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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 December 2013

The year is 1943, the setting is New York City, and the central character is a shy, budding poet by the name of Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe). A student at Columbia University, there’s a great scene where Ginsberg challenges his lecturer’s rigid devotion to rhythm and meter. While most students were happy to follow textbook methodologies, Ginsberg thought differently. He was inspired by the great 19^th century poet Walt Whitman and was in search of his own unique voice.

Ginsberg was a talented writer. There’s no doubt about that. We get to hear some his beautiful prose during the film. That said, Ginsberg was also shy, naïve, inexperienced. He had few friends and few life experiences. He was in search of someone or something to serve as his inspiration.

That gap was soon filled by a dashing young gentleman by the name of Lucien Carr (DeHaan). A fellow student at Columbia, Carr was extroverted socialite who loved to drink and loved to party. In one of their early encounters, Carr explains his outgoing personality to Ginsberg by saying – “I love first times. I want my entire life to be composed of them. Life is only interesting when life is wide.”

The film’s first half is an intriguing character study. Ginsberg and Carr weren’t linked romantically but they shared a “closeness” that went beyond a straight forward friendship. It helped them discover who they were – both on and off the page. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and star-the-making Dane DeHaan (Chronicle, Lawless) deliver superb performances that tap into their character’s respective insecurities.

Kill Your Darlings shifts direction in its second half and becomes more of a murder mystery following the death of a David Kammerer (Hall), a close friend of Carr. It’s the weaker section of the movie as events are rushed and it’s hard to keep up with the mindset of each character. Further, a few titbits of information are provided during the closing credits which I’d have preferred to see included by adding an extra 10-20 minutes to the running time.

The film marks the directorial debut for 40-year-old John Krokidas. I’m looking forward to his future projects as Kill Your Darlings has a distinctive visual presence thanks to some beautiful cinematography and unorthodox editing. He’s done a terrific job recapturing New York in the 1940s without having to rely on special effects. The soundtrack is also a big help in that regard.

I wasn’t a fan of On The Road – a 2012 release based on the novel by Jack Kerouac which covered a similar characters in the same era. Perhaps it’s the better casting. Perhaps it’s the better screenplay. For whatever reason, Kill Your Darlings is more palatable and more interesting.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 November 2013

Four months ago, We Steal Secrets: The Story Of Wikileaks was released in Australian cinemas. It was an insightful, balanced documentary from Academy Award winning filmmaker Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room) and featured a surprisingly large amount of behind-the-scenes footage to help us form an opinion on Julian Assange and Wikileaks.

Maybe it’s bad timing… maybe it’s just a bad film… but I struggled with The Fifth Estate. This dramatic retelling of Assange’s rise to fame covers almost the same material as Gibney did with We Steal Secrets. We learn a little about his background, we understand why he created Wikileaks, and we see him bring the U.S. Government to its knees with the release of classified documents.

If given a choice, I’d much rather go with the documentary over this re-enactment. While a documentary filmmaker still has the power to guide or perhaps mislead the audience by only showing select footage, at least you know that you’re watching the real thing and you’re hearing from the real people. It’s the ideal way of approaching a polarising subject matter like this. It adds an important layer of credibility and makes it a lot harder for critics to attack.

That’s not to say that director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, Gods & Monsters) hasn’t tried. This film, based on novels written by David Leigh, Luke Harding and Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Assange’s former right-hand man), is trying to offer an impartial point of view. Some will see Assange has an agent of change trying to bring power to the people. Others will see him as a selfish individual driven almost entirely by his own ego.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness) also deserves praise for his performance. I can’t think of another film this year where an actor embodied the role so perfectly. His voice, his accent, his look, his facial expressions – they’re all remarkably similar to the real Julian Assange. It’s actually kind of spooky – particularly during a re-enacted interview that serves as the final scene in the film.

