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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 November 2022

The phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” is one that’s stuck with me through life.  Who we become is often shaped by those we admire.  Some go a few steps further and, through careful mimicry, make a living from impersonating others.  Actors (if lucky) can earn big bucks and a few awards by portraying real-life people on stage and screen.  It can even reach a point over time where reality blends with artistic interpretation.  My mum grew up listening to the songs of the actual Frankie Valli whereas I was introduced to his music and his story thanks via an actor portraying him in the smash hit Broadway musical Jersey Boys.  Which “version” will permeate best with future generations?

 Seriously Red is a fictitious Australian comedy-drama centred on a troop of music impersonators who travel across the country performing in front of small crowds.  There’s Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, and several more.  They’re no superstars but they love what they do and they seem to make enough cash to pay bills and buy costumes.  Their latest recruit is Red, a Dolly Parton devotee who has given up on her spirit-crushing bank job and found an enjoying, engaging career which offers more fulfilment.

Director Gracie Otto (The Last Impresario) and writer Krew Boylan, who also stars in the lead role of Red, have done a terrific job in exploring this intriguing world.  It’s never forcing a particular viewpoint on the audience but it asks us to think and form an opinion about these characters.  Should we look at them as failed/misguided artists who mimic others because they lack talent and can’t find their own true identity?  Or should we look at them as gifted performers who bring a little light to towns across rural Australia by allowing customers to relive iconic musical moments from yesteryear?

Boylan, in her capacity as a writer, is particularly skilled when it comes to creating interesting supporting characters.  You’ll have fun trying to get inside the head of the Kenny Rogers imitator, wonderful played by Daniel Webber (Billy the Kid), who takes on the persona 24-7.  An almost unrecognisable Rose Byrne (Damages) is similarly good as an Elvis Presley knock-off who uses it as an opportunity to explore her sexuality.  The best of the comedic material goes to Jean Kittson (Let the Blood Run Free) who steals any scene she’s involved with as Red’s loving but concerned mother.

Seriously Red is one of the best Australian movies of 2022.  It offers dark, unexpected laughs (Red’s drunken antics at a work party) which are nicely balanced against the film’s dramatic core.  When characters open up in the final act and let us see behind their facades, you’re reminded that first impressions aren’t always accurate. 

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 November 2022

The Velvet Queen is a documentary brought together by the talents of three key people.  Vincent Munier is an award-winning wildlife photographer with over 100,000 followers on Instagram.  Sylvain Tesson is an acclaimed non-fiction author who writes about his travel adventures.  Marie Amiguet is a French filmmaker co-directing (alongside Munier) her first feature film.

Together, they trekked deep into the Tibetan highlands in 2018 to explore the terrain and its unique wildlife.  Roughly 150 hours of footage was shot with the best material woven together into a tight 90 minutes.  Dialogue is used sparingly (a good choice) and that leaves the emphasis on the visuals, sound and music.  It’s a French production but there’s an Australian link with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (The Road) collaborating to create the music score.

The film is as much about the creators as it is about the landscape and the animals.  Just like a medical researcher, their days are full of educated guesswork and experimentation.  The trio find a good spot, sit there for hours in the freezing cold (you can see their breaths), and hope to get the perfect photograph of a colourful bird or a hairy mammal.  On this particular trip, the “holy grail” would be to capture the movements of a snow leopard, a reclusive, endangered beast which skilfully uses the rugged terrain to keep a low profile.

If you’re interested in the subject matter, The Velvet Queen has plenty to offer.  As an example, Munier recounts a story from a previous trip where he took a seemingly innocuous photo of a bird only to discover something much more interesting when looking at the photo a few months later.  Humour is provided in a later scene where Munier and Tesson, trying to stay as quiet as possible, are interrupted by a group of noisy Tibetan kids who want to play with their equipment.

This isn’t a life changing doco but it reminds us of the many beautiful, fascinating animals we share the planet with.  It’s easy to forget given how preoccupied we often are with our day-to-day lives.  There’s no substitute for the real thing but the filmmakers do a great job making us feel like we’re alongside them.  They open up about what it’s like to be in one of the most isolated parts of the world and fully detached from the “human rat race” to which we’re all accustomed.  The Velvet Queen is a relaxing, comforting watch.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 November 2022

Elvis Cooney (Gibson) has forged a long, successful, colourful career within radio industry.  He currently has the midnight shift at a high-rating station in Los Angeles and his brand is to be controversial and “tell it like it is”.  A major part of his segment is talkback where callers cathartically open-up about their problems and Elvis responds with blunt, succinct advice.  Helping produce the show are Mary (Seror-O’Neill), an experienced operator who screen calls, and Dylan (Moseley), an intern on his first day at the station.

The above is covered is a short, succinct introduction before On the Line gets to its main hook.  A man named Gary calls through, is put live on air, and tells listeners that he has kidnapped Elvis’s wife and daughter.  His motives are linked to the mistreatment of his girlfriend who formally worked at the radio station.  Elvis initially thinks it is a sick prank but it doesn’t take long for Gary to prove his seriousness and put forward his list of equally serious demands.

I’m the first to admit this doesn’t always make sense… but French writer-director Romuald Boulanger did enough to keep me engaged and interested in the characters’ fate.  It moves at a swift pace, it doesn’t muck around with unnecessary subplots, and Mel Gibson creates an interesting antihero with his lead performance.  He’s not the most likeable person (illustrated by an early scene where he plays an over-the-top joke on the intern) but you’ll cheer for him nevertheless as he tries to outsmart the aggrieved Gary.

