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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 January 2019

62-year-old director Peter Farrelly has made some wonderful comedies over the past three decades including Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, There’s Something About Mary and Shallow Hal.  It’s hard to believe that it’s taken more than 25 years for Farrelly to make his first drama.  It wasn’t for lack of trying!

Studios showed no early interest in his script for Green Book, which he co-wrote with Nick Vallelonga and Brian Hayes Currie, but that changed when he was able to convince Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) and Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) to come on board.  The end result speaks for itself.  The film won the lucrative Audience Award at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival and is tipped to feature prominently when the Academy Award nominations are announced.

It’s easy to see why comparisons are being made with another Oscar winner, Driving Miss Daisy.  Released back in 1989, it was the tale of an old lady (Jessica Tandy) who has her eyes opened to racism in the United States thanks to her loyal African American driver (Morgan Freeman).  They were as different as chalk and cheese but the film culminated with Tandy grabbing Freeman’s hand and saying the now famous line – “you’re my best friend”.

Set in 1962, Green Book reverses the races in that scenario.  Don Shirley (Ali), referred to as “Doc”, is a renowned black pianist based at Carnegie Hall.  In doing his small part for the civil rights movement, he has agreed to perform at a number of venues across America to showcase his talents in front of white audiences.  It’s an 8-week tour that begins in Pennsylvania and culminates in more “conservative” states such as Mississippi and Alabama.

Doc realises that his presence in the Deep South is likely to attract attention from white supremacists and so he has employed Tony Vallelonga (Mortensen), an expert in night club “public relations”, to be both his driver and security guard.  They’re both from New York City but that’s where the similarities end.  Tony isn’t particularly enamoured with the job and the idea of working for a “coloured” but he’s in a tough spot financially and needs the cash to help support his wife (Cardellini) and two children.

There are a few small surprises but for the most part, Green Book plays out as you might expect.  There’s early tension between the characters but a bond quickly develops between them.  So, did this feel-good story actually take place?  You’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask.  Tony’s son co-wrote the screenplay and based it on stories and audio tapes provided by his late father.  On the flip side, Doc’s 82-year-old brother has called it “a symphony of lies” and was disappointed that he and his family were not consulted during the filmmaking process.

I can’t attest to its factual accuracy but Green Book is still a warm-hearted crowd pleaser that achieves its mission thanks to the two stellar performances from Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen.  The interaction between the pair is the clear highlight.  Power games are afoot in the first half of the movie as each asserts their authority.  The calm, articulate Doc lays down clear ground rules (no smoking the car, hands on the wheel at all times) but the chatty, food-loving, chain-smoking Tony is quick to test those boundaries to see how far they can be pushed.

The film becomes more dramatic and poignant in the second half as they come face-to-face with the inherent “it’s just the way we do things down here” racism that existed, and still exists, in parts of America.  The situations become increasingly troublesome and as details emerge about Doc’s past, he becomes a more interesting, empathetic character.  The narrative is a little too skewed towards Tony’s good deeds (and I know some have been critical of this) but I’d argue that we still get to see Doc make his mark on the world and break down barriers (which was always his intention).

Nothing in Green Book is particularly new or revealing but it’s still a well told story.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 January 2019

Mary Poppins was a stunning success both critically and financially.  It was the third highest grossing film of 1964 in the United States (behind My Fair Lady and Goldfinger) and it won 5 Academy Awards including best actress for star Julie Andrews.  It’s taken more than 54 years but we finally have a second instalment for those wanting more from this famed character.  In terms of a live action movie, that’s the longest ever gap between an original and sequel (excluding direct-to-DVD stuff) in the history of cinema.

The reasons for the delay have been well documented.  The author of the books, P.L. Travers, was one of the rare few who detested the original Mary Poppins.  This was humorously explored in the 2013 comedy Saving Mr. Banks which starred Emma Thompson as Travers and Tom Hanks as Walt Disney.  Travers had been approached many times about a sequel but she refused to give up the rights unless she had full creative control over the story, settings and characters – a concession that Walt Disney Studios wasn’t prepared to give.

Travers passed away in 1999 and the copyright of Mary Poppins was vested in her estate.  Its trustees were a little more receptive to the idea of a sequel and Oscar-nominated director Rob Marshall (Chicago, Into the Woods) was able to make a successful pitch.  His idea was to tap into the storylines of other Mary Poppins books that Travers had written (there were 8 in total between 1934 and 1988) and come up with a script that retains the essence of her writing and the soul of her characters.

Mary Poppins Returns is set roughly 25 years after the original and the two Banks children have grown up.  Michael (Whishaw) is a widowed father of three who is struggling to make ends meet and his sister, Jane (Mortimer), is doing her best to help.  When a greedy, sinister bank manager (Firth) demands their house be repossessed to pay an outstanding debt, the family have less than a week to locate a missing bank share certificate which they can use as collateral.

