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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 September 2010

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the unorthodox pairing of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg but it turns out they make a likeable comedic duo.  They’ve teamed up in The Other Guys to play two goofball police officers.  Ferrell plays Allen Gamble – a forensic accountant who loves to sit at his desk and fill out pointless paperwork.  He’s a nerd, pure and simple.  Wahlberg plays Terry Hoitz – an action-loving detective who was demoted after accidentally shooting a big-name baseball player.  He has serious anger management issues.

Tired of being the “losers” in the office, Allen and Terry want to make a name for themselves.  They want to get out on the street and bring down some hardened criminals.  I should point out that these guys are not like the super-intelligent detectives you might see on CSI: New York.  They have absolutely no idea what they’re doing.  There’s one moment where they turn up at a crime scene and accidentally drive their car over a dead body.  There’s another segment where they get confused with the good-cop / bad-cop routine.

Despite all their deficiencies, they miraculously find themselves on the tail of a high-profile businessman (Coogan) who is up to something dodgy.  They just need to figure out what it is and who is involved.  This is their chance to impress.

I think I suffer from biopolar disorder when it comes to Will Ferrell comedies.  I hated Talladega Nights and I didn’t care much for Anchorman.  Both those films were written and directed by Adam McKay, the same guy responsible for The Other Guys.  For whatever reason (probably because I took my correct medication), I found this much funnier.

Ferrell and Wahlberg are great alongside each other.  I’ve become accustomed to seeing Wahlberg in dramatic/action roles but he’s branched out in 2010 with his humorous performance in The Other Guys and his scene-stealing efforts in Date Night.  The film is further strengthened by its quirky supporting characters.  Michael Keaton stands out as a police captain who works a second job at a bedding store so he can send his bisexual son to college.  Need I say any more?

I started to tire during the film’s second half but The Other Guys deserves inclusion in my list of Will Ferrell comedies that I’m willing to endorse.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 August 2010

Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore) are a lesbian couple who have been together for over 20 years.  They live in Los Angeles and have two children.  Joni (Wasikowska) is an intelligent 18-year-old on the verge of going to college.  Laser (Hutcherson) is an athletic 15-year-old who loves team sports.  They are a happy family… or so it would seem.

For a while now, Joni and Laser have been curious to know the identity of their biological father.  All they’ve been told is that their mothers received sperm from the same anonymous donor.  After snooping through some old records at home, they get in touch with the sperm bank and subsequently, their father.  His name is Paul (Ruffalo) and he’s currently running an organic restaurant.

One of the best scenes in the film is where Joni and Laser meet Paul for the first time.  It’s so incredibly awkward.  No one knows what to say.  No one knows to do.  It’s come as a huge shock to Paul who didn’t even know that his sperm had been used.  Never married and somewhat of a commitment phobe, he’s trying to grasp the reality that he fathered two children.

Over the next few weeks, the family dynamic will be thrown into chaos.  Paul realises that these kids are great and wants to spend more time with them.  How can he do this without dividing the existing family?  Joni and Laser are asking questions of their own.  Do they want their biological dad to be part of their lives?  Caught in the middle are Nic and Jules.  They’re upset that their children’s father has been brought into the mix but they don’t want to be seeing as pushing him away.

The Kids Are All Right was one of the big hits of the Sundance Film Festival back in January.  It’s performed strongly at the U.S. box-office (grossing over $18m to date) and there’s talk of Oscar nominations for the cast and crew.  I know I’m going to be in the minority but I confess to feeling a slight letdown on leaving the cinema.

Whilst there are some great individual sequences (such as the Joni-Laser-Paul intro above), I felt the film didn’t add up to much.  It’s as if it’s trying to cover too much material.  There’s a subplot involving Laser’s problematic relationship with his best friend.  There’s another subplot involving Paul and his current girlfriend who works at his restaurant.  It’s not that I didn’t like these additional storylines.  It’s just that (1) they were undeveloped, and (2) more interesting at times than the major plot.  The ending left me hollow too.

Of the performances, I’m going to single out the younger stars – Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland) and Josh Hutcherson (Bridge To Terabithia).  I’m a fan of both actors and I think they look incredibly natural on screen.  Mark Ruffalo is strong too.  I was less impressed with Julianne Moore and Annette Bening.  Whilst they’re doing it for effect, I didn’t like the way they over-dramatised key emotions.  I also tired of the running gag involving Bening’s character and her “love” for wine.

All of that said, I’m still giving The Kids Are All Right a marginal thumbs up.  I didn’t take a lot away from the film but there are some wonderfully uncomfortable scenes that make it worth seeing.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 September 2010

The Disappearance Of Alice Creed begins with an eerie musical montage.  We watch Vic (Marsan) and Danny (Compston) go about their preparations.  They go into a hardware store and buy reams of soundproof foam.  They staple plastic sheets to the walls of their mini van.  They attach numerous locks to the bedroom door in their apartment. It’s taken a lot of planning and a lot of work but everything is now is in place.  The time has come.

So what exactly are these two guys are up to?  They’re going to kidnap Alice Creed (Arterton), the daughter of a very wealthy businessman.  They’ll demand a huge random, flee the country and be set for life.

