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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 February 2006

In 1959, an article in a newspaper caught the attention of 35-year-old writer Truman Capote (Hoffman).  It was about the murder of a family in Halcomb, Kansas and it gave him the inspiration for an article.  He would write about what effect such a tragedy has a small, tight-knit community.

Truman had the reputation of being a gifted writer.  His last novel, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, had just been made into a successful motion picture.  He was also known as an illustrious socialite.  He mingled with Hollywood’s brightest stars and hosted get-togethers at his home.  Many of his celebrity tales were bogus but Truman’s knack for telling for a good story endeared him to almost everyone.

Truman travelled to Halcomb and started researching his article with childhood friend Harper Lee (Keener).  Lee had just finished her own novel (To Kill A Mockingbird) and would soon receive word that it was to be published.  The pair interviewed citizens of Halcomb and developed a close relationship with the chief investigator, Alvin Dewey (Cooper).  Truman realised this story couldn’t be told in a simple magazine article.  He told his editor that he will instead be writing “the non-fiction book of the decade”.

Two months after the killings, Perry Smith (Collins) and Richard Hickcock (Pellegrino) were arrested for the crime.  Truman arranged for continual access to the two men and wanted to get inside their heads.  The inner thoughts of a killer would make for a fascinating read.  What Truman didn’t expect was that the killers would get inside his head…

There is so much to this story and I think of it as one of the great character studies I have ever seen on screen.  A friendship develops between Capote and Smith but in the back of their minds, they know it’s a friendship they’d sacrifice for their own benefit.  I don’t know you show this but Philip Seymour Hoffman and Clifton Collins Jr manage to do so with their stunning performances.  Hoffman deserves all the praise he his receiving but I wish Collins would receive similar attention.  How he was overlooked for an Oscar nomination is beyond me.

As you may have picked up, Capote isn’t a simple biography of Truman’s life nor is a retelling of the killings in Halcomb.  It’s an insight into a man whose mind has become twisted with conflicting thoughts.  If you’re interested more by the crime, you might want to read Capote’s book, titled In Cold Blood, or see the 1967 movie (starring Robert Blake) of the same name.

Capote has been nominated for five Academy Award including nods for best picture, Bennett Miller for best director and Dan Futterman for best adapted screenplay.  You may remember Futterman as he played Val, the straight son of Nathan Lane and Robin Williams in The Birdcage.  The guy can act and write!

Truman Capote may not have approved of this film but I certainly do.  It’s one of this year’s best.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 February 2006

Traffic was an incredible motion picture.  It was released in early 2001 and went on to win four Oscars including best director (Steven Soderbergh) and best supporting actor (Benecio Del Toro).  The film focused on the drug war in America and looked at the problems from several perspectives.  It featured one of my favourite movie traits – where are there are several different stories which overlap as the film progresses.

Syriana has been written and directed by the Academy Award winner writer of Traffic, Stephen Gaghan.  It doesn’t take long to realise that Syriana is a very similar film in terms of its style and quality.  This time, Gaghan’s focus is on the oil wells of the Middle East.  You’ll sense that there’s much truth behind his tales of greed, power and corruption.

Looking like it was shot entirely with hand-held cameras, Syriana takes you inside a world that is kept hidden from the public.  Like Traffic, there are many interlinked stories.  It gets a little confusing at times but by the end of the film, you’ll feel the impact.  The highlight is a prophetic speech from actor Tim Blake Nelson on why America is the most successful nation in the world – because they are the most corrupt.

The film boasts a fine cast including Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Chris Cooper and George Clooney.  Clooney put on 16 kilograms for his role as an undercover operative and his work has not gone unnoticed having been nominated for an Academy Award this year.  I’m a little surprised that Clooney’s performance has been singled out.  He’s great, but then so is the rest of the cast.

Syriana is inspired by the Robert Baer book, See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War on Terrorism.  Baer is a former CIA case offer who has used his novel to highlight some of the major problems within the organisation.

If you’re catching on, you’ll see that Syriana’s biggest fans will be those who have enjoyed other films which paint the United States in a negative light.  I speak of films such as Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Corporation.  The facts will always be disputed but at least these films make people think and get people talking.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 February 2006

Bree Osbourne (Huffman) is a loner who is can’t find happiness in her life.  She was once a man but since a very early age, she has wanted to be a woman.  Her family subsequently disowned her and Bree’s manly appearance has made it difficult for her to socialise without fear of retribution.  She lives on her own and works two jobs – one as a dish hand at a restaurant and the other as a phone salesperson.

Bree believes her life will improve when she completes the final stage of her gender transformation.  To use her language, her penis will be turned from “an outie to an innie”.  She has been saving for the operation for months and her therapist believes she is ready to handle it emotionally.

Out of the blue, Bree receives a phone call from a boy named Toby.  He has been arrested for drug possession in New York and is trying to get in touch with Stanley, his biological father whom he has never met.  The call leaves her in shock because Bree is Stanley.  As a man, he only ever slept with one woman and he never knew he even had a son.

Bree is reluctant at first but eventually travels to New York to bail Toby out.  She doesn’t reveal her identity and pretends to be a Christian missionary assigned by her Church to help out troubled youths.  Toby wants to go to Los Angeles to start a movie career (in the porn industry) and so the unlikely pair go on a road trip across the United States.  A bond develops but does Bree want Toby as a part of her life?  Has she the courage to reveal who she really is?

