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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 April 2013

It premiered at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival. I first saw it last June at the 2012 Sydney Film Festival. Now, almost two years after it was completed, First Position is finally getting a cinematic release, albeit a limited one, here in Australia.

My first reaction – thank goodness! I’ve mentioned this film to many people since I saw it in Sydney and I was worried that others wouldn’t get the same chance. I’m a huge supporter of the documentary genre and if this film doesn’t put a smile on your face, you are too hard to please.

There is a coveted ballet competition held each year in New York City known as the Youth America Grand Prix. It is open to those aged between 8 and 19 and performers qualify for the finals through a series of heats that are held around the world. Younger dancers are looking to win trophies. Older dancers are looking to win scholarships into prestigious ballet schools. The stakes are extremely high.

Using this as the subject for her first feature film, Bess Kargman has followed a group of very different dancers in the lead up to the 2010 competition. They’re all ridiculously talented. There’s no question about that. They practice for hours every day and put their bodies under immense stress.

This film is about more than just great dancing, however. For starters, it highlights the value of passion, hard work and dedication. These kids have sacrificed so much in pursuit of their dreams. Joan Sebastian is a 16-year-old who left his family in Colombia and moved to the hustle and bustle of New York City to pursue his career as a dancer. There’s a heartfelt scene where he telephones his parents, who he hasn’t seen in more than a year, and opens up about how much he misses them.

There’s also the story of Michaela – a 15-year-old who was born in war-torn Sierra Leone. Her father was murdered, her mother died of starvation and at the age 4, Michaela was fortunate to be adopted by an American family in New Jersey. She now has lofty ambitions – to become a successful ballet dancer and to one day return to Sierra Leone to start her own dancing school.

There’s a reason that my eyes were a little moist during the film’s closing moments. This is a documentary that makes you care about these people. You understand who they are and you want them to find happiness. The final half hour, where they compete in the New York City finals, will leave you enthralled. You see every emotion – from the nervousness in the dressing room to the sheer euphoria as they complete their performance and soak in the audience’s applause. It’s all on display and Kargman captures it through the camera lens.

You’re likely to feel a little nervous yourself as you watch the presentation ceremony. Which dancers will earn prizes? Which dancers will earn scholarships and contracts? You’ll see not just the shock of those on stage but also the split-second reactions of the coaches and family members in the audience. It’s so beautiful to watch.

A documentary on ballet dancing could have targeted the negative elements associated with the industry – pushy parents, overbearing coaches, dodgy judges, boys being teased at school and kids losing their childhood. These elements are touched on within First Position but they’re not the focus, nor should they be. This film is intended to be a celebration of dance and a look at how hard one must work to succeed.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 March 2013

Some filmmakers like to transport us back in time. Already this year, we’ve revisited the 19^th Century to follow a determined U.S. President in Lincoln, a vengeful bounty hunter in Django Unchained and a forsaken socialite in Anna Karenina.

It’s time to go a little further back in time. The talented DreamWorks Animation crew are taking us back to a prehistoric era and introducing us to one of this planet’s first human families – the Croods. Much has changed over the past 4 million years… but it seems family dynamics are still very much the same.

Grug (Cage) and his wife Ugga (Keener) are doing the best they can to raise their three children. Eep (Stone) is the eldest - an adventurous girl who wants to go out and explore the world, despite the wishes of her overprotective father. Thunk (Duke) is the middle child – a not-so-bright boy who appears to have been dropped on his head a few too many times. Sandy (Thom) is the youngest – an incoherent girl who seems to have the characteristics of a rabid dog.

They’re an odd assortment of characters and they live in a very scary world. I’m not quite sure why but they seem much smaller compared to the creatures around them. There’s a particularly nasty lizard that is chasing them for his next meal. For this, and several other reasons, the Croods spend much of their time hiding in a darkened cave, guarded by a heavy boulder. Grug doesn’t want them to meet the same fate of other families who once resided in the area.

