Reviews
Duplicity
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Tony Gilroy |
| Written by: | Tony Gilroy |
| Starring: | Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, Rick Worthy |
| Released: | March 19, 2009 |
| Grade: | A- |
When she won an Oscar last year for best supporting actress in Michael Clayton, Tilda Swinton told us all during her acceptance speech that "Tony Gilroy walks on water." She was referring to the film’s writer/director and yes, I agreed with her. I’m a fan of Gilroy because of Michael Clayton but also because of his scripts for the three Bourne movies.
Duplicity is Gilroy’s latest effort and it’s laced with style. With plenty of twists and turns, Gilroy has done his best to tease the audience and to keep them guessing. Not everything it as it seems. He’s also thrown in some snazzy, witty dialogue and it all adds up to a fast-paced two hours that will leave you smiling and thinking. It’s worth a second look just to see if you picked up on everything the first time.
Our two protagonists are Ray Koval (Owen) and Claire Stenwick (Roberts). He is a former MI-6 agent and she is a former CIA officer. Between them, they’ve come up with a plan to get filthy rich. They intend to use their backgrounds to get intelligence jobs at leading private companies. Once on the inside, they can sell trademarked secrets to competitors at a high price.
The focus of their attention becomes a top-secret product being developed a company called Burkett & Randall. Their CEO, Howard Tully (Wilkinson), has told his staff that they will soon be making a market announcement which will generate world wide attention. Claire is part of the counterintelligence team within Burkett & Randall and knows this is the opportunity that she’s been waiting for. All she has to do is find out what the product is.
Ray, on the other hand, has been working as part of undercover team within Equikrom, a fierce rival of Burkett & Randall. Its CEO, Richard Garsik (Giamatti), is using this crew to infiltrate Burkett & Randall so as to steal its ideas. When he gets word of this revolutionary product, he knows that his company must get there first or he’ll be ruined.
Duplicity is an entertaining ride. The story is told in fragments – it’s largely set in the present day but we occasionally slip back in time to learn the history of Ray and Clare. It’ll slowly help you put the pieces of the puzzle together.
Aside from the well-written screenplay, the film has been creatively put together. I liked the split screen camera work, the slow-mo opening credits, the bubbly film score from James Newton Howard and the one-on-ones between Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. It left me pondering that it can’t be easy dating a spy. These people are experts at deceiving others. How could you ever trust them? When you’ve got two spies dating each other, then it really gets interesting…
Thumbs up go to Duplicity and the man who once again proves he can walk on water, Tony Gilroy.
Confessions Of A Shopaholic
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | P.J. Hogan |
| Written by: | Tracey Jackson, Tim Firth, Kayla Alpert |
| Starring: | Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, John Lithgow, Kristin Scott Thomas, Julie Hagerty |
| Released: | March 12, 2009 |
| Grade: | B |
It follows the usual romantic comedy formulas but you can still have fun with Confessions Of A Shopaholic. It’s what I like to call a "popcorn flick" – a film which provides entertainment above substance. There’s nothing wrong with that of course. Sometimes, two hours of "escapism" is just what we need.
The person who breathes life into the far-fetched screenplay is Australian star Isla Fisher. It’s her first major leading role having been a worthy supporting player in films such as Wedding Crashers and Hot Rod. She plays Rebecca Bloomwood, a young woman living in New York who works for a gardening magazine.
To use the term from the title – Rebecca is a "shopaholic". She can’t help herself. She loves the thrill of walking past a shop window and seeing something that she simply must have. It should come as no surprise to learn that she has 12 credit cards, all of which are near their maximum limit. When her current employer goes bust, Rebecca finds herself desperately looking for another job. Rebecca has always wanted to work at Alette Magazine, a high-profile publication released by fashion guru Alette Naylor (Thomas). She thinks she’d be perfect given her love for the industry. Sadly, there’s no current position available. Looking to find a way in through the back door, she applies for a job at Success Savings – a finance magazine run by the same company. Rebecca thinks she can use it as a platform to something bigger.Of course, Rebecca knows nothing about finance. Her new boss, Luke Brandon (Dancy), realises that fairly quickly. He sees potential however. Rebecca starts a column called "The Girl With The Green Scarf" which becomes a smash hit with readers. She takes complicated financial issues and helps explain them using easy-to-understand metaphors. It’s not all rosy for Rebecca however. She soon finds herself falling in love with her boss. She should risk their friendship and go for something deeper? Rebecca is also struggling with her shopping addiction. The self-help sessions she’s been attending haven’t been working at a nasty debt collector is hunting her down. What’s a troubled girl to do? Some people have said that given the current economic climate, this isn't exactly the most politically correct movie. To watch a girl spend so frivolously may not sit well with everyone. I’m sure the governments of the world wouldn’t mind. Just think about what Rebecca could do with Kevin Rudd’s upcoming bonus! I’m not too perturbed by the subject material. It’s not supposed to change the world – it’s just there to provide a few laughs. The director is Brisbane born, P.J. Hogan, the guy responsible for such romantic classics as Muriel’s Wedding and My Best Friend’s Wedding. This is far from his best work but I like his style. He coaxes a great performance out of Isla Fisher and gives the film some colour, glitz and glam. I also liked the romance between Fisher and Hugh Dancy. We all know they’re going to end up together but I enjoyed the banter and foreplay in the lead up. With some nice cameos from the likes of John Goodman, Joan Cusack and John Lithgow, Confessions Of A Shopaholic was not the disaster that I thought it might be.
