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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 November 2010

So who is this American?  It seems that only a few people know the answer.  Jack (Clooney) is a highly paid assassin who keeps a low profile.  You’ll realise early on that he’s the consummate professional – he takes his time and goes about his assignments with the utmost skill.

Unfortunately, his cover has been blown.  Jack was attacked at his hideout in Sweden and he narrowly escaped with his life.  He’s now fled to Italy and the small town of Castel del Monte.  His employer has strongly suggested that he stay there for a while.  To help pass the time, he’s been left a small task – to put together a sniper rifle for the use of another assassin.

Under the guise that he’s a simple photographer passing through town, Jack makes two new friends.  The first is the local priest (Bonacelli) who has a sense that Jack isn’t who he appears to be.  The second is a prostitute (Placido) who finds herself easily won over by Jack’s class and charm.

This is an impressible shot film from director Anton Corbjin (Control).  It’s the kind of film that I’d be usually jumping up and down about – where the visuals do the talking as opposed to the dialogue.  There’s an aura of mystery about all the characters and you’ve got to wait patiently for more details to be revealed.

My problem however was with the screenplay.  There were many moments which left me wondering why Jack’s actions (and those of others) weren’t attracting more attention.  There’s a car chase which I’ll sight as an example.  I also disliked the ending.  A predictable plot twist was followed by a melodramatic finale.  It felt out of place with the rest of the film.

It may boast the star power of George Clooney but The American isn’t a film for everyone.  I had a healthy debate with a couple of friends (both who liked it) after I saw it at the Brisbane International Film Festival.  It deserves credit for its style but the holes in the screenplay were too hard for me to ignore.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 October 2010

The original Paranormal Activity wasn’t an overnight sensation.  It first screened back in October 2007 at the Screamfest Film Festival.  Dreamworks picked up the film in 2008 for the relatively cheap price of $350,000 and planned a direct to DVD release.

That strategy soon changed.  There was talk of a big-budget remake but in the end, Paramount Pictures (who had bought the rights from Dreamworks) decided to give it a small release in cinemas.   It opened on 25 September 2009 in just 12 theatres.  It took in a mere $77,000 over its first weekend.

Word of mouth began to spread.  By the end of week 5, it had risen to the top of the U.S. box-office with a weekend gross of $21.1m.  By the end of week 8, it was being shown on 2,712 different screens.  By the end of week 14, it had finished up with total takings of $107.7m.  Some were calling it the most profitable movie ever made (in terms of return on investment).

I’m making reference to these facts because Paramount has gone with a very different strategy for the release of Paranormal Activity 2.  There have been no preview screenings (not even for critics) anywhere in the world.  I was told by the studio that they wanted to “avoid any plot leaks”.  I’m often suspicious when films are not previewed (they’re often bad) but went along with their justification.

This brings us to where we are now.  Tonight, I went along to the first screening of Paranormal Activity 2 on opening night here in Australia.  I knew that to get the most out of a film like this, I needed to (1) see it at night and (2) see it in a packed cinema.  I’d ticked both boxes.  That said, I was somewhat annoyed by the young crowd who had fun laughing / making stupid noises at inappropriate times.  I’ve experienced similar reactions at other horror films.  Apparently, today’s teenagers think it’s “cool” to disrupt the suspense.

I’m not here to sound like an angry old man however.  I’m here to critique this movie.  My verdict is mixed.  There are a few “jump out of your seat” moments but when you break it down, it’s just a simple rehash of the original.  My high expectations couldn’t be met this time around.  I wanted something more.

I won’t reveal too much about the premise because yes, I agree that the less you know the better.  If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll know it centres on a family living in a large mansion.  They come home one afternoon to find the home ransacked.  Nothing appears to have been stolen but almost every piece of furniture has been upturned.  Worried about his family’s safety, the father organises the installation of 7 security cameras around the house.  It is these cameras (along with a handheld camera owned by the daughter) that provide the images we see on screen.

Whilst Paranormal Activity 2 isn’t as suspenseful as I’d hoped, I still admire its style.  It’s hard not to feel a slight tingle down your spine when you’re watching these grainy images on screen with no soundtrack.  You know something’s going to happen but you have to sit in your seat and impatiently wait for it.  It’s a lot scarier than the recent wave of slasher remakes (ala A Nightmare On Elm Street and Friday The 13^th).

Will we see more in the Paranormal Activity series?  I suspect so.  It’s a cheap franchise that is almost guaranteed to make money.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 November 2010

If you like your “hit man” movies, it’s a good time to be going to the cinemas in Australia this week.  George Clooney is offering a dramatic version in The American.  Bill Nighy is offering a comedic version in Wild Target.  Which one is worth seeing?  The answer depends on which is your preferred genre.

In Wild Target, Nighy plays Victor Maynard, the best hit man in the business.  He never makes a false move and always gets the job done.  His mother (Atkins) is very proud.  As a birthday gift, she gives him a scrapbook filled with newspaper articles.  Each article details the deaths that he was responsible for.  She’s left a few blank pages at the end too – hoping that his great record will continue.

