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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 June 2011

I recently had to fill out an application form to obtain online access for a work bank account.  As part of the process, I was asked to provide answers to a few security questions (in case I ever forgot my password).  One of the questions was – “what is the name of your best friend?”  It certainly left me thinking.  Do I have someone in particular who I would consider a “best” friend?  Or do I just have a group of really great friends, with no standout?

This very same question is explored with comedic effect in Bridesmaids.  Lillian (Rudolph) is engaged to be married and she has asked Annie (Wiig) to be her maid of honour.  The two have been close friends since they were kids and have always shared their inner-most thoughts and secrets.  Unfortunately, with Lillian moving to a new city, they no longer get to see each other very often.

As the wedding preparations begin, Annie suddenly finds herself competing for Lillian’s attention.  It’s not the groom who is getting in the way.  Rather, it’s one of Lillian’s new work colleagues, Helen (Byrne).  Helen comes from a very wealthy family and has been spending a lot of time with Lillian over the past few months.

The fireworks begin during the speeches at the engagement party.  Annie steps up and delivers a short, simple toast.  Helen then steps to the stage and goes one better – delivering a heartfelt account of the bond between herself and Lillian.  Annie then returns to the stage… and, well… you can probably see where this is going.  Both are trying to outdo the other and prove that they’re Lillian’s true best friend.  The awkwardness of the situation will leave some audience members laughing hysterically and others cringing with horror.

It’s a contest that Annie wishes she wasn’t involved in.  She’s got enough problems as it is.  Annie lost all her savings in an unsuccessful cake shop business and she’s now living with two rude, inconsiderate flatmates.  Her love life is perhaps the biggest mess.  She’s current seeing a guy (Hamm) who isn’t even remotely interested in a long-term relationship.

Bridesmaids has been aptly described as “The Hangover for women”.  Spurred on by strong word of mouth, the film has pulled in more than $100m at the U.S. box-office in its first 4 weeks.  That’s not bad for a film with no big name actors!  I’m sure many will see it for its gross-out moments but I was more impressed with how the film captures the fragility of its imperfect characters.

It’s the first time we’ve seen Kristen Wiig (Paul, Whip It) in a leading role and she is fantastic.  Annie is a sweet girl and you want her to be happy but it’s hard to feel too sympathetic given so many of her problems are self-inflicted.  The film’s other memorable performance comes from Melissa McCarthy as Megan, sister of the husband-to-be and a member of the bridal party.  She gets the best of the lines and is funny throughout the entire movie.

The film’s only weakness is its length.  It’s not often we see a comedy clock in at over two hours and I don’t think there was enough material to justify it in this instance.  A few of the jokes are overly drawn out and some of the subplots (such as the annoying flatmates) didn’t seem to add much value.

With plenty of laughs for both guys and girls, Bridesmaids is going to please a lot of people.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 31 May 2011

The Cuban missile crisis was one of the most significant events of the 20^th century.  It was perhaps the closest that the world has come to a nuclear war.  The United States had planted nuclear weapons in Europe with the capability of striking targets in the Soviet Union.  The Soviets responded with their own threats having smuggled a series of offensive missiles into Cuba.   The crisis was only averted after an agreement was reached between President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev on 28 October 1962.

You’re probably wondering what the hell this has to do with X-Men: First Class.  Don’t worry.  I’m not going off on some strange tangent.  I remembered to take my medication this morning.  It turns out the writers behind this flick have found an imaginative way to weave this real life event into this fictional tale of villains and superheroes.  As well as being entertaining, it’s also a creatively disguised history lesson for those who didn’t pay attention at school.

It turns out that a sinister character by the name of Sebastian Shaw (Bacon) is out to destroy the world.  He and his mutant crew are using their special powers to inflame tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.  Shaw wants to eliminate the human race so that the mutants can live in peace and without fear of reprisal.

