts of the year.  Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Bateman, Ann-Margaret, Jon Favreau, Cole Hauser, Justin Long and Australian Judy Davis all have small roles.  I’m confused as to why so many additional characters were included in the film.  They casually drift in, utter a few comedic lines and then slip out of the story. 

As the break-up deepens, the film moves from a comedy to a drama.  I much preferred the first half and felt too much time was wasted in the later stages of film.  The final scene is very good however.  I’d heard rumours that it was being changed after a poor test screening but I think it suits the film perfectly.

The Break-Up is not an insightful film.  It’s not telling us anything about men and women that we don’t already know.  Still, it’ll provide enjoyment for many couples who will go along to see it.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 June 2006

On 06-06-06, the remake of The Omen was released in cinemas around the world.  The release date was no accident.  The number 666 is considered by many to be the “devil’s number”.  There are some who disagree but I’m not here to get into a religious and/or philosophical discussion.  My point is that 20^th Century Fox’s creative release date and marketing campaign around the number 666 has given the film extra appeal.  When I saw this film on the opening night (06-06-06), the cinema was packed.

The story begins in a hospital.  A young married couple, Robert (Schreiber) and Katherine (Stiles), thought they would be celebrating the birth of their first son.  Unfortunately, there were complications during the pregnancy and the baby was sadly lost.  Robert is approached in the maternity ward by a strange man who presents an opportunity.  Another baby son had been born that night but his mother had died in the process.  Now an orphan, the man suggests that Robert take and raise the son as his own.

Robert and Katherine do just that.  They name him Damien (Davey-Fitzpatrick) and his early childhood brings them all much happiness.  As Damien nears his 6^th birthday however, strange things start happening.  The vibrant nanny of the house commits suicide, Katherine is injured in an accident and Damien develops a creepy personality.  Robert realises something is not right with his son and on the advice of a priest (Postlethwaite), he goes on a search to find out who Damien’s parents really are.

I haven’t seen the original version of The Omen but I’m led to believe that it was quiet scary.  It was rated R when initially released in Australia in 1976 but this came down to an MA rating when a special edition DVD was released in 2001.  Is that a sign of the times?  Are we more immune to such scary and confronting themes?  I guess so.

This new film is rated MA and it’s an apt rating.  There are only a handful of scenes which will have you jumping out of our seat.  What I enjoyed most about the film is that it doesn’t rely on these “quick frights”.  There’s an intriguing story unfolding here and the sinister look in Damien’s eyes creates a very unsettling atmosphere.  It climaxes with a quick, pull-no-punches ending that sets up the opportunity for a sequel (provided this film is profitable enough).