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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 September 2009

500 Days Of Summer is a creativity told tale about two people who fall in and out of love.  Tom Hansen and Summer Finn are played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Mysterious Skin) and Zooey Deschanel (Yes Man), two of the best twenty-something actors working in Hollywood today.  They aren’t afraid to take a chance and I can see why they were attracted to this low-budget independent film.

There are a few reasons why this is above your average romantic comedy/drama.  What I enjoyed most was the way in which director Marc Webb tells the story and illustrates the ups and down of any romance.  It is told over 500 days but not in chronological order.  We start on day 1, finish on day 500, but everything in between is jumbled… for good reason.

This method gives the film a hip, fresh feel.  When I usually watch a romantic flick, I become bored by the fact that it’s so predictable.  I sit in my seat, waiting for the inevitable.  Not so here.  It was nice to watch a movie that leaves you asking questions at the start – like why did they break up? – and then provides the answers in an inventive manner. It’s no surprise that 500 Days Of Summer has developed a cult like following and currently sits in the top 250 films of all time on the Internet Movie Database.

Also a little different is the relationship between Tom and Summer.  It’s usually the girl who falls in love and the guy who has the fear of commitment.  It’s the complete opposite this time around.  From the day he first sees her, Tom is head over heels.  Summer isn’t as enthusiastic and states straight up that she doesn’t believe in love and just wants to be friends.  Either way, something’s got to give.

This is a well made film from director Marc Webb.  He has captured some beautiful shots of Los Angeles and used a great soundtrack.  I don’t want to overlook some of the smaller details either.  Tom works as a greeting card writer and you’ll see what effect his relationship has on his work when you hear some of his card ideas.

I thought the ending was slightly anti-climactic but this is still a terrific movie.  Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel make a great pairing and I can’t wait to see it again.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 31 August 2009

The pair strike up a conversation and Steve learns that this man’s name is Nathaniel Ayers (Foxx).  Nathaniel speaks quickly, often incoherently.  There’s something a little odd about him.  It’s an off the cuff comment that grabs Steve’s attention.  Nathaniel mentions that he attended the Julliard School, one of the most prestigious musical colleges in the United States.  This gives Steve a story.  Why is such a talented cellist living as a bum on the streets of Los Angeles?

His investigations reveal that Nathaniel suffers from schizophrenia.  It was a condition that gripped him late in his teen years.  He has trouble dealing with people and pushes them away, even when they're trying to help.

What initially began as a human interest story will become an enduring friendship.  Steve’s life seemingly stops.  I’m not sure why exactly but he's on a pursuit to get Nathaniel’s life back on track.  He thinks he can make things better, by getting Nathaniel medication and an apartment, but he will soon learn that life isn’t that easy.  There are some battles that cannot be won.

This is film is based on actual events and has been brought to the screen by acclaimed director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride & Prejudice).  Right from the opening scenes, I had concerns about the way in which the story is told.  It felt too “preachy” and I didn’t feel much for either of the two characters.  I like both Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr but had trouble picturing both of them in these roles.

I was also puzzled by the flashbacks and why they didn’t tell us more about Nathaniel’s past and the evolution of his disorder.  When the closing credits started rolling, I was left pondering what I supposed to take away from the film.  Was it a film about schizophrenia?  Or was it more about the homeless people living in America?  I don’t know.

There were moments of promise in The Soloist but I admit to feeling let-down given the reputation of the filmmakers.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 September 2009

I guess you could say art is imitating life in that Adam Sandler plays the role of George Simmons.  It’s a character he should be familiar with.  In fact, the opening scenes of the film are old home movie footage of Sandler performing prank phone calls.  These were taken many years ago by director Judd Apatow before Sandler became a household name.

The premise of Funny People is that George is going to die.  He’s been told by his doctor that he has a terminal illness and that there’s very little they can do.  George is prescribed some experimental medicine but advised that it has a less than 10% of making any difference.

As you’d expect, this news comes a huge shock.  It leaves George thinking about his life and all the things he wishes he could have achieved.  His biggest regret is that he let the love of his life slip through his fingers.  Her name Laura (Mann) and despite the fact that she is now married, he would like to win her back.

One of George’s other great loves is stand up comedy.  It’s how he started his career and it’s how he’s decided to finish it.  If he is to return to the comedy club scene, George realises that he needs help.  He needs someone to write some fresh, funny material.  At a local gig, he meets a struggling comedian by the name of Ira Wright (Rogen).  George sees potential in Ira and hires him as his personal assistant.

A rather odd relationship develops between the pair with each becoming reliant on the other.  Yes, they’re using each other for their work but their friendship seems to be more valuable.  George needs someone to confide in about his pain and suffering.  Ira needs someone to give him self-confidence and belief.  They’re a good pair.

