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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 August 2013

I’ll freely admit that I know nothing about the country of Laos. Wikipedia tells me that it’s a landlocked country in Southeast Asia that is home to roughly 6.5 million people. It is one of the world’s last communist dictatorships (along with China, Cuba, Vietnam and North Korea) and the country went through a brutal civil war from 1953 to 1975 where tens of thousands of people were killed.

The Rocket tells a great story (we’ll get to that in a moment) but it’s also worth your time because it takes us inside this unheralded country. Writer-director Kim Mordaunt, a graduate of the University of Technology Sydney, has worked in Laos for several years. In 2007, he put together the much acclaimed documentary Bomb Harvest – a documentary that follows an Australian bomb disposal specialist who was training Laos locals in the aftermath of their civil war.

The Laos government was impressed with Mordaunt’s work and the way the film raised awareness of the issue to the wider world. They then granted him permission to make a follow up but instead of going with another documentary, Mordaunt has crafted a fictional drama that brings together the country’s history, its curious traditions and its beautiful landscape.

Tourist operators in Laos will be pleased with the result. After winning the award for best feature by a first-time filmmaker at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival back in February, The Rocket has gone on to win the Audience Award at the Sydney Film Festival, the Melbourne Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. The bottom line – it’s not just me who has liked this film. It’s proved itself as a heart-warming crowd pleaser.

The story centres on a mischievous 10-year-old boy named Ahlo who has been blamed for his family’s bad luck since the day he was born. The reason? Ahlo was born a twin. The tribal belief is that twins carry a curse and while the other baby did not survive childbirth, Ahlo’s grandmother still looks down on him. She’s also quick to point the finger when the family is forced by the government to leave their long-held home to make room for a new dam. This is Ahlo’s fault.

The family try to find a new home but with next-to-no money, they are continually made to feel unwelcome at the villages they come across. Ahlo is determined to prove himself though. He’s tired of being the family’s “curse” and wants to show everyone that a determined, hard-working kid with a lot to offer… including a little good luck!

Having been subjected to a barrage of reboots, remakes and sequels over the past few months, many of the comic book related, The Rocket comes along like a breath of fresh air. It has a great story to tell and subtly mixes the comedic and dramatic genres. Some moments will leave you smiling. Other moments will leave you on the edge of your seat.

The leading role, youngster Sitthiphon Disamoe is wonderfully loveable as Ahlo. He had no prior acting experience but after a lengthy casting process, Mordaunt was drawn to his energetic personality and his personal background – Disamoe was a kid living on the streets of Laos and selling candy to survive. He acts like a 10-year-old too – something we don’t often see in Hollywood movies where the dialogue is so scripted that all kids talk like mature adults.

There’s always debate in Australia about what kind of films we should make in this country. We often try to make films that promote our heritage, our culture and our unique sense of humour. I’m not questioning that methodology but movies like The Rocket highlight that there are people outside of our borders and they too have stories to share. The idea of an Aussie film shot in Laos might have been a tough sell to investors but the end results speak for themselves. It’s one of this country’s best films in recent years.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 August 2013

In Australia, some have concerns about the growing number of refugees and asylum seekers. In the United States, some have concerns about whether basic medical coverage should be provided by the government. Across the globe, some have concerns about economic inequality and the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

Don’t expect these issues to be addressed in our lifetime… at least according to writer-director Neill Blomkamp (District 9). Elysium is set in the year 2154 and paints a bleak, depressing view of our future. The planet has become overpopulated and riddled with disease. With its run-down buildings and make-shift shanty towns, Los Angeles now resembles a Third World city.

Not everyone is doing it tough, however. A giant satellite, known as Elysium, has been orbiting the planet for several decades. Put simply – it is paradise. Complete with clean air and an artificial atmosphere, Elysium’s citizens have everything they could ever need – luxurious mansions, spacious parklands, unlimited food and revolutionary medical care. It is home to the thousands of families… who can afford it.

The film’s central character is Max (Damon) – a broke ex-con on a desperate quest to survive. After being exposed to radiation in his not-so-safe workplace, Max is given less than a week to live. As the saying goes – “beware of the man who has nothing to lose”. Knowing his only chance is to access the life-saving medical machines on Elysium, Max will do whatever he can, rightly or wrongly, to secure a shuttle ticket.

Avoiding a simple “Max versus the world” type storyline, Blomkamp offers more of a challenge with several subplots running concurrently. All of the characters are looking to shake up the current “system” and make a better life for themselves but they have different ideas, different motivations.

On one hand, there’s Elysium’s power-hungry Secretary of Defence (Foster) who is unhappy with the community’s loose border protection policies. With the help of a financially-driven businessman (Fichtner) and a violence-driven sleeper agent (Copley), she wants to cure Elysium’s “political sickness” and overthrow the government.

