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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 April 2010

While in Rome for her younger sister’s wedding, she stumbles across the Fountain of Love.  The legend goes that if you throw a coin in the fountain then you will find your true love.  The cynical Beth doesn’t believe in such fairytales and somewhat intoxicated, she takes off her shoes and steps into the fountain.  She then picks up five coins from the bottom and slips them into her purse.  Beth wants to save the people who have made these foolish wishes.

It turns out there are ramifications.  If you remove a coin from the fountain, its owner will fall madly in love with you.  Sure enough, Beth returns to New York and finds five guys working very hard to win her affections.  Could the legend really be true?

Complicating matters is the fact that Beth really likes one of these guys.  His name is Nick (Duhamel) and the met back in Italy at the wedding.  Beth’s not sure what to do though.  Does Nick really like her or is he just under some magical spell that will soon go away?

There’s an audience for films like this.  You will not find me among them.  This is a silly, cheesy romantic comedy that defies logic.  Even if you don’t mind the “too hard to believe” premise, you’ll probably feel disappointed by the lack of chemistry between stars Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel.  I don’t know why he kept pursuing her given how badly she treated him.

The best parts of the film are when Beth interacts with her other four suitors.  They provide the film’s only laughs (which are still few and far between).  Playing a gothic-looking magician, Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) is the best of the cast.

The saying goes that “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”  I’d like to hope that watching mediocre romantic comedies like this is not something they’d do on a regular basis.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 April 2010

That’s not going to stop Dave.  He’s got an idea and he’s prepared to follow through with it.  He orders a ridiculous looking green costume on the internet and comes up with an appropriate name – “Kick-Ass”.  The plan is to roam the streets and fight crime like a vigilante.  He’ll no longer be that nerdy kid at school.  This is going to make him cool and popular.

Dave’s first chance to see a hero arrives as he walks through a car park.  He sees two guys trying to break into a vehicle.  The thieves laugh at his green “wetsuit” but Dave pulls out his night-sticks and is ready to give them a beating.

So how does he go?  Well, it’s actually Dave who gets the living hell beat out of him.  He ends up in hospital for several weeks - bruised, bloodied and broken.  The grand superhero experiment seems to have come to an abrupt end.

Not so.  Dave’s determined to give another go.  When he helps save a guy getting bashed outside a diner, Kick-Ass becomes a media sensation.  Videos of his heroic deed are being watched by millions on the internet and on television.  Everyone is now asking the question… who is this Kick-Ass?

Dave is about to become caught up in things beyond what he could imagine.  It turns out there are two real superheroes in the city – Big Daddy (Cage) and Hit Girl (Moretz).  They try to conceal their existence and are not happy with Kick-Ass’s amateurish antics.

Also out to stop Kick-Ass is the ultimate bad guy – mafia kingpin Frank D’Amico (Strong).  He mistakenly thinks Kick-Ass killed some of his goons and he wants revenge.  Frank gets his son (Mintz-Plasse) to pose as a superhero himself so that he can become friends with Kick-Ass and learn his true identity.

Kick-Ass is going to be one of the cult hits of the 2010 film year.  It’s based on the comic books from Mark Millar which only started two years ago.  The cinematic rights were picked up quickly and now I can see why.  There are plenty of laughs with many revolving around a running gag involving Dave’s sexuality.  There are also a few surprises.  The strong language and brutal nature in some scenes caught me off guard (although it explains the MA rating).

This may be hard to believe but the film’s strongest element is its plot.  The ending gets a little silly (although it is a comic after all) but there are a lot of intricacies in the storyline and its characters.  It’s more than just a superhero spoof and there’s seldom a dull moment.  It’s easily a film I could watch a second time.

I wasn’t a fan of Aaron Johnson in Nowhere Boy (released in December 2009) but he’s terrific here in the leading role.  I loved the high-pitched voice and insecure nature which he brings to the character.  Hollywood churns through young actors so quickly these days and it’ll be interesting to see if Johnson builds on the success of great roles like this.  Chloe Moretz (500 Days Of Summer) also deserves a mention as the awesome Hit Girl.  I can’t believe she’s just 13 years old.

I’m a little tired of traditional superhero movies like Spiderman and Batman.  It’s nice to see a film give the genre a “shake up” and I hope Kick-Ass does strong business.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 April 2010

Does it require any explanation or does the title speak for itself?  Four guys go on a trip to a ski resort and jump into the hot tub.  They get ridiculously drunk and when they wake up the next morning, they’re all feeling rather hung over.  One of them even throws up on a squirrel.

They then hit the ski slopes for some fun times but something isn’t quite right.  Everyone around them is dressed in bold, bright fashions.  Some guy is wearing a Miami Vice t-shirt.  Others are wearing leg warmers.  There’s even someone with a huge mobile phone.  Yep, that’s right.  Adam, Jacob, Nick and Lou have all been transported back to the year 1986.