Transamerica is a low-budget independent film (it cost just $1m) that might not ordinarily have been released in Australia.  The reason for the buzz is the performance of Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) in the leading role.  She has picked up many awards and is a firming second favourite behind Reese Witherspoon in the best actress Oscar race.

It’s a dream role for Huffman but a very difficult one.  She is a woman in real life but has to play a man who wants to be a woman.  I was reluctant at the start of the film and saw her more as “a woman trying to look like a man”.  By the end of the film however, I was won over.  Not to be forgotten is co-star Kevin Zegers (Air Bud) is a role which will help his own transformation from child actor to adult actor.  His performance brings out his own character’s innocence and insecurities.

Performances aside, Transamerica is an interesting film.  It’s not the kind of story you see every day.  There’s a great tension too as you wait with eagerness to see if Bree tells Toby who she really is.  Check it out!

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 February 2006

I see pretty much every film released in cinemas but I don’t always write a full length review.  I only have the time and patience to write two or three full reviews each week.  For the rest of the films, I simply give the grade and leave it at that.  I’ve fulfilled my quota this week and had no intention of typing this very review for A Sound Of Thunder.  I have no choice however because this film is an utter disgrace and the public needs to know.

Has anyone heard of this film before?  I hadn’t before I saw it.  A quick check on the internet tells me that it was made in 2002 and has sat on a studio shelf for a long time.  That can’t be good.  The reason given for the delay was the bankruptcy of the company which produced it – they ran out of money during post-production.  That also ain’t good.

I try to avoid sensationalising my reviews but sometimes I can’t help myself.  So here we go.  This is the worst film I’ve seen in ten years on the big screen.  How does that sound?  Not too overdramatic?  I’m probably wrong and I’m probably forgetting about another film I carved up but right here and now, I stand by my comment.

The film in set in 2055 and centres on a safari company which has perfected the art of time travel.  For an enormous fee, you can go back 65 million years, kill a dinosaur and return to the real world.  Don’t ask me why this company has exclusive rights to time travel.  Things go wrong however when the inadvertently change the past and in doing so, change the future.

So bad were the dialogue, story, acting and special effects that the audience was laughing openly during the final 20 minutes.  No one could understand how the characters had that magical “sixth sense” to know exactly what to do in any life-threatening situation.  Even more frustrating was the fragmented story.  I thought that scenes had been left out.  That’s how disjointed it felt.

On the Internet Movie Database, the film currently has an average review of 3.8 out of 10.  This is voted upon by the public and over 1,500 people have registered a vote.  The Rotten Tomatoes website reveals that of the 82 major critics in America who reviewed the film, 76 of them gave it a negative review.  If you really feel like a laugh, you should read some of their reviews!

With both the public and the critics united in their disgust for A Sound Of Thunder, I thought I’d close with an extract from the review of Marc Savlov of the Austin Chronicle – “It’s somehow refreshing to know that the spirit, if not the flesh, of Edward D. Wood Jr. lives on.”

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 February 2006

Romantic comedies are one of my least favourite genres.  Most are extremely predictable and the lack of originality is frustrating.  Within about 15 minutes, you’ll have a fair idea how it will end and which girl will end up with which guy.  All that’s left to fill in the rest of the movie are some standard jokes and a few minor subplots involving the supporting characters.

To prove that I don’t discriminate against all romantic comedies, I’m throwing my support behind the latest UK effort, Imagine Me & You.  It’s the story of a young couple, Heck (Goode) and Rachel (Perabo), who have decided to get married.  They look great together and the playful dialogue between them gives you a clear sense of how much they love each other.  They’re fun to listen to.

At the wedding reception, Rachel introduces herself to the young lady who helped with the flower arrangements.  Her name is Luce (Headey) and there’s something about her which has drawn Rachel in.  She has that feeling that this will be the start of a beautiful friendship (pardon the pun).

Rachel invites Luce over for dinner with the hope of setting her up with Heck’s best friend, Coop (Boyd).  Rachel’s good intentions turn comedic when Luce reveals that she is gay.  Coop still thinks he can use his womanising charms to get her to “switch teams” but he’s no chance.  The revelation now has Rachel thinking about her very existence.  Is she attracted to Luce?  Is this why they have developed such a quick, close friendship?

To go back to my earlier point, it wasn’t until the final minutes of the Imagine Me & You where I realised who Rachel would end up with.  Heck and Luce are both likable characters and you will feel for the one who has their heart broken.  This isn’t like a traditional romantic comedy where’s there a good guy and a bad guy (making the choice very obvious).  Instead, it’s a choice between the good guy and the good girl.

American actress Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly) puts on a superb English accent in the leading role.  I don’t know why but I love upper-class English accents in movies.  They give the film a certain charm (ala Four Weddings & A Funeral).  Perabo shouldn’t be singled out because all the performances are great and each actor gets their chance to be funny and to be emotional.

There are some who will question the story’s overall premise.  How could a recently married woman suddenly think that she’s a lesbian?  All I can say to that is that love can manifest itself in strange ways and that you should see the film with an open mind.  The fact that the film has a lighter-tone will make it much more agreeable to audiences than Brokeback Mountain (which also should be seen).

Imagine Me & You isn’t the greatest romantic comedy of all time and a few clichés do worm their way into the story at the worst of times.  Still, it offered a lot more than I expected from it and that’s huge endorsement.