Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 August 2001

The young girl’s mother pleads with Jerry to find those responsible and she makes him pledge that the killer will be brought to justice.  That same night, a convicted rapist named Toby Jay Wadenah (Del Toro) is arrested in a vehicle matching the description provided by a witness.  He is mentally handicapped and Officer Stan Krolak (Eckhart) conjures a weak confession before Wadenah steals an officer’s gun and commits suicide.  The case is closed to everyone but Jerry who doesn’t believe Wadenah was their man.

The police department he was once the centre of, aren’t interested in his theories and so Jerry leaves town.  He buys a rundown petrol station bordering the highway and lives a life of solitude.  Yet, he continually peruses police records and interviews those involved in a search for that one breakthrough clue that can prove the killer is still out there.

At a local bar he meets Lori (Wright Penn), a waitress with a young daughter named Chrissy.  He takes them into him home after Lori is beaten by her ex-husband and has nowhere to turn.  The three become a close family but a nasty thought develops in Jerry’s mind.  Could Chrissy be used as “bait” to lure the real killer out of hiding?

Rarely can I recommend a film so highly as a must see!  Each character is difficult to label and Jack Nicholson (in his first role since his Academy Award winning turn in As Good As It Gets) is dynamite.  You’re never quite sure whether he’s perceptive or just crazy.  Clearly evidenced by the cast he has assembled, actor Sean Penn has rapidly become a leading director.  Acclaimed stars have offered their services for even the tiniest of scenes.  Benecio Del Toro, Aaron Eckhart, Helen Mirren, Mickey Rourke, Sam Shepard, Harry Dean Stanton and Vanessa Redgrave are just a selection of those making an appearance.

Serial killer flicks are now a permanent staple on every studio’s release schedule but unlike Silence Of The Lambs, recent endings have been anything but thrilling.  We always know our hero is going to survive and the killer will make a stupid, hard-to-believe mistake that gives up his identity and solves the mystery.  The Pledge’s plot is something completely different.  We’re not even sure if there even is a killer and it’s this quality that distinguishes the film.  From the opening minute, you’ll doubt your otherwise reliable judgment.

The ending is the finest of the year.  It’s been 24 hours since I walked out of the cinema and I’ve thought about that ending more times than I’d care to admit - it’s brilliant.  That’s all I can reveal except to beg of you not to miss The Pledge and see for yourself just what critics are raving about.  A film that leaves you thinking not just to the very end, but beyond.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 July 2001

Have just heard the stunning news on the radio that Ben has won Big Brother.  I’ve been touting Blair as the winner since day one and thought it was a foregone conclusion after Sara-Marie’s departure yesterday.  I kind of felt the same way when Nicolas Cage read out Marcia Gay Harden’s name at this year’s Oscars.  Despite being just one year apart in terms of age, Ben has a maturity Blair will never possess and he’s a deserving winner of the $250,000.

Had to drive to Coomera for a long day at work and its ironic that despite being only 500m from the actual Big Brother house all day, I didn’t get even get to see the final show.  But I missed it for good reason.  I had tickets to the Brisbane premiere of Bridget Jones’s Diary.  It’s a film I’ve been talking up for a while (probably since I read the book that Jodie leant me in April) and a few screen caps from the film have provided my wallpaper on my computer for several months.

Boy I loved this movie.  It’s the story of Bridget Jones - a 32-year-old single woman living in England who keeps committing to doomed relationships.  On the dawn of a new year, she begins a diary and vows to keep her new year’s resolutions - to lose 20 pounds, quit smoking and find the right man.  She believes that man to be Daniel Cleaver (played by Hugh Grant) who is her boss at the publishing company where she works.  He’s got a bit of a reputation but like her past suggests, she again falls for the wrong man.  Good casting job in getting Hugh Grant.

Throughout the year, she keeps bumping into Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) - a top barrister whom her mother is trying to set her up with.  Every time they meet, things go dreadfully and both thinks that the other considers them an idiot but there’s an underlying subtext that tells you that something will eventually click between them.  Like the trailer says - “he’s so wrong that he could be right”.

Right from the get-go, I was super impressed with this flick.  It’s directed by Sharon Maguire and I can’t believe this is her first film.  She captures Bridget and her story so well and uses techniques such as quick dream sequences and slow motion shots really effectively.  The film has a really quick pace and I enjoyed the way the novel translated on screen.  It must have been a huge help too to have the book’s original author (Helen Fielding) as part of the script-writing team.

Man, they’ve been talking her performance up for a while but just how good is Renee Zellweger?  This is the first time she’s really impressed me as an actress and she delivers the best performance I’ve seen since Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream) back in February.  I sooooo desperately hope she earns an Oscar nom next year but the Academy has a tradition of screwing anyone I think has a chance of winning.  Nice to see Colin Firth back on the screen too.  It’s kind of funny that he’s in the film because when Fielding wrote the novel, she wrote the Mark Darcy character with Firth in mind.  She even called him Darcy because it’s the same name of the character Firth played in Pride And Prejudice (which was even a question on tonight’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire).  How bizarre?  I guess that’s a blurb I’ll have to include in my review.

Oh well, must call it a night.  A pretty exciting day to back up a top weekend - not bad for a Monday.  Memory note - make sure I recommend Bridget Jones’s Diary to everyone and remember not to bore them with frivolous details.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 August 2001

In The Animal, Rob Schneider is Marvin, an idiot who wants to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a police officer.  However, for the past four years, he’s failed the obstacle challenge which forms part of the examination.  Out of pity, he’s given a job as the evidence clerk at the station but is constantly mocked by other officers for his incompetency.