The time has come for Mary Poppins (Blunt) to make an appearance and just as she did in the earlier movie, she gracefully floats down with the help of a talking umbrella.  She takes Michael’s three kids on a few magical adventures while he has time to search for the share certificate.  Tony Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Hairspray, provide the light, easy-to-follow soundtrack.

I can see why some have been critical of this follow-up but I was lured in by the songs and its nostalgic feel.  Mary Poppins was one of my favourite movies growing up and it’s nice to see a family-oriented musical in cinemas once again.  They don’t come along very often these days.  From the creativity of “The Royal Doulton Music Hall” sequence to the craziness of the “Turning Turtle” cameo with Meryl Streep, there are a lot of memorable moments.  My mouth was sore from smiling so much.

There’s not a lot of nuance to the character but Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) is still wonderfully good in the title role.  Mary Poppins is 100% in control of every situation and it’s so much fun to watch her confuse the children with riddles and lure adults under her spell.  Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creative vision behind the successful musical Hamilton, also charms as a young lamplighter with his thick cockney accent.  There’s no sign of Julie Andrews (she didn’t want to detract from Blunt) but Dick Van Dyke makes a well-timed appearance by reprising a character he created back in 1964.

Making the most of 21^st century technology when it comes to special effects and cinematography, Rob Marshall hasn’t improved on the original but he’s created something worthy to sit alongside.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 January 2019

The idea of female leadership and empowerment will be seen, by some at least, as a movement that has taken shape over the past few decades.  Margaret Thatcher became the first British Prime Minister in 1979.  Julia Gillard achieved the same honour here in Australia in 2010.  In the United States, Sandra Day O’Connor became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court in 1981 and Madeleine Albright became the first female Secretary of State in 1997.  There are many more examples I could list.

Mary Queen of Scots takes us back to an oft forgotten time in the 16^th Century when two women were arguably the most powerful people in the United Kingdom (as it is known today).  At the age of just 25, Queen Elizabeth I (Robbie) ascended to the thrones of England and Ireland in 1558 following the death of her half-sister.  Three years later, 18-year-old Mary I (Ronan) returned from France to take up her rightful pace as Queen of Scotland.  The pair were actually first cousins once removed.

Josie Rourke’s film tries to balance up the respective storylines of these two famed characters but as the title suggests, it’s skewed towards the narrative of Mary.  That makes it the opposite of Elizabeth: The Golden Age, the 2007 release from director Shekhar Kapur which starred Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth and Samantha Morton as Mary.  Kapur’s film is superior if you’re looking to know more about this fascinating piece of British history.

Mary Queen of Scots feels like two hours of pointless power games.  Mary has her eyes on the English crown but Elizabeth is quick to rouse her supporters and prevent an uprising.  The film’s problem is that we don’t know what either side is about, aside from differing religious views, and so it’s hard to work out who to cheer for.  They both come across as power-hungry zealots (particularly Mary) who care very little about the people around them and the broader population.  It’s villain versus villain and therefore, I was struggled to invest in their fate.

A tricky part to the real-life story is the fact that while Elizabeth and Mary exchanged numerous letters, they never met face-to-face.  Borrowing from the technique used effectively by Michael Mann in Heat, screenwriter Beau Willimon (House of Cards) tries to builds early tension and then brings the two lead characters together for a pivotal, albeit fictional, scene.  It doesn’t work.  It’s an anti-climactic moment that becomes borderline laughable as the stumble around using the protection of see-through curtains.

It’s not all bad news.  The film does a commendable job exploring the challenges of being a female monarch in a male-dominated era.  Both Elizabeth and Mary have qualms about their not-so-loyal advisers and it’s apparent that many want to use the queens as their puppets as opposed to their leaders.  Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Brooklyn) also deserves praise for her performance as the strong-willed yet flawed Mary.  It’s hard to be too enamoured with Margot Robbie’s (I, Tonya) performance given her character goes missing after the opening act.

If you’re looking to see a great period piece about power games and British royalty… The Favourite is still in Australian cinemas.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 December 2018

Surveys vary but the general consensus is that Americans have grown increasingly distrustful of politicians and sceptical of the political process over the past few decades.  The same can be said of many other countries around the world including here in Australia.  Many factors are to blame but if you’re looking to point the finger at one group in particular, politicians have done themselves no favours.  Too many are driven by self-interest as opposed to doing what is best for society as a whole.

Vice is a damning portrayal of Dick Cheney (Bale), the man who served as U.S. Vice President from 2000 to 2008.  It’s almost too hard to believe.  It would have us think he used President George W. Bush like a puppet, had unlimited power thanks to the help of crafty lawyers, and it all began thanks to some inspiring words from his wife, Lynne (Adams).  He’d give a few Bond villains a run for their money.

