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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 June 2024

Withholding information from the audience to build intrigue is an age-old cinematic technique which sometimes works… and sometimes doesn’t.  A Silence, a French flick from director Joachim Lafosse (Private Lessons), is an example of the later.  It begins with an out-of-sequence scene in a police station and then slips back a few weeks to chronicle the events leading up.  It’s a slow burn with the three-person writing team waiting a solid hour before revealing the film’s true premise.  I was unsold on the approach as it become a silly “mystery” as opposed to an intricate drama exploring the seriousness of certain issues.

I’d like to talk about the “issues” but as they are revealed so late in the movie, I’ll be cryptic and describe this as a family drama.  The perspectives change throughout but the focus is on three key characters.  François (Auteuil) is a high-profile lawyer who loves the media spotlight and works on cases involving abused children.  Astrid (Devos) is his loyal, long-term wife who knows damaging secrets about her husband but keeps quiet to protect the family and her way of life.  Raphaël (Galoux) is their adopted teenage son going through a rebellious streak which includes skipping school.

The film has 90+ minutes to explore these three individuals but sadly, the time is wasted on unnecessary scenes which add little (such as those involving a pack of journalists parked outside the family home).  The material leaves a lot of unanswered questions, and I didn’t know much more about the character’s mindset at the end as I did at the beginning.  The dialogue between them all is trivial and aside from a probing police interrogation in the final act, it lacks the tension and drama to engage audiences (and get them thinking afterwards).  The closing scene is another disappointing weak spot.

Stars Daniel Auteuil (Jean de Florette) and Emmanuelle Devos (Kings and Queen) are two acclaimed French actors (they’ve each won two César Awards) but the screenplay doesn’t allow them to showcase their talents.  Perhaps I should have expected it given the title, but the film needed less “silence” and more direct confrontation between their respective characters. 

Loosely based on a true story, A Silence tackles an important subject matter but barely scratches the surface.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 June 2024

I started reviewing movies in 1996 and not once in the past 28 years has my favourite of a particular year received a sequel.  The closest was an award-winning musical adaptation of Billy Elliot (my top release of 2000) which premiered in London’s West End in 2005.  The streak now ends with the release of Inside Out 2, a sequel to the much-loved Pixar film which won the Academy Award for best animated feature.  It was my favourite movie of 2015 (edging out Selma and Mad Max: Fury Road).

If new to the material, Inside Out took us inside the mind of a vibrant, impressionable 11-year-old girl and the array of emotions and memories which reside therein.  It was funny, creative, and rich in detail.  Inside Out 2 picks up the story two years later.  Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) is a hockey-loving, braces-wearing teenager who is top of her class at school.  She has a strong “sense of self” and is looking forward to hanging with her two best friends at hockey camp as the summer holidays kick off.

The five emotions in Riley’s head (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust) have things under control until they wake up early one morning and find a giant red light flashing on the “emotions dashboard”.  It signals the arrival of puberty and with it, a range of new emotions rock up to take control – Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui (a specialist in sarcastic boredom).  These fresh feelings have good intentions but it’s not long before they’re upending Riley’s world and disrupting her relationships with friends and family.

You could argue it lacks as much originality as the 2015 movie but Inside Out 2 is still a terrific film to be enjoyed by people of all ages.  It’s the kind of movie you could watch as a teenager, enjoy immensely, and then appreciate it at a different level when watching again ten years later.  It clearly explores the complexity of human emotions, utilising both comedy and drama, and leaves you with something to chat about.  It’s remarkable how many cute, memorable characters are created inside of 96 minutes (a particular shout-out goes to Anxiety and Pouchy).

The production values are excellent.  Kelsey Mann, making her feature film debut, continues the great work of Pete Docter (who made the first movie) in crafting a fantasy world which is both fun and interesting.  I speak of everything from the simple sounds of rattling memory balls… to the detailed depiction of the hard-working “imagination team”.  There are also some great individual scenes such as a fast-paced moment where the emotions closely scrutinise body language as Riley talks with friends in the back seat of her parents’ car.

Engaging from start to finish (the time flies by), Inside Out 2 is a worthy sequel which, according to my own emotions, deserves a strong recommendation!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 June 2024

Given it’s such a niche job, it’s remarkable that two movies about music conductors have been nominated at the Academy Awards for best picture in the last two years.  Tár featured a brilliant lead performance from Australian Cate Blanchett, while Maestro saw writer-director Bradley Cooper step into the shoes on the ionic Leonard Bernstein.  Both films, worth checking out if you’ve haven’t already, highlighted the creative highs and ego-driven lows that can exist within the profession.

Divertimento hasn’t received the same award-winning acclaim but for those interested in feel-good true story, it will have serious appeal.  It tells the true story of Zahia Ziouani, a French-Algerian woman from a modest background who, guided by her parents, developed a love for classical music as a teenager.  She yearned to be an orchestra conductor, but many scoffed at her ambitious because the industry was dominated by those who were old and male.

There’s a happy end to this story but with a few bumps along the way.  I won’t say too much more and let audiences enjoy this film.  It’s a little over-dramatized in places but writer-director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar does a nice job in capturing Ziouani’s talent, passion, and ambition.  Lead actor Oulaya Amamra had no prior classical music training prior to making the film but, in being coached by the real Ziouani during the shoot, she’s created a character who is convincing and likeable.  You really do want her to succeed.

