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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 March 2019

2018 was one of the best (if not THE best) year in terms of superhero movies.  Black Panther became the first superhero flick to be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards (winning for best costume design, production design and original score).  Avengers: Infinity War enthralled audiences with its cliff hanger finale and became just the 4^th movie in history to gross $2 billion USD at the worldwide box-office.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won the Oscar for best animated feature and surprised many with its creative premise.

Captain Marvel is the 21^st movie to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It’s taken a long time but finally, we have a film where the heroics are left entirely to a female character.  Marvel has generally proven themselves to be better than their DC rivals (in terms of quality and box-office) but this is one area where DC beat them to the punch given the deserved success of Wonder Woman in 2017.

The purpose of Captain Marvel will be obvious to fans of the genre.  After half the universe was decimated at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the film ended with Nick Fury (Jackson) activating an old pager that sent a rescue message to Captain Marvel (Larson).  Since her character had yet to be introduced into the franchise, a stand-alone movie was required to explain her background prior to the release of Avengers: Endgame next month.

I’ll cut to the chase and say it’s a standard, kind-of-seen-it-before origin tale.  We’ve got a hero learning about their abilities and we’ve got some one-dimensional villains who just want to be powerful and controlling.  There’s no shortage of action scenes but they’re heavy on special effects and light on emotional resonance.  I couldn’t help but think of the intense ritual combat sequence between Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan in Black Panther.  It’s those strong, potent moments which are missing here.

The film borrows from a formula which has worked successfully in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.  Guardians continually pays homage to the 1980s and so Captain Marvel does the same to the 1990s.  When she lands on Earth for the first time, star Brie Larson crashes through the roof of a Blockbuster video store and shoots a giant cardboard standee advertising True Lies (the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie from 1994).  It’s one of many references to the era and if you’re a fan of 90s music, you’ll know the lyrics to most songs on the soundtrack.

If you need a quick tease in terms of storyline, Captain Marvel comes from the civilisation of Kree – a harmonious society ruled by a mysterious “supreme intelligence” who ask “you put your people’s needs ahead of your own”.  They’re about to go to war with the Skrulls – an alien race who are inherently dangerous because of their ability to transform into other creatures (one of them even has an Aussie accent thanks to Ben Mendelsohn).  The over-emotional Marvel, under the tutelage of an experienced mentor (Law), finds herself caught in the middle as they fight for control of a valuable light speed engine.

Captain Marvel is watchable but it struggles to get out of first gear.  This is most evident during the closing credits when we get a fleeting glimpse of Avengers: Endgame and the key role the character will play in teaming up with the remaining Avengers and taking down Thanos.  That 30-second glimpse is more memorable and intriguing than the two hours which precedes it.  

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 February 2019

A Danish film about a guy who sits at a desk in an office and talks on the phone for 80 minutes.  It may sound dreadfully dull but The Guilty is one of the best releases of 2019.  I’m not the only one who thinks that!  It won the Audience Award for World Cinema (Dramatic) at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and it made the 9-film shortlist for the best foreign language film category at this year’s Oscars (it was unlucky to miss a nomination).

Directed by relative newcomer Gustav Möller, the film delves into an occupation seldom explored on screen – the emergency call-takers who receive and process phone calls when people are looking for police, fire and/or ambulance services.  Asger (Cedergren) normally serves as an experienced police officer but we learn during the opening scenes that he’s been reassigned to the call centre pending an upcoming court case (something went wrong in the field).

It’s clear that Asger doesn’t want to be there.  It’s the end of a lengthy shift, he’s tired and he’s got other things on his mind.  That changes when he receives a call from a woman who has been abducted by her ex-husband.  She speaks in a cryptic manner because the ex-husband, sitting beside her in the front seat of their vehicle, thinks that the woman is talking to her 6-year-old daughter.  Asger is able to gauge the seriousness of the situation through a series of “yes” or “no” questions so the ex-husband is none the wiser.

