Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 October 2013

The Butler is the story of Cecil Gaines (Whitaker) – an African-American who worked as a butler at the White House for 34 years. He would polish the expensive cutlery, he would make tea in the Oval Office and he would serve foreign dignitaries at state dinners. Working for 8 different presidents, from Eisenhower in 1957 through to Reagan in 1984, Gaines had a front-row seat to an important time in America’s history.

It’s important to note that this is a fictional drama and not a biopic. There is no real Cecil Gaines. Don’t go home after you’ve left the cinema to find out more about him. Gaines is the creation of screenwriter Danny Strong (Recount, Game Change) who drew his inspiration from the true story of Eugene Allen – a man who was a butler at the White House for 34 years. A few anecdotes from Allen’s life have been used in the film but for the most part, this is a work of fiction.

My concern with this film is that it’s trying to squeeze too much into its 132 minute running time. With so many actors and so many subplots, it felt like I was watching a rushed chronology of civil rights events than an engaging, character-driven story (like we saw in 2011’s The Help). A friend of mine summed it up best when he thought this would work better as a mini-series. I could even picture it as a West Wing style drama.

There’s a catchy line in the movie – “everything you are and everything you have is because of that butler” – but I struggled to come up with that same conclusion from the film’s content. Not enough time is spent examining the interaction between Gaines and each president. We get quick, fragmented scenes that feel scripted and a little cheesy. For example, there’s a moment where a drunk Richard Nixon (Cusack) tells Gaines that he won’t be resigning in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal.

The Butler seems to spend more time away from the White House and exploring Gaines’ relationships with his wife, Gloria (Winfrey), and his son, Louis (Oyelowo). I say that as a positive because this is where the film works. Gaines enjoys his job and realises its importance… but is it worth the sacrifice of spending no time at home and losing touch with his family? The fact that Louis has been jailed several times for participating in civil rights protests only adds to his troubles.

The performances from the three leading actors are all strong – Forest Whitaker, David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey (in her first screen role in 15 years). Director Lee Daniels (Precious) has also been able to find a heavyweight supporting cast with the likes of Robin Williams, James Marsden and Alan Rickman all playing presidents (some are more convincing than others). Deserving the most credit are the make up artists. They’ve done a great job recreating these historical figures and also aging the main cast across five decades.

It’s got the thumbs up from Barack Obama who admitted to “tearing up” and it’s pulled in more than $100m at the box-office in the United States but for me, The Butler covers too much, too quickly.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 October 2013

Two very young girls are missing. While their respective families were getting ready for a Thanksgiving dinner, they wandered out onto the street and disappeared without a trace. Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) is the man responsible for the investigation. He’s not one of those charismatic, razor-sharp cops that we see in television shows. Loki comes across as a tired, unmotivated individual. His hair is unwashed and his constant blinking suggests he’s in desperate need of a good night’s sleep.

He’s the film’s most interesting character and it’s a great performance from Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Zodiac). Loki doesn’t fit the mould of your typical “hero”. He likes to keep to himself and isn’t much of a conversationalist. You could even describe him as boring. He’s not perfect either. While he’s doing enough to pass his annual performance appraisal, Loki does make the occasional error in judgement and does struggle to stay motivated.

Can he put the pieces of this puzzle together and solve the case? Well, screenwriter Aaron Guzikowski (Contraband) and director Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) are going to make it as difficult as possible. They’ve put together a two and half hour film with plenty of twists to keep the audience guessing. Some are believable. Others don’t make a lot of sense (and imply gross incompetence on the part of the police force).

One person who should be assisting Detective Loki is Keller Dover (Jackman), the father of the one of the missing girls. Unfortunately, the trauma of the moment has clouded Keller’s sense of right and wrong. He’s already made up his mind about who’s responsible. A strange looking guy by the name of Alex Jones (Dano) was seen close to the house at the time of the girls’ disappearance. The police can’t find any evidence against Alex (they’ve searched his house, his caravan) but Keller remains convinced.

Instead of leaving the investigation to the authorities, Keller decides to take matters into his own hands. He kidnaps Alex Jones and takes him to an abandoned building in a rundown neighbourhood. Suffice to say it’s not for a friendly chat. Keller is going to use torture against Alex until he confesses to the crime and reveals the location of this daughter.

I liked the idea of this “vigilante justice” subplot. It creates greyness. Keller is clearly acting outside the boundaries of the law… but does the end justify the means? Disappointingly, the film doesn’t explore the risks and the consequences strongly enough. It also goes down some silly paths in the second half (without giving too much away) that avoid the tough moral quandaries. We’re left with a drawn-out, unnecessarily complex thriller.