Not all mutants feel that way.  The telepathic Charles Xavier (McAvoy) and the magnetic Erik Lehnsherr (Fassbender) are working with a secret government organisation to stop Shaw.  They’ve assembled a team of young, ambitious mutants who will risk their lives to prevent a nuclear war.  Perhaps Kennedy and Khrushchev didn’t deserve the credit after all.

X-Men: First Class is an amusing, action packed ride.  It clocks in at just over two hours and there’s seldom a dull moment.  Its strength comes from the assortment of cool characters.  Evidenced from his pick up lines, James McAvoy seems to have the most fun as the suave Charles Xavier.

The younger cast members also deserve credit and there’s a great sequence where they explore their superpowers for the first time.  I mustn’t forget January Jones’s breasts (as opposed to January Jones herself) who have a “big” role to play.

I’ve read many positive reviews for X-Men: First Class so far but I admit that it’s not without flaws.  By including so many characters, director Michael Vaughn (Kick-Ass) has bitten off too much.  Introductions are rushed and it’s hard to get to know them all.  What was Havok doing in jail when they first found him?  Why did some of the mutants change sides so easily?  It’ll be easy to absorb for those familiar with the comic books but others may be puzzled.

I also think an opportunity has been missed to take this series down a darker road (ala The Dark Knight).  These mutants are scarred, troubled.  They have grown up knowing they were different and have always had to hide their superpowers from others.  I can live with his approach but it feels like Vaughn was afraid to pull the curtain back and truly expose the mutants’ fragile state.  He’s kept things simpler, easier to handle.

The best example I can offer is the curious relationship between Xavier and Raven (played by Jennifer Lawrence).  It’s the best subplot in the film and there’s an obvious sexual tension between them but Vaughn decides not to pursue it in enough depth.  I found this juicy stuff much more interesting than the "seen it before" action scenes.

I realise this is a prequel to the earlier movies but it’s not often that you see a franchise with this much stamina.  This is the fifth X-Men film to be released (following on from the underwhelming Wolverine) and it shows that we have a lot more to learn about these mutants and the struggles to find acceptance.  I look forward to the next instalment.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 08 June 2011

Between the 1920s and the 1960s, more than 130,000 children were forcibly taken from their families in the United Kingdom and shipped to other Commonwealth countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada under the Child Migrant Program.  They were supposed to be provided a better life but it was often not the case.  Some children were abused and others were told lies about their families back home.

Given the scale of the issue, it’s hard to believe it was kept a secret for so long.  It wasn’t until 1986 that a social worker named Margaret Humphreys exposed the cover-up and brought it to the public’s attention.  It would prompt a wide scale investigation and resulted in formal apologies being made by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2009 and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2010.

Oranges & Sunshine brings this story and that of Margaret Humphreys to the big screen.  I admit that I was reluctant to see this film at first.  I already knew a little about the story and I wasn’t sure if I could sit through something with such a gloomy, painful subject matter (despite the bright title).

Luckily, I was wrong.  This is a terrific film that brought a tear to the eye of many at my preview screening.  Yes, I’d read about this story beforehand but it wasn’t until I saw the movie that the emotions kicked in.  Director Jim Loach has done a beautiful job capturing the heart and soul of these characters.  You will feel sorry for the families affected and be sickened at the government’s involvement.

We all know she’s a great actress but Emily Watson (Breaking The Waves, Hilary & Jackie) again confirms her talent as Margaret Humphreys.  She doesn’t overplay the role and portrays Margaret as an ordinary woman who can’t let this issue go.  She’s not out to expose the government and shame those involved.  Rather, her focus is on reuniting these relocated people with their original families.  I’m describing her as a subtler version of Erin Brockovich.

To highlight the tragedy of the situation, screenwriter Rona Munro has chosen to focus on two people in particular.  The first is Jack (Weaving), a troubled man who has always wondered about his past.  He knew he was shipped to Australia as a youngster but has no idea what became of his mother, father and sister back in the UK.  The second is Len (Wenham), an angry man also in search of answers.  He too was sent to Australia and was raised on a remote property run by the Christian Brothers.

