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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 July 2025

There are several awards each year that honour the gifted performances of animals on the big screen.  The Palm Dog is “dished” out at the Cannes Film Festival and the 2024 winner was the Border Collie seen in Anatomy of a Fall.  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) hand out a series of awards, punily titled the “Oscats”, which promote kindness to animals.  Media outlets light-heartedly pitch for a new Oscars category given the “performances” featured in films including The Banshees of Inisherin, EO, Inside Llewyn Davis, and The Artist.

I didn’t think much of The Friend, but I’ll concede it’s a film which may weave its way into the hearts of dog lovers.  Iris (Watts) is a New York City-based writer rocked by the suicide of a friend and colleague, Walter (Murray).  In the aftermath of his passing, Iris is asked to take custody of Walter’s loyal Great Dane, Apollo.  It’s a difficult situation for them both.  Apollo slips into a depressive state and doesn’t understand why his long-time master is no longer around.  Iris lives in a small, one-bedroom apartment and in addition to animals being banned in the building, she lacks the time to care for a needy dog.

You can see where this movie is going from the outset.  Based on a 2018 novel from American author Sigrid Nunez, it’s a tale about the value of canines in shaping our lives.  A dog is the last thing Iris wanted but, with each passing day, she forms a closer connection with Apollo which provides comfort and purpose.  In the case of the Great Dane, he slowly warms to his new owner’s mannerisms and rediscovers a sense of happiness. 

There’s not much to take away from the rest of the narrative.  There are subplots involving Iris’s interactions with Walter’s ex-wives and college students but they’re not particularly enlightening.  Bill Murray (Lost in Translation) is promoted on the film’s poster but is seldom seen given his early demise.  Aside from Iris, the only human character arc of interest is that of the building manager (Solis) who faces a dilemma when his employment obligations clash with his moral compass.

If you’re a dog lover though, don’t let my negatively dissuade you from seeing The Friend.  If there really was an Oscar for best animal performance, Apollo would be a serious contender.  He’s fun to watch!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 July 2025

Financing is seldom easy and so in the case of first-time writer-director Louise Courvoisier, her mantra has been to stick with what she knows.  She’s returned to her hometown in Jura, a rural district of Eastern France, to make a simple coming-of-age story.  It draws attention to the teenagers and young adults who, for a variety of reasons, pursue a rustic, country way of life.  This contrasts with others who have moved to big cities including Paris in search of opportunity and a college education.

The focus is on Totone (Faveau), a somewhat irresponsible 18-year-old who goes about his days with carefree abandon.  He drinks, he smokes, he gets into fights, he creates mischief, and he thinks of himself as a ladies’ man.  His world is flipped upside down when his father dies unexpectedly in a car accident and he must take on caring duties for his younger sister (Luna Garret).  Responsibility is not Totone’s strong suit.  With no job or parenting skills, the months ahead will provide a “reality check” that necessitates a lifestyle adjustment.

This could have been a heavy drama, but the film strives for an uplifting, feel-good vibe.  Trying to take over his dad’s cheese-making business, Totone and his friends hatch a scheme to steal quality milk from a neighbouring farm and use it to produce a small batch which can be entered in a local competition.  First prize is €30,000 which would help alleviate his short-term financial woes.  On top of this, he falls in love with a mature young woman (Barthelemy) who provides an education in the cow paddock… and in the bedroom.

In finding the cast, Courvoisier scoured the community and chose non-professional actors to work with.  They’re a great bunch who add authenticity given their familiarity with the area and the screenplay’s themes.  The narrative isn’t original, but I still liked the snapshot into a lesser-seen part of France – its people, its jobs, and its vistas.  I’ll add that it also made me want to sink my teeth into a cheese platter!

Premiering last year at Cannes and winner of the César Award for best film by a first-time filmmaker, Holy Cow is a nice tale about finding a passage through adversity and becoming a better human being.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 July 2025

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in Mr and Mrs Smith.  Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut.  John Krasinski and Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place.  Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  The category is actors married in real-life who appear together in the same movie.  The latest addition to the list is Dave Franco (Now You See Me) and Alison Brie (GLOW) who, after marrying in 2017, appear as an on-screen couple for the first time in the aptly titled Together.

There’s local connection here too.  It marks the feature film debut for Australian writer-director Michael Shanks who shot the film at Docklands Studios in Melbourne.  To have lured two well-known American actors for the production is a testament to Shanks’ script.  It’s predictable (you can see events coming before they happen) but it’s still an inventive outing that creatively blends horror with romance.

 As for the premise, Tim (Franco) and Millie (Brie) are a long-term, unmarried couple who have moved from the big city to a small country town roughly two hours away.  It’s not ideal for Tim who is pursuing a fanciful dream of becoming a musician.  The change is tailored for Mille who has accepted a new job and wants to make a difference as a passionate schoolteacher.

