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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 October 2009

Jackson’s swansong was to be a series of 50 sold out concerts in London.  Kenny Ortega, who made the three High School Musical movies, was the director and choreographer of these shows.  The cast and crew spent months rehearsing in Los Angeles but Jackson passed away three weeks before the first concert was due to be held.

I was sceptical about this movie.  I didn’t really understand how they could make a two hour concert film from rehearsal footage.  This of course was never the intention when the footage was actually shot.  Jackson planned on keeping it in his own private collection.  I guess some of it would have also been used for promotional purposes.

Ortega has done well though.  Yes, it’s a concert movie but it goes beyond what I thought it would achieve.  It offers a rare insight into a reclusive individual.  Jackson avoided the media spotlight in his final years but we now have a chance to see him up close, simply being himself.  I confess to finding Jackson a little peculiar but when you watch him performing on stage, you realise he has such an incredible aura that rubs off on those around him.

This Is It features most of Jackson’s most famous songs and there are some nice interviews with those involved in the project – including a few Australians.  It’s worth noting that the film is not a tribute piece.  There aren’t any interviews with big name celebrities reflecting back on Jackson’s life and achievements.  In fact, Jackson’s death isn’t even mentioned except in the very opening scene.  The movie simply provides the chance to celebrate the talent of this gifted artist one last time.

Like any good concert, Jackson saves his best songs for the very end.  I was tapping my fingers together during quite a few of them.  If you want to experience a similar sensation, then you’ll need to be quick.  This Is It is getting a limited two week release in cinemas across the world.  I’ve got a hunch that many people are going to see it.  And so you should.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 October 2009

When we see Jenny at the end of the film, she is a changed individual.  Within the space of a few months, she has been given “an education” on life.  Her eyes, her ears and her heart have all been opened to the exciting world which lies outside her front door.  Ah, but mistakes will be made and lessons will be learned.  In one of the film’s final scenes, she sums up her misadventures by saying that “I feel old, but not very wise.”

So what happened in between?  His name is David (Sarsgaard).  They first met on a rainy afternoon while Jenny was walking home from school.  Sharing a common interest for classical music, Jenny was transfixed by David’s charm and knowledge.  He was a well travelled man – far more interesting than the naïve, immature boys she knew from her neighbourhood.  She didn’t care that he was nearly twice her age.

Her parents did though… at first.  They didn’t want their innocent daughter being led astray by this wealthy playboy.  David wins them over though with his smooth sensibility.  He starts taking Jenny to concerts, to dinners, to auctions, to Paris!  She’s the envy of all her friends at school.  Things couldn’t be better and her studies take a back seat to this new, opulent existence.  Life isn’t that easy though and Jenny is about to learn some valuable lessons which cannot be taught in any school textbook.  They have to be experienced.

I’ve had the chance to see this film twice and I’ve also had the chance to meet the star of the film, Carey Mulligan.  At just 24 years of age, Mulligan is a gifted actress and a star to watch.  Her breakout performance here is tipped to earn her an Oscar nomination early next year.  It’s also opened a bunch of doors in Hollywood.  She’ll soon be seen in Wall Street 2 (opposite Shia LaBeouf) and in Brothers (with Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal).

Mulligan goes through every human emotion possible in An Education.  Just looking at her face, you’ll see a noticeable transformation as the film progresses.  She seems to have a touching one-on-one scene with almost every member of the cast.  My pick of the supporting players was Olivia Williams (Rushmore) who plays one of Jenny’s teachers.

The well-written screenplay has been penned by Nick Hornby, the author of such classics as High Fidelity and About A Boy.  However, this is the first time he has adapted another’s work for the big screen.  The tale is based on memoirs written by Lynn Barber, a British journalist who currently works for The Sunday Times.  I liked some of the film’s off-beat moments – they give it a little “edge”.  One involves a banana. 

Swedish director Lone Scherfig (Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself) has brought the whole package together with a soft touch – from the film score to the cinematography.  An Education won the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and it’s a big-hearted crowd pleaser which you absolutely must see.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 October 2009

There is a lot of other nasty stuff going on in the world.  There are many causes which need people to “carry the flame”.  When I walk through the city during the week, heaps of people walk the streets trying to raise funds for a specific charity.  There’s only so much time and so much money that I can give.  How do you choose?

At the very end of his new film, you can sense the frustration in the voice of Michael Moore.  He’s made some fantastic documentaries over the past decade included Bowling For Columbine (which looks at gun control) and Fahrenheit 9/11 (which looks at the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks in 2001).  He’s trying to make a difference, trying to expose the flaws and double standards that exist within our society.  Is anyone listening though? 

Capitalism: A Love Story has struggled at the box office in comparison in Moore’s previous works.  We’re experiencing an extreme economic downturn where people are losing their jobs, their homes and their lives.  Do these same people want to go to a movie theatre and relive their own depression on the big screen?  Or would they rather see a Will Ferrell comedy or a Jerry Bruckheimer action blockbuster?  The answer appears to be the later.

