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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 August 2020

It took several viewings but I ultimately came to the conclusion that Christopher Nolan’s 2014 sci-fi epic, Interstellar, was a flawed masterpiece.  It’s got a quality cast, moves at an energetic pace, and features a career-best film score from composer Hans Zimmer.  Despite all of that, Nolan tried to squash 20 hours’ worth of ideas into 2 and the end result feels rushed, fragmented and, at times, incoherent.  The emotional family stuff didn’t resonate either.

I refer to Interstellar because, on leaving the theatre after a first look at Tenet, the same thoughts were rummaging through my mind.  This is another grand project with big, intriguing concepts but when you bring it together, it just doesn’t flow.  You’ve got characters hastily explaining time-twisting technologies intertwined with elaborate, heavily-edited action pieces.  Having just finished Dark, the excellent 26-episode German time travel series on Netflix, it made me wonder if Nolan’s material was better suited to the longer TV form.

Time travel movies are nothing new but Nolan adds a different spin here by exploring the concept of “inversion”.  Instead of jumping into a time machine and transporting yourself to a particular point in history, inversion allows you to push the rewind button and move backwards through time.  The problem is that it’s hard to do this discreetly.  It’s going to look rather obvious to normal, forward-moving folk when they see a car reversing back at them at 100 km/hr on a freeway.

I think there are a few holes/conveniences with the broader idea (a scientist covers that by saying “don’t try to understand it”) but the crux of the story is centred on a man appropriately named The Protagonist (Washington) who is tasked with “preventing World War III”.  A wealthy Russian crime lord (Branagh) has access to inversion technology and, as you can imagine, it’s incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands.  Who needs nuclear bombs to destroy the world when you can just change time instead?

Nolan has assembled another terrific cast.  John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman) is excellent in the lead and I love the professional chemistry between he and his offsider, played by Robert Pattison (Twilight).  Australian Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby) is also very good as the villain’s estranged wife.  I wasn’t as convinced by Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet) as the bad guy.  An important ingredient of any top-notch action film is a great villain but the more this film progressed, the more I realised Branagh’s character lacked logic and nuance.

The set action pieces are chaotic but also fun.  You might be scratching your head as you watch two people fight – one moving forward through time and one moving backward through time.  It’s not something I can recall seeing on screen before.  The film score from Oscar winning composer Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther) also deserves a mention for the additional energy in brings to the overall production.

While Tenet earns points for being creative, it can’t avoid succumbing to traditional action clichés.  As an example, there are lengthy, heartfelt conversations between two people while the world implodes around them.  It was also hard to rationalise the strong bond forged between The Protagonist and the Russian’s wife and child given what’s at stake.

It’s bitten off more than it can chew but with the positives balancing out the negatives, Tenet deserves a look.  In this COVID-19 world, it’s nice just to see a blockbuster on the big screen again.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 July 2020

With COVID-19 pushing back the release date of major Hollywood blockbusters, Australian distributors are having to dust a few forgotten titles off the shelf in search of films to show.  Where’d You Go, Bernadette debuted in U.S. cinemas in August 2019 and was available to buy and stream a few months later.  Cate Blanchett picked up a Golden Globe nomination but after middling reviews and a disappointing box-office, the Australian release (originally scheduled for October 2019) was canned indefinitely.

Now, almost a full year after its world premiere, the film finds its way into local cinemas.  It’s hard to fault the ingredients.  It’s based on a 2012 novel authored by Maria Semple which spent many months on best seller lists.  It’s directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Linklater who made Boyhood and the Before Sunrise trilogy.  It boasts a cast of acclaimed actors including Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Judy Greer and Laurence Fishburne.  And yet… the finished product is a peculiar, disjointed film that doesn’t have anything meaningful to say.

