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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 November 2022

The Velvet Queen is a documentary brought together by the talents of three key people.  Vincent Munier is an award-winning wildlife photographer with over 100,000 followers on Instagram.  Sylvain Tesson is an acclaimed non-fiction author who writes about his travel adventures.  Marie Amiguet is a French filmmaker co-directing (alongside Munier) her first feature film.

Together, they trekked deep into the Tibetan highlands in 2018 to explore the terrain and its unique wildlife.  Roughly 150 hours of footage was shot with the best material woven together into a tight 90 minutes.  Dialogue is used sparingly (a good choice) and that leaves the emphasis on the visuals, sound and music.  It’s a French production but there’s an Australian link with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (The Road) collaborating to create the music score.

The film is as much about the creators as it is about the landscape and the animals.  Just like a medical researcher, their days are full of educated guesswork and experimentation.  The trio find a good spot, sit there for hours in the freezing cold (you can see their breaths), and hope to get the perfect photograph of a colourful bird or a hairy mammal.  On this particular trip, the “holy grail” would be to capture the movements of a snow leopard, a reclusive, endangered beast which skilfully uses the rugged terrain to keep a low profile.

If you’re interested in the subject matter, The Velvet Queen has plenty to offer.  As an example, Munier recounts a story from a previous trip where he took a seemingly innocuous photo of a bird only to discover something much more interesting when looking at the photo a few months later.  Humour is provided in a later scene where Munier and Tesson, trying to stay as quiet as possible, are interrupted by a group of noisy Tibetan kids who want to play with their equipment.

This isn’t a life changing doco but it reminds us of the many beautiful, fascinating animals we share the planet with.  It’s easy to forget given how preoccupied we often are with our day-to-day lives.  There’s no substitute for the real thing but the filmmakers do a great job making us feel like we’re alongside them.  They open up about what it’s like to be in one of the most isolated parts of the world and fully detached from the “human rat race” to which we’re all accustomed.  The Velvet Queen is a relaxing, comforting watch.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 31 October 2022

It’s a pitch we’ve seen before.  A respected directed, with several films already under his belt, gets the funds to create a personal, semi-autobiographical drama based on their upbringing.  Examples which spring to mind include Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe), The Squid and the Whale (Noah Baumbach), Roma (Alfonso Cuarón), and Belfast (Kenneth Branagh).  We’ll be seeing one from Steven Spielberg in a few months when The Fabelmans, currently the Oscar frontrunner, is released in Australia.

Armageddon Time is James Gray’s entry into the genre.  He’s been in the business for three decades with credits such as Little Odessa, The Yards, The Lost City of Z, and Ad Astra.  This new film taps into his 1980s upbringing in Queens, New York and it’s very much “by the book”.  He starts out as a naïve, rebellious 11-year-old and, after a series of awakening events, he is transformed into a better person who more clearly sees the world for what it is.

In his first starring role, 14-year-old Banks Repeta steps into the shoes of protagonist Paul Graff.  He’s a cheeky kid who puts minimal effort into his schoolwork given he much prefers art over arithmetic.  The same personality shines through at home with Paul not afraid to push the buttons of his Jewish parents (Hathaway and Strong) to get his own way.  There’s a humorous early scene where Paul takes it upon himself to order take-out as opposed to eating his mum’s cooking.

There are two people in Paul’s life who he respects and confides in.  The first is his elderly grandfather, warmly played by two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins (The Father), who realises this fact and tries to steer Paul in the right direction with wisdom and good advice.  The second is an African American kid from school (Webb) who opens Paul’s eyes to the difficulties faced by those from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

We’ve seen this type of movie before but Armageddon Time succeeds on account of its strong performances.  Youngsters Banks Repeta and Jaylin Webb are both very good and, for the most part, capture the immaturity and childlike conversation that you’d expect from pre-teenagers.  Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong neatly illustrate their own characters’ uncertainties while Anthony Hopkins will warm hearts as the granddad who understands the preciousness of time and how we must make the most of it.

