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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 July 2008

For her entire life, Sophie (Seyfried) has been raised by her mother, Donna (Streep), on a picturesque Greek island.  Donna has run a small resort on the island for close to 20 years and Sophie has always been there to help out.  The time has come though for Sophie to leave the nest.  She has met the man of her dreams (Cooper) and they are to be married.  A beautiful wedding has been planned.

Sophie has felt however that a part of her life has been missing.  She has never met her father and doesn’t even know who he is.  Her mother has kept the story a close secret.  Sophie would have loved for her dad to be able to walk her down the aisle at the wedding ceremony.

Sophie wants the truth and has come up with a plan.  After finding one of her mother’s old diaries, she learns that Donna was sleeping with three different men around the time that she conceived.  Without her mother’s knowledge, Sophie has tracked down these guys and sent them wedding invitations.  They are Sam Carmichael (Brosnan), Harry Bright (Firth) and Bill Austin (Skasgard).  Believe it or not, they have all accepted the invitation!  Sophie’s hoping that when they show up, she’ll be able to find out who her father is.

Ah, but it won’t be that easy.  The arrival of these three gentlemen sends the wedding preparations into complete chaos.  No one seems to know what is going on.  Old secrets will be revealed and new secrets will be created.  It’s a well-written story and I’m not going to reveal the twists for those yet to see it.

This film is based on the musical of the same name.  Mamma Mia! debuted on London’s West End in 1999 and became a smash-hit.  It has been performed in many countries including here in Australia.  Between 2001 and 2005, it was seen in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.  I’ve never seen the live musical myself but I’ve been told by many people that it was fantastic.

Now I see why.  This cinematic adaptation is a blast.  I thought it started out a little slowly but I quickly warmed to the silly story, the terrific performances and the memorable ABBA songs.  I’ve never really been an ABBA fan but now I have a few of their songs firmly implanted in my brain.  I just can’t get them out of my head!

The director of the film is Phyllida Lloyd and the writer is Catherine Johnson.  These two women were responsible for the creation of the original musical in the late 1990s.  It’s great to see that they were given the opportunity to make the movie version.  Lloyd described it as “the most challenging project of my career”.  For those familiar with the musical, there are a few changes.  Small alterations have been made to the order of songs, the dialogue and the locations.  I think the film is a little disjointed at times (jumping from character to character) but for the most part, Lloyd and Johnson have done a superb job.  The set and costume designers also deserve praise.

Most of the cast are fantastic.  Meryl Streep had been a long-time fan of the musical and had always wanted to play Donna if it was turned into a movie.  Streep got her wish and she’s wonderful.  Also a standout was Christine Baranski (Chicago) who plays Tanya, one of Donna’s best friends.  The scene where she sings “Does Your Mother Know” on the beach is one of the film’s high points.

Do I like this film?  I do, I do, I do, I do, I do.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 June 2008

It feels like every time I’ve seen a movie this year, the trailer for Kung Fu Panda has been shown beforehand.  The quantity of advertising for this film has been extreme to say the least.  The wait has been worth it.  This is a great animated flick which is going to provide much entertainment for both kids and adults these school holidays.

Po (Black) is a panda who loves kung fu.  The problem is that he’s not very good at it – he’s inflexible, overweight and lazy.  Not a good combination.  Po idolises a group of kung fu experts known as the Furious Five.  They are made up of a tiger, a crane, a monkey, a viper and a praying mantis.  Guided by their teacher, Master Shifu (Hoffman), the Furious Five have defeated many adversaries.

It has been prophesised that an evil snow leopard named Tai Lung (McShane) will soon attack.  Tai Lung wants the Dragon Scroll – an object which is believed to hold the secret to unlimited power.  The only way that Tai Lung can be stopped is for a kung fu expert to take on the position of “Dragon Warrior” and read the scroll first.

The appointment will be made by Master Oogway, a wise tortoise who is held in high regard.  That is until… he selects Po to be the Dragon Warrior!  Everyone is dumbfounded by the selection.  Master Shifu and the Furious Five object strongly to the decision but it cannot be changed.  With no other alternative, Master Shifu starts training Po in the basics of kung fu.  It’ll be his greatest challenge…

There’s a lot to like about Kung Fu Panda.  The cast is probably what stands out most.  Jack Black (School Of Rock) plays Po and it’s one of his funniest roles.  I could almost picture Jack Black when looking at Po on screen.  He has the perfect sense of humour.  Also notable was Randall Duk Kim as Master Oogway and Dustin Hoffman (Rainman) as Master Shifu.

The screenplay is also strong and has been written by Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.  Both worked as writers on the King Of The Kill animated television series.  They’ve created a film with a simple story and a worthy message.  This makes it ideal for young kids who will be able to understand what’s going on.  The jokes are great also and this will give it just as much appeal to the adult audience.  Be sure to check it out.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 July 2008

There have been some recent articles on the internet about the “bankability” of actor Will Smith.  Since 2002, he has appeared in 8 movies.  Every one of those films made more than $135m in the United States.  Trust me, that’s an impressive credit to put on one’s resume.  It tells the big Hollywood studios that if you want a movie to be a financial success, you should give Will Smith a call.

I’m sure Hancock will make plenty of money.  How could it not?  That said, I’m glad I didn’t contribute to the box-office total by having to pay for my ticket.  This film is horrendous.  It’s the worst thing that Will Smith has done since the forgettable Wild Wild West in 1999.

When you look at the overall premise, you’ll see that the movie had potential.  Will Smith plays John Hancock, a resident of Los Angeles who has super powers.  He can fly, he has incredible strength and he cannot be killed.  He uses his abilities to help capture bad guys and rescue citizens from perilous situations.

