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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 June 2015

Matthew Parker (Fiennes) is a pharmacist who has accepted a job offer in a small, remote outback town.  He describes it as a “step backwards” in terms of career but it’s a choice he’s made for the sake of his family.  His wife, Catherine (Kidman), looks after the home and their two children, Lily (Brown) and Tommy (Hamilton), are attending the local school.

Late one night, Matthew sees his kids sneak out of the house.  He suspects they’re up to mischief but he makes the decision not to go after them.  The next morning, he gets up early for work while Catherine sleeps in.  It’s not until late that afternoon that they both realise something is amiss.  Lily and Tommy didn’t sleep in their beds and didn’t show up at school.  A few phone calls confirm a horrifying reality – no one knows where they are.

Catherine notifies the authorities and Detective David Rae (Weaving) is asked to investigate.  A number of scenarios are going through is mind.  Did Lily and Tommy go roaming into the desert and simply become lost?  Did they run away from home and are hiding somewhere?  Did they run into the wrong person and encounter foul play?  The clock is ticking and the answers are not clear.

Strangerland is a grim Australian drama that asks tough questions of its characters.  There’s a moment where Matthew, despite knowing his children are missing, goes to work to open the pharmacy.  It’s so that he can help a mother whose child is having an asthma attack.  Catherine is quick to voice her disapproval.  She can’t understand why her husband is more concerned for the welfare of someone else.  How would you react in the same situation?

We also learn there’s a reason why the Parker family are living in such an isolated community.  They’re looking to escape their troubled past and make a fresh start.  Matthew would rather keep these details from Detective Rae so that they aren’t the subject of gossip and innuendo.  Is he right to do so?  Catherine has the same concerns when she comes across Lily’s diary.  It shows a side to her daughter that she’d rather not share.

Strangerland is a strong debut feature from director Kim Farrant who has assembled a high-profile cast headlined by Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman.  The style and premise reminded me a little of Ivan Sen’s terrific Mystery Road (released back in 2013).  Composer Keefus Ciancia helps build tension with his unsettling score and cinematographer P.J. Dillon highlights the rich colours in the remote Australian landscape.  There’s a particularly impressive scene where a dust storm sweeps through town.

The screenplay starts to run out of puff in the later stages but this is still to be admired for its unflinching look at a tragic situation.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 May 2015

“Puzzling” is the best word to describe the opening half-hour of Partisan, the feature debut of Australian director Ariel Kleiman.  Where is it set?  My best guess was a small, rundown town in Eastern Europe but there aren’t any clues to help.  When is it set?  There’s nothing in the way of modern technology (phones, televisions).  Is it in the current day?  50 years ago?  Maybe it’s somewhere in the future?

Don’t expect any answers.  Kleiman describes the film as a “mythic tale” set in a place labelled “nowhere land”.  It’s like a classic fable where the location isn’t really important – it’s more about characters and the message.  Once you come to that realisation, you can sit back and soak in this intriguing premise.

It is told through the eyes of Alexander (Chabriel), an 11-year-old boy who lives in a sheltered commune.  It is home to a bunch of poor, single mothers and their young children.  There’s just one man amongst them, Gregori (Cassel).  For the women, he’s the quasi-husband who provides comfort, shelter and food.  For the kids, he’s a father-like figure who serves as both mentor and educator.

They all seem to be living a happy life.  There’s not much in the way of conflict.  Why are they living that way though?  No one is allowed to leave the commune unless instructed by Gregori.  Some characters don’t appear to have been outside the walls in many years.  Is Gregori keeping them safe from a nastiness that exists on the outside?  Or is he a controlling, dominating individual who is taking advantage of those most vulnerable?

Despite his enclosed surroundings, Alexander is a sharp, mature kid who is starting to ask his own questions about the small world he inhabits.  He’s always looked up to Gregori and heeded his advice but now he has doubts.  A few shorts trips to the “outside” world only add to his confusion.  There’s a poignant moment where he meets an old man in a supermarket and is given a chocolate bar to try for the first time.

Partisan is a film that gets you thinking about the way that parents can influence and shape children.  Contemplate your own situation.  Do you share the same religious beliefs as your parents?  What about your political views, your manners, and your ethics?  At what age do you start to think for yourself?  What if you lived a sheltered life like Alexander and had no friends or teachers to provide differing views?