A few elements add unnecessary padding (like the Jessica Chastain cameo) but I enjoyed Armageddon Time as a well-told, well-acted drama which may rekindle our own childhood memories.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 November 2022

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a well-established fan base but there’ll be heightened interest in this new entry for two key reasons.  Firstly, the original Black Panther received more combined critical and industry acclaim than any other superhero movie in history (The Dark Knight would be a close second).  It won the Screen Actors Guild Award for best ensemble and was nominated at the Academy Awards for best picture (it didn’t win but it took home Oscars in 3 other categories).

Secondly, Marvel Studios has decided to continue with the franchise despite the unexpected death of star Chadwick Boseman in 2020 at the age of 43.  Credit to the writers for not trying to pull off a silly Fast and the Furious-type gimmick where they pretend Paul Walker’s character still exists within that world.  It’s a little clumsy and unemotional but the death of Black Panther is addressed in the opening scene where, despite an abundance of medical machinery in Wakanda, he dies off screen because an “undisclosed illness.”

We then skip the worst of the grief and pan a year into the future where a new tale can begin.  The citizens of Wakanda thought they were the only nation on earth to possess vibranium but it transpires a hidden colony at the bottom of the sea filled with Avatar-like blue people also has reserves of the powerful mineral.  Its ageless leader (Huerta) prefers offense to defence and has reached out to the Wakandans to form a military alliance.  The questionable plan is to then attack the leaders of villainous countries such as France and United States who are looking to steal vibranium for their own “gotta look after global security” reasons.

With no Black Panther, a fact we’re reminded of repeatedly, the bulk of the responsibilities fall upon his white-haired mother, Ramonda (Bassett), and his technology-loving sister, Shuri (Wright).  The elder provides wisdom with a splash of well-timed anger, while the younger offers naïve enthusiasm with a pinch of humour.  They need to exercise good judgement in deciding when it’s best to sit on the fence and stay neutral, and when it’s best to pick a side and step into conflict.

For a movie which is 161 minutes long, I expected a stronger, deeper narrative.  There’s a lot of people making threats and talking up a “big game” but their motives are flimsy, simplistic and repetitive.  The balance is also askew with the supporting cast.  Dominique Thorne (Judas and the Black Messiah) as a gifted 19-year-old student, and Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) as a highly trained warrior deserved more screen time and development.  On the other hand, an American subplot involving Martin Freeman and his ex-wife/boss adds nothing and should have been left on the cutting room floor.

I’ve admired the previous efforts of director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) but the lack of a meaningful, fast-paced storyline limits his abilities here.  He tries to keep us engaged with colourful CGI, changes in speed (slow-motion, reverse-motion), and lengthy musical interludes featuring the likes of Rhianna but it’s not enough to inject sufficient energy into Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.  It’s not terrible but it’s still a disappointing sequel.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 October 2022

The much-loved Mrs. Harris was the creation of American author Paul Gallico who penned four novels about her adventures between 1958 and 1974.  Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is an adaptation of the first book and is part of a small collective of films with rhyming titles.  Other entries include The Cat in the Hat, Drop Dead Fred, Hocus Pocus, and Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.  If we’re being technical, this isn’t a new entry though.  Fans of the late Angela Lansbury may remember she starred in a largely forgotten television movie based on Gallico’s work back in 1992 (Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris).

Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville (Another Year, Phantom Thread) steps into the shoes of Ada Harris and it’s a role that requires her to be sweet and loveable.  The year is 1957 and after losing her husband during World War II, she’s spent the last 13 years as an “invisible” widower living in London who goes about her routine days with minimal fuss and fanfare.  She works as a poorly paid housekeeper before finishing most evenings with a drink amongst loyal friends at the local pub.

