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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 June 2006

Michael Newman (Sandler) is a man many of us will relate to.  He is caught up in the contradiction that is work and family.  Michael wants to work hard so that he can provide for his family.  Unfortunately, the more successful he becomes, the less spare time he has to spend with his wife, Donna (Beckinsale) and their two young children.

Frustrated by the number of remote controls in his home, Michael goes in search of a universal remote which will work on any device.  At a large bath and bedding store (don’t ask me why he goes there), Michael meets an eccentric salesman named Morty (Walken) who has such a remote.  This unique remote control is the latest model and isn’t even available for the public.  However, Morty is prepared give it to Michael because he thinks it’s just what he needs.

Later that night, Michael realises its potential.  This remote control not only controls the television but it controls his life.  He can rewind and look back on his childhood.  He can change the language in which he speaks.  He can mute his barking dog.  He can fast-forward through his tiring days in the office.  This invention is fulfilling the ultimate dream.

That is until side effects start developing.  The remote takes on a mind of its own and Michael finds himself unable to control his life.  The ramifications are huge and Michael will soon be wishing that he could return to his regular existence.

Click is a strange film.  From the trailers and television advertisements, I was expecting another silly Adam Sandler comedy.  This is exactly what’s delivered in the first half of the film.  There are many laughs to be had watching Sandler enhance his own life at the expense of others.  You’ll be thinking what you’d do with the same opportunity.

The second half of the film is much darker however.  The jokes dry up and Michael’s disintegrating life takes Click to a more poignant, emotional level.  This caught me by surprise.  Don’t expect a comedic ending in the same vein as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore.  The gloomy Adam Sandler you’ll see on screen is more reminiscent of his performances in Punch Drunk Love and Spanglish.

The film deserves points for its boldness but I’m not sure it all fits together.  Late in the picture, Christopher Walken’s true identity is revealed in an attempt to show why Michael’s life has turned pear shaped.  This made little sense to me at the time and made absolutely no sense when I saw the ending.  I like the overall idea of the film but would have preferred a smarter screenplay.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 June 2006

On 06-06-06, the remake of The Omen was released in cinemas around the world.  The release date was no accident.  The number 666 is considered by many to be the “devil’s number”.  There are some who disagree but I’m not here to get into a religious and/or philosophical discussion.  My point is that 20^th Century Fox’s creative release date and marketing campaign around the number 666 has given the film extra appeal.  When I saw this film on the opening night (06-06-06), the cinema was packed.

The story begins in a hospital.  A young married couple, Robert (Schreiber) and Katherine (Stiles), thought they would be celebrating the birth of their first son.  Unfortunately, there were complications during the pregnancy and the baby was sadly lost.  Robert is approached in the maternity ward by a strange man who presents an opportunity.  Another baby son had been born that night but his mother had died in the process.  Now an orphan, the man suggests that Robert take and raise the son as his own.

Robert and Katherine do just that.  They name him Damien (Davey-Fitzpatrick) and his early childhood brings them all much happiness.  As Damien nears his 6^th birthday however, strange things start happening.  The vibrant nanny of the house commits suicide, Katherine is injured in an accident and Damien develops a creepy personality.  Robert realises something is not right with his son and on the advice of a priest (Postlethwaite), he goes on a search to find out who Damien’s parents really are.

I haven’t seen the original version of The Omen but I’m led to believe that it was quiet scary.  It was rated R when initially released in Australia in 1976 but this came down to an MA rating when a special edition DVD was released in 2001.  Is that a sign of the times?  Are we more immune to such scary and confronting themes?  I guess so.

This new film is rated MA and it’s an apt rating.  There are only a handful of scenes which will have you jumping out of our seat.  What I enjoyed most about the film is that it doesn’t rely on these “quick frights”.  There’s an intriguing story unfolding here and the sinister look in Damien’s eyes creates a very unsettling atmosphere.  It climaxes with a quick, pull-no-punches ending that sets up the opportunity for a sequel (provided this film is profitable enough).

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 June 2006

Sean Boswell (Black) is a teenager who continually finds himself on the wrong side of the law.  There is nothing he loves more than taking his car and seeing how fast it can go.  His latest escapade though has ended in an arrest.  After challenging a classmate to a match race, Sean wrote off his car and caused thousands of dollars damage to a house under construction.  It’s the last straw for his mother who has sent now sent him to Japan to live with his dad and hopefully, straighten himself out.

His mother’s wish is not to be.  On his first day at school in Tokyo, Sean befriends a group of fellow racers.  Their style of street racing is different however.  It is known as “drifting”.  It’s a new concept to me and thankfully, it was explained by an expert at the preview screening I attended.  Drifting is the art of driving your car sideways.  To do this, you must have plenty of sharp turns.  It may sound like fun but it’s extremely hard to maintain control.

The top drifter in town is DK (Tee) and his expensive cars are funded by his uncle, a member of the Japanese yakuza.  Sean quickly becomes an enemy when he starts flirting with DK’s girlfriend, Neela (Kelley).  The two face off in a one-on-one race where DK is a comfortable winner.  Determined to square the ledger, Sean gets help from a wealthy and experienced drifter named Han (Kang).  Now that he’s mastered the craft, Sean is ready to prove himself…

Tokyo Drift is the third film in The Fast & The Furious franchise.  Paul Walker starred in the first two films but has not returned this time.  I can only think that he read the script and was as dissatisfied as I was to see it.  Why did Sean’s dad change his opinion on racing?  Why did Han befriended Sean and let him use his expensive cars?  Why did the police turn a blind eye to all this illegal racing?       

