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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 January 2010

In 1982, a musical version of Fellini’s movie debuted on Broadway with the late Raul Julia in the leading role.  It too was highly regarded and won five Tony Awards including best musical.  The show has since been performed countless times across the globe – everywhere from Argentina to Tokyo.

It’s now time for Fellini’s tale to return to the big screen once again.  This adaptation of the musical has been directed by the brilliant Rob Marshall.  If you’re looking for an example of Marshall’s artistry, make sure you check out Chicago.  It was my favourite release of 2003 – a gorgeously colourful film which seamlessly mixes story and song.

In Nine, Marshall once again proves his worth from behind the camera lens.  He weaves the narrative amongst the beautifully directed musical numbers.  Some sequences are shot in black and white, as if in reverence to Fellini’s masterpiece.  With a dazzling set and an alluring cast, all the ingredients are in place to make this movie a true spectacle.

But alas, something is missing.  I found the songs to be somewhat unmemorable.  That may sound puzzling given all the awards which the original musical took home but it’s just how I felt.  There were very few scenes that had me clicking my fingers or wanting me to stand up and sing.  This was a distinct contrast from the more “commercial” Chicago.  I could listen to the “Cell Block Tango” all day long.

I should provide a quick plot overview for those unfamiliar with the storyline.  Daniel Day Lewis plays Guido Contini, an iconic film director who is about to start shooting his latest movie.  It’s not looking good though - he hasn’t even written a script!  In a last ditched attempt of overcome his writer’s block, Contini flees Rome and heads to the coastal village of Anzio to clear his thoughts.

Over the next few days, he will confront many of the women who have shaped his life.  They include his wife (Cotillard), his mistress (Cruz), his loyal costume designer (Dench), his leading lady (Kidman) and his mother (Loren).  Can Contini use their wisdom to pull himself together and get his new movie finished on time?

With such a terrific cast, it’s a shame that we don’t get to see more of them.  Daniel Day Lewis is amazing in the lead but most of the female cast are limited to one song each.  Marion Cotillard outshone them all with my favourite moment in the film – her heartfelt rendition of “My Husband Makes Movies”.

I’m giving Nine an overall “thumbs up”.  I’ve a hunch that it’ll take multiple viewings to fully appreciate the songs and their lyrics.  Keen to see it again, I am.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 January 2010

As a young ‘un, I read all of Roald Dahl’s novels.  He was “celebrity” to me and I can remember feeling really sad when he passed away in 1990 (I was 13 years of age at the time).  Many of Dahl’s works have been adapted for the big screen (including Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, James & The Giant Peach) but this one could be his best yet.

And the credit must go to the film’s director.  Wes Anderon’s quirky sense of humour has helped him develop a cult following in the movie world.  His credits include Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (all great films).  Determined to challenge himself once again, Anderson has used the painstakingly slow process of “stop animation” to bring Fantastic Mr. Fox to life.

Mr. Fox (Clooney) is a devious creature who lives with his wife (Streep) and son (Schwartzman) in a nice tree.  It’s a good life but Mr. Fox wants more – he has an insatiable thirst for risk and adventure.  With the help of his good friend, an opossum named Kylie (Wolodarsky), Mr. Fox tries to break into the neighbouring farms.  He wants to steal their tasty chickens and sweet apple cider.

Ah, but it’s not going to be that easy.  The humans haven’t taken too kindly to Mr. Fox’s activities and they’ll stop at nothing to catch him and his family.  They’ve brought in the bulldozers and an army of men.  Can this wily fox outsmart them all?

The best adjective I can think of to describe this movie is “cool”.  From the way he clicks his fingers to the way he wolfs down a meal, Mr. Fox is the epitome of sophistication.  Yes, he has his flaws but the deep voice of George Clooney turns him into a smooth, loveable character.  All the voices are great for that matter.  I really liked the interaction between Mr. Fox’s son (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) and nephew (voiced by Eric Chase Anderson).  Let’s not forget the soundtrack which I must soon add to my collection.