The problem is that Hancock isn’t exactly a “textbook” superhero.  He often has a bottle of alcohol in his hands and he dresses like a hobo.  He’s also an expert at damaging property.  We see him end a police chase at the start of the film but in doing so, Hancock causes $9m worth of damage to roads and buildings.  It has many people wondering if Hancock is a benefit or detriment to the community.

Fate introduces Hancock to Ray Embrey (Bateman), a public relations consultant who thinks he can improve Hancock’s image.  Ray’s strategy for is for Hancock to serve time in jail for his wrongdoings.  Once a few weeks have passed, the public will miss not having him around to “save the day” and will want to see him released.  The new and improved Hancock will then return to a hero’s welcome and all the past will be forgotten.  However, it doesn’t quite work out that way…

It may sound interesting on paper but this movie keeps finding ways to disappoint.  I don’t know what my biggest criticism is so I’ll just list them in a random order.  To start with, it’s very predictable.  You always know what’s going to happen next and despite the nature of the material, it’s surprising to see how unadventurous the screenplay is.

Whilst we’re talking about the script, it takes itself too seriously.  There are some mildly amusing jokes in the first half-hour but after that, they dry up quickly.  Why weren’t there more funny one-liners?  What was with all the melodrama at the end?  The wrong approach was taken to the subject material.  To quickly comment on the ending – it’s dumb.  No further remarks are necessary.

None of the performances are impressive.  Will Smith is his usual self.  Charlize Theron has a very limited role and it made me wonder why this Academy Award winning actress would take on such a part.

Most of the big blockbuster releases in 2008 have been decent but if there’s one film you should avoid like the plague, it’s Hancock.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 June 2008

I don’t know what to make of this film.  It’s pretty “out there”.  I usually associate Adam Sandler with screwball comedies (some good, some bad) and this one is no exception.  It plot is insane but underneath, there’s some interesting political messages and a few intelligent jokes.  This was better than I thought it would be.

Sandler plays Zohan Dvir, an Israeli counter-terrorist agent who has super-human powers.  There is no assignment too challenging.  He has captured many Palestinian terrorists and given them what they deserve.  His latest mission to re-catch The Phantom (Turturro) who was recently let out of an Israeli jail in a prisoner exchange program.

The problem is that Zohan is sick of the fighting and wants to get out of his profession.  He wants to go to the United States and become a hair dresser.  Go figure?  He knows this won’t go down well with his colleagues and his family and so Zohan decides to fake his own death.  He does this when he goes head-to-head with The Phantom.

Life isn’t as easy in the U.S. as Zohan expects it to be.  He struggles to get a job as a hairdresser because he has no experience and a very eccentric personality.  The only job he can find is as a cleaner is a Palestinian hair salon.  Zohan turns down the offer at first but realises he’ll have to take it on as a stepping stone to something bigger.

That opportunity arrives when the manager of the salon, Dalia (Chriqui), agrees to let Zohan cut the hair of a customer.  He offers a very unique service which leaves the customer incredibly satisfied.  Almost instantly, the salon develops a strong reputation and ladies are queuing up outside the store to get their hair cut by the legendary Zohan.

It took a while to get going but as I’ve indicated earlier, this is a decent film.  Some of the terrorism related jokes will be offensive for some but I liked the audacity of the writers to take on more challenging material.  One of the co-writers of the screenplay was Judd Apatow, the man responsible for Knocked Up and the Forty-Year-Old Virgin.  He’s one of the sharpest writers in the business today.

Sandler also helped write the film but he’ll be most remembered for his performance.  He has a few memorable catchphrases and body features.  Zohan is a very strange character and Sandler is the perfect person to play him.

You Don’t Mess With The Zohan is a “hot potato” – you’re either going to love it or hate it.  For maximum enjoyment, I think you’re best to see it with a positive attitude and a willingness to go along with something a little different.  I’ll leave it with you.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 June 2008

You may be familiar with the names Anthony Hayes and Brendan Cowell.  Hayes is a 30-year-old actor from Brisbane who has been in the business for over 20 years.  He won the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for best supporting actor in both 2005 and 2006 for his performances in Look Both Ways and Suburban Mayhem.  Cowell is a 31-year-old from Cronulla who was nominated for three Silver Logies for his work in the television series Love My Way.  He was also nominated for an AFI Award last year for his great performance in the film Noise.

These two guys met in 1999 and became great friends.  Unhappy with the lack of good scripts being offered up in the Australian marketplace, they decided to start their own production company.  In 2002, the made a short film entitled New Skin which won an award at the Sydney Film Festival.  Ten Empty is their first full-length feature film.  Together, Cowell and Hayes wrote the script and helped secure $1.4m in funding from a variety of sources.

You might enjoy the film but you’re unlikely to walk out with a smile on your face.  It’s depressing.  It’s about a family going through some dark times.  Elliot Christie (Frederiksen) is a 29-year-old who has been living in Sydney for a number of years and has made a half-decent life for himself.  He has returned to his home in Adelaide for a few days for the christening of his newly born half-brother.

It’s a trip that he is making reluctantly.  There are issues that Elliot does not want to have to deal with.  Following the death of his mother many years ago, Elliot’s father (Morrell) started a relationship with his mother’s sister (Bell).  They are now married and this has created unease between Elliot and his father.  Furthermore, Elliot’s younger brother, Brett (Budge), has become a recluse.  He locks himself in his room and doesn’t speak to anyone.

Elliot’s return home brings these problems into the open.  There will be many conflicts and a great deal of soul-searching.  Can this broken family find a way to heal old wounds and move forward?

I think the emotions of the film are a little over-done but for the most part, I liked Ten Empty.  I felt there was a “realness” to the characters and the relationships they have with each other.  There’s also a distinctive Australian flavour to the movie which makes it feel even closer to home.  It will resonate with some audience members more than others.