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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 September 2007

Maps, Misty, Sparks and Spit are four boys who live at a Catholic orphanage in the Australian outback.  They are best friends who share the same birth month, December (and hence the film’s title).  They enjoy their life at the orphanage but deep down, they yearn to be adopted by a loving family.

As a special birthday treat, the nuns of the orphanage are sending the four boys on a holiday.  An elderly couple who live on a remote part of the South Australian coast have agreed to take care of them for a few weeks.  The boys couldn’t be more excited.

Over the course of the holidays, the boys learn a lot of life lessons and have much fun in the process.  Maps has his first experience with a girl.  Spark tries to catch a legendary fish which has eluded fisherman for years.  Misty tries to the win the affections of a young couple with the hope of being adopted.  They are provided with valuable memories which will stay with them their entire lives.

December Boys is based on the novel by Michael Noonan, first published in 1994.  The movie falls victim to a common problem with book adaptations – there’s too much material to condense into a two hour film.  As a result, the film feels fragmented and you don’t get to know the characters in any real depth.  There are also some strange sub-plots (one involving a legendary fish) that have no purpose in the film.  I left the cinema feeling that I’d only seen part of the story.

Lead actor Daniel Radcliffe is a smart 18-year-old.  He doesn’t want to be typecast as “the kid from Harry Potter” and is trying to broaden his resume.  In the past 12 months, he’s poked fun at himself in a hilarious episode of Extras (with Ricky Gervais) and featured in a West End revival of the Equus (which got much publicity because of his full frontal nudity).  December Boys won’t be regarded as Radcliffe’s greatest work (it’s actually not that big of a role) but it completes another stepping stone for him.

Writer Marc Rosenberg and director Ron Hardy have struggled with the material but the movie isn’t a total write off.  There are certain scenes that I really enjoyed.  The touching ending left a little moisture in my eyes (which doesn’t happen too often).  December Boys shows a lot of promise but it could have been much better.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 September 2007

In 2003, a book called Forbidden Love was released across the globe.  It told the story of a young woman who was murdered in Jordan by her family for falling in love with a Christian man (as opposed to a Muslim).  The author was Norma Khouri, a friend of the girl who was killed.  Khouri wanted the world to know about this tragedy and other “honour killings” that have taken place in Jordan.

The book certainly made an impact.  It sold more than 250,000 copies and was a major news story.  Khouri appeared on talk shows and became somewhat of a celebrity.  People wanted to know even more about this shocking atrocity.

What happened next was equally as shocking.  In July 2004, Malcolm Knox of the Sydney Morning Herald published a front page story that exposed Norma Khouri as a fraud.  He claimed that Khouri wasn’t in Jordan at the time that the killing occurred and that many other parts of her story were dubious.  Knox’s claims made international news and it won him the 2004 Walkley Award for investigative journalism in Australia.

The above details are covered in the first half-hour of Forbidden Lies, a riveting documentary from Australian filmmaker Anna Broinowski.  What follows in the next 75 minutes will leave you utterly amazed.  Khouri’s story has more twists and turns than a Hollywood thriller.  If it wasn’t real then I wouldn’t have believed it.

What is most remarkable about this documentary is that Norma Khouri agreed to appear in it.  Her whole life is being scrutinised and yet she is there to defend her position.  She’s either brave or crazy.  She has an answer to everything – even when being called a liar by her husband and close friends.

Watching this film is like being in the jury of a major court case.  Everyone has a different version of “the truth” and you have to decide who you’re going to believe and which side you’re going to take.  It’s not just Norma Khouri’s credibility that comes under the microscope.  You’ll be analysing every person who has been interviewed and wondering if they have a hidden agenda.

It’s a gutsy idea for a documentary and Anna Broinowski has done a terrific job in keeping the audience interested.  The story is structured so that each plot development is more stunning than the last.  Further, the interviews are intermingled with re-enacted scenes to help visualise certain events.

I often speak about movies that provide for great conversation afterwards.  Forbidden Lies is a perfect example.  It’s value for money both inside and outside the cinema.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 September 2007

A lot of people are going to love this movie.  It’s a smartly written teen comedy in the same vein as American Pie.  The two writers responsible are Seth Rogen (the male lead in Knocked Up) and his good friend Evan Goldberg.  These guys must have a great sense of humour because what they’ve come up with is cinematic gold.

Superbad is the story of three teenagers in the final year at high school.  All they seem to care about are girls and alcohol.  Seth (Hill) is the loudest and most outspoken – he talks himself up as a real party animal.  Fogell (Mintz-Plasse) is the nerd – he always looks nervous in the company of others.  Evan (Cera) is the guy that seems to hold the group together – he’s the smartest and most sensible but has major self-confidence issues.

All three are invited to a major party being held by a girl from school.  Her name is Rebecca (Maclsaac) and Evan has had a crush on her for a long time.  After bragging about a new fake ID that Fogell has got his hands on, the trio are given $100 and asked to buy alcohol.  If they can pull this off, they’ll be heroes of the party!

You will laugh in this film for two reasons.  Firstly, these guys find themselves in some strange places for even stranger reasons.  If pointless me trying to explain – you’ve just got to see it to believe it.  It’s situational comedy at its finest.

Secondly, and most importantly, the film captures the essence of being a teenager.  As unrealistic as the story is, there’s a precise realism to the way these kids interact.  There’s a scene early in the film where Evan and Rebecca try to express their feelings for one another.  It’s hilariously awkward.  If you’re not smiling (or blushing) at this point then you’re tough to please.