Unfortunately, Maynard is about to make his first big mistake.  He falls in love with a girl.  Her name is Rose (Blunt) and despite being given orders to kill her, Maynard can’t go through with it.  This leaves both of their lives in danger.  Maynard’s employer has brought in some fresh assassins to kill them both.

Along for the ride is a young guy named Tony (Grint).  Maynard has taken Tony under his wing and is grooming him as a protégé.  He’s got to learn however.  Who’d have known there are so many different ways to strangle someone?

Wild Target begins well enough and there are more than a few jokes to chuckle about.  Bill Nighy nabs most of the laughs with his suave, sarcastic, sophisticated character.  It reminded of his standout performance in The Boat That Rocked.  Rupert Grint isn’t too bad either.  I was less impressed with Emily Blunt – I found her character’s stupidity more annoying than endearing.

The humour tends to dry up in the second half and the film stumbles home with a fairly predictable ending.  I was hoping for something a little more adventurous.  The English generally do it best when it comes to comedy but this is a few notches below what you might expect.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 18 October 2010

In 2001, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck helped produce a reality television show in the United States called Project Greenlight.  It was a contest to find the best screenplay and then turn it into a movie.  More than 7,000 scripts were submitted.  It’s sure proof of just how many people are looking to break into the industry.

The show came to Australia in 2005 with similar intentions.  The judges sifted through more than 1,200 entries and it came down to a choice between two.  Who would take the $1,000,000 prize?  Unfortunately for Richard Gray, it was not his time.  His screenplay for Summer Coda finished as the unlucky runner-up.  It was Solo (written by Morgan O’Neill) that won the cash.

Ah, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.  Over the past few years, Gray has worked hard to get this film off the ground.  Government funding wasn’t forthcoming and so he went in search of private investors.  The pieces of the puzzle finally came together.  He had a more refined script.  He had a better cast.  He had the latest technology.  Most importantly, he had the money.

Summer Coda begins as a road movie.  Heidi (Rachael Taylor) has returned to Australia from the United States following the death of her estranged father.  She’s not sure if she wants to attend the funeral but she’s made the trip anyway.  It’s a chance to close this chapter of her life.

With next-to-no cash, Heidi hitches a ride to her father’s country home.  The guy who picks her up is Michael (Dimitriades), the owner of an orange orchard in Mildura.  Very little conversation is shared between the two.  You get the sense that both have a lot on their mind.  They’re keeping their cards close to their chest.

Things open up in the second half of the film however.  Following the funeral, Heidi spends a few days with Michael on his orchard.  The picking season has just begun and the place has been brought to life by a small team of back-packers looking to make some money.  They work hard during the day and then spend the night drinking and socialising.

It took me a little while to warm to the story but once I got to know these two characters, I really enjoyed this film.  It seems that Heidi has fallen in love with Michael and his relaxing lifestyle but how long can it last?  Heidi knows she must return to the U.S. in a few days.  Will this be a similar summer romance?  Or is it something a lot deeper?

What struck me most about Summer Coda were its visuals.  I’ve never harnessed a desire to visit Mildura but that’s changed thanks to the beautiful cinematography of Greg De Marigny.  It’s hard to believe that it wasn’t shot using traditional 35mm film.  Instead, Richard Gray has used the latest in digital technology to create a film which looks very impressive on the big screen.

A few characters seem unnecessary (such as Jackie Weaver) and I wasn’t convinced by the ending but on the whole, Summer Coda is a nice Aussie drama.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 October 2010

How can we go weeks without a decent movie and then have two released in the same week?  The Social Network is likely to dominate the box-office this weekend but there’s another great film which is quietly slipping into Australian cinemas.

A lot has been achieved in terms of women’s rights over the past few decades.  You only have to watch a few episodes of the great television show Mad Men to see what life was like in the 1960s for females in the workforce.

Set in 1968 and based on actual events, Made In Dagenham centres on a group of women who have suddenly found themselves at the forefront in the battle for workplace equality.  They work as sewing machinists at the Ford plant in Dagenham, London.  It’s their job to sew the fabric which is used for seat covers and the interior lining on Ford’s newly made cars.

Having recently been classified as “unskilled” by the company, these women have decided to take a stand.  They’re tired of being paid on the lowest pay scale.  They’ve raised their concerns with union representatives and have decided to go on strike.  Their demands are simple – they want to be classified as “semi-skilled” and they want equal pay for both men and women.

What I enjoyed about this film was the many different angles from which the story is explored.  We get to know the women and understand why they have been forced to take action.  We follow the top executives within Ford and hear their strong arguments against change.  We see the unions caught in the middle – wanting to help these ladies whilst ensuring that the jobs of the male employees are not jeopardised.  We discover what part the government played in breaking the stalemate.

The list of strong performances is headed by the likeable Sally Hawkins.  I will always remember her as the bubbly school teacher in Mike Leigh’s brilliant Happy-Go-Lucky (included in my top 10 list of 2008).  It was a role which won Hawkins a Golden Globe award.  This is her most high profile role since Leigh’s film and highlights her diversity as an actress.  She plays Rita O’Grady – a happy married mother who reluctantly finds herself leading the machinists’ fight.  It’s a fight that will take its toll both on her family and her friends.

With more than a few laughs thrown in, Made In Dagenham is a warm-hearted drama that will satisfy most.