Those unfamiliar with Assange and those who didn’t see the documentary will probably find this much more informative. It’s clear they’re the target audience. Those with more knowledge of the subject matter are likely to be bored. There’s nothing in The Fifth Estate that will challenge opinions or give a fresh perspective on Assange and Wikileaks. That’s how I felt anyway.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 November 2013

If you jump onto Youtube and type in the search term “Paul Potts first audition”, you’ll get a glimpse of what is an inspiring true story. Paul Potts, a mobile phone salesman from Wales, took to the stage in an effort to earn a spot on the 2007 series of Britain’s Got Talent. The judges looked ready to write him off as another dud contestant… but when Paul opened his mouth and sung the iconic opera aria “Nessun dorma”, he received a tear-filled standing ovation. He would go on to take the £100,000 prize and become the show’s first winner.

For whatever reason, director David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada) and writer Justin Zackham (The Bucket List) have decided to take Paul’s story and adapt it for the big screen. It doesn’t work. They’ve taken a beautiful story, which can be already be viewed online (or perhaps purchased on DVD), and turned it into an over-scripted drama with some strange production choices.

First and foremost, star James Corden (The History Boys) doesn’t use his own voice when singing. It’s the voice of the real Paul Potts that is dubbed over the top. It’s obvious to the point of being distracting. It hurts the film’s credibility and will leave you asking the question – why didn’t the cast someone who could actually sing opera?

Things get even stranger when we reach the film’s climax and Paul’s first performance on Britain’s Got Talent. We see shots of actor James Corden standing on stage and performing the aria. However, when we see shots of the audience and the judges (including Simon Cowell), the actual footage from the 2007 show is used. It’s another puzzling decision that diverts attention from what should be the movie’s signature moment.

Everything in the lead up is formulaic and unadventurous. We see Paul’s father (Meaney) try to convince his son to give up on his silly opera school dreams. We see Paul mocked and beaten by a group of bullies who have targeted him since high school. We see him meet a girl (Rooper) who gives him the courage to take that “one chance”.

I’m not a huge fan of reality television and it’s a little concerning that we are now making films based on the results of such programs. You’d like to think that there are more interesting stories out there, stories that we haven’t heard before. I’m not dissing the achievements of Paul Potts but this is a formulaic exercise in “feel good” cinema that fails to recreate this inspirational tale.

You can read my interview with director David Frankel by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 November 2013

In the iconic Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations, a young orphan named Pip dreams of a better life. He doesn’t want to follow in the footsteps of his sister’s husband and become a poor blacksmith. He wants money. He wants privilege. He wants to mingle with the top end of society. Thanks to the help of a wealthy benefactor, Pip is granted his wish and his life changes forever.

New Zealand author Lloyd Jones has taken Dickens’ classic tale and woven into a more modern story. Mr Pip is set on Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville Island in the early 1990s. Those old enough will remember it being a time of political turmoil. Unhappy with their mineral resources being pillaged by foreign companies, the island sought independence from Papua New Guinea. What followed was a civil war that would take roughly 20,000 lives over a 10 year period.

Having completed his 8 series run on the popular television series House, actor Hugh Laurie stars as the mysterious Mr Watts – the sole Englishman in a small Bougainville community. All of his fellow countrymen fled once the war began but Mr Watts, having recently married a native Bougainville woman, took a risk and chose to stay.

In search of something to do, Mr Watts takes on the role of school teacher for the local kids. He has no experience… but as a lover of great literature, he tries to pass on the joy that he gets from reading a wonderful novel. His first choice is Great Expectations and within a matter of weeks, his classroom is filled not just with children but also with adults wanting to hear Mr Watts read the latest chapter.

A young girl named Matilda (played by newcomer Xzannjah) takes a particular interest in Mr Watts and the novel. She starts creating her own fantasies that mirror those of the leading characters in Great Expectations. They provide hope that perhaps she can one day escape war torn Bougainville and forge her own “better life” with her father in Australia.

