Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 July 2008

Jason Tripitikas (Angarano) is a teenager who loves kung fu.  When you see his bedroom, you’ll appreciate just how obsessed he is.  There are posters all over his walls he has a large collection of old martial arts movies.  He buys them from an old man who owns a run-down Chinese pawnshop.

Whilst he loves kung fu, Jason has no idea how to perform it.  He’s a scrawny looking kid and he’s never had any proper training.  His whole world is about to change… literally!  In attempting to escape from a group of bullies, Jason falls off the roof of a building and wakes up in ancient China.  In his hand is a bo staff that he took from the pawnshop owner.

Jason soon learns that there’s a story behind the weapon he carries.  It once belonged to a playful warrior known as The Monkey King (Li).  Five hundred years ago, The Monkey King was defeated in a duel with The Jade Warlord (Chou), an evil, power-hungry leader.  The Monkey King has been entrapped in a stone statue ever since.  The only way he can be freed is if precious staff is returned to his outstretched hand.

When The Jade Warlord learns that Jason has this weapon, he immediately sends in his army to get it back.  He wants to make sure that it is never returned to The Monkey King.  Jason will be helped by an unlikely new friend – a drunken warrior named Lu Yan (Chan).  Lu protects Jason from danger and starts teaching him a few kung fu basics.  Can they get the staff back The Monkey King or will The Jade Warlord stop them first?

The film is boosted by the presence of Jet Li and Jackie Chan.  They are the two most familiar names in Hollywood when it comes to martial arts movies.  You may be surprised to known that this is the first time they’ve appeared together in a major film.  They are joined by 20-year-old Michael Angarano who plays Jason.  I’ve been a fan of Angarano since I saw him in Sky High (released in 2005) and he’s great in this film too.  It’s a difficult age for any budding actor and I hope he continues to find good roles in the future.  He has talent.

When you size it up, The Forbidden Kingdom is best described as a family orientated martial arts film.  Younger audience will probably like it but adults may be let down by the limited storyline.  There are plenty of clichés and it’s all very predictable.  I know it’s what you’d expect from such a film but I was still hoping for something a little better.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 July 2008

Each year, I compile a list of my top 10 favourite actors and actress.  You can look at these lists in the “columns” section of my website if you’d like to know more.  Since 2005, the same two people have been top of these lists – Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney.  They’re awesome!  Even though they’ve been in a tonne of great movies, The Savages marks the first time they’ve appeared together.

Jon and Wendy Savage are a middle-aged brother and sister.  Jon (Hoffman) is a professor of philosophy living in Buffalo.  Wendy (Linney) is a playwright living in New York City.  Neither of them appears to be very happy.  Their jobs are going nowhere and both are involved in complicated relationships.  Over time, they have slowly drifted apart.

Their regular lives are put on hold when they learn their elderly father, Lenny (Bosco), needs help.  He is suffering from dementia and has found himself with nowhere to live.  Jon and Wendy have never been close to their dad and aren’t particularly enthusiastic about the situation they now find themselves in.  They’ve got better things to do.

It’s a depressing subject matter but one that many people will be able to relate to – to have to care and look after a dying parent.  Jon and Wendy have trouble finding a decent nursing home that has places available and which is also affordable.  They also have to ask their father difficult questions such as whether he wants to be buried or cremated.

These events stir deep-seeded emotions in both Jon and Wendy.  Having spent years trying to distance themselves, they now find themselves drawn back into the “family”.  They will be forced to confront issues that they have long suppressed.

It’s heavy going at times but there are also a lot of funny scenes in The Savages.  Jon and Wendy are quirky characters and it’s no surprise that Hoffman and Linney were attracted to the role.  At times, you’ll laugh at them.  At other times, you’ll sympathise with them.  Writer-director Tamara Jenkins deserves credit for her script.  It earned her an Academy Award nomination earlier this year for best original screenplay (losing out to Juno).  Linney also picked up a nomination for best actress.

The title is a little misleading (it makes the movie sound like a cheap thriller) but I can assure you that this a quality film that comes highly recommended.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 July 2008

The title should tell you what this film is about.  What it doesn’t reveal is that this is based on actual events and it’s very, very interesting.  We’ve seen a lot of bank heist movies released over the years but this one has a few fresh twists.  It should keep you guessing until the very end.

In September 1971, the Lloyd’s Bank on London’s Baker Street was robbed.  A gang of thieves had tunnelled underneath the bank and into the locked vault.  They stole the contents of 268 safety deposit boxes.

It’s not the robbery that I found fascinating but rather what happened next.  The British Government squashed all media coverage of the event.  They issued a “D-notice” which prohibited the media from publishing certain information because it was a threat to national security.  The public therefore knew very little about what actually happened.

What was the Government worried about?  Let’s just say that people don’t always put money, gold or jewellery in their safety deposit boxes.  Some have valuable information which they want to keep well guarded.  What better place than a bank, right?

The crime was never officially solved.  Many bank customers refused to disclose what was in their safety deposit boxes and so the amount actually stolen could never be determined.  No one knew what became of the thieves either.  The whole robbery was shrouded in mystery.

If you want to know what really happened, you need to check out The Bank Job.  Producer Steven Chasman tracked down a few of the people involved with the crime to find the truth.  They helped shape the screenplay but did so under the condition of anonymity.  They have new lives now and did not want their past coming back to haunt them.

I enjoyed The Bank Job because of its story.  As you can probably already tell, it definitely grabbed my attention.  The overall film itself isn’t that great.  Too much time is spent focusing on the lead-up to the bank robbery as opposed to its aftermath.  The acting isn’t too flash either.  The two lead stars are Jason Statham (The Transporter) and Saffron Burrows (Reign Over Me).  I found it difficult to take them seriously and I believe the film would have been enhanced with some bigger name stars.  Perhaps they couldn’t be accommodated into the $20m budget.