Asger immediately passes this information onto the local police officers.  That’s all he is required to do and if following his job description, he should sit at his desk and wait for the next call to come through.  That’s not how it plays out though.  Given his background as a police officer, Asger has a strong desire to take matters into his own hands and help this woman.  He calls her home to speak with the 6-year-old daughter and it even reaches the point where he’s calling the mobile phone of the ex-husband.

What makes The Guilty so thrilling is that everything is shown from Asger’s perspective.  We don’t get to see events unfold outside his office and we don’t get to see the characters that he’s interacting with on the phone.  It helps us relate to what life is actually like for an emergency call-taker.  They must gather information as quickly as possible, assess the magnitude of the situation, and often calm the emotions of the person they’re speaking with.  There’s a lot of pressure that’s compounded by the fact they can’t see what’s happening at the other end of the phone line.

The Guilty will have you hooked from the opening scene to the closing credits.  There’s so much to think about.  The fate of the abducted woman is important but the more interesting element is Asger and his actions.  He’s clearly a flawed character who has made mistakes in the past and seems to be making more and more as the film progresses… but is it possible that his unorthodox, emotion-driven approach will still achieve a positive outcome?

Given the strong, original premise, a production company based in Los Angeles has snapped up the rights and intends to make an English language version with Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role.  You’re welcome to wait for its release but if you do, you’ll be missing this riveting piece of Danish cinema.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 March 2019

Weddings are a great excuse to bring people together.  During the opening scenes of Everybody Knows, a group of jubilant family and friends have descended on a home in Madrid to celebrate the union of Ana and Joan.  We follow the story from a number of perspectives but perhaps the most prominent character is Laura (Cruz), the older sister of the bride.  It’s the first time she’s seen her sister and father in years given she now lives in Buenos Aires with her husband (Darín) and two children.

A crime is committed at the end of the opening act which dramatically changes the film’s tone.  What appears to be a celebratory family get-together is transformed into something much more sinister.  I’m reluctant to give too much away given the trailers and online promotional blurbs are light on detail.  The intent to preserve the surprises as much as possible for the audience.

In the aftermath of the crime, there’s a lot of soul searching and finger pointing.  It’s as if everyone reacts in a different way.  Some remain calm and cool-headed while others struggle to keep their emotions to check.  The best scenes involve a retired police detective (played by José Ángel Egido) who offers sage advice to those affected.

Everybody Knows is the latest from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi.  Those who have seen A Separation and The Salesman (which both won the Oscar for best foreign language film) will appreciate his abilities to create intriguing stories and then fill them with complex characters.  That’s again the case here but Farhadi takes on the additional challenge of using a non-native language.  Farhadi has a very limited Spanish vocabulary and he required the help of two gifted translators to communicate his detailed instructions.

The cast is headlined by two of Spain’s most renowned actors, Oscar winners Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) and Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona).  Their on-screen relationships began in 1992 when they starred alongside each other in the award winning Jamón Jamón.  Their off-screen relationship began in 2007 while filming Vicky Cristina Barcelona (they’re now married with two children).  They clearly have no issue mixing business with pleasure given Everybody Knows is the 9^th time they’ve appeared together in the same movie.

The finale doesn’t offer the knockout punch that you might be expecting but Everybody Knows is still an absorbing drama-thriller that delves into family relationships and the secrets we keep from each other.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 February 2019

At a first glance, it’s an odd title.  If making a movie about one of the world’s most successful comedy duos, who were known to everyone as Laurel and Hardy, why use their first names instead?  It was a decision made at the very early stages of this British production and it signifies that we’ll see a different side to these well-known characters.  The focus of Oscar nominated screenwriter Jeff Pope (Philomena) is on their “off-screen personas” as opposed to what audiences saw in their movies.

That’s not to say the film ignores their box-office draw.  Between 1927 and 1933, they were making more than 10 films a year on average (one of them won an Academy Award) and their comedic stylings made them the biggest act in Hollywood.  This film picks up their tale in 1937 as we watch them prepare and shoot a scene for the MGM movie, Way Out West.