Terrific performances are turned in by the mostly young cast.  The standout for me was 19-year-old Michael Cera as Evan.  I’ve been a fan of Cera since I first saw him in Arrested Development, one of my all-time favourite television shows (which few people have seen).  He plays a similar character here and fits perfectly into the role.  It’s a break-out role from Cera and I look forward to seeing him in next film, Juno, which received excellent reviews at the recent Toronto Film Festival.

As I’m running low on superlatives, let me close with the simple truth that Superbad is a super movie.  It may not make a lot of sense when you look back on it, but it takes you along for a fun ride and hits all the right notes.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 September 2007

As a child, I used to watch the local rugby league here in Brisbane.  I can remember the fierce duals between teams such as Brothers and Wynnum-Manly in the mid 1980s.  It was what many people did on a Sunday afternoon – they headed down to their local league club and watched a game of footy.  With the development of the national competition (which started with the introduction of the Broncos in 1988), interest in the Brisbane rugby league soon fell away.  I don’t think I’ve been to a local game since the 1987 grand final.

It’s a simple truth that sports change over time.  We may not like it but it cannot be helped.  No matter what the sport, you’ll always hear someone saying how much better it used to be in the “old days”.  This notion is explored The Final Winter, a great new Australian film from directors Brian Andrews and Jane Forrest.

Set in Sydney in the early 1980s, Grub Henderson (Nable) is a star player for the Newtown Jets.  He’s been part of the team for over a decade and is highly respected by his fellow team mates and coach Jack Cooper (Johns).  He’s at an age though that has some people talking retirement.  It’s a scary thought for Grub who doesn’t know what he’ll do without a football career.  It’s straining his relationship with his wife (Hill) and two young daughters.

Murray “Colgate” Perry (Jarratt) is a real estate agent who has just been appointed the new CEO of the Jets.  Colgate is part of a new breed.  He senses the game is becoming more professional and that the club should be run as a business.  He’s prepared to get rid of some of the loyal, long-serving players (who have been with the club since they were juniors) to bring in more high-profile talent.  It’s all about increasing crowds and boosting profit.

This doesn’t sit well with Grub and his frustrations come to a head in the penultimate game of the season.  He is sent off by the referee for a high shot on an opposition player (who just so happens to be his brother).  Grub has been asked to front the tribunal and many believe that he’ll get a lengthy suspension.  His troubles have gone from bad to worse.

The Final Winter is a tribute to rugby league in the 1980s.  You have to laugh when you see the players smoking at half time and enjoying a beer after training.  It will leave you thinking just how much has changed in the past 25 years.  The game has become more professional but has it come at a cost?  It’s an interesting question.

Writer Matt Nable came up with the idea for the film back in 1995.  It’s taken a long time and a lot of drafts to see his idea come to fruition.  I’m glad he stuck with it because this is a top movie that will appeal to a lot of people.  Like films such as The Castle and Kenny, it celebrates Aussie culture and our love for the game of rugby league.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 September 2007

Hairspray is a fun, light-hearted musical.  To use an old movie term, you can simply “sit back, relax and enjoy the show”.

The opening song sets the scene and introduces us to our leading lady.  Her name is Tracy Turnblad (Blonsky) and she’s a young, overweight girl living in Baltimore.  The year is 1962.  To describe Tracy as effervescent would be an understatement.  She loves her family, loves her friends and loves to dance.  In almost every scene, there’s a beaming smile on her face.

Tracy’s favourite television program is The Corny Collins Show.  It’s a dance show which features young school kids from the Baltimore area.  It’s kind of like Young Talent Time (for those looking for an Australian equivalent).  Every afternoon, she races home from school and watches it with her best friend Penny (Bynes).  They turn up the volume and dance till they’re out of breath.

One day, host Corny Collins (Marsden) announces that they’re looking for a new dancer.  Tracy thinks this her opportunity and races down the studio to audition.  The show’s producer, Velma Von Tussle (Pfeiffer), takes one look at Tracy and turns her away.  Velma has no intention of letting some short, overweight girl be a part of the program.  They have standards to uphold.

Tracy’s rejection though is short lived.  The school heartthrob, Link Larkin (Efron), spots Tracy dancing in the detention hall.  He is a big fan of her creative moves.  Link uses his influence to get Tracy a spot on the show.  I’m not sure what Tracy is excited about most – the fact that she got the part or that she’s now friends with Link (who she has a major crush on).

Anyway, Tracy becomes a smash hit.  Her parents, Edna (Travolta) and Wilbur (Walken), couldn’t be happier.  The audience loves Tracy and her popularity is soon rivalling that of star Amber Von Tussle (Snow), the daughter of the show’s producer.  This is creating a lot of tension behind the scenes.  Tracy is oblivious to it all however – she just loves to express herself through the medium of dance.

There is a lot more to this story but you can see it for yourself to find out more.  That is unless you saw the original film which came in 1988.  Written and directed by John Waters, it featured a lesser known cast and only produced moderate returns at the box-office.  I’d be interested in knowing how many people have seen it.  I know I haven’t.  It 2002, Waters’ film was turned into Broadway show.  It won the Tony Award for best musical and is still showing today.

This remake of Hairspray, directed by Adam Shankman (A Walk To Remember) boasts some high profile stars and much bigger budget.  It’s the cast which I enjoyed most about the film.  John Travolta is fantastic as a woman and Michelle Pfeiffer is brilliant as the evil producer.  Christopher Walken is also at his quirky best.  Of the younger cast members, I liked Amanda Bynes (She’s The Man) best of all.  She’s ditzy but endearing.

I’ve said this about a few other recent musicals but it doesn’t quite match up to the high benchmark set by Chicago and Moulin Rouge.  I was bored by some of the earlier songs and it took a while for the film to warm up on me.  The second half is better than the first.  On the whole though, it’s a definitely film worth seeing.  If you’re a fan of musicals, you won’t want to miss it.