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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 March 2000

From first time director Diane Keaton, Hanging Up isn’t worth answering.  The opening is just a tiresome, annoying sequence of phone calls and the stars are nothing more than overplayed rich bitches.  These people are not real in any shape or form.  As the film draws to its obvious conclusions, tears are shed as the girls reunite and they all live happily ever after.

Walter Matthau is the standout and provides the film’s best moments.  Meg Ryan is reasonable but Keaton and Kudrow are just wasted in their “plastic” roles.  Keaton’s direction isn’t much to be jumping about either - it’s pretty standard.

Following in the tradition of The First Wives Club, this movie is only going to appeal to women and there is absolutely no material here to maintain the interest of the opposite gender.  It’s a tiresome set up because you know where it’s all going and whilst the ending does have some touching moments, you’re just too tired to care anymore.

With an array of strange and useless side characters, this film is poor at best.  Don’t ask me what the point to all the phone calls was because I just didn’t get it.  I guess you can say I was “disconnected”.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 March 2000

The Beach is the first novel from author Alex Garland and has become a sort of “backpacker’s bible”.  Its central character, Richard, travels to Thailand looking for adventure and is left a map with directions to a mystery island where paradise is promised.  With two French friends (Etienne and Francoise), they swim to the island and find a community of people from all over the world who have set up their own village.  They do everything themselves and it seems the rest of the world is a far distant reality...

Director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting) captures the beauty of the island and the craziness of Thailand well - the contrast is clear.  He uses the jungle surroundings well and creates some really great scenes.  Two worth noting are the scene where Richard tells the story of his capture of a small shark and a scene where Richard runs through the jungle “computer-game style” (although he’s said that DiCaprio was the inspiration behind that idea).

Speaking of Leonardo DiCaprio, his performance is marvellous.  He just has that ability to so accurately express his inner feelings through this exterior.  You can tell what he’s thinking and see his character evolving.  The rest of the cast are left underdeveloped but Tilda Swinton (as Sal) was well played.

What does let The Beach down is the screenplay.  It sort of plays like a checklist of the book’s leading events and never develops anything closely.  Changes were made to the movie (such as Richard’s sexual liaison with Francoise) that were understandable as they try to help keep the movie interesting for today’s audience but just when something looked like it might become worthy, it leads to a dead end (such as the plight of the injured Swede).

John Hodge needed to be more stringent with the screenplay and at the expense of certain events, should have expanded on some of the others.  By the film’s weak (and very short) finale, you feel underwhelmed and the whole point of the movie is lost.  It’s the case of a movie with a lot of potential that doesn’t use it.

Anticipated as one of the big hits of the new year, The Beach has floundered at the box-office and the reasons can be seen.  Conservative studio executives think they know what the public likes when they couldn’t be further from the truth.  It’s all too rosy and perfect in attempts to cash in on the Leonardo DiCaprio fan club.  As good as he is, DiCaprio should stick to more solid material and his role in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film, Gangs Of New York, should be just the ticket.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 March 2000

It was whilst behind bars that he discovered boxing and went on to create an imposing record but lost his chance at a world title under controversial circumstances.  Not long after, he was framed and convicted of two murders and would spend the next 30 years in Trenton State Prison.

Many people would be familiar with the plight of the “Hurricane” and further detail isn’t really required.  Many politicians and celebrities campaigned to have Rubin released over his stint and Bob Dylan penned the famous song that’s echoed three times during the film.

The Hurricane has come under flak for fabricating the truth and misleading the viewer and their viewpoint is a valid one.  The story is told “fairy-tale” like - you can tell who the bad guys are, you can tell who the good guys are and you’d think Rubin was a better man than God based on this interpretation.

This is not a discredit to the film, but it distracts from what should have been a more interesting film rather than an entertaining film.  Jewison chooses to focus half the story on three Canadians and a 15-year-old Negro boy under their care who read of his story and then begin a campaign to clear his name and set him free.

In my eyes, they are the real heroes of this story.  It’s hard to believe four people who had never met Rubin before, trusted his word from day one without question.  It’s a quality that’s lacking in today’s world and leaves you thinking whether you yourself would feel and act the same way.  I feel few of us would.