It’s a shame but that’s reality.  And it’s a reality that allows people to be taken advantage of.  If you do take the time to see this film (and you should), you’ll see just how greedy the human race has become.  We’re obsessed with profit and making money.  I admit, that’s putting it a little too simply but you should see some of the examples which illustrate this message throughout the film.

There are major companies in the United States who take out life insurance policies on their employees.  If an employee should die, the company gets a payout.  Let me point out that this money does not go to the family of the deceased – it goes to the company.  We’re not talking about big executives here either – we’re talking about the lowly paid at the bottom of the corporate ladder.  In effect, these companies make a profit if employees die.  There are reports which analyse the money made from these business “activities”.  Is such behaviour ethically acceptable?

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Moore’s film closes with his take on the $700 billion dollar bail-out package which was approved by Washington in late 2008.  The banks are getting all this money but how is it being used?  How are they made accountable?  His revelations are shocking.

This isn’t Michael Moore’s best documentary and I thought the first half-hour was a little slow with its focus on struggling American families.  I always knew these people were being taken advantage of – I wanted the film to skip ahead so I could find out why… and who was doing it.  Moore mixes it up too with a few light-hearted moments.  There’s a funny tourism video about the city of Cleveland which you can watch by clicking here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM.

As an accountant who has worked in the financial sector for over ten years, I do believe in Moore’s message.  If you want more ammo, check out a great 2003 documentary called The Corporation.  You could also read an incredible investigative article written by Matt Taibbi called “The Great American Bubble Machine” (look it up on the web).  Ah, but how many of us are prepared to change our capitalistic ways?  Are we all talk and no action?  Ask me in 20 years and I’ll tell you.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 October 2009

My self-indulgent introduction serves a purpose.  I want to point out that I had very high expectations walking into the theatre.  How could I not?  So the fact that I’m not a huge fan of this modern-day remake should be taken with a grain of salt… unless of course you too loved the 1980s television series (or even the 1960s series for cult followers).

The first half of the film introduces us to Astro Boy.  Well, he’s not known as Astro Boy just yet.  This name is Toby (voiced by Freddie Highmore) and he’s an extremely intelligent kid who lives in the not-to-distant future.  His dad, Dr. Tenma (Cage) is one of the world’s leading robotic scientists and has helped create a wave of robots which has served man’s needs.

Sadly, Toby is killed in a tragic accident at the Ministry Of Science.  It’s an unbearable loss for Tenma and overcome by emotion, he designs and builds a robotic version of Toby.  He thinks that it’s help with his grief.  He gives the robot special powers so that he can never be harmed.  These powers include super-human strength and the ability to fly.

Tenma creates a perfect replica of his son but it’s just not the same.  He confides in his good friend, Dr. Elefun (Nighy) and decides that the robot should be destroyed.  He cannot play god.  Toby hears of his father’s plans and escapes before it is too late.  He is now a robot orphan with nowhere to go.

Just when everything appears hopeless, Toby will find his place in the world.  He makes a bunch of new friends and comes up with a new name – Astro Boy.  His services will be required if he’s to save his friends from an evil dictator (Sutherland) looking to send the world into complete chaos.  Go Astro!

I struggled with the first hour of the film and can see that writer-director David Bowers has marketed this at a young audience.  It’s very PG and easy to understand.  I enjoyed it a lot more once the action and adventure took hold in the final half-hour.  It’s reignited my interest to buy the original cartoons on DVD and take a trip down memory lane.

The film isn’t being released in the United States until next week and I do hope that it finds success at the box-office.  Despite my lukewarm review, I would like to see a sequel – a film which shows us what Astro is truly capable of.  He’ll defend us, he’ll defend us, the amazing Astro Boy!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 October 2009

That’s what the film is about.  What makes it a little more confusing is the fact that it has been directed by Nicholas Jasenovec – the same name as the character in the movie.  Jasenovec doesn’t play himself though.  That honour goes to Jake M. Johnson.  However, Charlyne Yi (Knocked Up) and Michael Cera (Juno) ARE playing themselves.  Well, some sort of warped version anyway.  I honestly have no idea as to what’s real and what’s not.

This low-budget independent film is trying to be a little “too cool for school”.  You can tell that the cast had fun but it feels more like a school assignment than a full blown big-screen motion picture.  I found Charlyne Yi to be an incredibly annoying character and didn’t really care if she found love or not.  Sorry if I sound like a Grinch.

There are some positives to the film though and the interview scenes offer some insight into the mysteries of love.  There’s a nice scene where Yi speaks to a group involved with a wedding chapel in Vegas.  She also speaks to a couple who have been together for over 50 years.  This all felt a lot more honest than her own up-and-down romance.

I feel a little guilty giving Paper Heart the thumbs down because at least it’s trying to be original.  I’m also a fan of Michael Cera (despite the fact that he’s very one-dimensional).  Sadly, it lacks a decent storyline and comes across more as a silly novelty.