Their safe, solitary existence is about to come to an abrupt halt. In a similar plot development to last year’s Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, these characters are forced to abandon their home when the world’s tectonic plates start to shift. There are earthquakes, lava and blackened skylines. They will be guided to safety by a “caveboy” known simply as Guy (Reynolds). Having recently lost his own family, he too is looking for a new place to call home.

Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders are credited as the film’s writer-directors but they had help from veteran actor John Cleese who contributed to the first few drafts of the script. It’s certainly nothing new. The story covers a bunch of family-friendly themes that have become entrenched within the animated feature genre. The feisty, red-headed girl, looking to explore the world against the wishes of her domineering father, reminded me of last year’s Academy Award winner, Brave.

That’s not to say The Croods isn’t an enjoyable movie. There are some fun, Flintstones-like gags that make reference to the era’s primitive technology (such as the way they take photos). The animation is very good, exemplified by a fast-moving running sequence during the film’s early stages. The voices have also been well chosen and you’re likely to enjoy the entertaining squabbles between Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds. It’s their three characters, nicely named I might add, that dominate throughout.

Four family movies are being released in Brisbane cinemas over the Easter period and they’ll all be scrambling for a share of the lucrative box-office. I wouldn’t describe it as “memorable” but The Croods still looks like the pick of the bunch.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 April 2013

Sandy Patterson (Bateman) sits down at his home computer and proudly proclaims to his wife (Peet) that he’s balanced the household budget. All the bills have been paid for the month and there’s $14 left over. It’s a nerdish comment but that’s the kind of guy Sandy is. He’s a content accountant who works for an investment company and pulls in about $50,000 a year. He’d like to make more but it’s a tough economic environment.

Sandy’s safe, monotonous life is about to be upturned in an unexpected fashion. His identity is stolen by a woman (McCarthy) living on the other side of the country. She creates a fake credit card in his name and racks up a huge credit card bill. She also gets involved with a crime syndicate and ends up being arrested for punching a police officer. After skipping bail, the cops turn up at the real Sandy’s doorstep with an arrest warrant. Suffice to say he doesn’t know what the hell is going on.

It couldn’t come at a worse time for Sandy. A new job opportunity has arisen with a huge pay increase… but his potential employer is concerned as a result of these recent events. The cops don’t seem to be doing much and so it’s up to Sandy to track down this mysterious woman and clear his name. The plan is to travel to Florida, drag her back to Denver and present her to the police.

Finding her proves to be the easy part. Taking her into custody will be much more difficult. This is a woman who is an expert in deception and manipulation. Complicating the situation is the fact that others are looking to get their hands on her – two goons working for a disgruntled mobster in jail, and a bounty hunter hoping to collect $50,000. It all adds up to a wild adventure across the country.

This film has been savaged by many critics in the United States but I honestly think it’s not too bad. Jason Bateman does what he does best – playing the “straight” guy who tries to act normal when everyone around him is insane. Melissa McCarthy has fun in her role. It’s as if she’s been tasked with creating the most annoying person alive… and she does a pretty good job.

There are some humorous scenes and a few surprising plot developments along the way. Further, there’s a darker undercurrent to the story which first reveals itself in a scene involving the female Sandy in a car outside a motel room. There’s also some risky, politically incorrect material that makes reference to McCarthy and her character’s overweight figure.

While it held my attention for the most part, writers Craig Mazin and Jerry Eeten have struggled to come up with a decent ending. There’s a moment when the two Sandys sit down to have dinner in a nice restaurant and it all slides downhill from there. The film’s darker elements are brushed aside and we’re left with a zany, feel-good finale.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 March 2013

Someone needs to offer a university degree in how to be a successful super villain. On the big screen, we see their plans foiled again and again. It’s not hard to see why either. They keep using the same ideas and they keep falling for the same tricks. At the very least, these villains should be watching Austin Powers on a regular basis.

In A Good Day To Die Hard, we head to Russia and are introduced to a guy named Yuri Komarov (Koch) who is about to give evidence in a high profile case. There’s massive corruption within the Russian government and Yuri knows the location of a top secret file that will expose the truth. As you’d expect, there are many that don’t want that file to see the light of day. Heading the list is Viktor Chagarin (Kolesnikov), a dodgy government official looking to protect his own interests.

