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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 January 2014

Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) is a curious individual. It’s hard to work out if he’s happy with his progression in life. He’s forged a surprisingly successful career as a “professional letter writer” for a small firm. You pay him a fee and he’ll come up with a heartfelt love letter, birthday greeting or anniversary note. He’s got a knack with words (at least when putting them on paper) and his customers keep providing rapturous feedback.

His confidence at work hasn’t translated into his personal life. Theodore comes across as an insecure guy who struggles to hold a conversation. There’s a moment where he goes on a blind date with a friend of a friend (Wilde) but it doesn’t end well. Her final words to him are not pleasant. Theodore also resists change. His wife (Mara) recently left him but he blindly hopes they’ll get back together. He’s certainly in no rush to sign the divorce papers, despite her insistence.

There is a place where Theodore is comfortable – alone at home. He has a spacious apartment with nice views (not sure how he can afford it) and he’s happy enough to sit on the couch and play video games. If in need of company, he walks down the hall and knocks on the door of his long-time friend, Amy (Adams). They vent, they gossip, they laugh. Occasionally, they open up.

Don’t feel sorry for Theodore though. He’s about to meet Samantha (Johansson) – the woman of his dreams. She’s smart, funny and cheeky. She has a sexy voice and an infectious enthusiasm for life. She laughs at his jokes. She enjoys spending time with him. They soon become inseparable.

Anyone already familiar with the film will know the catch – Samantha isn’t a real person. She’s an operating system (referred to the film as an OS). Her is set in the not-to-distant future where this type of thing is starting to take off. These OSs are self-aware and have an ability to learn, an ability to interact. It was inevitable that humans would form an attachment and Theodore isn’t the only guy to have fallen in love.

He has only three other feature credits to his name but Spike Jonze has already defined himself as a director who thinks far outside the square. He worked with writer Charlie Kaufman to create two wonderfully original comedies – Being John Malkovich (1999) and Adaptation (2002). He then followed with Where The Wild Things Are – a heartfelt family adventure based on a novel containing just 338 words.

Her is striving to be an unorthodox romantic comedy. It’s a formulaic genre and so I like the idea of having a guy fall in love with someone who doesn’t actually exist. It poses specific functional questions such as “how do they have sex?” That answer is provided and you’ll enjoy the laugh. There are also broader philosophical questions about the appropriateness and healthiness of a relationship with a computer operating system. You’ll have to do the thinking and come up with these answers on your own.

The amount of pleasure you take from Her is likely to correlate with your willingness to suspend your sense of disbelief. It’s like watching a time travel movie. We know it’s not possible (yet) but it doesn’t mean that we still can’t enjoy the story. The fact that the film has been showered with praise during the current awards season, including being named best picture by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, suggests many have bought into the concept of a computer with a romantic mind of its own.

For me, it was battle. The film takes a narrow focus and devotes itself almost entirely to the relationship of two characters that aren’t all that interesting. I grew tired of Theodore’s quirky, overanxious personality. I’d have preferred to see the film provide a wider view of this cool-looking futuristic world. It needed to analyse the public’s acceptance of human-OS relationships and question Samantha’s sincerity given she is the creation of a controlling, profit-driven corporation. For such a complex issue, Her feels too simplistic.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 December 2013

Released in August 1964, Mary Poppins was one of the most loved, most successful family films of all time. It spent 6 weeks atop the box-office charts in the United States and grossed a total of $31m (that’s about $233m in today’s dollars). It received 13 Academy Award nominations (just one short of the all-time record) of which it won 5 including best actress for Julie Andrews.

Given the movie’s popularity you’d think that the creator of Mary Poppins, Ms Pamela Travers, would be thrilled. Her novels had been brought to life on the big screen and now could be enjoyed by a much wider audience across the globe. The film would rejuvenate interest in her work and would provide a substantial, long-term royalty stream. It was all good, right?

Nope. Roughly a decade ago, Australian television producer Ian Collie came across a biography written by Valerie Lawson on the life of Pamela Travers (who had passed away in 1996). It revealed that Travers had continual conflicts with Walt Disney and the Sherman brothers (who wrote the film’s catchy songs). She didn’t like the finished product and she never allowed a sequel to be made. This fascinating behind-the-scenes tale, combined with the fact that Travers was born in Australia, inspired Collie to produce his first documentary, The Shadow Of Mary Poppins, which aired on the ABC back in 2002.

