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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 February 2024

When asked about my favourite filmmakers, my list always includes Ethan and Joel Coen.  I was first introduced to their work in 1996 with Fargo and have since been wowed by the likes of The Big Lebowski, Intolerable Cruelty, No Country for Old Men, and Burn After Reading.  Just like a successful music band, Wikipedia and the broader film world sees the duo as a single “Coen brothers” entity given the challenge in differentiating the artistic contribution of each.  Of the 13 Academy Award nods they’ve received, 12 were joint nominations.  The only exception was Fargo when different rules were in place preventing two directors being credited (Joel therefore was director while Ethan was producer).

It’s therefore weird to be talking about the pair in isolation.  Joel directed his first feature independent of his brother in 2021 (The Tragedy of Macbeth) and Ethan is now doing the same with Drive-Away Dolls.  Can I still call them Coen brothers movies?  If you’re worried why they’re doing their own thing, there’s no need to fret.  The 60-something-year-olds are still close and plan to work together again soon but for now, they each wanted a short break to pursue projects of personal interest.

With a runtime of just 84 minutes, Drive-Away Dolls is a short, slick comedy set in 1999.  It follows two young women, Jamie (Qualley) and Marian (Viswanathan), who embark on an impulsive, 2-day road trip from Philadelphia to Tallahassee to kick start a new life.  They grab a vehicle from the surly manager of a car-hire company (Camp) but, unbeknown to the women, there’s a silver briefcase hidden in the trunk which gangsters are looking to get their hands on.

The story doesn’t quite come together in a way which maximises humour.  The punchline is a good one (I won’t spoil it) but the scenes along the way involving the inept criminals are a too “one-note” and highlight the slight narrative.  The better subplot is the romantic one which develops between the chatty Jamie and the timid Marian.  These two couldn’t be more different in terms of personality but, in spending several days together, they gravitate towards a middle ground where each takes on attributes of the other.

In the same vein as a classic, low-brow American comedy, the film also has a few decent scenes which don’t advance the plot… but generate laughs regardless.  The best involves Jamie and Marian befriending a female soccer team after a food-related detour and it showcases the comedic timing of stars Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers).  Having names like Colman Domingo, Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal on the poster might add to the box-office but for fans of their work, keep your expectations in check as their involvement is negligible (feels like they shot all their scenes in one day).

It takes a little while to get going but if looking for a quick, entertaining comedy with a splash of outlandishness, Drive-Away Dolls offers enough.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 February 2024

He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he is credited by Time Magazine as creating the greatest album of the 20^th Century, and he was awarded a Peace Medal by the United Nations.  It was always a matter of when, and not if, a Hollywood movie would be made about the iconic Jamaican singer Bob Marley.  The actor tasked with the enviable role is 37-year-old Kingsley Ben-Adir who recently embodied another renowned figure, Malcolm X, in Regina King’s One Night in Miami.

Aside from a few quick flashbacks, the film avoids Marley’s upbringing and is focused on his actions and achievements in the second half of the 1970s.  There was much political unrest in Jamaica and while Marley hoped to stay and unite the country through his music, he ultimately travelled to London and created the album he will best be remembered for, Exodus.

Music biopics are a tricky-to-execute genre, and director Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men, King Richard) has a battle on his hands with this material.  It’s delving into Jamaican culture and politics, it’s showing Marley’s creative process, it’s exploring the relationship with his wife (Lynch), and it’s highlighting his efforts to break down barriers and bring music to poor communities in Africa.  The film’s bottom line is something we already know – Marley was a gifted artist who should continue to be celebrated and remembered.

Bob Marley: One Love is not a bad film… but it’s not an eye-opening one either.  Without giving too much away, there’s a powerful photo of the real-life Marley holding hands with two men (at the start of the closing credits) and it made me realise how much more interesting the film could have been if focused on his time in troubled Jamaica instead of ho-hum England.  In going with formulaic subplots and artificial dialogue (“his guitar is his machine gun”), the four-person screenwriting team have played it too safe.

