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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 November 2024

Most in Australia will know the name Jelena Dokić but when it comes to the specifics of her rocky background and tennis career, awareness varies.  This documentary from directors Jessica Halloran and Ivan O’Mahoney is a “set the record straight” kind of movie.  Jelena already told her story in a 2017 autobiography (co-authored with Halloran) but, through the medium of cinema, it can now reach a wider audience.  Archival footage and interviews are used to get the messages across.

Born in Croatia in 1983, Jelena and her family fled their troubled homeland in the early 1990s (the Yugoslav Wars were underway) and emigrated to Sydney, Australia.  Jelena’s father, Damir, had become a fan of tennis on television and, with no money to pay for a coach, he started training her himself.  At the age of just 15, Jelena won the girls’ singles title at the 1998 U.S. Open and one year later, she became a teenage superstar by teaming up with Mark Philippoussis to win the Hopman Cup in Perth (the first time Australia had ever won the event).

Despite her success and bubbly disposition on the court, it was the actions of Damir which dominated talk within tennis circles and the media.  He accused Australian Open officials of rigging the draw against his daughter, he was drunkenly evicted from hospitality at the U.S. Open, and he was sentenced to a year’s prison time in Serbia for illegal weapons possession and threatening the Australian ambassador.

Damir’s outlandish behaviour made him a media darling.  He would appear on shows including A Current Affair and Burke’s Backyard, and feature in television advertisements for companies including Kia.  This film clearly has a point to make about how the growing spread of quick, clickbait-style journalism overrode the desire to dig deeper into Damir’s conduct.  Hard-hitting investigative journalism was becoming a thing of the past.

The movie relies heavily on current-day interviews and “talking heads” (not my preferred style) but it’s still a powerful documentary.  Jelena opens-up about the savage abuse, both physical and mental, dished out by her father over many years which would lead to suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety.  Some stories are startling – such as what took place after Jelena’s semi-final loss at Wimbledon in 2000.

Jelena’s words are the film’s focus but conversations with former players, officials, coaches, and staff help validate her story.  I particularly enjoyed the insight of former grand slam champion Lindsay Davenport who faced-off on court against Jelena many times (including an infamous match at the Australian Open).  We don’t hear from Damir nor Jelena’s mother, Ljiljana, as they declined involvement.   can understand why but it’s a shame we don’t hear their current-day views.  Do they have any remorse at all?

Asking questions of the audience about what we’re prepared to turn a blind eye to (so many people knew of Jelena’s troubles but did nothing), Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story is compelling viewing.  

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 25 October 2024

It has become one of television’s most successful shows.  It’s been on air for over 49 years, it’s helped launch the career of many famous comedians, it’s won 90 Emmy Awards (from 331 nominations), and it still draws 5 million viewers in the United States each week.  Saturday Night Live deserves its place in the annals of TV history.

As we learn from most breakout shows (“we had no idea it would become a hit”), Saturday Night Live had rocky beginnings.  NBC needed something to fill the midnight time slot and, instead of trotting out more Johnny Carson talk show reruns, they threw money and a bunch of young, little-known writers and humourists for a live sketch comedy program.  Many industry executives expected the show to be a short-lived flop.

The creation of Oscar nominated director Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air), Saturday Night recounts the chaotic 90 minutes in the lead up to the first episode on 11 October 1975.  I’ll describe it as a semi-fictionalised version of events.  Reitman interviewed many who were there to create an authentic record but to help make the story more cinematic, things that occurred weeks prior have been made to look like they all happened between 10pm and 11:30pm on that history-making night.

That makes the film a little messy.  It’s arguably impossible to condense all the subplots (80 actors have speaking lines) into a 109-minute running time.  A talent co-ordinator has a drug-related freak out, Chevy Chase gets touted as a future talk show host, John Belushi won’t sign his employment contract, and a kid outside the building tries to lure a studio audience, and Milton Berle is sleazily whipping out his giant penis.

Everything happens so quickly that it’s hard to keep up or care in any meaningful way.  As an example, what was behind John Belushi’s weird behaviour?  Further, the screenplay gets bogged down with plot points that aren’t interesting.  Did we need all the references to the married Rosie Shuster and what surname she would use in the credits?  How many times do we need to hear from Jim Henson worried about his lack of script pages?

It’s not all bad though.  There’s a central character who creates a narrative through-line for everyone else to hang off – 22-year-old Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) plays producer Lorne Michaels.  He too comes with unnecessary repetitiveness (why does he need to be asked so many times what the show is about?) but still does a terrific job capturing the excitement and stress that came with co-ordinating the problematic first episode.

A few jokes hit the mark (the naïve censor, the llama) and others miss (the sketches feel dated) but there’s enough on offer with Saturday Night, in terms of laughs and a history lesson, to recommend a watch.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 November 2024

I’ve never swum there myself but every time I get down to Bondi Beach in Sydney, I take a look at the famous Icebergs pool.  With the Pacific Ocean as the backdrop and the pool filled with fresh saltwater, it’s described as “the most photographed swimming pool in the world.”  Once you’ve been there in person, it’s easy to see why.  The swimming club was founded in 1929 and the iconic spot will soon celebrate its centennial.

