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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 October 2003

Angelo Barberini (Kirby) lives in an oppressive household with his father Gino (Sorvino), his mother Maria (Reno) and younger sister Anna (Ferri).  He always wanted to be a television writer but so as not to bring shame to the family, he now works reluctantly has a travel agent.  Now at the age of 27, the time has come for Angelo for move out of home.  His parents are horrified by this thought but that’s soon to become the least of the family’s worried.

Angelo’s about to come out of the closet and reveal that he’s moved in with his gay lover, Nino (Miller).  This means that for Gino and Maria, there’ll be no wedding, no grandkids, and just the scorned looks from the others living in this American-Italian community.

This ain’t meant to be too serious so writer/director Emile Gaudreault has tells this story with light comedy.  With plenty of jokes about the Italians and a few more about homosexuals there should be enough to please any minority group.  As to whether it makes the distance as a full length motion picture, I do not know.  You can see clearly that the screenplay has come from a play and I could a live performance of this script being more entertaining than watching the on-screen version.

The cast and crew have made it as fun as possible with legendary actor Paul Sorvino (Romeo & Juliet) lending his expert services to this low-budget production.  It cost just $4,000,000 and has already recovered its small costs since being released in the States last month.  Not too shabby.  I didn’t recognise any other of the cast members but was impressed with Luke Kirby and Claudia Ferri as the brother and sister.  Together, they share some nice scenes.

So yes, if you enjoyed My Big Fat Greek Wedding, chances are you’ll fall for this cute comedy too.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 October 2003

Unlike his previous works, there isn’t an intricately complicated story unfolding.  A five member posse known as the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad viciously kill an entire wedding party during a small ceremony at an isolated church.  Or so they thought.  The bride (Thurman) survived and spent four years in a coma as a result of shocking gunshot wounds.  We know this woman only as her code name, Black Mamba.  Her real name is spoken on two occasions but it is bleeped out to prevent us hearing it.

Awaking from the coma, Black Mamba only wants one thing – revenge.  On a piece of paper, she writes the five names of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad members and begins her quest.  In Volume One, she will kill Vernita Green (Fox) and O-Ren Ishii (Liu).  In Volume Two, to be released early next year, I assume she will go after Budd (Madsen), Elle Driver (Hannah) and Bill (Carradine).  I feel somewhat cheated in that I will have to pay twice to see all of it.  The film should have been released as one three-hour movie but the powers that be thought better of it.

I’m not a big martial arts fan and perhaps this contributed to my reluctance to accepting this film.  There are some well choreographed battles and swordfights but nothing truly original or outstanding.  I’ve seen this many times before and there is a strong similarity with The Matrix: Reloaded.  Evidently different though is the amount of violence.  This is the most sadistic release of the 2003 year and the film has been censored accordingly in Australia.  Whilst nothing was cut, some scenes are shown in black and white as the sight of red blood was “deemed” too confronting.  Sigh.

Why you do need to see this movie is because it’s a Quentin Tarantino picture.  It oozes with class and style.  He has a warped sense of humour and I had to chuckle at the couple of Star Trek jokes he somehow wove into the screenplay.  He has also mastered the art of finding the perfect movie soundtrack.  Like he did in Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown, there are extended sequences where a pumping music track is played against no dialogue.

Disappointment is my reaction to Kill Bill: Volume One in that I have the highest expectations from Tarantino and in this case, he didn’t fully deliver.  Then again, I’ve only seen half of the movie so perhaps I’ll change my appraisal once I return from the four month intermission.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 October 2003

Joel and Ethan Coen are such gifted filmmakers that you need to see their films several times to appreciate.  In 1996, their story of a kidnapping gone wrong in a sleepy American town earned seven Academy Award nominations.  Since Fargo, the Coen brothers have created three more wonderful films – The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Man Who Wasn’t There.  I was critical of all three on first viewing but time has proven me wrong.  Just last Thursday I turned to my dvd collection and selected Lebowski to watch for the umpteenth time.

I will not make the same mistake in underestimating Intolerable Cruelty.  It’s the story of two people looking for victory in all the wrong places.  George Clooney is Miles Massey, the nation’s finest divorce attorney.  He’s most famous for the “Massey pre-nup” – a flawless document that never once been penetrated.  Catherine Zeta-Jones is Marylin Rexroth, a woman who thinks she’s found freedom and independence after catching her wealthy husband (Herrmann) in bed with another.

Unfortunately for Marylin, her husband employs the services of Miles Massey and she is left without a cent.  She is exposed by (the hilariously named) Heinz, the Baron Krauss von Espy.  Marylin confided in him that she married only for money and always knew he would cheat on her.