When the whole force is playing in a softball game, Marvin answers the phone at the station and hears a report of a shooting in progress.  He races to scene only to drive off a cliff en route.  He awakes beside his car eight days later but he’s not quite the same Marvin that he used to be.  After the accident, his body was damaged beyond repair and mad scientist Dr. Wilder (Caton) kept him alive with the use of his experimental animal parts.

Since the operation, Marvin’s been showing animal tendencies - licking himself, peeing under the table and getting turned on by goats.  Enough said but he’s also found the affection of an animal owner named Rianna (Haskell) and keeping a grip on his wild animal urges will test his powers of endurance.

This is one of the stupidest films of the year and the only laughs from my cinema were coming from the back where four guys (probably drunk) laughed at every minor sexual reference regarding the other animals.  That says it all I think.

Australian Michael Caton (The Castle) finally gets a chance to prove himself in Hollywood but The Animal may be both the beginning and the end of his Hollywood stint.  It’s ironic that the best aspect of the film comes in the performance of Colleen Haskell.  This is her first film role having burst into stardom as a contestant on Survivor.  For someone with no experience, she has a subtle ability not to overact and I hope she gets the opportunity to impress with more rewarding future projects.

You can write-off everything else about The Animal because it’s a beast that should have been left in its cage.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 July 2001

Questioning his troops, he finds advice in Commissar Danilov (Fiennes) who also acts as a newspaper writer in publishing articles about the war.  He came across a brave young soldier named Sergeant Vassili Zaitsev (Law) who despite the gravity of the situation he faced, killed five leading German soldiers and lived to tell the tale.  Danilov suggests that he write of Vassili in the newspaper and his story will inspire the people of Russia to rally against the Germans.

Vassili’s infamy grows as stories spread of his deadly aim and Danilov continues to publish his accomplishments for all of Russia to read.  The tag of a “war leader” doesn’t sit well with Vassili who now finds himself a wanted man.  Respected German sniper Major Erwin Konig (Harris) has been sent from Berlin with the assignment of eliminating him.  Vassili now has to watch his back with every step he takes.

The film begins with the obligatory scene setting that we’ve come to expect from recent war flicks.  We see the shooting, the fighting, the killing and I understand the seriousness of the situation but it’s hard not to be bored since we’ve seen this over and over again.  After this introduction, Enemy At The Gates improves dramatically as the very interesting true story is told.  Instead of continuing to show us the horrors of the war, we are glued by the simple story of two men hunting each other.

The whole cast deliver excellent performances.  Law and Fiennes are strong and don’t overact or rely on unnecessary dialogue to express themselves - it’s as if they don’t know they’re being filmed.  Rachel Weisz plays a love interest that divides the two and is an ideal casting choice.  She offers much more to period pieces (such as Sunshine and Swept From The Sea) than some of her more conventional films (The Mummy and The Mummy Returns).  Ed Harris is great too as the German sniper – the look he gives is one of fear.

As one of the best war films since Saving Private Ryan, Enemy At The Gates is a compelling movie.  It proves that you don’t need million dollars stunts to create suspense.  A story about heroes and their true importance.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 August 2001

As fate has it, Lance is killed after being struck by a city bus and he awakes in heaven.  There he meets one of God’s angels, Mr. King (Palminteri), and his assistant, Mr. Keyes (Levy).  It seems a mix-up has occurred and that Lance isn’t due for another 40 years.  Vowing to set things right and because he thinks he’s a nice guy, Mr. King offers Lance a chance to return to Earth but since his body has already been taken, he’ll have to find a new one for him.

A body fitting his description isn’t currently available so he’s offered a “loaner” - that of wealthy billionaire Charles Wellington who’s just been knocked off by his wife and business secretary.  Lance isn’t thrilled to be “white” but with the thought of money and a beautiful lady named Sontee (King) who’s pressuring Wellington, he takes the body.

For fear of ruining all the surprises (if that’s what you call them), I won’t continue with more plot details.  The film is a remake of 1978’s Heaven Can Wait starring writer-director Warren Beatty with Julie Christie and Jack Warden.  Down To Earth is a glossed up version with a few different twists but it offers the same lesson in life - looks do make a difference.

Chris Rock began his career as a stand-up comedian (and still is one despite a hectic film schedule).  I’m sure he appreciated the role as he himself would have had a few rough audiences over the years.  Few other characters make an impact but I did enjoy the casting choice of Palminteri and Levy as heaven’s guardians.  It’s nice to see Levy branching out from the indy-scene with roles in this, American Pie and Josie And The Pussycats.  As for Palminteri, nothing surprises me anymore for this Oscar nominee who’s starred in everything from The Usual Suspects to A Night At The Roxbury.

There are some funny jokes and a few light-hearted situations but not quite enough to carry the whole film.  The plot itself is a little silly to make seem realistic.  For example, when Lance looks in a mirror he sees himself but everyone else sees him as Wellington.  Clearly this is designed to keep Rock in the film but I question why we hardly ever see the real Wellington and why the other characters don’t seem too deterred by Wellington’s sudden change in personality.  If you want to see Rock as he should be, check out his live comedy routine or even better, see Nurse Betty which opens in three weeks.