Denzel Washington is superb and is the clear stand out amongst the cast and his Oscar nomination was surely deserved.  His role encapsulates more than 30 years of his life and the aging and change in the Rubin’s attitude and reflections on life shine through.  The remaining cast is sound but as mentioned earlier, seem a little typecast.

The movie touches on a lot of tempting material that it fails to develop such as the marches and protests to set him free, the prison guard who treats him well, the corruption behind the scenes, and the suffering of his friend who was also convicted of the two murders.  It’s just the interpretation that Jewison chose to take and I personally would have liked to have seen less of the Canadians.

All the gritty, tough material has been passed over and the lighter, rosier, “feel-good” material is substituted.  It has all the characteristics of The Shawshank Redemption - you know from the start he’s not guilty, and you’ll watch in sheer delight as he defeats those that put him away as he rises “back from the dead”.  A film that pulls one too many strings.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 March 2000

Set in the 1940s, we find our two lovers Sarah Miles (Moore) and Maurice Bendrix (Fiennes).  They are passionately in love which each other but there is a catch - she is married to Henry (Rea), and although her marriage is anything but lustful, she feels the guilt of her actions and cannot gather the will to divorce him.

After a passionate moment one evening, Maurice is injured in a bomb blast and Sarah proceeds to leave him.  Maurice recovers but everything has changed between them.  They would never see each other again for two years when a chance encounter in the rain would reunite them and reignite their affections for each other.

This is above the level of a usual period piece film.  The performances of the whole cast are wonderful but I was most impressed with Stephen Rea in his supporting role as the husband.  He subtly portrays the role and seems the most down-to-earth of the trio.  Ian Hart is also excellent in a small role as a detective.

Neil Jordan’s direction is creative as the story is told in two time frames.  Both the current and past are told simultaneously and flow well - interest is maintained.

A tiring aspect of the film is it subject material.  It’s certainly not a new idea to have a traumatic love triangle and this film does not offer much of a fresh insight.  It’s sure to bore many but the style in which the story is told keeps it well above average.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 March 2000

Paul Thomas Anderson is fast becoming a Hollywood heavyweight through his independence.  His first film, Sydney, was chopped up by studio execs and released under the title, Hard Eight.  Not to let this happen again, he struck a deal with New Line Cinema for total control of his follow up, Boogie Nights which went on to earn 3 Academy Award nominations.

Magnolia is Anderson’s third film and it is as different from anything you will have seen before.  It is amazing to see a film for what it is rather than one that is manipulated to satisfy.

“There is the story of a boy genius, the game show host, and the ex-boy genius.  There is the story of the dying man, his lost son, the dying man’s wife, and the caretaker. And there is the story of a mother, the daughter, and the police officer in love.  And this will all make sense in the end.”

The above words come from the film’s trailer, which accurately describe the many characters and stories that make up Magnolia without giving anything away.  I’ve stated before how movies are more attractive when there is more than one storyline.  Here, several stories are interwoven and it’s like channel surfing - you’re changing storylines every minute to maintain interest.

The credited cast of Magnolia exceeds 100 and unusually, there is no leading role.  Anderson has produced the most faultless ensemble.  Cruise, Moore, Macy, Reilly, Hoffman, Hall, Robards - brilliant!

Paul Thomas Anderson’s script and direction are inspirational.  His use of a single camera unedited for minutes at a time, his use of varying the music to the extent that it overrides the dialogue and his quick pace make this 3 hour marathon seem considerably shorter.

Speaking specifically of the music, Anderson has said that he’s always been a fan of Aimee Mann (who sings 9 songs during the film) and based several of the stories on her songs.  He took the song and worked backwards to create the story.  Perhaps that what makes it all seem so new.

I can’t spoil anything when it comes to Magnolia because it is pure art from a cinematic genius.  It takes several viewing to appreciate just how deep it goes and is open to wide interpretation but a religious tone is evident for those who pay close attention.

Is there a point to it all?  Who knows?  It’s nothing more that a bunch of stories and strange coincidences - stuff you think only happens in the movies...

Remember, “it did happen”.