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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 June 2006

Given the high cost of making a film, planning is paramount.  You have to make sure that the lead actors will be available at the time you wish to shoot.  You have to get copyright clearances when using any identifiable product or song.  You have to provide a budget to the investors to show how ever dollar will be spent.  It’s all done so that the development of the film runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Sometimes though, it all goes wrong.  Shot in New Zealand, production was shut down mid-way through the shoot when star Samantha Morton came down with severe influenza.  When the cast and crew returned three months later to resume, they learned that director Vincent Ward (What Dreams May Come) had pulled out.  Cinematographer Alun Bollinger (The Frighteners) had to step in to complete the shoot.  Ward was reinstated during the post-production and you’ll see his name in the opening credits as the official director.

There were other problems too.  Inclement weather made the shoot more difficult than expected.  Samantha Morton was rumoured to have acted like a “diva” on set which annoyed fellow actors and Ward himself.  Co-star Cliff Curtis was injured when he crashed his car into a house.  The insurers of the film can’t have been happy.

So has the cast and crew overcome these many obstacles?  The answer is no.  River Queen is a terribly disappointing film.  It looks like it wants to be a grand epic but the weak story generated no emotion whatsoever.  Its characters are dreary and I couldn’t care less what became of them.  The production problems are clearly evident.

To quickly cover the plot, River Queen is set in New Zealand in the 1860s.  Britain is trying to colonize the country but is facing opposition from the Maoris.  Irish woman Sarah O’Brien (Morton) has come to New Zealand with her father to help establish the new British colony.  Whilst there, she falls in love with a Maori local and gives birth to a son.  As tensions escalate between the British and the Maoris, Sarah’s son is kidnapped by his paternal grandfather so that he can be raised as a traditional Maori.  Sarah then begins an agonisingly long search to find and reclaim her only son.

At the film’s New Zealand premiere in January 2006, Vincent Ward said of the film “you'll either love it or you'll hate it.”  I've got my answer.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 June 2006

I’ll be upfront and say that this is an amazing film.  At the start of the year, I was largely oblivious to the issue of global warming.  I knew it was a problem but that’s about it.  Now, having seen An Inconvenient Truth, I am more informed and more concerned.  If you only get to see one movie this year, then make sure this is it.  There have been a handful of better films in 2006 but none will leave a more lasting impression.

Most people remember Al Gore as the former Vice President of the United States.  What many don’t know is that Gore has long been a lecturer on the effects of global warming.  He has delivered his famous speech over 1,000 times around the world in an effort to increase awareness and to help in its prevention.

Gore’s message is now being taken to a wider audience through the medium of film.  Directed by David Guggenheim, An Inconvenient Truth is a documentary which allows us to see Gore delivering his speech at a variety of locations.  Intermingled within the speech are clips providing background information on Gore and showing us how he first became so passionate about the issue.  Listening to Al Gore speak for 100 minutes may not sound like an appealing offer but trust me, you’ll be very interested in what he has to say.

To sum up what Gore has to say, the world is heating up as a result of the increased level of carbon in the atmosphere.  This has huge ramifications for us all.  We’ll see an increase in the number of tornadoes, cyclones and hurricanes (which get their energy from warm water).  We’ll see the sea level rise as the ice at the polar caps continues to melt.

Despite the fact that terrorism dominates media headlines, global warming is the biggest problem we face today.  We turn a blind eye however because it is a gradual process that we can’t really see.

When the film was released in the United States, it was savagely attacked by certain people within the media and the general public.  On his website, leading U.S. film critic Roger Ebert wrote that “I've received so many messages about my review… that, frankly, I don't see how the Answer Man can process them.”  Those that object think this a political film and a political issue.  They believe that global warming is an over-hyped issue and that scientists are making too much of it.

These people are wrong.  Scientists are in almost unanimous agreement about the seriousness of global warming.  People that tell you otherwise are usually not scientists and are either misinformed or have an agenda.  Back in May, I had the chance to hear Australian scientist Tim Flannery speak on the matter.  Flannery is an expert on the subject and in 2005 was honoured as Australian Humanist of the Year.  He provided the same facts and drew the same conclusions as those of Al Gore.  Flannery has no political agenda and quite frankly, I believe him.

I feel like I’m now defending this movie as opposed to giving it my usual detailed assessment.  It reminds me of my reviews of The Corporation, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling For Columbine.  If you do want to criticise the film and my views on An Inconvenient Truth, then you need to (a) see the film, (b) do your research and then (c) send me an email.  If you’re not prepared to do steps (a) and (b), then I’ve no reason to listen to what you have to say at step (c).

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 June 2006

Fans of Superman have been waiting a long time.  The last film in the series was released in 1987 and there’s been speculation ever since of a follow up.  Several directors showed an interest in the project and many suggestions were offered as to who should wear the famous blue suit.  In the end, director Bryan Singer (X-Men, The Usual Suspects) and unknown actor Brandon Routh were chosen to bring Superman to 21^st Century audiences.

This new film is set five years after the conclusion of the last.  Superman hasn’t been seen in this time and his homecoming has excited everyone.  Where has he been hiding?  Why has he returned?  Does he have a love interest?  Editor of the Daily Planet newspaper, Perry White (Langella), wants his team of reporters to find the answers.

There are two people who aren’t too enthusiastic about Superman’s return.  The first is Lois Lane (Bosworth).   Lois and Superman were once very close but his sudden disappearance left Lois heartbroken.  It took many years but she finally moved on and found a new love.  His name is Richard (Marsden) and they have a young son.  The fresh news of Superman has stirred feelings in Lois that she thought had been buried.

