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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 June 2006

I didn’t want to like this film.  I tire of the continual publicity given to major Hollywood couples.  Every aspect of their lives is detailed on television shows such as Entertainment Tonight and in magazines such as Who Weekly.  I speak of couples such as Tom and Katie, Brad and Angelina and yes, Jennifer and Vince.  Maybe I’ve got tall poppy syndrome but I’m sick of hearing about them and the idea of watching them Jennifer and Vince on screen for 90 minutes did not sound like an attractive proposition.

Dispersions aside, The Break-Up is a fairly entertaining feature.  It opens with Gary (Vaughn) and Brooke (Aniston) meeting for the first time at baseball game.  Gary is trying to convince Brooke to go on a date but she continually resists.  His perseverance finally pays off and during the opening credits, we are presented with a collage of photographs to show how happy they are together.

Things soon change.  It begins with a petty argument over why Gary won’t help Brooke set up for a dinner party.  Gary’s had a long day at work and wants to put his feet up and play video games for a short while.  Brooke wants Gary to have a shower and assist in the preparations before the guests arrive.

Their conflict sends the relationship into a fast moving, downward spiral.  Neither wants to admit the other is wrong and they use blackmail to get the other to admit their guilt.  This is the best and most amusing aspect of the film.  It’s not funny when you’re in the situation yourself but it sure is funny watching from the outside looking in.  You can’t help but laugh at Gary and Brooke’s childishness.

With most sour relationships, you’d go your separate ways.  Unfortunately for Gary and Brooke, they are co-owners of a beautiful apartment in Chicago and neither wants to be the one who moves out.  This only adds fuel to the fire.  Gary tries to annoy Brooke by buying a pool table and putting it in the living room.  Brooke tries to make Gary jealous buy bringing new guys over.  Something has to give.

Vaughn and Aniston are the stars of The Break-Up but the film includes one of the biggest supporting casts of the year.  Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Bateman, Ann-Margaret, Jon Favreau, Cole Hauser, Justin Long and Australian Judy Davis all have small roles.  I’m confused as to why so many additional characters were included in the film.  They casually drift in, utter a few comedic lines and then slip out of the story. 

As the break-up deepens, the film moves from a comedy to a drama.  I much preferred the first half and felt too much time was wasted in the later stages of film.  The final scene is very good however.  I’d heard rumours that it was being changed after a poor test screening but I think it suits the film perfectly.

The Break-Up is not an insightful film.  It’s not telling us anything about men and women that we don’t already know.  Still, it’ll provide enjoyment for many couples who will go along to see it.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 May 2006

It’s New Year’s Eve and the passengers aboard the great ocean liner, the Poseidon, are partying hard.  Jennifer (Rossum) and Christian (Vogel) are a young couple celebrating their recent engagement.  Dylan (Lucas) is an ex-Navy man looking to win big at the poker tables.  Maggie (Barrett) is a single mother searching for the right guy.  Richard (Dreyfuss) is hoping to drown his sorrows in the aftermath of a doomed relationship.  Robert (Russell) is a former mayor of New York City and wants to spend quality time with his daughter.  Valentin (Rodriguez) is a waiter who has smuggled new friend Elena (Maestro) on board.

Thankfully for us all, little time is spent developing these characters.  That sounds like a strange statement coming from me but once you’ve seen the film, you’ll know why.  This is a disaster movie.  The point is to put these characters in perilous, unbelievable situations and then see if they live or die.  Writer Mark Protosevich (The Cell) does just that.

A freakish wave strikes and overturns the enormous boat.  Many people are killed instantly by the crushing water, the instant fires and the flying debris.  A small number survive in the ballroom (which hasn’t flooded) and are advised by Captain Bradford (Braugher) to sit tight and wait to be rescued.  This doesn’t sit well with Dylan who thinks it’s only a matter of time before the boat starts to sink.  He takes the abovementioned characters on a hazardous quest to find a way out.

The wave appears about 15 minutes into the film and what follows is an 84 minute adventure that doesn’t let up.  The water is rising and the dangers are escalating.  Whilst I didn’t have much passion for the characters, the terrifying situations did provide an adrenalin rush.  The lengthy scene in the air-conditioning vent was my favourite.

Deserving the praise is director Wolfgang Petersen (Air Force One, The Perfect Storm) and editor Peter Honess (L.A. Confidential, The Fast & The Furious).  There are hundreds of stunts and thousands of special effects and yet they’ve somehow created a fast-paced film that looks believable.  They even had the guts to show the many dead bodies (which are not shown in other disaster movies out of fear of disturbing the audience).

Poseidon is on a par with the recently released Mission: Impossible 3 in that it provides some great action sequences but little else.  I am surprised that the film has performed so poorly at the box-office in the United States.  Is it too soon after Titanic?

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 June 2006

17-year-old Emily Woodbridge (Thaine) lives with her mother, Susan (Porter), in a small township outside of Adelaide.  For years, Emily has been quietly obsessed with finding her father.  The story from her mother is that her dad was a stranger who once came through town.  By the time she was pregnant, the man had long gone and so there was no way of getting letting him know.

