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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 March 2010

Having now seen this film, I’m very tempted to go back and read the novel.  It may be two and a half hours long but this is an intricate thriller which kept my attention all the way through.  I can now see why the book is so popular.  The two leading characters are intriguing and whilst there are a few gaps in the story (bound to happen through the adaptation process) it will keep you thinking.

It begins with investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) receiving an unusual request.  He has been asked by a high profile businessman named Henrik Vanger (Taube) to look into the disappearance of his niece, Harriet, over 40 years ago.  The case was never solved and Harriet’s body was never found.  Henrik, now aged 82, is hoping that Mikael can provide the closure that he’s long been looking for.

Henrik is an extremely wealthy man and choosing Mikael was no accident.  Prior to approaching him, Henrik wanted to check the validity of his highly regarded reputation.  He employed a brilliant computer hacker by the name of Lisbeth Salander (Rapace) to put together a detailed dossier on Mikael.  Lisbeth cracked the security on his laptop and did just that.  Mikael didn’t know it but every document, every image, every word on his computer had been scrutinised by Lisbeth.

Now is where it starts to get interesting.  Mikael makes some early progress but hits a stumbling block when trying to decode a strange series of numbers in Harriet’s diary.  Lisbeth knows though.  She’s developed a curiosity for Mikael and is still monitoring the activity on his laptop.  She makes the bold decision to fess up to Mikael and help him with the case.  Together, this unlikely duo will soon realise that there’s a lot more to this mystery than they ever imagined…

It’s an interesting movie but so too is the story behind it.  Author Stieg Larsson was a Swedish journalist who passed away in 2004.  He left behind the manuscripts for three books (a fourth was in progress but not yet complete).  They were later published and as of today, more than 22 million copies have been sold around the globe.  Strangely, Larsson left no will.  All the royalties from the books and film rights have therefore been left to his father and brother (in accordance with Swedish law) instead of his partner of 32 years, Eva Gabrielsson (whom he never formally married).

It’s worth noting that there are a handful of scenes which are best described as “confronting”.  The movie is rated MA accordingly.  It’s a particularly brave performance from 30-year-old Noomi Rapace who plays Lisbeth.  I think she’s fantastic and look forward to seeing her in future films.  Also strong is Michael Nvqvist who some will remember from the 2004 cult hit As It Is In Heaven.

There’s talk of a Hollywood remake but I’m glad to see this film was made in Sweden with a local cast.  I know some moviegoers who are perturbed by subtitles but judging from the sold out preview sessions last weekend, I think this is going to perform nicely at the Australian box-office.  Having raved about Let The Right One In last year, I’m now a big fan of Swedish cinema.  Let’s have more of it!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 March 2010

Anne subscribes to the motto that “you don’t get angry, you get even.”  She goes down to the bank and withdraws all the cash from their safety deposit box.  She then picks up the kids from school, buys an expensive Cadillac and packs up all their belongings.  Anne’s leaving New York City behind and is ready to start a new life.

All she needs now… is a new husband.  This isn’t for the reasons that you might expect – love, romance, companionship.  Anne just needs someone to keep paying for her well-to-do lifestyle.  Her misguided intentions will take her to Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Hollywood.  There are plenty of rich suitors on her “hit list” but things never seem to work out.  No surprise there.

Caught in the middle are her two sons – George (Lerman) and Robbie (Rendall).  They don’t subscribe to their mother’s feelings that everything will somehow work out.  Robbie wants to become a theatrical star.  George wants to become a writer.  Being dragged from school to school is giving them little hope of realising those dreams.

This isn’t groundbreaking stuff but My One And Only is a nice film with interesting characters.  It’s actually the youngest son, George, who displays most of the maturity and level-headedness.  Everyone around him is just a little quirky.  Logan Lerman (recently seen in the Percy Jackson movie) gives a skilfully subdued performance as George.  Renee Zellweger is great too.  I often think she’s too over-the-top but her personality suits this role perfectly.

There are few lulls in the story but I liked the way it ended.  I thought it was a purely fictional tale but perhaps not so.  You’ll see what I mean if you check it out.  I guess it proves once again that truth really is stranger than fiction.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 March 2010

The cinematic equivalent is being put to the Australian public this week.  There are two romantic comedies being released on the same day – The Bounty Hunter with Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston and The Rebound with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Justin Bartha.  They’re both going to follow traditional rom-com formulas but what’s your preference?  Which couple would you prefer to see on screen?

That same choice was presented to me this evening.  The media previews for both films were scheduled at the exact same time on the exact same date.  It couldn’t have worked out any better.  I scrutinised both trailers… and went with The Rebound.  I think Gerard Butler is overexposed and Jennifer Aniston is very hit-and-miss.  Just didn’t trust them together.

Whilst I’ll have to reserve my judgement on The Bounty Hunter until its Thursday release, I can now talk about my thoughts on The Rebound.  I’m giving it a marginal “thumbs up”.  I’m happy to report the best part is the chemistry between Zeta-Jones and Bartha.  They work well off each other and I enjoyed their playful banter.

Wait a minute.  Hold the phone.  I think I like Catherine Zeta-Jones as an actress.  This has just dawned on me.  I hated her a decade ago.  Who wouldn’t after seeing The Phantom, Entrapment and The Haunting?  Things have changed.  She’s picked some excellent roles in recent years including Traffic, Chicago, Intolerable Cruelty and No Reservations.  Justin Bartha is also a star on the rise and I remember praising his performances in the National Treasure movies.  No wonder I liked this film.