Villain Lex Luther (Spacey) isn’t too happy to hear about Superman either.  Having just been released from prison, Luther has a new plan to take over the world and doesn’t want his arch-nemesis spoiling it.  He believes he can combat Superman’s physical power with his own mental prowess.  Luther knows Superman’s weakness is kryptonite and he intends to exploit it.

There’s a lot to like about Superman Returns.  I was pleasantly surprised by the great performance turned in by Brandon Routh in the leading role.  He portrays Superman as a funny super-hero who likes the spotlight.  At the same time though, you get the sense that there are parts of his life that he wish he could.  Being a super-hero ain’t easy!  The other cast member who excels is Kevin Spacey.  Both his physical appearance and his dry sense of humour reminded me of Dr Evil in the Austin Powers series (one of my all-time favourite villains).

Conversely, there’s a lot not to like about the film.  At 154 minutes, it’s way too long.  The lengthy introduction was not necessary and the romantic finale feels like it’s never going to end.  These scenes are trying to make the film into more of a drama than an action flick (which I think is a good idea having seen Batman Begins last year) but it’s overdone.  My other gripe would be with the story in general.  Lex Luther’s scheme for world domination, which is pretty silly, isn’t made clear until well into the film.

In the last two months, we’ve been barraged with blockbusters in our cinemas.  There’s been Mission: Impossible 3, The Da Vinci Code, X-Men: The Last Stand and Poseidon.  I’m starting to feel jaded by their relentless marketing campaigns.  This week, Superman Returns has been thrust into the spotlight and audiences will flock to see it.  It’s worth a look but if you think it’s going to live up to 19 years worth of hype, think twice.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 June 2006

Kenny Smyth (Shane Jacobson) is a decent, hard-working Melbournian who loves his job.  He treats his fellow employees with respect, does whatever he can to please his customers and puts in the long hours when needed.  So what job provides such satisfaction, you ask?  Kenny works for Splashdown, a business which rents portable toilets for use at outdoor concerts, carnivals and sporting events.

Kenny is a feel-good Australian film which looks at a simple man who loves life and provides a hilarious insight into the “poo industry”.  Creators Shane and Clayton Jacobson have craftily mixed fiction and reality in generating the story.  Kenny Smyth is a fictitious character but the Splashdown business actually does exist.  In fact, the owner of Splashdown provided all the funding for this low-budget film.

There are two elements to Kenny that make it very enjoyable.  The first is poo.  I can’t believe how many funny jokes there are to be made about the subject.  I’m not talking about fart jokes (which lace many American comedies) but rather the humour in dealing with shit (literally) every day.  Most of the situations in which Kenny finds himself are based on actual stories from the real Splashdown crew.  If you think a blocked toilet is as nasty as it can get, then think again.

The second element is its true-blue, good nature.  Kenny Smyth reminds me of Darryl Kerrigan in the 1997 Australian comedy, The Castle.  He epitomises Australian culture with his no nonsense actions and his comical sayings.  He’s the kind of guy who would make you feel better, no matter how bad your dad has been.

The film climaxes with Kenny’s first overseas trip.  He’s asked to go to the International Pumper & Cleaner Expo in Nashville, Tennessee (which he calls “Poo HQ”).  There, Kenny’s eyes are opened to a world of toilet technology that he never imagined.  His agreeable personality endears him to everyone he meets.  In keeping with the film’s documentary style, these scenes were shot at the actual expo in Nashville.  By the end, I almost believed that Kenny was real.

It’s not easy for small Australian films to find success at the box-office.  Their marketing budgets can’t compete against those of American blockbusters and their success is determined largely by word of mouth.  I’m off to start the ball rolling…

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 June 2006

In 2002, director Rolf de Heer made The Tracker.  It was a terrific Australian film which was nominated at the AFI Awards for best picture.  As a member of the AFI, I voted for The Tracker but it lost the top prize to Rabbit-Proof Fence.  The good news from the evening was that star David Gulpilil won the AFI Award for best actor.

What I didn’t know at the time was that another great film was in the works.  Gulpilil suggested to de Heer that he shoot a film in Ramingining, an Aboriginal community located near the northern tip of the Northern Territory.  After much thought and collaboration, a screenplay was written by de Heer and the end result is Ten Canoes.

Two stories are told in this film.  The first is of Dayindi, a young man who has developed a crush on a wife of Minygululu.  On a goose egg hunting expedition, he is taken aside by Minygululu and told an ancient tale so that he can see the error of his ways.

This is where the second story begins.  Set hundreds of year before, it begins with a stranger arriving at a small village.  He is looking to trade magical objects and the scared townsfolk soon send him away.  Not long after, the wife of an elder statesman goes missing and the stranger becomes the lead suspect.  The tribesmen want revenge but they may be getting themselves into even deeper trouble…

Ten Canoes wasn’t an easy film to make.  The actors in the film speak Ganalbingu, an Aboriginal dialect.  De Heer needed translators to help explain to the cast what they were supposed to be doing and saying.  The other major problem is that everyone in Ramingining wanted to be involved!  There were heated discussions as to which people should be cast and what elements of the Aboriginal lifestyle should be shown.

Interwoven within the film are some beautiful shots of the Australian landscape.  At the film’s premiere in Brisbane, de Heer spoke about how tough some of those shots were.  At one point, he was standing in a swamp with water up to his waist.  This may not sound difficult but keep in mind that a crocodile spotter was sitting with his gun high atop a nearby tree.

In the words of narrator David Gulpilil, this is a film “like you have never seen before”.  On the other side of the world, at the lucrative Cannes Film Festival, many agreed.  In the Un Certain Regard category (the secondary competition), Ten Canoes won a special jury prize.  I can’t speak for the jury but I know that I liked its unique narrative and absorbing insight into Aboriginal culture.