So how much is true, how much is embellished, and how much is creative fiction?  We’ll never know for sure.  A humorous opening scene suggests it was hard to put together a complete picture of Cheney given he was one of the “most secretive leaders in history” (although that trait doesn’t come through during the movie as he interacts with a LOT of people).  The film, in my subjective opinion, does over-state Cheney’s influence in places but on the whole, its broad themes about the manipulation and corruption that exist within political circles are accurate.

There’s no arguing that, despite a myriad of health issues, Cheney has lived a long, successful and interesting life.  His career took shape in the late 1960s when he landed a job in the office of Congressman Donald Rumsfeld (Carell) and was given three tips – keep your mouth shut, do as your told, and be loyal.  He followed those instructions and by 1975, he’d become the youngest person in history to be appointed White House Chief of Staff (at the age of just 34).  That was only the beginning.

Writer-director Adam McKay (The Big Short) has struggled with the breadth of material on Cheney.  There’s a 2-minute subplot which strongly implies Lynne’s mother was murdered by her father.  There’s another quick sequence where Cheney shoots a Texas attorney while out hunting.  These are serious moments which could be a movie in their own right but McKay doesn’t have time to explore the truth or characters’ motivations.  Before these events have had a chance to soak in, we’ve raced onto something else.

The final third of movie, which focuses on Cheney’s time as Vice President, is the strongest part and it’s likely to generate the biggest audience reaction.  We see Cheney’s views on topics such as tax reform, privacy and torture and the way he was able to sell his ideas to the American people through the use of secret focus groups.  Most shocking is the lead up to the war in Iraq and its aftermath.

Christian Bale (The Fighter) delivers another career-defining performance in the lead role.  It’s one thing to mimic Cheney’s speech and mannerisms but Bale goes much further in creating an intriguing anti-hero.  Amy Adams (Arrival) goes missing during the film’s second half but she’s just as good as Cheney’s passionately loyal wife.  Both are in line for Academy Award nominations next month.  I was less impressed with Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell who come across as over-the-top caricatures as opposed to nuanced, real-life people.

McKay has stuck with the same directorial style that worked successfully for The Big Short.  The film breaks through the fourth wall (thanks to a curious narrator), there’s a bunch of Hollywood cameos (the Alfred Molina one works best), and there’s plenty of offbeat comedy (such as a mid-film credits sequence) to make sure the material doesn’t get too heavy.  He’s taking the subject matter of politics, which people tend to avoid in movie theatres, and getting his message across by making it simple and sexy.  It’s not a bad approach.

Vice won’t please everyone but it’ll entertain its fair share.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 January 2019

It’s been a strong, successful run for the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.  Both the original and follow-up sequel earned Academy Award nominations for best animated feature – a feat only matched by Shrek and Kung Fu Panda since the category was created back in 2001.  Money talks too.  The two films pulled in a combined $1.1 billion USD at the world-wide box-office which all but guaranteed another sequel.

As a quick recap, the first How to Train Your Dragon, released in 2010, was the tale of a young boy who captured and then assisted a cheeky young dragon named ‘Toothless’.  He was able to prove to his father and other Viking elders that dragons were their friends as opposed to their enemies.  The 2014 sequel took a more action-packed approach as the Vikings and dragons defended their home against the exploits of a sinister dragon hunter.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World begins with a discussion topic that has been doing the rounds, rightly or wrongly, in Australian politics – overpopulation.  The colourful city of Berk has become the “world’s first dragon-Viking utopia” but there’s a limited amount of space and questions are being asked about its long-term sustainability.  There’s an old mariner’s myth about a hidden world where dragons originated and so our illustrious hero, Hiccup (Baruchel), flips through a few maps and goes in search of its location.  The end goal is to find somewhere for the dragons to live in peace without the risk of further attacks.

A villain is required and this is where Grimmel the Grisly (Abraham) enters the picture.  His view of the world is that humans are the dominant species and all other creatures are superfluous.  He hunts dragons purely for the sport and across his lifetime, he and his henchmen have killed many winged creatures.  Hiccup is warned that Grimmel is not to be underestimated and that’s especially so given that Toothless is his latest target.

The Hidden World is a little too chaotic in places but there’s more than enough heart and sentimentality, particularly during the finale, to win over audiences.  It finds the right balance between action and story.  There are also a few good laughs highlighted by a great scene involving the chatty, over-stimulated Ruffnut in a jail cell (hilariously played by Kristen Wiig).  If there’s a weakness, it’s with the bad guy.  Grimmel is a one-dimensional, stereotypical villain who keeps gaining the upper hand and throwing it away for silly reasons. 

The franchise is starting to show signs of repetition and perhaps that’s part of the reason why The Hidden World has been marketed as the final instalment.  Kids will enjoy another chance to see these fun characters and it provides a nice culmination to the series but for me, the original How to Train Your Dragon remains the best.

You can read by interview with star Jay Baruchel by clicking here.