Things didn’t end there. Writers Sue Smith and Kelly Marcel took the story and transformed it into a script for a feature film. It would explore Pamela Travers’ childhood, her prickly personality, her heated arguments with Disney, and the reasons why she was so reluctant to give up the rights to Mary Poppins. The project was green lit by Walt Disney Studios and that brings us to where we are today. Saving Mr Banks is the finished product – a Hollywood movie with two Oscar winning actors in the leading roles, Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as Pamela Travers.

The film was bound to attract controversy and several negative articles have already been written. They have concerns as to whether the film provides a balanced, impartial view of events given it was funded and produced by Walt Disney Studios. They also argue that it’s too pro-Disney, anti-Travers. I’m not as fussed. The only way this film was going to be made was through Walt Disney Studios as they own the intellectual property. Further, while I think the film’s finale at the Mary Poppins premiere is a little misleading, there’s enough content to help audiences form an objective opinion on its characters.

Saving Mr Banks is an enjoyable, likeable film. I was particularly interested in the conflict and chaos that went on behind closed doors. You may find some parts hard to believe (such as a scene where Pamela Travers refuses to let them use the colour red in the movie) but if you stay during the closing credits, you’ll hear the actual audio of the real Travers during production meetings. She was as strong-willed as the movie suggests.

The film has a few nice emotional moments too. Travers’ upbringing in Australia is told by way of flashback and it blends nicely with the 1960s storyline. There are also some great exchanges, both comedic and heartfelt, shared between Travers and her friendly chauffeur in Los Angeles (played by the terrific Paul Giamatti).

A year ago, we saw the release of Hitchcock – a film that took us inside the life of the popular director and his work on the acclaimed thriller Psycho. I don’t know if this is the start of a new “movies based on moves” trend but what I can say is that Saving Mr Banks is worth the price of admission. At the very least, it’ll make you want to revisit the fun that was Mary Poppins.

You can read my chat with producer Ian Collie by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 January 2014

We’ve seen a few films in recent years that have covered World War II from the perspective of children. Examples which come to mind are The Boy In Striped Pyjamas (2008), Sarah’s Key (2010) and Lore (2012). The newest addition to that quickly growing group is The Book Thief – based on the novel by Australian Markus Zusak and brought to the screen by Emmy Award winning director Brian Percival (Downtown Abbey).

The story begins in 1938 and centres on a young girl named Liesel (Nélisse) who has been placed in the care of two foster parents (Rush and Watson) living in a small German town. Coupled with the recent death of her younger brother due to illness, it’s a situation the shy, quiet Liesel is struggling to grapple. Why was she abandoned by her mother? Will she ever see her again?

The remainder of the film spans the breadth of World War II as seen through Liesel’s eyes. Some of her experiences would be familiar to many of us. She develops a love for literature after being taught how to read by her new father. She becomes best friends with a sporty, energetic boy (Liersch) who lives down the street. He’s always chasing her for a first kiss!

Some of her other experiences are darker, more life threatening. Her foster parents agree to hide a young Jewish man (Schnetzer) is their small basement so that he can evade capture by the Nazi soldiers. Liesel realises the importance of keeping his presence a secret. If discovered, her world will again be upended and her new family imprisoned.

The Book Thief isn’t offering any new insight into the events of World War II. We know of the atrocities that took place and we’ve heard similar stories of heroisms. The film still packs a strong emotional punch though thanks to the likeable nature of its leading characters. You want them to find comfort, happiness. With a sweet smile and a curious disposition, 13-year-old Canadian actress Sophie Nélisse (Monsieur Lazhar) is a wonderful fit in the leading role. She’ll be a name to watch in the near future.

The film is also to be enjoyed for two elements that hear but don’t see. Firstly, staying true to Zusask’s novel, we hear a few poignant words from Death as the story’s narrator. It’s a curious choice that provides a dash of intrigue. Secondly, 5-time Academy Award winning composer John Williams adds a key layer with a sweet yet hauntingly reflective score. It’s the first time that Williams has written the music for a non-Steven Spielberg directed film since 2005’s Memoirs Of A Geisha.