It’s relatively quiet in terms of new releases in Australian cinemas at the moment and so you should have plenty of time to catch Oranges & Sunshine.  I can think of no valid excuses.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 May 2011

Having opened the Brisbane International Film Festival last November, Cane Toads: The Conquest is now receiving a limited release in cinemas across Australia.  It’s been billed as “Australia’s first 3D movie” but don’t go along expecting an Avatar-like experience.  This is an unorthodox documentary about one of this country’s least liked creatures.

The movie opens with information on how cane toads were first introduced in Australia.  We then move west across the country and see the enormity of the plague first hand.  Much has been done to try to stop the spread of cane toads but it’s a battle yet to be won.  It’s hard to fight an adversary who is endlessly reproducing!

I applaud the efforts of director Mark Lewis in making this film but unfortunately, I don’t find cane toads all that interesting.  He’s tried to spice things up with a little comedy (a good move) but it all feels too forced, too obvious.  A humorous scene involving a couple and their pet dog (injured after trying to eat a cane toad) was unconvincing.

I don’t want to sound too disparaging because there were a few laughs at the preview screening I attended.  The audience wasn’t perturbed by the slimy subject matter and they took amusement from those who have kept cane toads as pets.  We even meet one interviewee who has started up his own travelling toad museum.

The market for Cane Toads: The Conquest seems to be limited but if you’re looking for something other than the big Hollywood blockbusters that are clogging our cinemas, this might be for you.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 June 2011

I’ve always felt that the best way to see a film is to know nothing about it beforehand.  That’s very difficult in today’s information age however.  It’s hard to avoid the trailers in cinemas, commercials on television and posters at bus stations.  Let’s not forget that all of the above are readily available on the internet to view at any time.

In putting together Super 8, director JJ Abrams wanted to “preserve the experience for the audience”.  Instead of giving away the entire story, he chose to slowly leak information and build a sense of intrigue.  This is best illustrated by the film’s posters.  They describe the movie as being “from writer-director JJ Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg”.  That’s about it.  If you can discern much else then you’re more astute than me.

What I can reveal is that Super 8 is set in a small American town in the year 1979.  A tight-knit group of kids are spending their summer making a zombie movie with the hope of entering it into a film festival.  They sneak out late one night to shoot a key scene on the platform of an old train station.

It’s a night that will change their lives forever.  A train comes through the station at high speed and smashes into a pick-up truck being driven along the tracks.  It causes one hell of an explosion.  Debris is strewn everywhere and the kids are lucky to survive.  Shocked and shaken, they quickly grab their equipment and flee the scene before the authorities arrive.  They wish to maintain the illusion that they’re all sound asleep at home.

I won’t say much more about the storyline but Super 8 is one of the best films of the year.  It’s so much fun to watch these cheeky, loveable kids pull together and navigate their way through this extraordinary adventure.  It reminded me of movies I watched repeatedly growing up such as E.T. and The Goonies.

All of the abovementioned films have one key ingredient – kids acting like kids.  I’m not sure what process JJ Abrams went through with the casting he has managed to find an amazing group of youngsters.  They all look so relaxed and natural in front of the camera.

Despite having no previous acting experience, Joel Courtney is wonderful as the film’s central character, Joe Lamb.  He starts out as a shy, reserved kid trying to cope with the death of his mother.  As the story develops, Joe will be forced to “come out of his shell”, confront an unbelievable situation and fight for the people he loves.  The list includes the pretty Alice Daniard (Fanning), his long-term crush from school.  The scenes shared by these two are adorable.

I’ve seen a few critics/bloggers who weren’t sold on the ending but let me say, without giving anything away, that I have no problems with it.  First and foremost, this is a coming of age story.  I’m glad it didn’t generate into something that took the attention away from Joe and his friends.

From the poignancy of the first scene (such a haunting shot) to the laughs during the closing credits, Super 8 is everything I could ask for from a motion picture.  You must see this... if only to feel young again!

You can read/listen to my interview with director JJ Abrams by clicking here.