The court house will soon resemble a war zone. A group of heavily armed men blow out the side of the building and try to grab Yuri Komarov before he is able to testify. It turns out they’re working for Viktor Chagarin and they have just two tasks – (1) get Yuri to reveal the location of the file, and then (2) kill him.

Thankfully, two Americans will save the day. We’re all familiar with John McClane (Willis), the cannot-be-killed hero from the last four Die Hard movies. This time though, he’s reluctantly teaming up with his son, Jack (Courtney), who has been working for CIA for a number of years. They rescue Yuri, after a lengthy car chase, and plan of getting him out of the country. They just need to track down the file first.

They shoot their machine guns, they leap off buildings and they blow stuff up. If you’re going to see this film purely for its action scenes, you’re likely to be satisfied. They dominate the 97 minute running time.

For me though, it’s not good enough. The plot is weak. At one point, we end up in Chernobyl and discover a huge stockpile of weapons-grade uranium which is going to be used by the bad guys. It’s so unoriginal. The film also lacks the comedy and the suspense that I remember so fondly from the first Die Hard movie. If you watch these films back-to-back, the deficiencies become even more obvious. Just start by comparing the villains. Could the bad guys in A Good Day To Die Hard be any less interesting?

Bruce Willis looked pretty tired by the end of the film. I know how he felt.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 April 2013

I’ve stood on a stage in front of a thousand people and delivered a speech. No problems. I do live radio every week on Brisbane’s highest rated breakfast program. No problems. Could I stand on a stage in front of 50 people and try to be a stand-up comedian? Hell no! I can’t think of many things more terrifying. Even if you fed me the jokes, I’d struggle to deliver them. Humour is not my strong suit.

Sleepwalk With Me is a very personal film for Mike Birbiglia. That’s not just because he’s the director, writer and lead actor. It’s also because the story is semi-autobiographical. He first told it as part of an off-Broadway play in New York City in 2008 and now, it has been brought to the big screen with the help of Ira Glass, the host and producer of the popular radio program This American Life.

When we first meet his character in the film, known as Matt instead of Mike, my first reaction was to cringe. It’s like he’s borrowed from the works of Woody Allen and created a neurotic, irritating fool who narrates and over-analyses every part of his life. Perhaps that’s what the real Mike is like. He’s been with his girlfriend, Abby (Ambrose), for more than 8 years and he’s tired of fielding questions about when they’re going to get married.

So why hasn’t he popped the question? Well, Matt is waiting until he gets his life in order first. He’s sick of working late nights behind a bar for a minimum wage. He’d much prefer regular, high-paying gigs where he can showcase his stand-up comedy routine. Perhaps he could even be fortune to get his own television sitcom in the same vein as Jerry Seinfeld.

Once you see Matt’s attempts at comedy, you’ll realise such goals are not dreams… but delusions. He’s utterly hopeless. A small piece of advice will steer him in the right direction though. After talking to a fellow comedian about his up-and-down relationship and a recurring sleepwalking problem he has at home, Matt incorporates this material into his act. Suddenly, he’s getting laughs. Suddenly, he’s getting paid.

It takes a while to find its feet but Sleepwalk With Me develops into an interesting film about an interesting person. You’ll be curious to know how Matt deals with his new comedic success and what effect it has on his relationship with his long-time girlfriend and his close family. It also offers a nice insight into the world of a struggling stand-up comedian. For every Robin Williams, Chris Rock or Louis C.K., there are a thousand others driving 50 miles for a gig that will barely cover the cost of their petrol.

Shot on a small budget, the film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and has been popping up, to generally good reviews, at other film festivals across the United States. Mike Birbiglia has been in Australia for the Sydney and Melbourne Comedy Festivals (proof that his story does have a happy ending) and it’s allowed his film to get a small release in this country. If you’re interested in the subject matter, you’ll have to make sure you find time to see it.