It’s the story of a forty-something mother of two named Sandy (Zeta-Jones) who has just left her husband.  Turns out he’d been fooling around with another woman.  She takes the kids and moves into a small apartment in central New York.  Working in the coffee shop downstairs is a 24-year-old named Aram (Bartha) who Sandy befriends and ropes into babysitting duties.  It turns out he’s a natural with the kids.

So where is this heading?  Will these two end up together despite the age difference?  People are certainly talking behind their backs.  There’s a funny line when Aram jokingly confronts one of them in a restaurant.  I don’t want to reveal any spoilers but I did feel let down by the ending.  There’s a rushed conflict and an equally rushed resolution.  An extra 10 minutes wouldn’t have gone astray.

I don’t want to be too harsh because I did enjoy the ride until this point.  I stick by my decision to go with The Rebound.  You can choose your own adventure as you head to the ticket counter this weekend. 

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 March 2010

Set in 2003, Roy Miller (Damon) is a warrant officer leading a special team of U.S. soldiers who are trying to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.  Over the past few weeks, Miller has become disenchanted with the intelligence provided by the Pentagon.  It’s clear that the sites they’ve been ordered to investigate have never once held nuclear weapons.

Miller is tired of putting the lives of his fellow soldiers in danger on these fruitless missions.  Where are the leads coming from?  It’s a question he angrily puts to Clark Poundstone (Kinnear) of Pentagon Special Intelligence.  Poundstone keeps tight-lipped.  He’s not going to reveal his sources.  He tells Miller to get back out in the field and to simply follow the orders he is given.

Something doesn’t smell right and this is soon confirmed when Miller strikes up a friendship with the CIA’s bureau chief in Baghdad (Gleeson) and a reporter from The Wall Street Journal (Ryan).  He learns that Poundstone’s top source is a person code-named “Magellan”.  No one knows his real identity.  Does he even exist?  Miller wants answers and it’s time to start doing a little investigating of his own…

Green Zone is the latest from one of my favourite directors, Paul Greengrass.  He directed the last two Bourne movies as well as United 93 and Bloody Sunday (all great films).  This is everything you’d expect from Greengrass with its adrenalin-pumping storyline and fast-paced editing.  I know not everyone’s a fan of Greengrass’s shaky camerawork (dubbed “queasy-cam”) and so if The Bourne Ultimatum left you with a headache then perhaps this isn’t the film for you.

Back in the 1980s, we had a flood of specialist action stars including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jean-Claude Van Damme.  Times have changed.  Arnie is now Governor of California, Bruce has lost his hair and Jean-Claude is living in a ditch somewhere (or so I think).  No one has stepped up to plate to take their place.

Matt Damon is getting close though.  The Bourne series was incredibly popular as was The Departed (with Leonardo DiCaprio).  I know these aren’t all traditional action films (which have 50 fatalities per minute) but they’re still exciting.  Damon is a likeable actor who is well suited to this genre.  He has just the right balance of passion and believability to strengthen the characters he plays.  This again is proven by his performance here.

With a sharp script from Academy Award winning writer Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River), Green Zone is a strong release in what is traditionally a quiet time of the movie-going year.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 March 2010

Hiccup’s father is the village leader – one of the bravest men you’re ever likely to meet.  He fearlessly goes into battle and will do whatever is necessary to protect his people.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t think his son is worthy to follow in his footsteps.  Hiccup is a scrawny kid who can barely hold up a shield let alone fight a vicious dragon.

Hiccup wants to prove him wrong.  He plans to capture the most dangerous dragon of all – the Night Fury.  It’s incredibly fast and no one has ever seen one up close.  Using a custom designed sling shot, he pulls off the seemingly impossible.  Hiccup strikes the Night Fury and it comes crashing down in the nearby forest.

He tells his dad who naturally, doesn’t believe him.  This won’t stop Hiccup though.  He sneaks into the forest to see his catch up close.  It turns out the Night Fury is still alive… but injured.  When he looks deep in to the giant creature’s eyes, Hiccup starts to feel sympathetic.  Maybe dragons aren’t that nasty after all.  Could this one actually be friendly?

The answer to that question is yes.  Hiccup names him “Toothless” and creates a special artificial wing which enables the dragon to return to the skies.  In return, Toothless takes him on fun rides out over the ocean.  Their first journey was the best scene of the film for me.  They criss-cross through the jagged coastline with John Powell’s (The Bourne Supremacy) beautiful score as the backdrop.  It’s further enhanced through the 3D experience.

Trouble lies ahead however.  How long can Hiccup keep his pet dragon a secret?  How can he convince his father than dragons aren’t the vicious creatures everyone thinks they are?  It’s all leading to an action packed finale which will leave both kids and adults enthralled.  I loved it.

The animation genre has become extremely competitive in recent years.  Pixar and Dreamworks have been slugging it out to see who can claim the biggest share of the market.  Pixar has won the last three Oscars for best animated film (Up, WALL-E, Ratatouille) but Dreamworks has kept them honest with films including Kung Fu Panda and the Shrek series.

How To Train Your Dragon is a Dreamworks release and I feel like I say this every time, but it’s amazing how far animation has come.  The attention to detail is incredible.  From the simple wind blowing through Hiccup’s hair to the breathtaking dragon rides, everything has been thought of.  It couldn’t look any better and I have a great deal of admiration for the many animators and visual effects artists who work behind the scene.

It’s going to be another big year for animation with future releases including a new Shrek movie (for Dreamworks) and a new Toy Story movie (for Pixar).  How To Train Your Dragon has set the early benchmark and it’s now up to the rest of the films to beat it.