There’s a lot to like about the movie and Judd Apatow is one of the hottest filmmakers in the business today.  His credits include The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up.  He also wrote the script for last year’s Pineapple Express.  This is an interesting story – much darker than his earlier works.  The stand up comedy scenes will make you laugh, as will the hilarious cameos.  Keep your eyes peeled for Eminem, Ray Romano, Andy Dick and James Taylor.

That said, this isn’t Apatow’s best film.  It’s too long at 146 minutes and some of the sub-plots were unnecessary.  Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) plays Ira’s flatmate who has a starring role in a network sitcom.  We see clips of it occasionally and even go onto the set.  How this adds anything to the overall story is a mystery to me.

I’m also undecided about the film’s ending.  I hate taking about finales in my reviews (so as not to spoil it for viewers) so I’ll try to be cryptic.  Let’s just say that I’m not sure how I was supposed to feel about the George and Ira characters when the story wrapped up.  Did I like them or not?  I don’t know.

On that note, I’ll sign off and let you decide for yourself whether you wish to be entertained by these funny people.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 August 2009

The reason I’ve referred to Gran Torino is that it reminded me of Charlie & Boots – which I think is a better film.  It opens in exactly the same way.  Charlie (Hogan) is attending the funeral of his wife with whom he’d been married for 40 years.  Following the burial, he shuts himself away at his home.  He closes all the curtains and just lies on the couch.

Boots (Jacobson) is his oldest son and the two have shared a rocky relationship in recent years for reasons which become known mid-way through the film.  Seeing that his dad needs help, he extends the olive branch and takes him on a trip.  They are going to drive from Melbourne to the most northern tip of Australia in Cape York to go fishing.  It is something they’ve both always wanted to do.  Now’s the time to do it.

You could say there are many purposes to the trip.  It’s a chance for Charlie to get out of the house and move on following the death of his wife.  It’s a chance for both Charlie and Boots to heal the rifts that have developed between them.  It’s also a chance to have fun on a good old fashioned road trip.

The pair go through a mix of country towns on their way north and I’m sure audiences will enjoying seeing a few familiar sights.  They see the Giant Koala near Horsham and the famous musical hall in Tamworth.  They even stop in at Tenterfield – a small town in northern New South Wales which I visited myself earlier this month.

I’d describe the film as a comedy but there are elements of drama which give the film a nice balance.  Thankfully, it’s nothing like Paul Hogan’s last comedic effort, Strange Bedfellows with Michael Caton.  Hogan and Jacobson (of Kenny fame) make a good pair and they work well off each other.  I laughed several times through the film and can safely recommend it as a crowd pleaser.

It’s no co-incidence to see Charlie & Boots being released the week before Father’s Day and hopefully that will give it a boost at the local box-office.  It’s a much more believable tale of redemption than that dished up Gran Torino.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 September 2009

Eight years later, Kokkinos’ follow up was The Book Of Revelation.  Just as shocking, it told the tale of a male dancer (played by Tom Long) who was kidnapped and sexually abused by three masked women.  I remember hearing Kokkinos speak about her movie at the 2006 Brisbane International Film Festival but there was nothing she could say to change my perspective.  I hated the film.

And now we return to the current day and age to speak about Kokkinos’ third film – Blessed.  I was a little apprehensive before I saw it but I can now safely report that it’s a very good film.  Not quite as good as Head On but powerful nevertheless.

Her first two films focused on the vulnerability of men but Kokkinos has gone for something different this time around.  Blessed looks at different relationships that children share with their mothers.  It’s based on the play Who’s Afraid Of The Working Class? which was first performed in Melbourne in 1998.

In this cinematic adaptation, the stories of five different families are told.  I won’t go into a lot of detail but suffice to say that they all have their troubles.  The most forceful story is that of a neglectful mother who cannot cope with her two young kids.  Frances O’Connor (Mansfield Park) plays the mum and her passionate performance left me quite shaken by film’s end.  Also great is Miranda Otto (In My Father’s Den) who plays a misguided poker machine addict.

Instead of telling the story in a more conventional manner, the film has been split into two distinct halves.  The first half focuses on the children and the second half focuses on the mothers.  It’s a creative idea but I don’t know if it helps in anyway.  Given that some characters are not developed until well into the movie, it took a while for it to leave an “impact”.  The emotion packed finale is worth the wait though.

Blessed boasts a strong ensemble cast and I must give credit to the younger performers who are all superb.  There’s a memorable conversation early on between a young boy (played by Harrison Gilbertson) and an elderly woman (played by Monica Maughan) that illustrates my point.

With a reflective score from Cezary Skubiszewski (Two Hands), Blessed will probably affect people in different ways.  How you see each character will differ depending on your own upbringing and experiences.  Whatever your thoughts, I see this as yet another top film in a year of outstanding Australian cinema.