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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 May 2023

On 13 November 2015, an Islamic State terrorist cell conducted a series of attacks across Paris which took the lives of 130 people.  It was the deadliest attack in France since World War II.  President François Hollande declared a state of emergency and in the days that followed, Parisians were urged to stay indoors given unanswered questions about what had unfolded, and the fear of further attacks.

November is a French drama which provides a condensed look at the five days following the terrorist attack from the perspective of local investigators.  The film makes the curious decision not to show any part of the attack.  After an unnecessary prologue set in Greece, director Cédric Jimenez opens the film with a powerful scene.  A lone government agent is in a dimly-lit office building when suddenly, every phone starts ringing.  He has no comprehension of what’s just unfolded but knows it must be serious.

In the same vein as Paul Greengrass’ brilliant United 93, November is trying to provide a gritty, documentary-like feel and illustrate the behind-the-scenes chaos as thousands of detectives and police officers piece evidence together.  In keeping the run time to a concise 100 minutes, the film is largely centred on a small part of the investigation – the hunt to locate Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian-born jihadist who was suspected of orchestrating the terrorist attacks.

There’s not a lot of insight on offer here.  This may have been one of the darkest days in France’s history this century but large chunks of the narrative feel they belong in a formulaic television show.  Detectives work ridiculously long hours and put work above well-being.  Gazillions of leads are phoned in by the public and it’s hard to separate useful from useless.  Tension develops between colleagues and departments as they disagree over approach.  Agents go rogue and “take matters into their own hands” for better or worse.  None of this will come as any huge surprise.

The most interesting characters in this ensemble are those who aren’t working for the government.  Lyna Khoudri plays a young Muslim woman who suspects her roommate is helping two terrorists on the run.  She decides to betray her friend (a big decision in itself) but then has difficulty persuading detectives that her information is both truthful and relevant.  There’s much second-guessing on her part as to whether she’s made the right call and whether her own life is now in danger.

The cast is headlined by Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) and is a name that will help with international marketability. France is known for producing a few top-notch dramas each year (e.g. Lost Illusions and Full Time in 2021) but November fails to live up to that high benchmark

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 26 April 2023

It’s not often you can say the four lead actors of a film are a combined 335 years of age.  Lily Tomlin (83), Jane Fonda (85), Rita Moreno (91) and Sally Field (76) play four long-time friends from Boston who, thanks to the sex appeal of Tom Brady, have become fans of the New England Patriots.  The year is 2017 and having watched the Patriots win the AFC Championship Game from the comfort of a living room, their attention turns to Super Bowl LI to be held in Houston.  They win a competition to get 4 lucrative tickets and go on a “girls’ weekend” to see if their favourite quarterback can lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Jane Fonda’s character plays a writer who has authored popular, Mills & Boon-style fan-fiction novels about women being seduced by successful footballers.  It’s relevant because the screenplay here is as trashy as those books.  It becomes more unrealistic with each scene – reaching a point where Lily Tomlin is providing motivational speeches to Tom Brady while he sits on the sideline mid-game.  I’d have preferred a dash more credibility but hey, it’s intended to be a simple comedy and there will be audience for this.

The characters have backstories but there’s very little in the way of development.  Subplots are fleetingly touched upon (Sally Field’s annoying husband, Rita Moreno’s potential suitor) but they don’t go anywhere.  The focus is more on wacky set pieces – from drugs unknowingly consumed at a pre-game party, to a hot sauce eating competition, to a strange poker tournament.  The material is predictable, repetitive, and lame… but a handful of jokes hit the mark and it’s nice to see these veteran actresses working alongside each other.

Just like Cocaine Bear, this film is looooooosely based on a true story.  You’ll see the real women pictured during the closing credits but they never actually went to the 2017 Super Bowl.  They were just a group of long-time friends who got together each week to watch games on television while consuming a few snacks and beverages.  It was one of their grandson’s who first pitched the idea of a movie and Tom Brady’s new production company thought it was a great idea (no surprise there).  Brady makes a few cameos during the film which may help lure a wider audience.

Released in the United States back in February to coincide with this year’s Super Bowl, 80 for Brady has been late making it to Australia.  Despite the experience of its stars, I’d keep your expectations low.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 May 2023

Freedom of speech is a continual topic of discussion within universities across the globe.  These places aren’t corporate, for-profit entities where everyone has to toe the line of upper management.  Universities are shaped by the differing views of academics, students, professional staff, donors, alumni, and granting bodies.  The opinion of two economics professors may vary widely but they’re still entitled to publish their respective research papers and explain their conclusions as representatives of the same university.

This tenet is at the heart of Cairo Conspiracy, a thriller from Swedish director Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident).  It is set in Egypt where the Grand Imam who oversees the prestigious Al-Azhar University has passed away.  In appointing a successor, those on the University Council are leaning towards a well-respected, open-minded academic.  However, the Egyptian President wants to further consolidate his power by appointing a candidate who is more aligned to his own political and religious views.

The story is largely told from the perspective of an unlikely individual.  Adam (Barhom) is the son of a rural fisherman and has been accepted into Al-Azhar on a full academic scholarship.  It sounds like a great, life-changing opportunity but Adam becomes unwillingly caught up in the abovementioned power struggle.  He is blackmailed by State Security, told to infiltrate certain groups within the University, and then report back to a meddling intelligence agent (Fares).

