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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 December 2005

Sarah Huttinger (Aniston) is frustrated by her life and doesn’t know what to do about it.  She writes the obituaries in a leading newspaper but it’s not the career path she was hoping for.  She recently got engaged to her long-time boyfriend Jeff (Ruffalo) but she’s not sure if she’s marrying him because she loves him or because they’re best friends.

Her search for self-discovery takes a humorous twist at the wedding of her younger sister, Annie (Suvari).  Sarah learns that her late mother had a fling with another man just before she married her husband, Earl (Jenkins).  Knowing that she was conceived not long before her parents were wed, Sarah thinks that this man might actually be her father.  It could explain why she has so little in common with the rest of the family.

Confiding in her grandmother, Katharine (MacLaine), Sarah learns there’s a lot more to this story.  The man’s name was Beau Burroughs (Costner) and whilst her mother did have an affair with him, it was Grandma Katharine who slept with him first!

If this sounds like The Graduate, you’d be on the money.  It’s referred to in the film many times and a running joke is that it was Katharine’s and Beau’s relationship which Charles Webb based his famous novel on.  The film’s title says it all and I can guarantee that there’s no truth to this rumour.

Gossip aside, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be laughing or crying during this film.  It has a light tone but Jennifer Aniston’s neurotic character is unsettling.  Sarah becomes extremely upset at times but it’s usually because she brings it on herself.  She can make a mountain out of mole-hill and I wanted to tell her to “get a grip” rather than utter comforting words of sympathy.

At least she’s interesting and this leads to the high-point of the film - the writing of Ted Griffin (Matchstick Men, Ocean’s Twelve).  The dialogue is clever with some intelligently funny exchanges between Jennifer Aniston and Shirley MacLaine.  I’m sure Rob Reiner also had a say in the script considering past successes in the romantic comedy genre.  His previous directorial efforts include The American President, When Harry Met Sally, and The Princess Bride.

I wasn’t won over by the story and truth-be-told, you’ll enjoy it more for its one-liners than its drama.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 December 2005

In the late 1940s, the FBI compiled a list of communists and communist sympathisers who were either working in or had very close ties to the U.S. Government.  No one would have cared before World War II but in its aftermath, people were suspicious of anyone who believed in a communist regime.

Congress was given the list but little was done.  Some say the lack of action was due to there being too many communist supporters in the upper echelon on government.  Senator Joseph McCarthy then took it upon himself to inform the American public.  McCarthy had the names of over 200 people who he believed had communist ties.  With growing public support, McCarthy became Chairman of the Senate’s Investigations Subcommittee and in 1953 he interrogated more than 500 witnesses.

Around the same time, the wonder of television was flourishing across the country.  A popular show on CBS was See It Now, hosted by Edward R. Murrow.  It was a late evening current affairs broadcast in a similar vein to today’s 60 Minutes.  In 1954, Murrow and his team of journalists put together a show on McCarthy and the dirty, misleading methods he was using to find the truth.

The public started to think twice about Senator McCarthy and when the press started jumping on the Murrow bandwagon, McCarthy found his popularity waning.  Even members of his own Republican Party were turning on him.  In late 1954, the Senate voted to condemn McCarthy for bringing the Senate into disrepute.  He died three years later. 

Good Night, And Good Luck brings this story to the screen through the eyes of Edward Murrow and his team at CBS.  Some might believe otherwise but I think it to be a fair depiction of events and a fascinating insight into the power of television.  This may have happened 50 years ago but the issues of the film are as relevant today as they were.

You’ll be surprised to see that no actor plays McCarthy – he actually plays himself.  All the footage of McCarthy has been taken from news archives.  It’s a brilliant idea by director George Clooney and it removes any criticism that McCarthy has not been portrayed justly.  We see the real McCarthy for who he is.  For this reasons, the film has been wisely shot in black and white.

David Strathairn (Limbo) plays Edward R. Murrow in a role which must see him nominated for an Academy Award.   His expressionless face and monotone voice are hypnotic.  The whole cast is terrific (including Jeff Bridges, George Clooney and Patricia Clarkson) but it’s Strathairn star who shines brightest.

Films such as The Corporation and Fahrenheit 9/11 have put America under the world’s microscope and Good Night, And Good Luck will only increase the debate about U.S. politics and its absolute power.  It’s a very powerful film and regardless of who you see it with, there’ll be plenty to discuss on the car ride home.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 December 2005

My love for the movies started in 1995 when I worked part-time in a video store.  I worked with some lovely people and there were many regular customers who I enjoyed talking with.  There were also some very strange customers and if I had time, I’d share great stories – both humorous and disgusting.