If there’s one thing this opening sequence highlights, it’s how much comedy has changed over time.  It’s cute watching them sing and make bad jokes but it’s impossible to think that these two guys could find fame and fortune today.  Jokes that seemed funny and edgy back then would be the sort of lame stuff you’d find in Christmas crackers today.  I’d hate to imagine what people of that era would make of Hannah Gadsby or the Coen brothers.

With the introduction out of the way, the film slips forward to the year 1953 and follows Stan Laurel (Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (Reilly) as they travel across the United Kingdom in what would be their final tour together.  They were both in the early 60s and their brand was starting to fade.  It took a little while for the publicity to ramp up but thanks to a few important public appearances, word got around and they were soon performing in front of adoring crowds in large, sold-out theatres.

There are laughs to be had watching Stan & Ollie but at its core, this is a story about friendship.  Laurel and Hardy were two men who came together by chance and then became inseparable.  They brought out the best in each other when it came to creativity (you’ll chuckle as they write gags for a Robin Hood spoof).  They were also a shoulder to lean on as times got tough.  It wasn’t all smooth sailing though and the arrival of their wives (Arianda and Henderson) in the film’s second half brings a few bubbling issues to the surface.

John C. Reilly (Chicago) spent roughly 4 hours in the hands of make-up artists each day as they re-created his character’s distinctive ears and chin.  They deserve applause but so too does Reilly in portraying Hardy as such a softly spoken, endearing character.  It’s a great performance which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.  Steve Coogan can’t be ignored with his strong performance and if you’re looking for a scene-stealer, Rufus Jones delivers as their cunning manager who is part fool, part genius.

This isn’t a particularly adventurous script and it plays out as you might expect but Stan & Ollie does a nice job keeping alive the memory of two gifted comedians whose work should never be forgotten.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 February 2019

When it comes to heist flicks, there are three elements of the story to explore – planning, execution and aftermath.  It’s the job of the screenwriter to work out precisely how much time to devote to each.  In putting together a script for King of Thieves, Joe Penhall (The Road, Mindhunter) has hedged his bets and splits the time equally between the three parts.

The first half-hour is therefore spent getting to know the characters.  Brian (Caine) is a 77-year-old “retired” thief who sad, bored and restless following the recent death of his beloved wife.  To use his own words – “when someone dies, no one prepares you for the silence of an empty house”.  Looking to give his life purpose, he calls a few old friends and they start planning an elaborate robbery at a safe deposit facility in London.

Following in the footsteps of The Old Man and the Gun and The Mule, this film from Oscar-winning director James Marsh (Man on Wire, The Theory of Everything) continues the trend of elderly people committing crimes.  One minute they’re trying to work out how to break into a building and access the huge safe.  The next minute they’re taking heart medication and rubbing ointment on their stiff necks.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, this is a true story.

The robbery takes place during the second half hour and without giving too much away, it doesn’t go as smoothly as planned.  These men are experienced criminals but their old-school techniques are as much of a hindrance as they are a help.  I like the quote from the Scotland Yard’s head of specialist crime investigations who described them as “analogue criminals operating in a digital world”.  They were clearly in the dark when it came to things like CCTV footage, mobile phones and wire taps.

The momentum built during the opening two acts fizzles during a disappointing, unnecessarily long finale which focuses on the aftermath.  You always know how it’s going to end and it feels like you’re waiting for the inevitable (unusual for a heist flick).  The tension between the characters becomes tiring and the decision to add the perspective of the police force (through very short glimpses) adds next-to-nothing.

The cast features some of the best actors produced by Great Britain over the past few decades – Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon and Ray Winstone.  There’s laughs to be had watching these quasi-incompetent characters but they can’t do enough to elevate the material into something more memorable.  Given this is based on such a crazy true story, this should have been better.