There are positives to be found.  I liked watching Marley as he searched for a “new sound” in crafting the Exodus album, and there’s a stand-out scene where he argues with a worried music studio executive over the new album’s cover art.  Ben-Adir does an admirable job in capturing the vibe of the chain-smoking Marley and imparting the character’s feel-good mellowness onto audiences.  We don’t see enough of James Norton (Nowhere Special) but he’s also noteworthy as an astute record producer.

I don’t know if Bob Marley: One Love will instil his music into a new generation (which Bohemian Rhapsody did despite its flaws) but, in recognition of one of music’s greats, I hope there are enough

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 February 2024

The Zone of Interest is the story of a well-to-do family going about their day-to-day lives.  The father is a military man who, in trying to earn promotion, puts in long hours and is passionate about his work.  The mother is a stay-at-home type who tends to the backyard garden and provides direction to the hired help.  The five children are given ample time for play – picnicking on the grassy banks of a beautiful river, and swimming in the confides of their private swimming pool.

It’s probably the right time to reveal this not a traditional, wholesome family drama.  The year is 1943, the Nazi dad is commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, and the two-storey home borders the camp itself.  Hundreds of great movies have been made about World War II and, if compiling a list of the best, The Zone of Interest deserves a place near the top for its boldness, originality, and emotional heft.

The idea came to the mind of English writer-director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Under the Skin) after reading a fictionalised book authorised by Martin Amis.  Years of research followed which included visiting the actual home (it’s still there today), working with historians at the museum at Auschwitz-Birkenau, reading first-hand testimonies, and scanning archival photos.  In interviews about the finished film, Glazer talks about the heavy weight of responsibility in making sure the story is told as authentically as possible.

It’s hard to watch The Zone of Interest and not feel its deliberate coldness.  Glazer’s approach is to only show things from the perspective of the household.  We don’t see inside the concentration camp at all.  Folks make innocuous small talk in the garden while smoke billows from furnaces in the background.  Lunch is prepared inside the house while gunfire and screams are heard in the distance.  One of the world’s greatest atrocities is taking place on their doorstep and this family couldn’t care less.

Filmmaker George Miller described Mad Max: Fury Road as “a film we see with our ears” and The Zone of Interest could be described in the same manner.  What we see on screen is important… but it’s the sounds which allow us to visualise the horror taking place on the other side of the wall.  Sound designer Johnnie Burn (The Lobster) compiled a 600-page research document, painstakingly recreated the background noises, and added them all in post-production.  Kudos also goes to Oscar-nominated cinematographer Łukasz Żal (Ida, Cold War) for creating a “hidden camera” look as characters move from room to room.

It’s easy to look back and simplify events with the benefit of hindsight but Glazer wants us to think about today’s world.  What are we currently turning a blind-eye to which future generations will judge us on?  Nominated for best picture, best director and best screenplay at the upcoming Academy Awards, The Zone of Interest is chilling and thought provoking.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 February 2024

In the history of Australian-made cinema, only 16 films have grossed more than $20 million AUD at the local box-office.  Director Baz Luhrmann dominates with his lavish, big-budget productions (he has 5 films including the recent Elvis) but the list reminds us of the smaller flicks which wove their way into the record books through positive word of mouth.  These include Lion, Red Dog, The Dressmaker, and one of the big success stories of the COVID-impacted 2021, The Dry.  The Robert Connolly-directed feature featured a plethora of great performances and, in also being nominated for 11 AACTA Awards, rightly deserved its success.  See it if you haven’t already!

Journalist-turned-author Jane Harper has penned three novels centred on police detective Aaron Falk.  Eric Bana brilliantly brought the character to life in The Dry (loved the subtlety) and he reprises the role in this adaptation of Harper’s follow-up book, Force of Nature.  It’s marketed as “The Dry 2” to help with ticket sales but in reality, this is a fresh narrative with zero connection to the earlier movie.  The only returning character is Falk himself.