Despite what the title may imply, Cate Blanchett is front and centre throughout with her performance as Bernadette Fox.  It’s reminiscent of her Oscar winning performance in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine in that she’s portraying a chatty, anxious, insecure leading lady.  Bernadette was once a successful architect (which we learn from an unnecessarily long background video) but she’s now become a recluse who seldom leaves her dilapidated Seattle home.  To complete even the most basic of tasks (such as shopping), she sends lengthy rants/demands to an online personal assistant based in India.

She’s a tough character to wrap your head around.  There are more nuanced moments, such as interactions with her not-so-well-meaning next-door neighbour (Wiig), that suggest Bernadette is misunderstood and victimised because of her quirky behaviour.  There are almost moments where she opens up to her 15-year-old daughter (Nelson) and we get a sense of her intelligence, humour and motherly nature.  They’re good scenes.

Alternatively, there are goofy moments, such as a sequence where she falls asleep on a pharmacy store couch (after berating the staff), that show her as being clumsy and unstable.  The film’s titular question is answered but as the end credits started to roll, I’m not convinced that I’d gotten to know the “full” Bernadette nor did I believe in her sudden, rushed transformation (which begins when she jumps out a window).

The film isn’t helped by the poorly developed supporting players.  Billy Crudup offers next-to-nothing as her bland husband (the closure of his character arc makes no sense).  Laurence Fishburne’s only purpose is to act as a sounding board when Bernadette explains her lengthy backstory (for the benefit of the audience).  James Urbaniak comes off worst as a silly, unconvincing FBI agent.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette might lure in fans of the book but as someone coming to the material with no background knowledge, I was disappointed.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 August 2020

In discussing La Belle Époque, I’ve seen a few critics make the comparison with Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (and for good reason).  The later film, my favourite of 2004, focused on a couple (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet) who had gone through a messy break-up and then undergone a new medical procedure to wipe all memory of each other from their minds.  It was a cool concept that helped the film win an Academy Award for best original screenplay.

La Belle Époque is similarly creative.  Victor (Auteuil) and Marianne (Ardant) are a couple in their sixties who have been married for several decades.  It’s clear they’re not happy though.  Victor is depressed by how much the world has changed and how he’s seemingly been left behind.  Marianne’s been having affair and, when it all spills into the open, she kicks Victor out and settles into a new life.

There’s a new business in town where, for a substantial sum of money, a cast and crew can recreate a piece of history and you can immerse yourself in that world.  It’s like a form of time travel.  If you want to see what it felt like to be in the same room as Adolf Hitler during the middle of World War II, this company will build the set, hire actors and give you a Truman Show-type experience.  The man pulling the strings in the background is Antoine (Canet), a controlling director with a strong attention to detail.

Victor’s son (Cohen) buys his father a gift certificate and, rather than relive an iconic piece of French history, Victor chooses to go back to the day he and Marianne first met in 1974.  Based off drawings provided, Antoine skilfully recreates the La Belle Époque café in Lyon and hires a young actress (Tillier) to play Victor’s wife-to-be.  A larger cast is required including the waiters and fellow customers.

I won’t speak too much more about plot details.  La Belle Époque is a delightful French comedy that has something to say about people and the way they change over time.  There are some of us who embrace change, never look back, and are always keen to find something new.  There are others who feel tied to past and lament a time that no longer exists.  Going back to a recreated era gives Victor the chance to assess both perspectives.

There’s another interesting layer to the story centred on the company itself and what goes on behind-the-scenes.  They’re creating unforgettable experiences for wealthy customers but to pull it all off, there’s a lot of work involved and an element of tension.  Writer-director Nicolas Bedos deservedly won the César Award (the French equivalent of the Oscars) for best original screenplay and he also earned a nod for best director.

If you’re looking for something funny, charming and different, put La Belle Époque on your must-see list.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 July 2020

The early 20s can be a difficult age to navigate.  The world’s general expectation is that you are a mature, fully functional, financially independent adult who is contributing to society by working hard and paying bills.  The reality can be quite different.  Despite the best intentions, it’s often hard to move out of home, pick a viable career path, land a decent job, avoid addictions, and find quality friends/lovers.  Life is tough.