The film clocks in at just under an hour and half but it look a long time for Anderson to perfect.  One particular shot, which lasts just 90 seconds, was so complex that it took nine weeks of actual animation.  You don’t often appreciate those details when you’re sitting in a movie theatre munching on a bucket of popcorn.  So much work goes on behind the scenes.

Up is the frontrunner to win the best animated film Oscar in two months time and whilst it’s a very good film in its own right, my personal preference is to see Wes Anderson on stage accepting the prize for Fantastic Mr. Fox.  It’s an acceptance speech I’d like to hear.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 January 2010

And that surprises me.  I’m not a fan of romantic comedies (which I say in every single review I write for a romantic comedy) but I usual like Nancy Meyers films.  Her best work was Something’s Gotta Give in 2003 (with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton) but other credits include The Holiday and What Women Want.  She also wrote the screenplay for the much loved Father Of The Bride.

I didn’t like It’s Complicated because it felt phoney.  Every character is overdramatised and every emotion is overdone.  There are underlying messages here about relationships and family but I couldn’t take any of it seriously.

Our protagonist is Jane (Streep), a divorced woman in her 50s (I think) who is best described as a “people person”.  You’ll often find her serving beautiful pastries at her bakery and making small-talk with her customers.  She’s the same away from work too.  Jane loves catching up with her lady friends and they’ll gossip about almost anything.

Things aren’t all rosy however.  Jane hasn’t had a meaningful relationship in years.  Her children have all grown up and moved out.  She lives in a beautiful house but it’s lonely at night.  She yearns for companionship, someone to share her life with.

Along comes… the ex-husband.  Jake (Baldwin) in now married to a much younger woman but after seeing Jane at a get-together, old feelings come flooding back.  Jane resists at first but Jake’s charms are too strong.  The two start having an “affair”.

There’s a second guy in the mix – a friendly architect named Adam (Martin).  He too is coming off a bad divorce and meets Jane when he puts together a redesign for her kitchen.  Adam is the ultimate “nice guy” and the two have much in common.  They share conversations on life and on love.  When Adam asks Jane out on a date, you quickly learn how the film got its name.

There are some strange scenes.  Most puzzling was the “full on” relationship shared by Jane’s three children.  It’s as if they do everything together!  They’re sweet kids but there’s something not quite right about a group of 20-somethings lying in a bed and getting all teary after learning of their parents’ misdeeds.  Maybe I come from a different family upbringing and can’t relate.  Then again, maybe this film is just no good.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 December 2009

If you think that Holmes is going to celebrate this success… then think again.  With no major mysteries left to be solved, Holmes is bored and depressed.  He’s couped himself up in his home and shut himself off from the rest of the world.  To make matters worse, Watson has announced his engagement to a young lady named Mary (Reilly) and has told Holmes that he’s retiring from the dangerous world of sleuthing.

Never fear.  Things are about to get a lot more interesting for Holmes and Watson.  Word is spreading that Lord Blackwood has returned from the grave.  How can this be?  They both saw him hang and Watson declared him dead after checking his pulse.  Not all is what it seems and the dynamic duo must work together again to solve one final case.

Let’s start with the positives and the clear standout is the performance of Robert Downey Jr.  He breathes life into Holmes with his funny expressions and quirky mannerisms.  He also brings the best out of Jude Law (who I’ve been a bit iffy about in recent years).  A friend at the preview screening had similar thoughts and declared that “the reason I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes is that I didn’t hate Jude Law.”   They are some powerful words.

I must quickly digress to comment on Robert Downey Jr and his film career.  After battling substance abuse problems in the late 1990s, he “reinvented” himself and is now one of the world’s top box-office drawcards.  Iron Man was one of the biggest hits of 2008 and his role in Tropic Thunder earned him an Academy Award nomination (which is not easy to do for a comedic performance).  Downey Jr is not afraid of low-budget, independent films either and you only need see Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or A Scanner Darkly as evidence.