The director is Australian born Roger Donaldson.  Some of his earlier films were rather forgettable (Cocktail, Species) but Donaldson has made some impressive movies over the past decade including Thirteen Days and The World’s Fastest Indian.  This isn’t his best work but it’s not bad.  It’s great to see another Aussie making his mark in the film world.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 July 2008

Salute is an Australian documentary about a guy called Peter Norman.  Do you know who he is?  I didn’t have a clue before I saw this movie.  My friends hadn’t heard of him either.

Peter Norman was arguably Australia’s greatest ever sprinter.  He won the 200m title at the Australian Championship for five consecutive years between 1966 and 1970. The most impressive statistic for me that Norman still holds the Australian record of 20.06 seconds for 200m.  It has stood for almost 40 years.

Norman set the record in the 200m final at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.  It won him the silver medal.  Two African American athletes filled the other placings  – Tommie Smith won the gold and John Carlos won the bronze.

It’s not the race that is most remembered from this day but rather the victory ceremony which followed.  As Smith and Carlos stood on the victory podium, they bowed their heads and raised a clenched fist into the air.  Each was wearing a black glove.  Norman stood with his head raised but wore a white badge on his green and gold jacket which said “Olympic Project for Human Rights”. 

Smith, Carlos and Norman were making their voices heard.  They wanted to highlight the racial oppression that was taking place across the globe.  Norman said after the race that “every man is born equal and should be treated that way.”

Their actions caused a massive uproar.  All three athletes were harassed by officials and by the media for using the Olympics to promote their “political” message.  Smith and Carlos were expelled from the Games and Norman received a reprimand from Australia’s Olympic administration.  Their persecution did not end there.  The rest of their lives would be forever shaped by the events of October 16, 1968.

I have three reasons to recommend this film.  Firstly, it is interesting.  As someone who hasn’t heard this story before, I was fascinated.  It’s the kind of documentary that made me want to do more research on leaving the theatre.  I needed to find out more about the people involved.

Secondly, it is thought provoking.  Did their actions make a difference?  Has the world changed in terms of racial discrimination over the past 40 years?  Do the Olympics really promote equality and friendship?  The biggest question for me was why hadn’t I heard of Peter Norman before despite all of his achievements?  It’s puzzling that he wasn’t included as part of the major festivities at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Finally, the film is relevant.  In the past few months, we’ve seen people protesting against the upcoming Olympics in Beijing because of China’s occupation of Tibet.  Some people agree with the protests and others do not.  In a way, it’s similar situation to that which we saw in 1968.  Will we see further Tibetan protests when the Games kick off in August?  What action will the International Olympic Committee take?  How will we see these events in 40 years time?

Salute has been put together by Matthew Norman, the nephew of Peter.  It includes a mix of archival footage and current day interviews.  You’ll hear the thoughts of Peter Norman, Tommie Smith and John Carlos in their own words.  I love a good documentary and this film will show you why.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 July 2008

Without a doubt, The Dark Knight is the most anticipated movie of 2008.  The Batman franchise was reinvigorated with Batman Begins (released in 2005) and everyone has been waiting anxiously to see what happens next.  Over the past few weeks, a lot of people have been asking whether I’d seen the film and if it was any good.

I can finally say that… yes, I’ve seen the film.  I can also say that… yes, it’s good.  One must be careful though not to get too caught up in the hype.  If you go into the cinema expecting to see a masterpiece, you will be disappointed.  It’s not perfect and there are a few weak spots.  Still, of all the major blockbusters that we’ve been treated to in recent months, this one gets my vote as the best.

With the same director at the helm, The Dark Knight has been made in a similar vein to Batman Begins.  The overall tone of the film is gloomy and sinister.  This isn’t a light-hearted superhero flick (ala Ironman or Indiana Jones).  Gotham City is a depressing place.  It’s hard to distinguish the heroes from the villains.

There are two new characters of note in this sequel.  Harvey Dent (Eckhart) is Gotham’s new District Attorney.  The enthusiastic Dent is determined to clean up the streets and put the powerful mobsters behind bars.  Bruce Wayne (Bale) aka Batman is impressed with Dent’s work and his happy to see someone else standing up against injustice.

Then, there is The Joker (Ledger).  With a creepy voice and a face covered in make up, The Joker is a psychopathic madman.  He doesn’t appear to be after money and power.  He just loves the fun of being a villain.  The Joker’s actions may appear crazy but this guy has brains.  He wants to strip Batman of his “hero status” and will do so by turning the public against him.

In the first movie, director Christopher Nolan had to spend a great deal of time developing the Batman character.  That isn’t necessary here and it gives Nolan more time to expand on the supporting players.  Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman and Maggie Gyllenhall are all great.  I only wish that Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman could have had more screen time.

This is a solid two and a half hours worth of drama.  Every character, at some point, makes an important decision that will affect the life of someone else.  Do they act in the best interests of themselves or in the best interests of others?  Are there times when a lie is better than the truth?  Watching these moral dilemmas unfold was the highlight of the film for me.

If I have a criticism, it’s that The Joker’s plans seemed a little too elaborate.  I don’t want to give anything away but I was left wondering how he was able to set up some of his explosions.  He’d look even more obvious given his appearance.  Was the last film this unrealistic?  I shouldn’t be too judgemental because this is a fantasy flick and Batman himself isn’t the most believable character.

Everyone is going to see this film (well, practically everyone) and the majority are going to be happy with what they see.