Another visible point of difference is the setting.  The Dry was set in a small, drought-stricken country town whereas Force of Nature takes place in one of the lushest places imaginable – a dense, wet, near-impenetrable rainforest.  It’s referred to in the film as the fictious Giralang Ranges but shooting took place at Victorian national parks known to many Aussies – the Otways, Dandenong Ranges, and Yarra Valley.

The story revolves around a middle-aged woman, Alice Russell (Torv), who has gone missing in the ranges while “building teamwork” on a multi-day, corporate hiking retreat.  The local police have enlisted a sizeable team to help with the search but Falk has involved himself because of a professional connection with Alice.  He suspects foul play and, along with his fellow detective (McKenzie), seeks to interrogate other employees on the retreat.  The more questions he asks, the more secrets spill into the open…

It’s not the smoothest flowing storyline.  As we saw with The Dry, director Robert Connolly juggles two main time frames – Falk solving a mystery in the present while haunted by something from his past.  The childhood flashbacks don’t add much and feel too convenient.  In terms of the current day material, there’s a degree of cinematic “stage managing” which is hard to shake.  Someone’s life is in immediate danger… and yet the interviews of key individuals take place over several days.  Doesn’t add up.

On the whole though, Force of Nature is a worthwhile trip to the cinema.  I loved the greyness to the characters and the difficulty in determining which players to root for.  Even the “nice guy” Falk has his flaws.  The whodunnit served up is also a good one and it’ll hold your attention for two hours as you look for signs of slippage in the probing conversations.  Kudos to the crew for highlighting the sights and sounds of the rainforest – it’s as much of a feature character as the actors themselves.

Featuring strong performances once again (it’s hard to pick a standout), Force of Nature should satisfy fans of The Dry, and fans of Australian cinema.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 February 2024

The quality of film festivals varies from year-to-year but most would agree the 2023 Official Selection at Cannes was a top-notch vintage.  The top two prize winners, Anatomy of a Fall and Zone of Interest, have been nominated at the Academy Awards for best picture.  Perfect Days won the Asia Pacific Screen Award for best film.  The likes of May December and Asteroid City have appeared on critics’ top 10 lists across the globe.

The latest graduate from that class to be released in Australia is Fallen Leaves, an 81-minute dark comedy from Finnish writer-director Aki Kaurismäki (Le Havre).  It took home the Jury Prize at Cannes (awarded to a film which “embodies the spirit of inquiry”) and made the shortlist for best international feature at the Oscars (just missing out on a nomination).

I love the Valentine’s Day release here in Australia because it’s perfect for those who love a weird, wacky, offbeat love story.  Holappa (Vatanen) is an alcoholic construction-site worker going nowhere in life.  Talking to a friend, he humorously articulates his Catch-22-like problem – he’s depressed because he drinks… and that he drinks because he’s depressed.  Ansa (Pöysti) is a shy woman who lives alone and holds down a menial, low-paying supermarket job.  She has no television set, and spends her evenings eating expired meals and listening to news stories on her radio (the war in neighbouring Ukraine features heavily).

The pair meet at a bar and promptly go on a hilariously awkward first date.  It begins with Holappa making pointless small talk about the lack of rain, and it finishes with a trip to the local cinema where they watch a “classic” rescreening of the American comedy Zombieland.  There’s no immediate follow-up date because Holappa promptly loses Ansa’s phone number the minute he writes it down.

Hollywood has a way of making romantic comedies and we saw it recently with the extremely popular Anyone but You.  You cast good looking actors, write a joke-heavy script filled with zany scenarios, throw in over-the-top supporting players, and have the chatty leads fall in love with a few bumps along the way.  It’s a proven, successful formula.

They clearly have a different funny bone in Scandinavia because Fallen Leaves does not fit that mould.  Stars Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen deliver their dialogue, and there isn’t much of it, in a dry, slow, monotone fashion.  That approach creates as much humour as the characters themselves.  In blending the laughs amongst the darker themes of poverty and alcoholism, Kaurismäki has created a movie which stands out from the pack.

It may not be for everyone but, in leaning into its quirky nature, Fallen Leaves offers one of the more interesting and authentic romances over the past year.