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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 December 2003

Weir begins with a bang.  On the open waters, Captain Jack Aubrey (Crowe) and his English crew are suddenly fired upon by a much larger French vessel.  They survive only by sheer luck when a fog rolls in enabling them to disappear into the mist.  Much damaged has been sustained and the loyal crew expect Jack to give the order to return to Portsmouth.  Instead, he asks them to repair at sea and to prepare a counter-attack against the enemy.  Lucky Jack’s heart lies with his country and he will fight for it at any cost.

The ship’s surgeon and close friend Stephen Maturin (Bettany) voices his criticism of the decision.  He thinks it foolish to risk the lives of the young men aboard when the enemy is so much more powerful.  Stephen believes Jack’s pride is affecting his judgement and he does not see the risks for what they are.  It is time for important decisions to be made.

You can see where the $135m was spent when you look at the immaculate attention to detail.  The costumes and make-up applied to the crew are the work of only the very best.  The visual effects are flawless and you’ll never once question the realism of what appears in front of your eyes.  I was most impressed with the quality of sound and how the smallest of background noises still stick in my mind.  Nothing is ever second rate for Peter Weir and if you’ve seen any of his previous works, such as The Truman Show, Dead Poets Society or Gallipoli, you’ll know this already.

When you break it down, there aren’t a lot of specific action scenes.  There are only two major battles in total.  The attraction to the film is watching the sense of bonding amongst the crew and marvelling the work of a master tactictioner outcrafting a much larger opponent.  Who doesn’t love rooting for underdog?

Russell Crowe’s performance is superb (as expected) but don’t overlook the equally impressive Paul Bettany.  He can transform his voice and appearance with apparent ease.  It can’t possibly be the same guy we saw in A Knight’s Tale and A Beautiful Mind?  Let’s hope Academy voters feel the same way.  It’s a strong younger cast too with Weir uncovering some new stars who couldn’t have started their careers any better.

This is action at its very finest.  The kind of movie where you get caught up in the adventure and where the world outside the cinema is completely forgotten.  It’s great stuff.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2003

As kids, Jimmy Markum (Penn), Sean Devine (Bacon) and Dave Boyle (Robbins) were best friends.  That was until Dave was kidnapped by a stranger passing himself off as a police officer.  After four days, Dave escaped his captors but the hours of sexual abuse would leave him a changed individual

Twenty years have now passed and the friendships have faded away.  Jimmy spent a few years in jail but has now settled down and has three daughters with his wife Annabeth (Linney).  Sean is a police officer but is still scarred from his wife who unexpectedly left him six months ago.  Dave is married to Celeste (Harden) and has a small boy but he’s still distant and very difficult to be close to.

On an otherwise ordinary Saturday night, a girl is murdered.  That girl is Katie Markum, Jimmy’s eldest daughter.  Sean is in charge of the case and finds himself reacquainted with his childhood friend.  Jimmy isn’t making Sean’s job easy because the enraged father has hired his own goons to investigate the crime and “take care of” the person responsible.

Call it irony but one of the leading suspects is Dave Boyle.  Celeste knows her husband got home late that night with his chest cut and his hands covered in blood.  The aloof Dave said he was attacked by a mugger but Celeste is in an unenviable position.  She thinks her husband is lying to her but should she betray her husband’s trust by informing the police?

When you look at the cast and crew, you’ll realise nothing could go wrong with the production.  There’s director Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven), writer Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) and stars Sean Penn (Dead Man Walking), Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption), Kevin Bacon (Apollo 13), Laura Linney (You Can Count On Me), Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock) and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix).  Take a deep breath and think about how promising that sounds.

Eastwood may be in his 70s but he’s a man with the experience of directing over 20 feature motion pictures.  He appreciates the sombre tone of this thriller and keeps it deliberate and unglamorous.  He performs wonderful tricks with the lighting.  If you pay close attention, you’ll notice there are a number of shots in darkness where only one half of a character’s face can be seen.  Such cinematography is not an accident – it is the sign of a director with direction.

Sean Penn gives a heartfelt performance as Katie’s father.  The talk is that Penn will earn himself a deserved Oscar nomination this year (it would be his fourth).  He isn’t a fan of award shows and the fact that doesn’t usually attend hurts his chances but this could be his year.  The other standout would be Marcia Gay Harden as Dave’s wife.  There’s a particular scene at the end of the picture which I can’t elaborate on but highlights how great an actress she is.

Based on the popular novel from Dennis Lehane (which I haven’t read but am assured it’s very good), we are looking at one of the year’s best pictures.  It is a powerful tale with every human emotion on display.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 December 2003

The story centres around Xavier (Duris), a 25-year-old French student who knows the time has come to settle down and find a full-time job.  Attending a job interview (which was arranged by his father), Xavier is told that with the rise of the European Union has resulted in an increased demand for foreign economists.  He suggests that Xavier study economics in Spain for a year and that a job at the company will be assured.

It’s his first time away from home and Xavier feels sad that he has left his mother and girlfriend (Tautou) behind in Paris.  His university course in Barcelona is being funded by a government scholarship program and he’s hoping to make the most of it although daunted by a language he hardly knows and a city that is completely new to him.  He meets a freshly married couple at the airport who are very helpful in offering him short term accommodation.  But the apprehension will soon be behind him and the fun’s about to begin.

Looking for apartments in the paper, Xavier finds the dream place.  It’s not a flashy residence but its home to five other students all looking to study hard and party even harder.  Each comes from a different country but there are no boundaries here.  Xavier’s gone from a life of predictable monotony in France to a life of enthusiastic pleasure in Spain.