On the other hand, there is an Earth-based group of revolutionaries looking to shift the class warfare scales. They’re somewhat self-interested (money, money, money) but they want to infiltrate Elysium and make sure it’s technology is accessible by all as opposed to the privileged few.

Blomkamp’s approach reminded me of films such as Blood Diamond and Green Zone. He’s trying to make a statement about certain political / social issues but to make it more palatable, it’s been packaged as part of a Hollywood-style action film.

Elysium is too action-heavy in its second half and the ending is a little too simplistic. With so many subplots and so many issues to explore, it was always going to be difficult to resolve them sufficiently inside of two hours. Some messages get lost.

Still, the film is to be commended for its thought provoking premise – something we haven’t seen in many films over the U.S. summer. It also provides us with an interesting, metaphoric look into the future. The technology is hard to wrap your head around, evidenced by Matt Damon’s robotic limbs and the concept of a human “data heist”, but you will be wondering how much of this could become reality.

Elysium is not as creative or engaging as Neil Blomkamp’s feature debut, District 9, but this follow up solidifies his reputation as a visionary filmmaker who is prepared to take chances and think outside of the box. Not bad for a 33-year-old.

You can watch my chat with star Matt Damon right here...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20OfO2ohIvc

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 August 2013

Vampires, werewolves, witches and warlocks. Straight love, gay love and unrequited love. Hidden buildings, hidden people and hidden objects. There’s a lot going on in The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones… and I can’t help but feel this film has been made for fans of Cassandra Clare’s novel. With a strong understanding of the backstory and the characters, they can simply sit back and enjoy this translation to the big screen.

For everyone else… well, it may be a struggle. There are some interesting ideas and concepts within this fantasy world but they don’t come through clearly enough, despite the 130 minute duration. I had similar thoughts about Beautiful Creatures – another film trying to kick start a new franchise and tap into the Twilight demographic (i.e. younger females).

To put it simply, largely because I can’t quite get my head around the detail, The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones centres on a teenage girl named Clary (Collins). She can see what others can’t – another world that goes on around us. It’s filled with nasty creatures but the good guys, known as shadowhunters, are keeping them under control.

However, the balance of power is shifting. For centuries, the shadowhunters have controlled a special cup that can be used to transform ordinary people into their kind. It is crucial in ensuring they have sufficient numbers to defeat their adversaries. The cup is now missing. Clary’s mother is the only person who knows it’s location but she has been kidnapped by Valentine (Rhys Meyers), a rogue shadowhunter who wants to use the cup for his own sinister purposes.

The film’s most frustrating element is the number of subplots that aren’t sufficiently resolved. There’s a rushed, too-much-going on-at-once action finale that leaves too many loose ends. For example, one character is bitten by a vampire and we’re shown the two bite marks on his arm. Does anything come of it? Strangely not. I can only assume that all will be revealed in the inevitable sequel.

Those looking for romance might be entertained by the intriguing love quadrangle. Clary falls in love with a young, self-serving shadowhunter named Jace (Campbell Bower). This irks Simon (Sheehan), Clary’s best friend who has had a crush on her for years but has never fessed up, and Alec (Zegers), a gay shadowhunter who has a soft spot for Jace. Again, this is a subplot with potential but it’s not explored deeply enough. It’s a shame we see so little of Alec. He’s an interesting character so why not use him?

I’d happily watch future films in this series. There’s potential. I’d just ask that next time around, we get a little more background and a few more answers.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 08 August 2013

In Alexander Payne’s Sideways, released back in 2005, Virginia Madsen asks Paul Giamatti why he hasn’t yet opened his bottle of a 1961 Cheval Blanc. He responds by saying that he’s waiting for a special occasion with the right person. I’ve never forgotten her retort – “the day you open a ’61 Cheval Blanc… that’s the special occasion”.

Red Obsession is an Australian-made documentary that begins by illustrating our fixation with a great bottle of wine. Those professing their love on camera include British broadcaster Michael Parkinson and American film director Francis Ford Coppola.

When it comes to red wine, there’s one part of the world that has been respected for more than 2,000 years – the Bordeaux region in western France. When you hear the vineyard managers use phrases like “bringing love to the wine”, you get a strong sense of their passion and devotion. You might also think they’re a little crazy.

With the background established, Red Obsession reveals its true focus. This isn’t a film about wine. Rather, it’s a film about economics. We learn that over the past 30 years, wine has been transformed from a drink… into an investment. Prices have skyrocketed and some savvy investors have made more money through wine trading than their counterparts on the stock market. Some bottles of wine are now considered too valuable to drink!