The pair go on a small hiking trip to get a feel for their neighbourhood but after accidentally falling into an underground cave, their lives are forever changed.  Weird stuff starts happening.  Whenever they’re not in the same vicinity, a mysterious force finds a way to pull them back into each other’s orbit.  When kissing or lying next to each other, their bodies produce a sticky, mucus-like substance that is difficult to remove.  Unable to comprehend why this is happening, Tim and Millie are seemingly helpless to stop it from escalating further.

I’m not sure the characters stay true to themselves in the final ten minutes but for the most part, Together kept me entertained.  I liked the banter between Franco and Brie which is sometimes playful and sometimes heated.  The make-up and visual effects teams do impressive work on a small budget.  Dark comedy is used at opportune times (a scene in a bathroom cubical).  The distribution rights were picked up by Neon for $17 million USD and it’s easy to see why this was the biggest acquisition to come out of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival back in January.

See it with friends as you’ll have fun debating afterwards!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 July 2025

Three decades ago, filmgoers found out what four teenagers did last summer.  Driving in the middle of the night, they accidentally struck and killed a man running alongside the road.  Instead of calling the cops and taking responsibility, they hid the body and agreed to take the secret to their graves.  For some of them, those graves would be dug sooner rather than later.  A mysterious assailant knew what had transpired and was coming after them one by one.  I Know What You Did Last Summer was a solid hit at the 1997 box-office and was followed by a sequel the next year.

Did we need another sequel?  Based on what’s been served up here, the answer is a clear “no”.  They’ve used the same title and largely, the same premise.  We’ve got five college-age adults who, in the middle of the night, negligently cause a passing car to drive off the side of a road and down a steep cliff face.  The vehicle’s sole occupant is killed.  One of their influential dads leans on the local police to cover things up and the quintet decide, after a heated debate, to keep quiet and act as if nothing had happened.

We then pan one year in the future where one of them receives a greeting card with the catchphrase “I know what you did last summer” and yep, the bodies start piling up again.  Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, this new outing makes next-to-no sense.  I’m not sure if it’s the script or something got jumbled in the editing room but there’s no flow, no continuity.  The masked killer gets knocked down and within a microsecond, he’s found a way to magically leave the scene.  How?  A potential victim gets the upper hand and then lets their adversary off the hook.  Why?

There are times when characters are desperately fearing for their lives… and then in the next scene, they’re walking around and taking brazen risks.  You’ve locked yourself in the house because a madman is on the loose but then you go out to the car in the middle of the night to get your mobile phone charger?!?  I won’t reveal the ending but it’s another weak point which makes less sense the more you think about it.  They’d have been better to structure this as a spoof because it fails as a credible thriller.

Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt have reprised their roles but they’re small supporting parts which won’t rank highly on their resume.  A group of new young leading actors will be hoping to use this as a stepping stone to fame, as their predecessors did in 1997, but if other audience members are as disappointed as me, it’ll be largely forgotten.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 July 2025

Our heroes have jetted off into the far reaches of outer space but in terms of the movie franchise itself, The Fantastic Four have struggled to get off the ground.  Films released in 2005 and 2007 were critically panned (yep, they were awful) and a 2015 reboot, featuring a fresh cast, was a box-office failure.  Marvel Studios is intent on bringing them into their cinematic universe and so here we are with another cinematic crack at the characters first created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby in the early 1960s.

Like the new Superman currently in cinemas, the writing team wisely decided not to make this another origin story.  A fast-paced opening sequence provides background information for new audiences.  Four years ago, a quartet of American astronauts went into space and after encountering cosmic rays, they returned with superpowers.  Reed Richards can stretch his body, Sue Storm is gifted with invisibility, Ben Grimm has incredible strength, and Johnny Storm turns into a flying human fireball.  The people of Earth look fondly upon these folk, unlike other superheroes, and see them as the world’s protectors.

The core of the film has them trying to outsmart Galactus, an enormous villain with an appetite to match.  Aided by his partner in crime, the Silver Surfer, he intends to “feed” on the planet of Earth and destroy every living part of it.  An added layer of complication is created when Sue Storm falls pregnant and gives birth to a young boy.  Saving the world isn’t easy at the best of times let alone having to do it while caring for a newborn.

I wasn’t sold.  Director Matt Shakman has two hours to work with and yet it’s a film low on drama and energy.  We’re introduced to Mole Man and other inhabitants who live underground but they’re seldom seen.  The Silver Surfer has potential as a “grey” antihero torn between good and evil but has little to say.  Galactus is a half-decent villain (liked his look and sound effects) but his motives and intentions are one-note.  It’s as if the movie serves a “bridge” to introduce character arcs and subplots that will be resolved in future Marvel flicks.  I’d have preferred a more complete narrative.  Further, a seen-it-a-million-times storyline about sacrificing one to save many is clumsily handled.

There are upsides.  The film has a 1960s look and vibe which creates a point of difference from other superhero movies.  The comedic elements are fine (nothing special though) with Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn getting the best of the one-liners in their roles as The Thing and the Human Torch.  Problems are solved too easy, but the action climax has a moderate level of suspense as the protagonists come face-to-face with Galactus.

As the opening movie in the 6^th phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is serviceable… but not memorable.