Directed by documentary filmmaker Ian Darling (The Final Quarter, The Oasis), The Pool is a motivational, uplifting film that takes us inside the world of the Bondi Icebergs.  We meet the swimmers, varying widely in age, for whom it is an intricate part of their life.  Some swim socially on a regular basis with friends… while others train hard and seek competitive glory.  We also observe the hard-working staff – from the administrators and cleaners through to the lifesavers and trainers.  It’s a pretty cool place to work!

It may not sound like riveting cinema (a doco about a swimming pool???) but Darling is to be commended for finding so many interesting people to film and interview.  They all have great backstories.  I couldn’t help but smile as I listened to them talk about how much the Icebergs means to them.  With so much tragedy in the world (the subject of many other documentaries), it’s nice to be reminded of life’s positives – beautiful views, great friends, and outdoor exercise (amongst others).

Darling doesn’t want the film to be just an interview-fest and so there are times when he dispenses with dialogue and just lets the sights and sounds do the talking.  We watch excited swimmers go about their day while listening to waves crashing against the shoreline, seagulls squawking above, and storms rolling in.  If this doesn’t generate the inspiration to travel to Sydney and swim there (well, maybe not in winter), you’re a tough person to please.

Shot over 100 days, with the crew getting wet themselves, The Pool captures the essence of Australian people and culture and showcases it to the world.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 October 2024

Looking back over my notes, I was disappointed with 2018’s Venom but more impressed with the 2021 sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage.  That’s not to say one film was better than the other but rather, my viewpoint had shifted.  I’m more willing to look past the inconsistencies within the screenplays and appreciate the franchise more for its comedic qualities.  Oscar nominee Tom Hardy (The Revenant) is pivotal in creating those laughs.

If new to the character, Venom is an off-beat superhero who is the mishmash of a human journalist named Eddie and a cheeky alien life form.  Neither controls the other.  The alien provides incredible agility and strength, but Eddie still has influence in how it’s used.  This unlikely duo has become closer, physically and metaphorically, over the last two movies but there’s still plenty of debates and disagreements.

Promoted as the third and final instalment of the series, Venom: The Last Dance isn’t exactly reaching for the clouds with its storyline.  It’s a ho-hum sequel that uses templates established in other alien and superhero flicks.  We learn that an incredibly nasty creature, who wants to destroy the universe, has been incarcerated on another planet.  The “codec” (aka key) which can release him lies within Venom and so he’s sent an unfriendly, spider-like alien to Earth in retrieve it.  If successful, it won’t just be Venom who meets his demise but rather, every living thing on the planet.

In terms of new additions to the cast, Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) plays a father who has cashed in his life savings and gone on a trip with his sceptical family to Area 51 in hope of seeing an alien.  Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) is an intelligent scientist studying alien life forms in a secret underground laboratory.  Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) chimes in as a hard-line military guy who makes a few rushed, misguided decisions in trying to save the day.

There’s nothing wrong with their performances but at the same time, they’re not the most interesting characters (nor are their related subplots).  The key attraction of Venom: The Last Dance remains the humorous interactions between Eddie and the “symbiote” who lies within.  I don’t think there’s as many good one-liners as the previous movie but there’s just enough material, with a splash of heart for the finale, to hold audiences’ attention.

With the first two flicks making a combined $1.3 billion at the global box-office, the producers have played it safe with Venom: The Last Dance and whilst it won’t win prizes for originality, it’s likely to be a hit.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 October 2024

In 2023, Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie dominated the box-office in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Mexico.  In Italy however, there was a film which topped them all.  A fictional, black-and-white comedy set in the 1940s shot on a budget of just €5 million became their highest grossing movie of the year (and top 10 of all time).

The creation of actress-turned-director Paola Cortellesi, There’s Still Tomorrow is the kind of period piece where its themes are as relevant today as they were back then.  Domestic violence is front and centre with the film’s lead, Delia, suffering daily physical and verbal abuse her unloving, ungrateful husband.  In addition to her responsibilities as director, Cortellesi steps into the shoes of the film’s leading lady, Delia and creates a beautiful character who is both feisty and delicate.

Taking us back to Rome 1946, there are several subplots in play which explore broad society issues and specific family issues.  Women had just been granted the right to vote in Italy and they would have a major say in an important constitutional referendum being put to the people (should Italy be monarchy or a republic).  Zeroing in on Delia’s own personal household, she had to deal with a scumbag husband and an ungrateful father-in-law while, at the same time, tending to household duties and aiding her daughter who was courting a wealthy suitor.

There’s Still Tomorrow is to be praised for the way it skilfully blends comedy and drama.  The subject matter is heavy at times, but the writing team don’t want to portray Delia as a simple, passive victim.  When we see her outside the home, she’s a smart, funny, conniving, chatty woman who loves engaging with neighbourhood friends.  Her engagements with Marisa (Fanelli), a market greengrocer, are a clear highlight.

Winner of 6 David di Donatello Awards (the Italian Oscars) including a best actress win for Cortellesi, There’s Still Tomorrow is interesting and engaging.  If you’re someone who loves a likeable, compelling heroine worth cheering for, this is for you.