This theme is explored in The King of Staten Island, a film loosely inspired by the upbringing of 26-year-old actor-comedian Pete Davidson (Saturday Night Live).  He teamed up with Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and Dave Sirus to write a screenplay that was “75% autobiographical” and would serve as a “love letter” to his family.  Davidson has openly struggled with his mental health and he hopes the film will be helpful to viewers in a similar position.

It’s tough enough to create a producible script but Davidson takes on the additional challenge of acting in the lead role.  He plays 24-year-old Scott Carlin, a chatty, socially awkward “manic” who smokes weed, takes anti-depressants and hides in the corner at parties.  He has no job, he still lives at home with his mother (Tomei) and his college-bound sister describes him as looking like “the guy who sells crack under the bridge.”  When asked about his future, Scott speaks of his illogical plan to create a chicken restaurant that also serves as a tattoo parlour.

The King of Staten Island is an interesting character study in that there’s a lot to like and dislike about Scott.  On one hand, you feel empathy because he’s been diagnosed with ADHD and still carries the scars from the death of his firefighter dad (Scott was just 7 years old at the time).  On the other hand, he wallows in self-pity, chooses not-so-great friends, and struggles to take responsibility for his own actions.  He can be a stressful burden on those around him.

Davidson, Apatow and Sirus have gone with a slightly lighter approach in tackling the subject matter.  There were times when I thought the film would go down a darker, heavier path but each time, it pulls back and offers a window of opportunity for Scott to open.  The end result is a feel-good flick that offers as much comedy as it does drama.  The fact Scott verbalises almost every inner thought helps create some memorable one-liners.

It’s a little long and a few subplots feel unnecessary (such as an out-of-nowhere scene involving a robbery) but The King of Staten Island is worth seeing for its humour, its themes and its performances. 

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 July 2020

The life of Babyteeth began back in 2012 when the play, written by Rita Kalnejais, was performed for five weeks at the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney.  Oscar nominated producer Jan Chapman (The Piano) and colleague Alex White went to the opening night performance and were wowed by the material.  They snapped up the film rights soon after and asked Kalnejais to adapt her work for the big screen.

It’s best described as an unusual love story.  Milla (Scanlen) is an introverted, insecure 10^th grade student who loves the violin and lives with her two easy-going parents (Davis and Mendelsohn).  Moses (Wallace) is a 23-year-old drug addict who has been kicked out of home and has no job.  The pair meet on a train platform in unusual circumstances (Milla has a bloody nose) and after a few minutes of small talk, a connection is forged.

Adding a layer of complexity is the fact Milla has a terminal illness.  No one knows how long she has left but her parents realise it could be their daughter’s only chance of experiencing love during her lifetime.  They’re not thrilled by the choice of suitor (the mum describes her own actions as the “worst possible parenting I could ever imagine”) but they keep an open mind and, under their close supervision, let the relationship progress.

A lighter touch is applied to the opening two acts.  Essie Davis (The Babadook) and Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom) earn laughs as they grapple with their daughters’ romantic awakening.  Eliza Scanlen (Little Women) and Toby Wallace (Boys in the Trees) endear themselves to audiences with their silly conversations and general naivety.  First-time feature filmmaker Shannon Murphy sets a brisk pace with unexpected cuts to scenes and to Amanda Brown’s music score.

As expected, the tone shifts to something more dramatic in the closing act and, thanks to the strong performances from all four leading actors, the emotions really hit home.  You get a clear sense of the lessons learned and the suffering felt by each character.  The use of facial close-ups adds to the film’s impact.

The movies selected as part of the official competition for the 2019 Venice Film Festival included new works from Pablo Larraín, Noah Baumbach, Haifaa al-Mansour, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Olivier Assayas.  To see a first-time Australian director make the shortlist and compete against such big names says volumes about Babyteeth and its allure.