The Sundance Film Festival is about as big as it gets in terms of independent cinema but less than 5% of feature films submitted each year make it into the final program.  One of those in 2015 was Partisan and the reason is obvious – Kleiman’s skill mixed with a splash of luck.  Fellow Australian Germain McMicking picked up an award for the film’s striking cinematography.

French actor Vincent Cassel (Black Swan) is terrific as Gregori.  His motives are difficult to ascertain and your position on his character will waver throughout the film.  Young actor Jeremy Chabriel, who had no acting experience prior to the film, also makes his mark as the likeable Alexander.

The story drags a little in the middle stages but this is still a strong, unsettling Australian feature and I’m pleased to see it making its way into local cinemas.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 June 2015

I have friends who are brilliant joke tellers.  Their confidence, their timing and their wording are spot on.  When I try to relay the same joke to a different group, I almost always fail.  The punchline doesn’t have the same humorous effect if you don’t get everything right beforehand.

That’s my reaction to Aloha – a romantic drama from writer-director Cameron Crowe, the man responsible for the much loved Jerry Maguire and the critically acclaimed Almost Famous (which won him an Academy Award).  In a recent blog post, Crowe stated that he wanted to make a small film “about Hawaii, and the lives of these characters who live and work in and around the island of Oahu.”

It sounds like a nice, well-meaning idea but, just like my joke-telling, it’s been poorly executed.  These characters are boring and the storyline is confusing.  I’m not alone in thinking this.  During the Sony email leaks in late 2014, studio co-chairman Amy Pascal said that several parts made “no sense” and that “I’m never starting a movie again when the script is ridiculous.”

There are elements I still don’t understand but let me do my best to summarise the plot.  Bradley Cooper plays Brian – a dull American soldier who was injured in Afghanistan and now works for a billionaire weapons contractor (Murray) looking to launch a satellite into space.  He’s not much for small talk and seems to have closed himself off from the world following a recent divorce.  The guy has issues.

A trip to Hawaii has put him on a collision course with two lovely ladies.  The first is Allison (Stone) – a chatty Air Force Captain who realises Brian is a “train wreck” but can see something beautiful beyond his prickly exterior.  She wants to win his affections.  The second is Tracy (McAdams) – an ex-girlfriend from 13 years ago who has married another man (Krasinski) but still has a small place in her heart for Brian (for reasons that are revealed).

It’s a bizarre romantic triangle.  Tracy is the most puzzling character but this is largely a fault of the screenplay.  Her husband is a decent, hard-working guy but since he’s so uncommunicative (laughably so), she has thoughts about leaving him and jumping back into Brian’s arms.  It all happens too quickly and it’s hard to understand her actions.  Brian doesn’t seem to know what he wants either as he oscillates back and forth between the two women.  One minute he’s the friend.  The next minute he’s the seducer.

Heavily contributing to the film’s problems is the farcical storyline involving the billionaire sending nuclear weapons into space.  I was starting to wonder if I was watching a sci-fi flick as opposed to a romantic drama.  Was it supposed to be a political statement?  The subplot involving the native Hawaiians and the blessing of a “gate” didn’t do much for me either.

I’m sure Cameron Crowe will bounce back and make some more great films… but most will acknowledge that Aloha is a failure.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 May 2015

In June last year, I received a letter in the mail advising that my home street in the Brisbane CBD would be closed so that Warner Bros. could shoot scenes for a new earthquake movie starring Dwayne Johnson.  It was a cool event… but it also highlighted the wonders of visual effects.  A movie set in Los Angeles and San Francisco (which you’ll see very clearly in the film) was shot on the opposite side of the world.

Alas, I didn’t get to meet Dwayne.  There’s probably not much I could have asked given this is a generic action blockbuster.  He stars as Ray – a Los Angeles based fire fighter who is practically a superhero.  In the film’s opening scene, we see him flying a helicopter and rescuing a woman who is trapped in her car which hangs precariously on a cliff face.  It’s all captured on video too by a journalist profiling Ray for a news story.