Screenwriter Michael Petroni (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) faced a tough battle in condensing the 550 page novel into a two hour feature film. Sufficient time is devoted to character development but there are some key plot developments in the film’s second half that feel too rushed. Sticklers for realism might also question why Liesel always looks so good (despite living in near-poverty) and why the young actors speak so insightfully (despite their age).

It hasn’t received much attention over the current award season but The Book Thief is still a film that will admired by many.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 December 2013

“Atticus says you can choose your friends but you sho' can't choose your family, an' they're still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge 'em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you don't.” These were the words of youngster Jeremy Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s iconic novel To Kill A Mockingbird. It’s also a quote that best sums up the theme of August: Osage County.

Following the death of their father (Shepard), three sisters have returned to their childhood home in Oklahoma for the funeral. It doesn’t take long for the arguments to begin. The person picking most of the fights is their mother, Violet (Streep). I can best describe her as a chain-smoking, pill-addicted, attention-seeking matriarch who loves to complain.

Violet has mastered the art of “pushing someone’s button”. She takes great pleasure from it. When she gets a moment alone with her middle daughter, Ivy (Nicholson), she criticises her hair, her lack of makeup and then says “you look like a lesbian”. When invited to the Florida wedding of her youngest child, Karen (Lewis), her response is short and sweet – “well I don’t really see that happening, do you?”

Based on the Tony Award winning play by Tracy Letts, this film adaptation is to be celebrated for its great performances. You’re unlikely to forget Streep’s vindictive persona and sharp insults any time soon. There’s room for a little sympathy towards her character… but not a lot. Chris Cooper is also terrific as Violet’s brother-in-law. He’s a quiet, unassuming man but he’ll put his foot forward when the time is right. Other cast members I don’t want to overlook are Julia Roberts (who has been picking up some award season attention) and the underrated Margo Martindale (Million Dollar Baby, Dead Man Walking).

The film doesn’t offer a lot in terms of narrative. It’s set over a few hot days in August (hence the title) and is best described as an observational character study with a lot of dialogue. Some of the conversations are immensely entertaining (such as the family meal around the dinner table) but others are a touch tiring, repetitive. They’re not as real or absorbing as what you might see in a Mike Leigh film (the master of observational drama).

I recently saw a television ad for August: Osage County (see here) which had some light, fluffy music and then asked us “to celebrate the holidays” in “the year’s most outrageous comedy”. That’s false advertising. This is a miserable fucking movie… and that’s meant to be a compliment. It’s not Snowtown-dark but it’s still a bleak look at a troubled family who can’t escape each other. Julia Roberts, playing the eldest daughter, sums up their lives best – “Thank God we can’t tell the future. We’d never get out of bed.”

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 January 2014

Set 70 million years ago, Walking With Dinosaurs is a live-action family film that centres on a young dinosaur named Patchi who is trying to find his place in the world. He will encounter many other dinosaurs in his travels, some who will be his friends and others who are looking to eat him.

It’s clear this film is targeted at a younger audience. It’s not designed to appeal to the masses like a Jurassic Park. The story is kept simple (it runs for just 87 minutes) and there are even some small educational elements. The film pauses every so often to give us a few titbits of information on the scary dinosaurs that we see on screen. This includes their name, their origin and their diet.

Some of the character transformations are rushed (such as that of Patchi’s older brother) and I don't quite think there’s enough here to keep youngsters entertained. The dinosaurs are cool though.  Directors Barry Cook (Mulan) and Neil Nightingale had an $80m budget to work with and so they do look very realistic. An Australian-based company, Animal Logic, was behind the bulk of the special effects. They are well established within the industry having worked on such films as The Matrix trilogy and Happy Feet.

It’s not a huge cast but two voices you will probably recognise are Justin Long (Dodgeball) and John Leguizamo (the voice of Sid in the Ice Age series). You can see that they’re trying to make their respective character as fun and exciting as possible. Not all of the dinosaurs talk though. Most of them get their message across through a fierce roar.

I don’t think the expectations are too high for Walking With Dinosaurs (20^th Century Fox didn’t even preview it to critics in Brisbane) but if you’ve seen Frozen and you’re looking for a way to occupy your young kids for a few hours over the school holidays, this could be a viable option.