It’s while in the home of a snobby client that she first lays eyes on a £500 dress crafted by French designer Christian Dior.  It’s one of the most beautiful things Mrs. Harris has ever seen and, in a temporary moment of madness, she decides to travel to Paris and purchase a similarly exquisite dress for herself.  She doesn’t have the money but a few convenient plot devices take care of that – she wins a tidy sum playing the Pools, she gets a reward for finding a missing ring, and she receives a 13-year back-paid war widow’s pension.  It all adds up to £582 which is enough to cover the cost of the dress plus flights.

Much of the film is then spent in Paris where Mrs. Harris unwittingly charms her way into the lives of others.  She is initially looked down upon by Dior’s snobby management but once they see her cash-laden purse, perceptions change and she’s welcomed with open arms.  It will take roughly two weeks to complete the fitting and design and so Mrs. Harris spends her time sightseeing around Paris in the company of a wealthy nobleman (Wilson), an astute accountant (Bravo), and a budding model (Baptista).

One could easily think this was written by Hans Christian Anderson given it has the look and feel of an over-the-top fairy tale.  There are a few bumps along the way but for the most part, it’s filled with happy, smiling people who have a part to play in helping Mrs. Harris fulfill her unusual dream.  It’s a crowd-pleaser but there’s so much sugar and syrup that it’s difficult to swallow at times.  Mrs. Harris has an uncanny knack for bumping into people at “just” the right time, and her connections with key individuals (such as the wealthy nobleman) feel more contrived than authentic.

All of that said, I’m a long-time fan of Lesley Manville and even I’ll admit to being won over by her likeable performance.  If looking for a simple reminder that good things can happen to good people, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is for you.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 November 2022

Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is an iconic 17^th Century play which taps into themes of honour, integrity and hysteria.  It depicts a world where faith and beliefs carry more weight than science and factual evidence.  One might think today’s world is a more sensible, enlightened place but that’s not always the case and novelist Emma Donoghue (Room) has expressed an interest in “how idealistic young people can get caught up in all sorts of systems of extreme belief, whether it's cults or whether it's suicide bombers.”

While it’s not quite a current day tale, this thought process helped inspire The Wonder, an 1862 story set in a small Irish village and loosely inspired by actual events.  Donoghue’s book was first published in 2016 and she subsequently teamed up with British screenwriter Alice Birch (Mothering Sunday) and acclaimed Chilean director Sebastián Lelio (Gloria, A Fantastic Woman) in adapting it for the big screen.  As we’re seeing with other potential “awards season” contenders, it’s receiving a short cinema run before its upcoming release on Netflix (you can stream it in two weeks).

The film is centred around Anna O’Donnell (Cassidy), an 11-year-old who has become a “sensation” within the community because she hasn’t eaten a single parcel of food in four months and yet is in perfect health.  She proclaims that she doesn’t need to eat as she’s from a devout Catholic family and has been provided with “manna from heaven”.  Her story has been met with a mix of amazement and scepticism.  Some believe she’s doing God’s work while others believe it’s part of an elaborate hoax to earn attention.

A committee has been set up to verify the claims and they’ve engaged a widowed nurse (Pugh) and an elderly nun to supervise Anna on a continual basis for two full weeks to ensure she does not consume any food.  Her role is simply to “watch” but the nurse, going against the wishes of the committee, takes it upon herself to be a part-time investigator.  She speaks with an inquiring journalist, she interacts with the family, and she becomes close with the girl at the centre of it all.

Continuing his strong track record, Lelio keeps audiences on their toes with a few directorial curveballs – best illustrated by the film’s introductory scene which breaks the fourth wall.  Florence Pugh (Little Women) reconfirms she’s one of the best in the business by delivering her lines with confidence and conviction.  She’s a worthy protagonist to root for – when told not to do something, she quickly becomes suspicious and does the opposite.

The Wonder is an interesting, well-assembled period piece.  The opening suggests intrigue, the middle offers meaningful character development, and the finale provides food for thought.