That’s about all I feel comfortable revealing in this review.  If you like a good twist, then this is the next film you must see.  Your eyes will be glued to the screen, wondering what unexpected plot developments lay ahead.  I could make an argument that there are few too many surprises but that said, this isn’t trying to be an Oscar winning drama.  It’s a craftily written tale which takes great pleasure in teasing the audience.

I also have a great respect for the way in which writer-director J Blakeson (his first name isn’t listed in the credits) has tried to distinguish his film from your regular thriller.  There are only three characters in the entire movie.  Whilst I’m sure that’s helped save on costs, it helps build the intensity of the situation.  We don’t meet the father of the kidnapped daughter.  We don’t see the police and what they’re up to.  Our attention is focused solely on these three people and their actions inside a small apartment.

It’s a brave choice of role for Gemma Arterton (Prince Of Persia) who spends most of the film handcuffed to a bed with a ball-gag in her mouth.  When she needs to use the bathroom, the kidnappers simply pull down her pants and have her urinate into a plastic container.  Arterton delivers an emotive performance which required screaming, crying and a great deal of patience.  As the kidnappers, Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky) and Martin Compston (Sweet Sixteen) are also very good.

I realise the subject matter might be confronting for some but if you’re prepared to give it a go, I think you’ll find The Disappearance Of Alice Creed a very interesting movie.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 August 2010

For decades, Grégoire Canvel has been making movies.  Not all have been a success but he’s proud of his achievements.  It’s a ruthless industry and Grégoire has been through some hard times but he’s always managed to keep his business afloat… until now.

A major production helmed by an egotistical Swedish director has blown its budget.  Already deep in debt, Grégoire is trying everything to save his business.  He’s negotiating with the tax office and he’s pleading with the bank.  The staff are fighting just as hard.  They’re working long hours in the hope that things will turn around and their jobs will be saved.

Grégoire puts on a brave face but deep down, he’s struggling.  In trying to shield his wife and kids from his problems at work, Grégoire is only adding to his stress levels.  There’s a profound scene where Grégoire walks into his office, turns off the light, takes off his shoes and simply lies on the couch.  You get the sense that sleep is his only solace.  He doesn’t know what else to do.

Father Of My Children is a deeply moving character study.  When you first meet Grégoire, you’ll realise he’s just an ordinary guy.  All he wants is to provide for his family and to make a small mark on the world.  As his business starts to collapse however, those dreams are jeopardised.  I know there are many people who have been through a similar situation and will relate to Grégoire’s troubled mindset.

There’s a lot more to this story which I have not revealed in this review.  It goes down some unexpected paths and explores interesting territory.  29-year-old Mia Hansen-Love deserves credit both as a writer and a director.  This is a very convincing drama.  There’s a “realness” to these characters that you don’t often see on the big screen.

Winner of a special jury prize in the Un Certain Regard section of last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Father Of My Children is another great example of the strength within the French film industry.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 September 2010

I always make time to see a new Australian movie but there are many people who think differently.  You’ve only got to look at our box-office figures to see that Aussies would rather watch a big blockbuster from the United States than a locally made drama.

Animal Kingdom has been one of our big “success” stories this year.  Thanks to exceptional reviews and strong word of mouth, it made almost $5m at the box-office over a 10 week period.  To put that into perspective, Toy Story 3, Twilight: New Moon and Inception all made more than that in just their first weekend.

Writer-director Stuart Beattie has taken a gamble with Tomorrow When The War Began.  It’s Australian-made but he’s disguised it as a Hollywood action movie.  In the trailer, you’ll see big explosions, chase sequences and a variety of accents.  On the poster, you’ll see a giant fireball and fighter planes in the air.  I’m sure this will help market the film internationally but the big question is – can it be sold to Australian audiences?

This is his first time in the director’s chair but this style of movie is nothing new to Stuart Beattie.  He’s a notable screenwriter and his credits include Collateral, Australia and the three Pirates Of The Caribbean movies.  He has taken the widely read novel from John Marsden and tried to great something just as suspenseful on the big screen.

I think he’s done a good job.  The dialogue is cheesy but I was impressed by the tension that builds throughout the film.  The story centres on a group of teenagers from a small community who go camping for the weekend.  When they return, they discover their town has been invaded by a foreign army.  All the citizens have been locked up in a makeshift prison which is closely guarded by many men with many guns.

As the gravity of the situation sinks in, these teenagers are forced to make an important decision.  Should they hide and hope that help arrives?  Or should they use their knowledge of the area and try to fight back?  The answer to this question understandably creates conflict within the group.  This is an incredibly scary situation.  What are they going to do?

Tomorrow When The War Began is clearly targeted at a younger audience.  The novel was first published in 1993 and has been read by numerous high-school students as part of the curriculum.  I’m sure many will be keen to revive their interest in the story through this movie version.  The attractive cast, including ex-Neighbours star Caitlin Stasey and ex-Home & Away star Lincoln Lewis, should also result in more bums on seats.

Will this be the first in a long running series?  I hope so.  It will all depend on the support this film receives from the Australian public over the next few weeks.  I’ll be watching the box-office figures with a close eye.

You can read my interview with star Caitlin Stasey by clicking here.