Unfortunately for Miles, he’s fallen head over heels for Marylin and can’t win her heart.  Matters are further complicated when Marylin is set to marry again – to a loaded oil tycoon (Thornton).  She approaches Miles for a “Massey pre-nup” which leaves him horribly confused.  She’s clearly taking this new guy for a ride but why would she want a water-tight prenuptial from which she will receive no benefit?

As it should be with a great black comedy, the hidden undercurrent beautifully laces so many of the jokes.  We see a battle of man versus woman and the differences which separate them.  We see the act of marriage exploited for pure financial reward.  We see the importance of trust in any relationship and the simplicity with which it can be exploited.  These themes aren’t new but the way Joel and Ethan Coen tell us certainly is.

Clooney and Zeta-Jones are at their finest and surrounded by a hysterically insane supporting cast.  The funniest scene belongs to an asthmatic hitman who meets a fate that will leave your sides splitting with laughter.  Just as hilarious is the subsequent explanation offered by Marylin’s own attorney, Freddy Bender (Jenkins).  That’s not all.  There’s an introduction with a long-haired Geoffrey Rush, a courtroom scene with a casual judge and a speech (with a dash of sarcasm) at a lawyer’s convention.

You may not appreciate it but this is some of the best comedy you will find.  Compare it to this year’s other releases.  There’s nothing better.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 October 2003

During the first half of Calendar Girls I made a mental note that I must describe this as a “hidden, feel-good gem”.  We’re looking at a group of experienced actresses having fun delivering lines from a script inspired by a remarkable true story.  The audience was in hysterics and I too found myself laughing at some of the comical scenes.

It’s the story of best friends Annie (Walters) and Chris (Mirren) who have to go through the tragedy of seeing Annie’s husband lose a short battle with cancer.  It’s the worst moment in Annie’s life but she wants to create something positive from the situation.  The couch in the waiting room of the hospital is dreadful and she’d like to raise a thousand pounds to pay for a new couch to make those anxious moments a little more comfortable for anyone else who comes through.

The local women’s group, known as the Rylstone Women’s Institute, always makes an annual calendar with pictures of scenic views and other standard photos.  Chris uses this concept but with a twist – she wants to make a calendar only this one will feature photos of the elderly ladies from the group in all their naked glory.

Yes, this is a true story and if the calendar were a dreadful failure, I wouldn’t be here typing a review right now.  What Annie and Chris created was a calendar that would sell all over the globe and in over $1,000,000 has been raised to date.  Not only did this money pay for the couch but it paid for a new leukaemia wing at the hospital and it changed all these ladies’ lives forever.

It’s a delightful story but the film loses its way in the final half which is an unfortunate shame.  Despite her successes with the calendar, Chris has troubles at home with a husband who misses her and a son who needs her.  This aspect is looked at but not explored.  It’s glazed over to the detriment of these characters and you start to realise this whole production has been well and truly glossed up to make it more appealing.  There’s a passage in the film in America where the girls all appear on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno (who does make a cameo) – it adds zero to the story and halts any emotion and momentum.

Academy award nominated actors Helen Mirren and Julie Walters light up the screen and do shine in these roles.  I haven’t seen the real calendar but I don’t think the ladies that posed would have looked quite as good as these two.  95% of the audience at my screening were women and they simply loved Annie and Chris.  A bad word was not spoken by anyone leaving the cinema and it will brighten the day of any patron.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 October 2003

History tells us that the exact opposite happened.  Due to conflicting schedules, most of his cast couldn’t find the time to arrive early for valuable rehearsals.  This included Johnny Depp, fresh off the success of Chocolat, and French actor Jean Rochefort (The Man On The Train) who had spent his last seven months learning English so he could tackle the leading role.

Gilliam continued on but once principal shooting began, things only got worse.  A savage storm on day two left the set in disarray.  On day five, Rochefort developed a prostate infection and had to return to France for treatment.  He would never return and the film was never completed.  It was officially “abandoned”.

Lost In La Mancha is a very insightful look at just how difficult it is to make a motion picture.  Throughout the production, Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe shot a lot of “behind the scenes” footage which they initially thought would make a great adage to the dvd.  Instead, their footage has wound up on the big screen in this compelling documentary.

Terry Gilliam remains an optimist throughout it all but from the very start of the shoot, you can see the rumblings from his crew who sense trouble is brewing.  I give credit to all those involved with the initial movie in allowing their thoughts and ideas to be publicly expressed here.  It would be so easy to hide all this material and seeing it, in all its realism, makes it one of the year’s most refreshingly honest releases.

Jeff Bridges, who worked with Gilliam in The Fisher King, narrates the film.  The pictures though do all the talking and despite the unfortunate mess and loss of money that resulted from it all, you can’t help but chuckle at the bad luck that befalls them.  Big names directors Woody Allen and Robert Altman express their support for the film on the poster which serves as a huge endorsement.  They’re not wrong.  It’s destined to be a cult classic and one enjoyed by filmmakers for years to come.