Writer-director Andrew Adamson has already put together a diverse resume that includes animated features (the first two Shrek movies) and action blockbusters (the first two Narnia movies). This is a very different film for Adamson in that he’s working on a tiny budget and with a bunch of non-actors. Aside from Hugh Laurie, the cast is made up of Bougainville locals – many of whom lived through the civil war and wanted to help bring this story to the screen.

I found this film hard to embrace. Mr Watts is a strange character who seems to create problems for himself when he doesn’t need to. It’s also difficult to appreciate the plight of the Bougainville residents as the movie only provides a patchy overview of the civil war and its history. When the town is invaded by a gun-wielding militia, I struggled to grasp who they were and what they were fighting for. The film also points a critical finger at Australia for its involvement in the war (perhaps rightly so) but it’s another subplot that isn’t explored in enough detail.

I enjoyed the overlap of the Great Expectations story and how it starts to shape Matilda’s dreams. There are also some unexpected moments late in the film that will stir emotions. Unfortunately, these likeable qualities aren’t quite enough to overcome the script’s limitations.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 November 2013

I would have done a few things differently but I did enjoy the first Hunger Games movie, released back in March 2012. So much so that it actually inspired me to read the book! The use of an exclamation mark is justified. As I spend so much time in cinemas and on the golf course, I usually only find the time/energy to read a couple of books each year (woe is me).

Having also read the second novel, I came at The Hunger Games: Catching Fire from a different angle. Instead of going into the theatre blind with no knowledge whatsoever, I had a heightened sense of anticipation. I knew what was going to happen (the second book was actually very good) but it was now a question of how it would translate onto the big screen with a widened cast.

To bring newbies up to speed, The Hunger Games series is set in a futuristic world dominated by inequality. Citizens in the Capitol have lavish clothes, extravagant meals and beautiful homes. Those in the neighbouring 12 districts work like slaves and live in poverty. If you think that’s bad… once a year, the Capitol chooses two teenagers from each district and has them fight to the death in a makeshift area. It’s televised for the Capitol residents who are allowed to place bets and “sponsor” contestants so as to influence the result.

In the first movie, two contestants from the same district managed to survive thanks to some cunning play – Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson). Their success was celebrated within the poor districts and as you’d expect, this wasn’t well received by the Capitol’s tyrannical leader, President Snow (Sutherland).

To squash any chance of an uprising, Snow and new Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Hoffman) have come up with something special for this year’s 75^th annual Hunger Games. The 24 contestants will not be teenagers. Rather, they will be former champions from recent years. Katniss and Peeta will again be forced to compete against “the best of the best” and, to borrow from the film’s catchphrase, the odds do not appear to be in their favour.

The film comes together nicely. As was the case with the first instalment, it’s the opening hour that works best. The story is fictional (obviously) but the key theme of human oppression leaves plenty to reflect upon. We’ve seen it again and again throughout our history and I can’t help but think about the recent Arab Spring. If you push people to the breaking point and create a situation where they have nothing to lose… they will fight back. The bottom line – this is a franchise that offers more than just action and romance. For that, I am grateful.

The 75^th Hunger Games dominate the film’s second half. While you won’t be feeling as emotional as the characters in the games themselves (some fight sequences do feel manufactured), there are a few interesting twists that will keep you intrigued. Don’t expect everything to be revealed though. Much has been saved for the final two films which are slated for release in 2014 and 2015.

Jennifer Lawrence is a perfect fit for the leading role and she’s well supported by group of actors led by the likes of Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci and Woody Harrelson. They don’t get a lot of screen time but they all manage to make an impression. That said, it will probably help if you’ve seen the first movie as there isn’t much in the way of character history.

There’s a new director at the helm this time with Francis Lawrence filling the shoes of Gary Ross. I can’t see too many noticing. The film has retained the same look and feel. Events feel a little rushed at times but the strength of the story and its characters make this a series I’ve become a big fan of.