The Spanish Apartment is a film which captures and enthuses on the screen all those emotions that cannot be put into words.  The trepidation of leaving home, the intrigue of other cultures, the complications of love, the importance of friendships and the invaluable qualities of true life experiences.  Writer/director Cedric Klapisch tells an honest story perfectly balanced against light hearted comedy and scene stealing one-liners.

The film features dialogue in not just English but also French, Spanish, Danish and Catalan.  Subtitles will guide you through so that none of the film’s spirit is lost.  It’s hard to believe Klapisch envisioned shooting a film with so many languages – it must have been a nightmare getting funding.  He’s no slouch in the director’s chair either.  He’s assembled a vibrant, youthful cast and uses well-chosen editing techniques (such as split-screens and fast-forwards) to enhance their performances.   He doesn’t appear until half way through the film but English actor Kevin Bishop steals every scene in which he appears as Wendy’s annoying brother, William.

I’ve often believed it’s best to see a film twice before one can give an accurate review.  At the first screening, you learn and at the second screening, you appreciate.  Having attended two sold-out sessions of The Spanish Apartment, I can fully stand behind my critique and judging from audience responses, I am not alone.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 November 2003

Nicholas Nickleby (Hunnam), his sister and mother have been burdened by the untimely death of their father.  With almost no money left, the family has gone to London to plead help from Uncle Ralph (Plummer).  Ralph arranges employment for Nicholas as a teacher at school for boys.  The principal is the evil Wackford Squeers (Broadbent) who, along with his wife (Stevenson), treat the boys with utter distaste.  Nicholas befriends an orphan named Smike (Bell) and the two become inseparable.

They both flee the horrible institution and come across a small acting troop lead by Vincent Crummles (Lane).  He finds a part for both Nickleby and Smike in his latest performance of Romeo & Juliet and the two find happiness for the first time in a long while.  It is all short-lived when Nickleby gets word that his sister is in trouble and Smike finds out that Squeers wants him back.

It’s an enjoyable story and many people before me have read the novel and felt the same.  This isn’t the first film adaptation and it won’t be the last.  Strangely, it’s taken twelve months for its release in Australia.  The film was nominated for best comedy/musical at last year’s Golden Globe Awards with Adaptation, About A Boy, Chicago and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.  When you consider all those films are no available to rent on video, you’ll appreciate just how long a wait it has been.

I could say something positive about the entire ensemble so let’s begin.  Charlie Hunnam is a star on the rise and is wonderful in his first major cinematic role.  It’s the first film I’ve seen Jamie Bell in since Billy Elliot (a personal favourite) and he proves his BAFTA best actor award win three years ago was not undeserved.  I’ve followed Christopher Plummer ever since The Insider and he’s perfectly cast.  I only recently raved about Timothy Spall in Gettin’ Square but here is his again in a fun role.  Nathan Lane’s one of the funniest in the business and does his reputation no harm.  I’m running out of space here but I’ve got to include Jim Broadbent (Topsy-Turvy), American Anne Hathaway, Alan Cumming and even, wait for it, Dame Edna Everage.

There’s a sweet score from Rachel Portman who worked with writer-director Douglas McGrath on Emma (which starred Gwyneth Paltrow).  Before I get too carried away, the criticisms should be overlooked.  It’s difficult to cram a famous novel into a little over two hours but even so, the ending feels strained and drawn out.  The delightful comedy, which gave Nicholas Nickleby its edge in the first half, falls away and the dramatic finale needed more life.

It’ll always hard to drag audiences to period piece movies and this’ll be no exception.  So do try hard to keep it’s a film you’d like to see.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 November 2003

Riddled with clichés, this a very unenjoyable film for any audience who takes pride a decent story.  We open with S.W.A.T. members Jim Street (Farrell) and partner Brian Gamble trying to resolve a hostage situation in a bank.  I would have thought banks had better security but Jim and Brian sneak unnoticed down an air duct and eliminate the robbers.  Unfortunately, one of the hostages is inadvertently shot and the two are removed from field duty by the “token” angry Chief of Police.  Has anyone seen a movie before where the Chief isn’t a prick?

Anyway, Brian’s a rebel and immediate quits the force.  Jim’s happy to see him go and works in the office’s ammunition department waiting for a chance to get back out there.  That chance comes when the police force cops some bad press (for a reason which isn’t explained) and the Chief calls in old friend Hondo Harrelson (Jackson) to assemble a hot shot team to reclaim the streets.  He assembles a five member crew with Jim receiving the final spot.

They train hard, are put to the test in some training runs, and coincidentally enough, they get the chance to display their talent for real.  An underworld drug dealer (Martinez) wanted in 12 countries has been arrested and is being held in the local jail.  He is to be transported to a federal prison but there lies a unique problem.  The dealer has gone on the news to offer $100m to anyone who can break him out and there’s a lot of fruit-loops in Los Angeles who are going to try.

All I can say is that Arnie has a lot of work ahead of him as Governor of California.  It seems that in this beautiful place, there are violent shootouts in the street every day with semi-automatic weapons.  People also carry around surface-to-air missiles to shoot helicopters from the sky.  George Bush needn’t worry about Iraq when this stuff is going on in his own backyard.  Could all this be any stupider?

The acting too leaves a lot to be desired.  The bad guys are so obvious and 10 minutes into the film I correctly predicted which good guys would magically switch sides.  There’s no method acting here – it’s straight out of a textbook.  Stars Samuel J. Jackson and Colin Farrell share some nice scenes early on (which gave me a glimmer of hope) but any character development becomes lost amid a barrage of bullets.

Reviewing a film like S.W.A.T. is just too easy.  The holes are so obvious.  The criticisms are just flowing off the keyboard.  I didn’t have to think in the theatre and I’m not having to think very hard now either.  Can’t be a good sign.