Meh, what do I know? The film took 3^rd prize (as judged by the audience) at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival last month (behind 12 Years A Slave and Philomena) and has comfortably clawed back its $46m budget at the U.S. box-office. My lukewarm opinion leaves me in the minority. Prisoners held my attention but with a little more credibility, this could have been something far more thrilling.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 23 October 2013

In April 2009, a small group of Somali pirates attacked a large cargo ship travelling from Oman to Kenya. Piracy was prevalent in the area at the time but this particular incident made headline news in the United States. Why? The Captain of the ship was Richard Phillips, an American citizen, who was kidnapped as part of the attack and held for ransom by the pirates.

Amongst the masses, director Paul Greengrass is more widely known for The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. They collectively pulled in more than $700 million at the international box-office and transformed Matt Damon into a believable action hero.

I’m a fan of Greengrass not so much for the Bourne movies (although they’re still very good) but rather, the way in which he can take a true story and turn into a captivating thriller. His movies never feel like a re-enactment. They feel more like an actual documentary thanks to credible dialogue and the use of hand-held cameras.

Bloody Sunday (2002) recounted the 1972 death of 13 protestors while marching against internment laws in Northern Ireland. United 93 (2006) provided a perspective on the hijacking of a United Airlines flight on 11 September 2001. Green Zone (2010) was based on an autobiographical novel and followed a U.S. Army soldier looking for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq following the war. They’re all great films. Do check them out if you haven’t already.

Captain Phillips can be added to that list and it’s another sharp, well-polished film from Paul Greengrass. There has been a little controversy surrounding the film with several crew members from the cargo ship claiming that it doesn’t provide a realistic depiction of events. They believe that Richard Phillips was a reckless Captain and they’re actually suing the cargo company for putting their lives in jeopardy.

Greengrass has responded by stating that this project was thoroughly researched. He spoke with 19 of the 20 crew members aboard the ship. He spoke with all of the U.S. military who played a key role in the rescue. He learned more about the pirates and their lives in Somali. While he acknowledges that not every single event can be covered in a two hour movie, he strongly believes what‘s included in the film is factually correct. I believe him.

The movie takes a little while to warm up as there are the obligatory scenes that provide some background information on Captain Phillips and the Somali pirates. An equal amount of time is spent following them both – this isn’t Phillips centric. The remainder of the film, from the start of the hijacking to its dramatic finale, is riveting. The tension keeps building and for those unfamiliar with the story (myself included), you’ll be burning with curiosity to see how it all unfolds.

Tom Hanks gives a worthy performance as Richard Phillips. He portrays the Captain as a smart guy who uses his extensive training to try to outsmart the pirates and give his crew the upper hand. He’s still human though and as the length of the hijacking drags out, you see the stress start to take its toll. Also picking up praise, deservedly so, is newcomer Barkhad Abdi – a Somali-American actor who plays the lead pirate.

We often joke about pirates (my birthday always falls on International Talk Like A Pirate Day) but Captain Phillips is not only a gripping thriller but also an eye-opener into piracy that still exists today. We understand the pirates’ motivation and learn about their tricky techniques. We also see what can be done by a ship’s crew to combat their attacks. I can’t see too many people being disappointed with the complete package that is Captain Phillips.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 October 2013

He was born in Wellington, New Zealand but the name Richard Curtis is now synonymous with British comedies. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he was a writer on two successful television series that are still highly regarded today – Black Adder and Mr. Bean. His focus then shifted to film and in particular, the romantic comedy genre. Curtis’s writing credits include Four Weddings & A Funeral (which earned him an Oscar nomination), Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually.

About Time is his latest effort and it brings together two likeable leads. Canadian Rachel McAdams is no stranger to romance having appeared in Wedding Crashers, The Notebook and Sherlock Holmes. Irishman Domnhall Gleeson won’t be as well known. He’s the son of Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges, The Guard) and has a history of small supporting roles in films such as True Grit, Anna Karenina and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.

Their respective characters, named Tim and Mary, meet in unusual circumstances. There’s a restaurant in London that operates in complete darkness. You cannot see a thing. You are guided to your table by the waiter and you do your best to take a seat without falling over. So what’s on the menu? Well, since you won’t be able to read it, you’ll just have to wait until you put the food in your mouth. If you like the idea, you’ll be happy to know that such a restaurant actually exists in London (make sure you book ahead at the Dans le noir).

Tim and Mary aren’t there together though. They’re sitting at adjoining tables and by chance, start up a conversation during the middle of their evening. There’s an obvious connection and the pair share a similar sense of humour. The trick is… they don’t know what each other looks like! It’s not until the end of the night, when they leave through the front door and stand on the footpath, that their sense of sight is finally utilised.