There are two reasons why you might enjoy this farce.  Firstly, anyone who grew up in the 1980s is likely to get a kick out of the clothing, the hairstyles and the soundtrack.  It’s a period in history just old enough to make fun of.  They’ve even dusted off a famous comedic actor from the 80s.  Chevy Chase pops up a few times as a mysterious mechanic trying to fix the broken hot tub / time machine.

You might also like the film for its humour and simple storyline.  These guys remembered watching The Butterfly Effect and know that they can’t change anything in the past or it might have huge ramifications for the future.  They have to go through the same events as they happened 24 years ago.  Nick has to sleep with a stranger.  Adam has to break up with his girlfriend.  Lou has to get into a fight.  Jacob has to remain inconspicuous.  As you can expect, it all goes pair shaped.

The majority of critics have given this film the thumbs up but I was disappointed.  It didn’t tickle my own funny bone.  There’s lots of shouting and running around but not much else.  For every good joke (and I did laugh at times) there were 10 lame ones.  It panned out pretty much as I expected and it lacked the spark and surprises offered by last year’s The Hangover.

I had a few issues with the storyline (such as the female supporting characters who were poorly developed) but my criticisms feel rather pointless.  Let’s face it - this movie is called Hot Tub Time Machine.  You’re not going to see it for its performances or its subtlety.  This is trashy fun that will pass the time and offer a few laughs.  Whether it provides enough laughs is debateable.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 31 March 2010

What struck me most about Welcome is that it will generate discussion about immigration.  It’s about a 17-year-old teenager named Bilal (Ayverdi) who set out from his home in Iraq and has now made his way to Calais, a small coastal town in Northern France.  It’s here where you can catch the ferry across the famous channel and set foot in England.

Bilal is trying to get to London so that he can be reunited with his girlfriend and start a soccer career with Manchester United.  Lofty dreams indeed.  The problem is that he’s an illegal alien.  He sneaks onboard a truck which is to be ferried across the channel but he is caught and detained.  The court doesn’t send him back home to Iraq but doesn’t do much else to help him.  He’s stuck in limbo.

Bilal decides his only option is to swim the English Channel.  At the local indoor swimming pool he meets an instructor named Simon (Lindon) who agrees to give him lessons.  Simon is coming off a divorce and seems to be looking for direction with his life.  The friendship he forges with Bilal is a valuable one.  Simon knows that helping this kid is illegal but it's something he must do.  He wants to see Bilal make it to London and start a new life.

There’s a lot more to the story but that’s the best summary I can come up with.  If you look at this film from a dramatic perspective, it’s quite a good one.  The performances are strong and it builds to an emotional climax.  My only qualm would be that the relationship between Simon and his ex-wife was underdeveloped.  She’s a key character and perhaps more interesting than Bilal himself.

From a political perspective, the film is not subtle with its commentary on immigration policies of many countries.  I know filmmakers can use the medium of cinema to push their agendas but I found this a little too “black and white”.  The other side of this story seemed to get brushed aside.

That said, I am glad that films like this are made.  They generate discussion and this one in particular has left me with much to think about.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 April 2010

Well, it turns out I’m wrong (but that’s nothing new I guess).  Beneath Hill 60 is an Australian war film set in World War I that tells a very interesting tale indeed.  It’s based on the diaries written by Captain Oliver Woodward who led a team of soldiers into battle on the Western Front.

These men fought bravely but not in a way you might expect.  Instead of shooting their enemies about the ground, they were attacking them from underneath.  With a valuable mix of engineering and mining experience, they tunnelled beneath the front line and into enemy territory.  They could then plant large quantities of explosives just under the surface and detonate them to maximum effect.

They never came face-to-face with the enemy but it was still dangerous work.  Digging mine shafts up to 100m below the surface was an unenviable task.  The soil was unstable and could give at any moment.  There was very little oxygen and hardly any light.  Water seeped through the surface and threatened to flood the chambers.  Worst of all, the Germans were also digging tunnels and setting explosive devices of their own.

Director Jeremy Sims has put together a strong film which pays tribute to the bravery of these soldiers.  Much of the story is set underground and you’ll gather an appreciation for the filthy conditions and claustrophobic spaces in which they worked.  It’s quite suspenseful too.  You’ll find yourself anxiously awaiting the scenes where the detonator is pushed and the enemy meet an explosive fate.

There are plenty of memorable performances amongst the cast.  Brendan Cowell (Noise) again proves he’s one of Australia’s best actors.  He doesn’t overplay the role or use any fancy words.  He portrays Captain Woodward as just an “ordinary bloke” and it makes the story far more believable.  Also strong was 16-year-old Harrison Gilbertson (Blessed) who is face is watch in the near future.

That said, the film does fall to victim to some familiar war clichés.  Every time you hear a solider talking about his life/family back home, you get a sense of what lies around the corner.  Further, a few of the characters (such as the bossy colonel) were over the top.  I was also puzzled as to why the German perspective was introduced so late into the film and whether it achieved its desired intent.

Shot entirely on location in Townsville, Beneath Hill 60 is being released to coincide with Anzac Day.  If you take the time to see it, not only will you be supporting the Australian film industry but you’ll also be treated to a high quality war movie.