Back to Sherlock Holmes and whilst I can’t fault Downey Jr, I’m not a fan of the storyline.  It’s a rather dark plot – like something out of a Dan Brown novel.  Holmes also as an uncanny ability to fit the pieces of the puzzle together with ridiculous ease – again, like something out of a Dan Brown novel.  Perhaps my expectations were misguided but I was hoping for something less serious, more humorous.

Englishman Guy Ritchie sits in the director’s chair and many will be familiar with his style having seen such films as Snatch and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.  This movie has its fair share of action but perhaps the most talked about element will be the relationship between Holmes and Watson.  I wasn’t familiar with the term before but I now I have an understanding of a “bromance”.

Every year, there’s always one huge release on Boxing Day to entertain the public and/or to help them get over their hangovers.  Sherlock Holmes is the 2009 contender and I’m sure there’ll be some long queues at cinemas over the coming days.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 January 2010

But can some of these programs do more harm than good?  Jason Reitman’s new film, Up In The Air, has something to say in that regard.  Its central character is Ryan Bingham (Clooney), a successful businessman who is trying to become only the seventh person to reach 10 million frequent flyer miles.  It’s become an obsession for him.  He wants the recognition. He wants the “status”.

So how can one man do so much travel?  Put simply, Ryan’s job is to fire people.  Big companies bring him in when they’re too scared to do it themselves.  Ryan speaks to them in a calm, monotone voice and tells them that they shouldn’t feel upset.  Their sacking is a “wake up call” and they now have the opportunity to do something excitingly different with their lives.  I’m sure there’s merit in that argument but most of those sitting on the opposite side of Ryan’s desk see it as bunch of bullshit.

Given that he spends more than 300 days of his year away from home, it’s no surprise that Ryan’s never had a meaningful relationship.  He’s had his share of casual flings but nothing further.  Ryan is more concerned about his work and the way in which people see him.  He just loves how he can walk to an airline ticket counter, flash his rewards card and save 30 minutes of queue time.  It’s just who he is.

Two women are about to enter the picture which will unsettle Ryan’s comfortable existence.  The first is Alex (Farmiga), a businesswoman he meets in an airport bar.  As they start bragging about the content of the wallets, they realise how much they have in common.  In fact, they couldn’t be any similar.  A quick one night stand in a hotel has the potential to develop into something deeper…

The second woman is a young twenty-something named Natalie Keener (Kendrick).  Ryan prefers to work alone but has been forced to take her on as his assistant after an order from his boss (Bateman).  These two are as different as chalk and cheese.  She tries to maintain a tough persona but Natalie does wear her heart on her sleeve.  She hates having to travel because it means she’ll be away from her boyfriend, with whom she’s deeply in love.

It took a little while to get going but my film’s end, I had much appreciation for Up In The Air.  You’ll have a few laughs but you’ll also be left with a few thoughts to chew on as you leave the cinema.  Some viewers have expressed concerns about the finale but I think it is spot on.  It could not have ended any other way without feeling formulaic.

Hot on the heels of Burn After Reading and Michael Clayton, George Clooney is fast becoming my favourite actor.  He’s got a knack for choosing films with great dialogue and he’s brilliant once again in Up In The Air.  Also impressive were co-stars Vera Farmiga (The Departed) and Anna Kendrick (Twilight).  Their talents are on full display in a memorable scene in an airport lounge where they discuss what they look for in a dream guy.

Writer-director Jason Reitman had been keen to bring the tale to the screen since he first read Walter Kim’s novel.  Reitman has stated that he’s “naturally attracted to tricky characters – difficult characters to humanize.”  You should have a feel for what Reitman’s getting at if you saw his last two movies – the terrific Thank You For Smoking and the amazing Juno (my favourite of 2008).  He was also drawn to the story by what it has to say about obsessive travellers.

I know it’s only January but in twelve months time, Up In The Air can rightly claim itself as one of the year’s best.