It’s an eye-opening narrative for those unfamiliar with Egyptian culture and customs.  Religion plays a huge part in day-to-day life.  When accepted into university, Adam’s father describes it as “part of God’s plan”.  When practicing his handwriting in class, a teacher praises Adam’s skills by saying “God has blessed him with a steady hand.”  That sounds harmless enough but Saleh deftly shows us the hypocrisy that often exists within religion and the way in which it is used as a weapon for suppression.  The McDonalds scene gave me a laugh!

The Egyptian setting will heighten curiosity levels but when you look beyond that, it’s a standard, Hollywood-style, spy thriller.  Dodgy deals are made, people can’t be trusted, and the “bad guys” can be easily distinguished.  I wasn’t convinced by Tawfeek Barhom in the lead role.  He walks around with a constant sense of scared bewilderment on his face and it’s hard to believe in his ability to gather intelligence for his boss.

Winner of the best screenplay prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and making the 15-film shortlist for best international feature at the recent Academy Awards, Cairo Conspiracy is conventional but still interesting.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 April 2023

When people hit me up for a movie recommendation, I always ask what they are in the mood for?  Options include action, comedy, drama, thrills, horror, romance, sci-fi, true stories… and the list goes on.  In making her feature film debut, writer-director Nida Manzoor has bravely attempted to offer something for everyone with Polite Society.  It’s a little messy in places but, for the most part, it’s an entertaining ride which blends a multitude of genres.

It is the story of a British high school student, Ria (Kansara), who isn’t too excited about her older sister, Lena (Arya), getting married to a guy she’s only known for a month.  There’s no obvious flaws with the fiancé (he’s a 32-year-old, good-looking geneticist) but Ria is more upset with her sister’s sudden change in focus and temperament. Instead of being a happily single, fun-loving art student, Lena is now a subdued, cardigan-wearing woman who is prepared to give up her dreams and start a more subservient life in Singapore with her husband-to-be,

As you’d expect from that simple plot overview, Polite Society has the appearance of a family drama.  Many will relate to the tight-nit bond that exists between siblings… and the way it lessens over time as they develop their own lives and their own independence.  Is Ria upset because she has genuine concerns about the rushed martial decision Lena is making?  Or is her judgement clouded because she selfishly doesn’t want to lose the close relationship they have always shared?  Adding to Ria’s frustration is the fact her frankly speaking parents (Mirza and Kapoor) do not appreciate her point of view.

As alluded to above, there’s a lot more to this film.  Ria has a martial arts YouTube channel and is hopes to become a successful stuntwoman.  If you’re looking for action, there are some fun scenes where Ria uses these skills in deliberately over-the-top battles – including one with the high school bully.  The laughs ain’t bad either.  There are some humorous scenes where Ria argues with her folks (crude words aplenty) and interacts with her friends in trying to sabotage the upcoming wedding.

There are other surprises but you can see Polite Society for yourself to discover them.  Newcomer Priya Kansara, in her first feature film, is excellent in the lead role.  It’s a performance that requires charisma, humour, exaggerated reactions… and karate.  Manzoor also deserves credit for her directorial choices.  The editing (quick cutaways) and music score keep the narrative moving at a brisk pace.  The lavish wedding, complete with colourful costumes, is another highlight.

Selected to open last week’s Gold Coast Film Festival and now openly widely across the country, Polite Society finds a way to balance goofiness, emotion and spectacle.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 May 2023

There’s much chatter right now about rising interest rates, significant cost of living pressures, and a slowing economy.  Are we heading into a recession, how bad will it be, and is there any way it can be avoided?  The Hollywood equivalent of these issues/questions is currently playing out within the world of superhero movies.

Marvel’s Ant Man and the Wasp, released back in February 2023, has grossed just $475m USD at the global box-office.  This it the worst take for any sequel within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  One month later, Shazam! Fury of the Gods became the worst performer within the DC Extended Universe by pulling it just $133m USD globally.  Have audiences grown tired of the increasingly formulaic genre and are ready to move on to something else?  The Super Mario Bros. Movie is making gazillions right now!  Or is this just a quick blip from which the genre will soon recover?

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be seen by many as a litmus test.   The first two flicks, released in 2014 and 2017, were successful at the box-office and this fresh instalment is being billed as a culmination of the trilogy and, possibly, the end of the road for some heroes.  In addition to the big-name cast, James Gunn also returns as writer-director to help close subplots and character arcs he first conceived a decade ago.

The narrative is ho-hum.  Rocket the raccoon (Cooper) is injured in a surprise attack and will die in roughly 48 hours if his friends, headlined by professional thief Peter Quill (Pratt), are not able to locate the deactivation code for a “kill switch” located inside his body.  This sends them on a series of dangerous missions across the universe where everyone wants to capture or kill them.  Headlining the list of enemies is the High Evolutionary (Iwuji), a man trying to create an alternative Earth where everyone is happy, and violence is non-existent.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the 32^nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (wowzers!) and the creative well has seemingly run dry in creating interesting, complex villains.  The High Evolutionary likes to shout and boss people around but he’s a bland baddie with seen-it-all-before plans for world domination.  I’d argue the best Marvel flicks are those with the best antagonists – see Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War or Killmonger in Black Panther. 

The action is a bit all over place at times (I had no idea what the Guardians were strategizing during the hectic finale) but this is still entertaining because of its comedy and the chemistry between its leads.  They’re a humorous, depreciating group with distinctive personalities.  The tone is light, the zingers and plentiful, and there’s a splash of genuine emotion at just the right moments.  The visual effects and production values are also strong.  One of the best scenes takes place on a colourful, gooey, “living” spaceship.

150 minutes is a touch long for an action-comedy (the opening is slow) but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a (just) good enough entry to close out the story of these music-loving superheroes.