This is textbook example of what all budding economics students are taught in their first year – supply and demand. Supply will always be limited. Even with a season of ideal rainfall and perfect temperatures, there’s only so much wine that can be produced.

As for demand, it’s rapidly increasing. China’s economy has grown at obscene rates in recent years and so too has their interest in luxury goods. They are now the world’s biggest importer of wine from the Bordeaux region. There’s a humorous scene where a group of Chinese wine critics are running to get a seat after the doors are opened at an important wine tasting exhibition. It’s like watching teenage girls at a One Direction concert.

Like any good documentary, Red Obsession provides much food for thought. Will demand continue to increase in China and if so, how will it be met? Are fast-rising prices good for the industry in the long-term? Do we want to reach a point where the top Bordeaux wines can only be afforded by multi-millionaires? What about the effect of the growing counterfeit market?

The film also makes some interesting points about the role of wine critics, the significance of brand name recognition, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the cultural revolution that has enveloped China. Australian directors David Roach and Warwick Ross are to be commended on the wide breath of material they have covered in the tight 75 minute running time.

With the added star power of Russell Crowe, who serves as the film’s narrator, Red Obsession premiered at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival back in February. Two months later, it screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York where host Robert De Niro named it as one of his favourite films. Who'd have thought a film combining red wine with economics could be so informative and entertaining? Red Obsession is one of the year’s best documentaries.

You can read my interview with director Warwick Ross by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 August 2013

Kick-Ass 2 pushes the boundaries further than we’ve ever seen before. I’m not referring to the film’s violence but rather, to the character’s names. We’re already familiar with Kick-Ass (no issue there) but it could be hard making reference to Night Bitch and The Motherfucker when critiquing the film on ABC Radio. Oh, and there’s also the name given to the collective of bad guys – the Toxic Mega Cunts.

The original Kick-Ass, released in Australia back in April 2010, was a fun film. Many would agree. It had a strong, intricate plot and took the superhero genre in a slightly different direction. Instead of focusing on heroes with super powers or million-dollar gadgets, we followed ordinary folk who just wanted to put on a costume and make the world a better place.

Kick-Ass 2 tries to replicate that same amusing formula by introducing a bunch of new characters. The good guys are once again guided by teenagers Kick-Ass (Taylor-Johnson) and Hit-Girl (Grace Moretz) but they’ve been joined by other wanna-be heroes who want to clean up the streets. The most notable is an ex-mafia enforcer known as Captain Stars & Stripes (Carrey).

Most bad guys have some kind of fiendish plan to steal money, seize power or destroy the world. Not this lot. After his father was killed at the end of the first film, Chris D’Amico (Mintz-Plasse), now known as The Motherfucker, simply wants revenge. With the help of his father’s inheritance, he’s been able to assemble a muscle-heavy team of villains to get the job done.

Jim Carrey gave Kick-Ass 2 some good / bad publicity (take your pick) when he announced that, despite starring in the film, he wouldn’t be doing any promotional interviews. He felt he could no longer condone heavy violence in movies following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in October 2012 (where 20 children and 6 adults were killed by a single assailant). I guess we won’t be seeing Carrey in a Quentin Tarantino film any time soon.

Those at the Australian Classification Board (ACB) didn’t seem to have as big an issue as Jim Carrey. The film has been rated MA and so is accessible to anyone who has made it to their 15^th birthday. They only warn it contains “strong violence, coarse language and sexual references”.

The “strong violence” tag has already been attached to a dozen releases in 2013 (including Django Unchained, The Place Beyond The Pines, Pain & Gain) and I’d agree with the ACB in that, while the film does have its fair share of violence, it’s no worse than what we’ve seen many times already this year.

That said, the way the violence is used feels a little askew. The “good guys” have a mantra that they try to use as little force as possible when apprehending the “bad guys”. Captain Stars & Stripes likes to threaten people with his gun but DON’T WORRY EVERYONE – it’s not loaded so it’s ok. I was also unsure as to why Hit-Girl picked a fight with a petty thief and then proceeded to cut his arm off. Was it really necessary? Did her guardian (Chestnut), who is actually a police officer, not have a problem with this?

Writer-director Jeff Wadlow (Never Back Down) has missed a great opportunity to illustrate the very thin line that often separates heroes and villains. It seems a perfect fit for the film’s premise and the way that ordinary people, under the guise of a mask, take justice into their own hands. Are Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl doing the right thing?

Instead, Kick-Ass 2 is very black and white. The good guys get a “free pass” for their indiscretions and the bad guys are portrayed as sick monsters. This vibe comes through strongest during the film’s convoluted action finale. I’d also question a rape joke (you’ll know what I’m talking about) that is in extremely poor taste.

Unsure what it wants to say, Kick-Ass 2 is a forgettable action flick with just an occasional splattering of humour.