There’s another reason I enjoyed the film but it’s hard to articulate as it relates to the finale.  Not everyone will be a fan but it worked for me.  Let’s just leave it at that and hopefully my cryptic comment will make sense to those who see the film.  The trailers and marketing material give On the Line a trashy B-grade vibe and while that’s true in places, it’s also an entertaining action-thriller.  Grab some popcorn and enjoy.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 November 2022

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a well-established fan base but there’ll be heightened interest in this new entry for two key reasons.  Firstly, the original Black Panther received more combined critical and industry acclaim than any other superhero movie in history (The Dark Knight would be a close second).  It won the Screen Actors Guild Award for best ensemble and was nominated at the Academy Awards for best picture (it didn’t win but it took home Oscars in 3 other categories).

Secondly, Marvel Studios has decided to continue with the franchise despite the unexpected death of star Chadwick Boseman in 2020 at the age of 43.  Credit to the writers for not trying to pull off a silly Fast and the Furious-type gimmick where they pretend Paul Walker’s character still exists within that world.  It’s a little clumsy and unemotional but the death of Black Panther is addressed in the opening scene where, despite an abundance of medical machinery in Wakanda, he dies off screen because an “undisclosed illness.”

We then skip the worst of the grief and pan a year into the future where a new tale can begin.  The citizens of Wakanda thought they were the only nation on earth to possess vibranium but it transpires a hidden colony at the bottom of the sea filled with Avatar-like blue people also has reserves of the powerful mineral.  Its ageless leader (Huerta) prefers offense to defence and has reached out to the Wakandans to form a military alliance.  The questionable plan is to then attack the leaders of villainous countries such as France and United States who are looking to steal vibranium for their own “gotta look after global security” reasons.

With no Black Panther, a fact we’re reminded of repeatedly, the bulk of the responsibilities fall upon his white-haired mother, Ramonda (Bassett), and his technology-loving sister, Shuri (Wright).  The elder provides wisdom with a splash of well-timed anger, while the younger offers naïve enthusiasm with a pinch of humour.  They need to exercise good judgement in deciding when it’s best to sit on the fence and stay neutral, and when it’s best to pick a side and step into conflict.

For a movie which is 161 minutes long, I expected a stronger, deeper narrative.  There’s a lot of people making threats and talking up a “big game” but their motives are flimsy, simplistic and repetitive.  The balance is also askew with the supporting cast.  Dominique Thorne (Judas and the Black Messiah) as a gifted 19-year-old student, and Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) as a highly trained warrior deserved more screen time and development.  On the other hand, an American subplot involving Martin Freeman and his ex-wife/boss adds nothing and should have been left on the cutting room floor.

I’ve admired the previous efforts of director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) but the lack of a meaningful, fast-paced storyline limits his abilities here.  He tries to keep us engaged with colourful CGI, changes in speed (slow-motion, reverse-motion), and lengthy musical interludes featuring the likes of Rhianna but it’s not enough to inject sufficient energy into Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.  It’s not terrible but it’s still a disappointing sequel.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 November 2022

Six years ago, Harvey Weinstein was one of the most powerful, influential producers in Hollywood.  The media company Vocativ analysed the acceptance speech of every Oscar winner (achieved on the Academy’s website) and found Weinstein was the second most thanked individual in history – just behind Steven Spielberg and just ahead of James Cameron.  He took home an Academy Award of his own in 1999 when Shakespeare in Love won best picture in a major upset over Saving Private Ryan.

Today, Weinstein can be found in prison.  He was convicted of rape and sexual assault at a 2020 trial in New York City and sentenced to 23 years behind bars.  A second criminal trial is currently underway in Los Angeles where he faces a further 11 charges.  When the many allegations against Weinstein became widely known in 2017, it kickstarted the #MeToo movement where people shared experiences of sexual abuse and harassment on social media.

She Said is reminiscent of the Oscar winning Spotlight in that instead of focusing solely on the perpetrators and victims, it’s largely about the newspaper who brought the story to the public’s attention.  This film is centred on two journalists from The New York Times, Jodi Kantor (Kazan) and Megan Twohey (Mulligan), who spent close to six months conducting their investigation and building a fact-heavy case against Weinstein which couldn’t be disputed.

The film’s best scenes involving Kantor and Twohey speaking one-on-one with abused women who, some willingly and some nervously, discuss their terrifying experiences.  Perhaps the most eye-opening detail for audiences will be the use of non-disclosure agreements.  Weinstein was able to use his wealth as a weapon – coercing women into accepting substantial cash settlements in return for their silence.

It’s the reason why many people interviewed by Kantor and Twohey refused to go “on the record” despite having a worthy story to tell.  It also highlights just how many within the industry knew about Weinstein given that lawyers, accountants, and board members all needed to be involved before the non-disclosure agreements could be signed off.  It became the dirty secret that everyone spoke about privately… but no one wanted to risk their jobs by speaking about publicly.

Carey Mulligan (An Education) and Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick) are both very good in their respective roles.  They help take us inside the frustrating nature of investigative journalism and the doubts that cloud your judgement while waiting for a “big break” that may never come.  As if channelling Liev Schreiber’s performance as the monotone boss in Spotlight, Patricia Clarkson (Pieces of April) is also terrific as the high-ranking New York Times editor who provides her team with timely advice and comfort.

It’s a touch over-scripted in places but it’s a minor weakness.  She Said is an interesting and important film.