Around the same time I started working, a low-budget comedy named Clerks was screening in select cinemas.  Given that I worked in a video store, I had to see this film.  It’s the story of two guys (one who works in a convenience store and the other in a video store) and the dramas they are put through by an assortment of strange customers.  I always remember the tagline – “just because they serve you, doesn’t mean they like you.”

It was the first film of director Kevin Smith who made it for about $27,000.  The film has since become a cult favourite and Smith has gone on to make Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.  If you haven’t seen it before and think you can handle the R-rated material, check it out.  Fans will be happy to know that a sequel is due to be released in 2006.

Sorry to keep you “waiting” but I like talking about good movies.  Waiting is not a good movie but it had the potential to be.  It’s about a group of people who work at a diner.  There are gags about food preparation in the kitchen (I don’t suggest eating beforehand), waiters not being tipped, people complaining about everything and one of my favourites, customers who walk in with about 2 minutes to closing time.

Writer Rob McKittrick manages a few laughs but not as many as I hoped for.  When they aren’t interacting with the customers, these characters don’t have much to offer.  The worst of the bunch are two unfunny cleaners who smoke drugs all day in the storeroom.  Did they serve any purpose?  Star Ryan Reynolds isn’t up to his best either.  The standout is Alanna Ubach who plays Naomi, a waitress who is endearingly pleasant when speaking to her customers but indecently offensive when talking behind their back.

I haven’t worked in the food service industry and perhaps this film, like Clerks, will develop a cult following.  I however, am not leaving a tip.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 November 2005

Justin Cobb (Pucci) sees himself as a troubled teenager.  He has little self confidence, has few friends, has never had a girlfriend, and gets poor results at school.  He also has a noticeable habit of sucking his thumb.

Justin’s orthodontist (Reeves) thinks Justin’s thumb sucking problem can be helped through hypnosis.  Justin’s teacher (Vaughn) thinks he has attention deficit disorder and suggests he take the drug Ritalin to help him focus.  Justin’s father (D’Onofrio) thinks a good slap across the head will curb his negative behaviour.

Everyone is meddling in Justin’s life and here in lies one of the messages in this low-budget, independent film.  We all have problems and we all want to make things better but sometimes we should just accept who we are.  By obsessing with our own self-improvement, we lose focus on the good things and the richness of life passes us by.

There’s more to the story and I’m sorry for getting mushy but I like what Thumbsucker has to offer.  Newcomer Lou Taylor Pucci stars as Justin in a performance which won him best actor prize at the lucrative Berlin Film Festival.  Previous winners have included Benecio Del Toro (Traffic), Denzel Washington (The Hurricane) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Romeo & Juliet).

Thumbsucker is a smart comedy but if you’re not taken in by the story, its off-beat tone will drive you to distraction.  See it… but only if you want to see it.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 December 2005

Domino Harvey (Knightley) is a bounty hunter.  Her job is to capture accused criminals who have skipped bail.  It may sound like another far-fetched storyline but bounty hunting is a legitimate profession in the United States.  They are usually employed by bail bondsmen and they have rights which aren’t available to a police officer (including entering a property without a warrant).

The hard-hitting Domino wanted to get into the industry “for a bit of fun” and works with two others – Ed (Rourke) and Choco (Ramirez).  They are a successful team and get much of their work from bail bondsman Claremont Williams (Lindo).

The film is loosely based on a true story and the real Domino Harvey died in September 2005 of a drug overdose.  Domino is dedicated to her memory.  Keira Knightley is exciting in the leading role and the merciless, tough persona is something I haven’t seen from her before.  She won’t be winning awards but it silences those (including myself) who saw her as an actress with a very limited range.  It’s worth emphasising because higher profile actresses who have tried to break into the action genre in recent years (Halle Berry, Kate Beckinsale, Angelina Jolie) have been less convincing.

A story develops and it concerns our three bounty hunters and a conspiracy they have become entangled in.  $10m has been stolen from the armoured car of a casino boss who has close ties with the mob.  Claremont has employed Domino, Ed and Choco to find those responsible but exactly who is Claremont working for and why are they involved in this unusual assignment?

Answers will be revealed but it may require Panadol when you see how Tony Scott (Man On Fire, Spy Game) has directed this film.  The camera is never at rest and the fast-paced editing makes it difficult to follow.  Scott’s style gives new meaning to the term “motion” picture.  It looks cool but the continual flashes of light and changes in colour irritated me at times.

It’s predominantly an action flick but there are a few laughs thanks to the arrival of two soap stars (playing themselves) and a television executive.  Fans of Beverley Hills 90210 might find it even funnier.