The Secret Life Of Bees
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Gina Prince-Bythewood |
| Written by: | Gina Prince-Bythewood |
| Starring: | Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Bettany |
| Released: | March 5, 2009 |
| Grade: | B |
I saw 220 movies last year. Did I want to see them all? The answer is obviously, no. We all have different tastes and I admit that there are some films that just don’t appeal to me. There’s also the fact that sometimes I’m just not in the mood. I’m often tired and/or distracted.
So why do I it? I don’t know really. What’s the term they use to describe people like me – obsessive compulsive? If a film has been released, I feel strangely compelled to see it. As my job is to be a film critic, I like to have an answer for people if they ask me about a certain film. If I were to skip an occasional movie, I’d feel a little incomplete.
I have now written two paragraphs about myself and zero paragraphs about The Secret Life Of Bees. If you’ve caught on, you’ll understand my reasoning. This is one of those movies that I was describing above. I sat in the movie theatre in a state of ambivalence. I was looking at my watch every ten minutes and had other things on my mind.
Now, this really isn’t fair to the filmmakers, is it? If I just sit here and talk about myself and say nothing about the movie. I should do the right thing and talk about the story and then throw in a few pieces of trivia that I found off the internet from a Google search. Then again, if I’m being true to myself… and the two people who will read this review, I should just admit that I couldn’t care less and move on.
I could then use my time to talk about something else. I could stick to movies and have a carefree chat about something topical like the Oscars or the ever increasing candy bar prices at Birch, Carroll & Coyle Cinemas. Maybe I could go completely off the wall. I could have a discussion about the meaning of life. I could even speculate about what awaits in the afterlife.
And let’s be honest. If I were to debate the merits of the major religions, you have to admit that it’d be more interesting that my standard review of The Secret Life Of Bees. A discussion about L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology would leave more of an impact that having me assess the acting performance of Dakota Fanning.
In turns out that I’m going to do nothing at all. I’ve reached my 400 word quota which means I no longer have to sit at my computer. I can post this up on my website, send it out with my Film Pie newsletter and then find something or someone to amuse me.
If you are interested in this film by the way, you’ll find heaps of information and other reviews on the interweb. Such is the wonder of technology. And to those people who "Googled" the movie and came up with this pathetic review, I sincerely apologise. Click search and try again.
Love The Beast
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Eric Bana |
| Released: | March 12, 2009 |
| Grade: | A- |
I know next-to-nothing about cars. When someone tells me that they’ve bought a new car, I always ask about it to be polite. "Ah cool, what kind of car is it?" I’ll nod and pretend to know what he or she is talking about. The truth, of course, is that I’m completely clueless.
Love The Beast is a documentary from Eric Bana which covers a wide territory. I guess you could say the focus is on Bana and his love of motor racing. In the film, you see him compete in the 2007 Targa Tasmania – a 5 day rally across the Apple Isle.
We all know about Eric Bana the movie star but not many know about Eric Bana the car enthusiast. He talks in the film with popular television personality Dr. Phil McGraw about his passion for the sport and how it’s great to have an interest outside of work. It’s certainly a theory I subscribe to given my love for him (which sadly provides no form of income whatsoever).
The "beast" referred to in the title is Bana’s Ford GT Falcon Coupe (I had to look that up). They’ve been together for 25 years. So why hang on to a car for so long? Wouldn’t it be better to upgrade to a new and better model? These questions are asked and comedian Jay Leno, a car lover himself, offers some humorous insights. I’m not saying that I now have a newfound love for my own Holden Commodore, but I now have an appreciation for those who shower their beloved cars with affection.