If you’re going to see this film simply for its action, then you might also be disappointed.  There are only a small number of action sequences and too much time is wasted trying to develop the nonsensical plot.

The final scene of the film sees Sean at the starting line of a fresh race.  After the words “ready, set, go” were uttered, I was off… to the exit.  I was the first one out and maintained my lead all the way to the cark park.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 June 2006

Do you know the actor Richard E. Grant?  He’s been in the business for over 25 years and his credits include Gosford Park, The Portrait Of A Lady, The Age Of Innocence, Dracula, The Player, Hudson Hawk and L.A. Story.  Now for the first time, he’s taken on the challenges of being a film director.  Grant isn’t doing this to see how comfortable the director’s chair is.  He’s written a story very close to his heart and wants to share it with a worldwide audience.

Grant was born and raised in Swaziland, a small country bordering South Africa, and it is here where the film is set.  From what I understand, it is the first major film to be shot in Swaziland.  The entire story is based on Grant’s upbringing as a teenager and the strained relationship he had with his two parents.  The names in the film may be different but this essentially, an autobiography.

Young actor Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy) plays an introverted teenager named Ralph Compton.  Ralph’s parents divorced several years ago and he was sent to boarding school not long after.  Now that his studies are complete, Ralph has returned home to live his father (Byrne).  Things have changed however.

His father has married a cheery American air hostess named Ruby (Watson).  The thought of his dad being with a new woman makes Ralph feel uneasy but he soon finds himself drawn to Ruby’s impulsive personality.  They become close friends and Ruby becomes the strong mother figure that he’s gone without for so long.  Life looks good.

That is until two major obstacles arise.  The first is the reemergence of his real mother (Richardson) who has returned after moving to London.  The second is an alcoholic addiction which has taken control of his father.  Ralph is a likeable, happy-go-lucky kid but these escalating problems at home threaten to leave a lifelong scar.

It’s an admirable directorial debut from Richard E. Grant.  He’s crafted interesting characters and a finale which will reduce many to tears.  Unfortunately, the emotional impact of the film is lessened by the fragmented nature of the story.  By jumping quickly from event to event, it looks more like a highlight reel than a following story.

The top performance is that of Gabriel Byrne.  He wasn’t Grant’s first choice for the role but in hindsight, it’s hard to think who would have done a better job.  Byrne has cast aside his usual Irish accent and produced a believable English one.  The other performances feel slightly over done.  Emily Watson’s American accent is a stretch and Nicholas Hoult’s dialogue didn’t feel natural.

Grant was recently in Brisbane to help promote the film and I was lucky enough to hear him speak at a question and answer session.  The tale of what went on behind the scenes of this film was fascinating.  So much so that Grant has written a book which details the challenges he faced when making this motion picture.  It’s called The Wah-Wah Diaries and by the time you read this review, I’ll have already starting reading it.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 June 2006

Cars takes us into a universe where humans don’t exist.  Instead, the world is filled with cars who go about their business as if they were real people.  Lightning McQueen (Wilson) is one of the most well known cars in America.  McQueen is a young race-car trying to become the first car to ever with the lucrative Piston Cup as a rookie.  After the final race of the season ends in a triple dead-heat, McQueen must travel to California for a special race.  The top three cars will compete and only one will be crowned champion.

The problem with McQueen is that he still has his youthful arrogance.  He doesn’t respect his pit crew and attributes his success solely to himself.  That’s about to change when a freak mishaps sees him stranded in a tiny town known as Radiator Springs.  It is home to small number of cars who are oblivious to the outside world.  Once upon a time, this town was buzzing with business.  Now that the main highway has been moved, it’s effectively a ghost town.  You won’t find it on any map.

In Radiator Springs, McQueen will make some new friends.  They’re a strange bunch but their simple, honest lifestyle starts rubbing off on the selfish McQueen.  He starts thinking of others and realises there’s more to life than the quest for an empty trophy.

Cars will undoubtedly be one of the best and most popular animated films of 2006.  It’s been over a day since I saw it and yet I can vividly remember the character names, the locations, the events and many of the jokes.  That’s unusual for me.  Some films you can only watch once but Cars is the kind of film I’d like to watch again once it’s released on DVD and on pay television.  This of course makes it perfect for kids, the target audience.

You’ll recognise Owen Wilson’s (Wedding Crashers) distinctive voice from the moment you hear it.  Other voices were harder to pick.  81-year-old Paul Newman plays Doc Hudson, a respected leader in Lightning Springs.  It may only be his voice but this is the first time we’ve seen the Academy Award winning Newman on the big screen since Road To Perdition (released in 2002).

I keep saying this every time I see a new animated flick but just how good is the quality of animation these days?  From the opening sequence in Cars, I was gob-smacked by the level of detail both in the foreground and in the background.  I suppose that’s why the film cost $70m.  That sounds like a lot of money for a film with no live action but once you’ve seen it, you’ll realise that’s exceptional value for money.