Unfortunately, his family life isn’t quite as successful.  His wife, Emma (Gugino), has just issued him with divorce papers because she’s decided to tie the knot with a billionaire real estate developer (Gruffudd).  Caught in the middle is their teenage daughter, Blake (Daddario).  I’m not quite sure what Ray did wrong to warrant the divorce… but it can’t have been too bad because he’s a nice guy and he seems to have taken it all in his stride.

With that limited character development out of the way, it’s time to cue the earthquakes.  A sizeable quake strikes Nevada and obliterates the Hoover Dam.  It’s just the start however of a series of quakes along the San Andreas Fault that will leave historians (well, those who survive anyway) searching through the record books.  The level of destruction rivals that of a Roland Emmerich film (2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day).

Director Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore) throws in a few scenes that show Ray rescuing complete strangers.  We need to be reminded that he’s a nice guy, remember?  That’s not the focus though.  Ray steals/borrows a fire department helicopter and goes on a journey to rescue his daughter and soon-to-be ex-wife who have both become trapped by fallen buildings.

I can’t imagine Ray winning the lottery anytime soon.  That’s because he’s used all of his luck making it to the end of this movie.  The situations he extracts himself from are so cartoonish and far-fetched that they’re impossible to take seriously.  There’s zero tension here.  You’ll just spend two hours admiring the work of the sound technicians and visual effects artists.

Such a farcical premise could have worked with a few laughs but it’s another area where the film is lacking.  Peyton and the three-man writing team have strangely gone with a melodramatic approach.  We watch an old couple hold each other for the last time before they’re swept away by a tidal wave.  We see an American flag unfurled by the wind as a symbol of strength and patriotism.  Sorry, this just didn’t work for me.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 June 2015

There have been some terrific television series over the past decade such as Lost, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and Mad Men. I feel somewhat ashamed to admit that I haven’t seen any of them.  I spend so much time pursuing other interests (work, golf, movies) that I rarely have the time to sit on the couch at home and immerse myself in a successful, long-running TV show.

I use the term “rarely” because I have made exceptions.  One of those is Entourage.  It premiered on HBO in July 2004 and I was quickly lured in by the subject matter.  Loosely based on the life of Mark Wahlberg, the series followed the adventures of a young actor named Vincent Chase (Grenier) trying to find fame and fortune in Hollywood.

The show’s title signified that it was about more than just Vincent.  He was continually surrounded by a group of loyal, long-time friends who were riding his coattails in search of their own success.  E (Connolly) was an inexperienced manager battling to keep his client in check.  Drama (Dillon) was a struggling actor looking for a break out role.  Turtle (Ferrara) was a simple driver in search of better business opportunities.  Ari (Piven) was a ruthless, foul-mouthed agent trying to juggle work with family.

The show was framed as a comedy but the characters went through a number of ups and downs across its 8 seasons (the final episode aired in September 2011).  For this cinematic follow up, which picks up where the series left off, writer Doug Ellin doesn’t have time for complex storylines or character reintroductions.  He’s kept things light and succinct.

Vincent, now one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, is looking to take his career in a different direction.  After a failed marriage (it lasted only 9 days), he’s convinced a major studio to give him $100 million to make his directorial debut with a modern-day adaptation of Jekyll & Hyde.  Unfortunately, the project is now over budget and the Texas-based financier (Thornton) is worried.  He’s sent his goofy son (Osment) to Los Angeles to take charge of the film and as you can imagine, Vincent and his entourage aren’t too pleased.

I’ve got friends who can’t stand these characters.  They see them as sexist, talentless, self-centred losers that highlight everything that’s wrong about the film industry.  They party, they drive fast cars, and they spend money as if it’s their last day on earth.  Yeah, I can see that point of view… but I still like them.  They’re simply a bunch of ordinary guys trying to forge a career and have fun in the process.  I know many folk who are similar.

Filled with cameos (some of them quite bizarre), this film is more of a celebration of the Entourage series rather than a continuation of it.  We get to catch up with these characters for the first time in 4 years, have a few laughs, and realise that not much has changed.  It also provides a fast-paced, slightly over-exaggerated look at the inner-workings of the studio system in Hollywood (although not as juicy as the recent Sony email leak).

Those unfamiliar with the TV series may struggle without the background knowledge (although a Piers Morgan interview to open the film may help).  Fans of the show, and that’s clearly the target audience, will lap it up.