Just as interesting are the glimpses we see of Bana’s more public life. A few days after competing in the Targa Tasmania, we see him attend a movie premiere in New York with Drew Barrymore and Robert Duvall. It’s pretty clear what Bana would rather be doing. Many of us dream about being movie stars but you get the feeling that this guy would rather be back home with his mates working on his trusty "beast".
I’m sure this film will appeal to car aficionados but as someone who is the exact opposite, I can say that I still found it both enlightening and amusing.
The Combination
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | David Field |
| Written by: | George Basha |
| Starring: | George Basha, Firass Dirani, Doris Younane, Clare Bowen, Michael Denkha |
| Released: | February 26, 2009 |
| Grade: | B |
The Combination is set in Sydney and centres on two Lebanese brothers. John (Basha) has just been released after a two year stint in jail. The time he spent locked away had a profound impact. He’s now returned to live with his mother (Younane) and he wants to rebuild his life. He’s got a new girlfriend (Bowen) and he’s got a part-time job at a small boxing centre.
John’s biggest concern is his youngest brother, Charlie (Dirani). Over the past two years, Charlie has fallen in with the wrong crowd at school and has been caught up in a gang war. To make matters worse, he’s recently become a drug dealer. John doesn’t want Charlie to make the same mistakes that he did. He needs to find away to get through to him and set him on the right path.
This is a nice story. It highlights the importance of one’s family and how far we’re prepared to go to look after our own. It also looks at the drivers behind much of the racial tension in some Australian communities. There’s a brief clip shown of the 2005 riots in Cronulla that reminds us that this story is closer to home than you might think.
Writer George Basha, who also plays John, drew on his own experiences to help create the story. He changed his own lifestyle after seeing one of his best friends set on fire by an underworld figure for an unpaid debt. By chance, his script found its way into the hands of actor David Field (Gettin’ Square, Unfinished Sky) who agreed to make his directorial debut. It’s worth pointing out that it took six years to secure the funding to make the movie. It’s not an easy business.
We’re almost two full months into the 2009 calendar year and this is the first Aussie film to be released. The Combination isn’t going to set the local box-office on fire but I hope the film does find an audience. It’s a decent movie made on a shoe-string budget and it’s better than at least half of the films currently showing in cinemas. Give it a chance.
Watchmen
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Zack Snyder |
| Written by: | David Hayter, Alex Tse |
| Starring: | Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino |
| Released: | March 5, 2009 |
| Grade: | B |
There’s no doubting that Watchmen will attract a cult-like following when released in cinemas. It started its life in 1986 when first published as a 12 book comic series. It was later released in its entirety as a graphic novel. At the preview screening I attended, you could sense the anticipation from the young audience. They’d been waiting for this for a long time.
The story is set in 1985 in a fictitious world where Richard Nixon is still President of the United States. There is much tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and many people believe that a nuclear war is imminent. The "Doomsday Clock" has been set at 5 minutes to midnight.
The person thought to be able to save the day is a superhero named Dr. Manhattan (Crudup). He has incredible strength and also the ability to transport himself anywhere at any time. He developed these powers after a botched science experiment when he was younger.
There are a few other superheros looking to play their part in saving the world. Some are open about their identity but others prefer to keep quiet. Not everyone sees them in a positive light. When an ageing superhero known as The Comedian is killed in brutal fashion, Rorschach (Haley) suspects that someone is out to eliminate them. Who is it and what is their motive?
There were two obvious points that stuck me when I saw this film. Firstly, it’s very violent. There are some quite gruesome sequences actually that involve blood, guts and other disgusting matter. It’s rated MA in Australia and is not for the faint of heart. Secondly, it’s long. It clocks in at a whopping 163 minutes which is lengthy considering it’s based on a comic book.
As for my specific thoughts on the film, I certainly wasn’t blown away. The story drags at times and I did wish they could speed it up. I can’t believe I’m saying this but there was almost too much character development and not enough action. The dialogue is a little dreary at times also.
Turning my attention to the positives, I enjoyed the look of the movie and the messages explored within the ending. There’s some food for thought. Jackie Earle Haley gives the best performance as Rorschach. His raspy voice makes him perfect to provide the film’s narration.
I’m interested to see how this film performs at the box-office. Will it only attract those fans of the graphic novel? Or will others be lured in based on the trailer and word-of-mouth? We’ll find out soon enough.