A relationship promptly ensues and it’s at this point that I should reveal this film’s important hook – Tim has the ability to travel back in time. He is given the news by his laidback father (Nighy) on his 21^st birthday. There are certain limitations however. Only small events can be changed due to the risks of the “butterfly effect.” Tim’s dad sums it up best – “you can can’t kill Hitler or shag Helen of Troy.”

It’s still a very useful power, as you can imagine. Tim tends to be rather nervous, clumsy and so the ability to slip back in time gives him a “second chance” when things don’t quite go right. This is epitomised by their first sexual encounter which leaves Tim hugely embarrassed. Not too worry. Let’s just try it again. The same goes for an impromptu visit from Mary’s parents where Tim’s foot seems permanently stuck in his mouth.

If you’re prepared to “go along” with the time travel story and not get too picky about specifics, you’re likely to enjoy About Time. There’s a clear, warm-hearted message that comes through during the film’s third act that asks the question – what is your idea of a perfect day? The nervous, insecure Gleeson and the sweet, level-headed McAdams make a nice pair. Bill Nighy (The Boat That Rocked, Hot Fuzz) is also terrific – doing what he does and stealing any scene that he can weave his way into.

Sitting with a healthy 7.6 out of 10 average from the public on the Internet Movie Database, it’s not just me who thinks that About Time is an above average romantic comedy.

You can read my chat with writer-director Richard Curtis by clicking here.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 October 2013

Blancanieves (pronounced blan-ca-nie-ves) is a Spanish black-and-white silent film. Put your hands up if you’ve seen one of those lately. While I realise this film isn’t going to attract the mainstream Transformers-loving crowd, it’s fantastic to see it getting a limited release here in Australia. Perhaps cinema managers are slightly more optimistic after the success of The Artist – the French black-and-white silent film that won the best picture Oscar back in early 2012.

It’s a story we’ve heard before but Blancanieves tries to put a “modern” spin on the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, Snow White. It’s set in the early part of the 20^th century and begins by introducing us to Antonio Villalta (Gavira), a renowned bull fighter who regularly performs in front of huge, adoring crowds. Life is good for Antonio. He has fame, he has fortune and he has a beautiful wife.

Unfortunately, his life is about to take several tragic turns. Antonio is left a quadriplegic after being savagely gored by a bull. Moments later, his wife dies during childbirth leaving him on his own with an infant daughter, Carmencita. It gets worse. Looking for someone to help him take care of Carmencita moving forward, he is tricked into marrying Encarna (Verdú), a selfish young nurse who is only interested in Antonio for his money.

Carmencita endures a traumatic childhood at the hands of her villainous step-mother. She is forced to sleep in a filthy rock cabin that is kept separate from the main mansion. She isn’t allowed to eat inside the house and she is prohibited from interacting with her father. Such an upbringing might be too difficult for some… but Carmencita draws on her inner strength and is determined to prove that her life is worth something. Teaming up with a group of short-statured bull fighters, she wants to follow in her father’s footsteps and restore the family’s proud legacy.

Writer-director Pablo Berger admitted he was a little upset when he first heard about The Artist screening at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival to huge acclaim. He’d been working on the idea of reinvigorating the silent film genre only to be trumped by French director Michel Hazanavicius who’d snuck in just before him.

Thankfully, there are a lot of cinemas across the globe and there’s certainly room for more than one black and white silent movie. Blancanieves went on to claim 10 Goya Awards (the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards) including a win for best picture. It edged out Juan Antonio Bayona’s The Impossible – the 2004 tsunami film with Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.

This is a beautiful film to watch. I’m not saying that all films should be “silent” but it’s refreshing to watch a movie where you focus more on visuals as opposed to words. You try to gauge how a character is feeling from their gestures and facial expressions. It makes you realise how over-reliant we can sometimes be when it comes to dialogue. Maribel Verdú took the best actress prize at the Goya Awards and it’s easy to see why. We don’t hear her say a thing… but she’ll still get under your skin as the vain, egotistical step-mother.

I’m also a fan of the adaptation. We’ve seen fairy tales transformed into action flicks (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Snow White & The Huntsman) but this is more creative. There are some nice touches (such as the dwarves) and it preserves the emotion of the original story. Pablo Berger is also to be applauded for the setting. To tie in with the black and white silent movie theme, I like the approach of using 1920s Spain and capturing the country’s love for bull fighting.

Just prior to his death in April, iconic film critic Roger Ebert selected Blancanieves to screen at his annual Overlooked Film Festival in Illinois. He realised this was a wonderful film and he wanted it seen and appreciated by a much wider audience. Take his advice and don’t miss the chance to see it while it screens here in Australia.