Emily is a budding photographer and during her spare time, is somewhat of a voyeur.  She innocently hides at service stations and restaurants and takes photographs of male tourists.  The photos are kept in a scrapbook under the distorted illusion that perhaps one of the photos is that of her father.

Susan and Emily are a close as a mother and daughter could be but Emily’s increasing curiosity threatens to divide them.  Susan does not want to reflect on the past and keeps many secrets to herself.  When Emily tracks down her grandparents (who she has never met before), she learns that her mother has not been entirely truthful about her father and other important details.  Emily’s journey of self discovery will affect not only herself but others in the town.

The Caterpillar Wish is a terrific film where all of its elements have come together nicely.  In the leading role, newcomer Victoria Thaine is beautiful to watch on screen.  Her character has an endearing sweetness that helps generate an emotional connection with the audience.  This breakout performance should see many opportunities open up for Thaine.  Susie Porter (Better Than Sex, Bootmen) is a great casting choice as the mother.  She has a warm, down-to-earth look and this is as good as we’ve seen her in a long while.

Sandra Sciberras has been a crew member on several Australian films and whilst this is her first big feature in the director's seat, her experience shows.  She has crafted a film which draws you in.  The film is more a drama than a thriller but its intriguing story will keep you thinking to its conclusion.  Also enhancing the experience is a gentle film score from Burkhard Dallwitz (The Truman Show).  It’s one of my favourite film scores of the year and I’m hoping to purchase the soundtrack if it is released.

American blockbusters are dominating Australian cinemas at present but if you’re looking for a top film and you’re looking to support Aussie cinema then you can look no further.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 May 2006

If you liked the first two X-Men films, you’ll enjoy this one too.  It has the same characters and the same overall message but a few unexpected surprises keep it fresh and interesting.

This time around, the mutant world has become divided over a cure which has been developed by regular humans.  Some mutants see it as a blessing.  They don’t want to be different and want to use the cure to become human and to fit back into society.  Other mutants see it as a threat.  They think the humans want to take away their powerful abilities so that they no longer have to live in fear of them.

Most action films have a good side and a bad side.  The X-Men series is a little different because there are more than two sides and the line between good and evil is blurred.  There is a group led by Magneto (McKellen) who want to take vengeful action against humans for their interference in the mutant world.  There is a group led by Professor Xavier (Stewart) who wants to protect mutant rights but will only do so through diplomacy.  There are also the humans themselves.  Some appreciate and respect the mutants whilst others see them as an enemy.  Complicated isn’t it?

There are many characters and each has their own agenda.  The one problem with this is that some cast members receive very little screen time.  Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) was one of the most popular characters in the first two movies and has been rewarded with more screen time.  On the other hand, characters such as Rogue (Paquin) and Pyro (Ashmore) appear to have been pushed into the background.  A few of the new mutants (such as Angel) are also underdeveloped and you get the feeling we won’t find out more until the next movie is made.

A new director is at the helm for the third film.  Bryan Singer, who directed the first two X-Men films, is directing Superman Returns (due for release in a month).  Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 2, Red Dragon) is his replacement and has done a good job.  I don’t think he’s as visually creative as Singer but Ratner gets the story across and it still looks pretty cool.

Comic book adaptations have been extremely popular over the past decade.  With their exciting stories and fun characters, I can only hope that the trend continues.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 31 May 2006

RV is a family road trip flick in a similar vein to the popular National Lampoon’s Vacation series.  Bob Munro (Williams) is working hard to secure a promotion at work but it’s come at a cost.  He’s hardly at home, isn’t spending quality time with his wife Jamie (Hines) and hardly sees his two children, Cassie (Levesque) and Carl (Hutcherson).  He was hoping that a long overdue family holiday to Hawaii would help fix some of these problems.

Unfortunately, Bob’s demanding boss has asked that he deliver an important presentation to a potential client in Colorado at the end of the week.  The holiday to Hawaii must be cancelled.  Struggling to break the news to his family, Bob comes up with a cunning compromise.  The family won’t go to Hawaii but instead will rent an RV and travel together to Colorado.

The Munros go through an assortment of RV related adventures en route.  They meet a crazy family (led by Jeff Daniels) who they can’t seem to shake off.  They crash the RV on numerous occasions (I can only hope they took out insurance).  They battle with wild raccoons, rocky roads and toilet waste.  Will it help them come together as a family?  Maybe not in reality but certainly in this film.

Robin Williams heads the cast but I was more interested in seeing Cheryl Hines on screen.  It’s the biggest role in a film she’s had to date.  I’m a fan of Hines because of her work on Curb Your Enthusiasm, a hilarious television series written by and starring Larry David (a creator of Seinfeld).  Another cast member worth pointing out is 13-year-old Josh Hutcherson.  He’s on a roll and is fast becoming one of the best child actors in the business after his performances in Zathura and Little Manhattan (released earlier this year).

I’ve gotten this far without mentioning what I think of the film.  It’s proving difficult because I didn’t have any expectations going in and didn’t feel much at all when walking out.  This may be an adventure film but the subject material and jokes aren’t at all adventurous.  If you like original comedy then sorry, I can’t recommend RV.  You’ll chuckle a few times but that’s as much as I can promise.