Divertimento premiered in Australia back in March as part of the French Film Festival and I was fortunate to host a Q&A session with Zahia Ziouani and her cellist-playing sister, Fettouma, as part of the program.  In being kind, modest, and full of wonderful anecdotes, they’ve me a greater appreciation of the movie and their inspiring upbringing.  They couldn’t give too much away but they will have a role to play in the cultural activities connected with the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

For those who missed Divertimento at the French Film Festival, it’s now getting a release in select cinemas across the country.  If you’re after a nice tale with great young actors and weighty music, it’s an ideal choice.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 June 2024

The story behind The Exorcist remains one of the wildest to come out of Hollywood.  Many thought the 1971 novel to be too challenging/graphic for the big screen, but director William Friedkin (The French Connection) gave it a crack.  Meddling studio executives didn’t give the finished product much hope when it was released in just 24 theatres across the United States in December 1973.  Word of mouth spread quickly!  It became the highest grossing movie of the year and the first horror film to be nominated at the Academy Awards for best picture (losing to The Sting).

Despite the incredible financial success, folks still talk about a purported “curse” which plagued the production in 1972.  Two actors died before the film was finished, stars Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair suffered back injuries, crew members lost body parts in workplace accidents, a bird started a fire which destroyed film sets, and the shoot took four months longer than originally budgeted.  Was this all the result of loose safety practices… or were sinister, supernatural forces at play?

The late Jason Miller played Father Damien Karras in The Exorcist (he earned an Oscar nom for his performance) and now, his eldest son has made a movie loosely inspired by the troubled production.  It marks the feature film debut of director Joshua John Miller and ironically, it’s been through its own share of problems.  The movie was shot back in 2019 (in case you’re wondering why actors look younger) and sat in “development hell” throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally getting its chance in cinemas, The Exorcism stars Australian Russell Crowe as Anthony Miller, a fictitious character named in honour of Joshua’s dad.  He’s a washed-up actor looking for a fresh start having battled lengthy alcohol and drug problems, and the unexpected death of his wife two years earlier.  The director of a low-budget exorcism flick, entitled “The Georgetown Project”, has taken a chance on the troubled, line-forgetting actor and cast him in the lead role – a priest trying to extract a demonic presence from a young woman.  Suffice to say the shoot doesn’t go as smoothly as planned.  Weird things start occurring on set and the patience of both the cast and crew will be tested…

It’s not a bad concept.  The genre has been well-trodden over the past few decades and so I like the twisting idea of an exorcism movie about an exorcism movie.  The execution is lacking, however.  Events play out as expected, there are very few genuine surprises, and the casting doesn’t work.  Sam Worthington (Avatar) and David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) are accomplished actors who feel ill-suited to their small supporting roles.  Ryan Simpkins (The House) gets a decent chunk of screen time as Crowe’s daughter and while she isn’t given much to do, she’s the film’s most interesting character.

Adding to the film’s woes is that Crowe shot an unrelated horror movie in 2022, The Pope’s Exorcist, which was released in mid-2023, made a nice return at the box-office, and has a sequel in development.  When it comes to Russell Crowe and exorcisms, that’s the movie audiences are more likely to remember.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 June 2024

In a recent interview, Danish director Nikolaj Arcel listed Lawrence of Arabia as one of his all-time favourite films.  He loves its epic nature in terms of cast, scale, complexity, and runtime (227 minutes).  The Promised Land isn’t quite as ambitious but it’s easy to see why he was attracted to Ida Jessen’s 2022 novel upon which the script is based.  It’s a sweeping historical drama set in rural Denmark during the 18^th Century.

The central protagonist is Captain Ludvig Kahlen (Mikkelsen), a retired military man who forged a successful career despite a relatively poor upbringing.  He has obtained permission from the King to create a potato farm on the expansive Jutland Heath, a remote part of Denmark considered unfarmable.  Many have tried and given-up before him but if Kahlen succeeds, he’s been promised a noble title, a manor, and a handful of servants.

While most believe he’ll fail anyway because of the immense challenge and lack of funds, there’s one heinous individual who wants to make certain of it.  The wealthy Frederik Schinkel (Bennebjerg) informally rules this part of Denmark and enjoys flexing his power at any opportunity.  He sees Kahlen’s activities as a threat in that, if fruitful, it will bring more inhabitants to the area and undermine his authoritarian control.  With endless wealth and people at his disposal, Schinkel will be an extremely tough adversary for Kahlen to defeat.

Shot on a relatively low budget (at least compared to a regular Hollywood movie), The Promised Land is an effective drama which generates interest in the period while also telling a worthy good versus evil tale.  Denmark’s top exports are pharmaceuticals, machinery and oil… but actor Mads Mikkelsen can’t be too far behind given his impressive international resume.  He’s best known for blockbusters like Casino Royale, Doctor Strange, and Fantastic Beasts but he’s also been involved with a bunch of memorable Danish productions including A Royal Affair, The Hunt, and Another Round.

Able to play the hero, the villain, or a combination of both, Mikkelsen again illustrates his versatility in The Promised Land.  He portrays Kahlen as a character who is likeable because of his determination and underdog status, while also being flawed because of poor decision making and a blunt rudeness which rubs people up the wrong way.  It’s a great performance.  Simon Bennebjerg is less nuanced as Schinkel but does exactly what the material asks of him – create a detestable scumbag who audiences want to see defeated.

Doing a great job in capturing the barren, windy landscape and backed by a distinct music score from American composer Dan Romer (Beasts of the Southern Wild), The Promised Land is another admirable project to come from Denmark.