Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 September 2000

With four screens in action, it’s hard to keep up with everything going on but here’s my interpretation of events as the story begins.  Lauren (Tripplehorn) and Rose (Hayek) are lovers with Lauren giving Rose a lift to an audition for a new movie.  Emma (Burrows) is at her therapist (Headey) discussing her relationship problems.  In a boardroom, a meeting is to about to take place but the boss, Alex (Skarsgard) is late and is suspected of drinking again.  Finally, we meet a security guard at the front entrance of an office complex who doesn’t seem to be doing much at all.

I won’t reveal any more because this film does call upon your intelligence to keep track of all the cameras, all the characters and all the interaction.  The sound fluctuates from camera to camera depending on which has the more important action but if you listen closely, you can follow any particular camera you desire.  It’s not as difficult to watch as you might think.

The utmost praise has to go to Mike Figgis for pulling this off.  He controls one camera and Tony Cucchiari, James Wharton O’Keefe and Patrick Alexander Stewart control the other three.  Just think of the logistics of the whole creation.  All four cameramen have to make sure that none run into each other and appear on screen.  They also are on the run for the full 90 minutes without any break whatsoever.  All the actors have to be aware which camera they’re talking to and know all their actions and lines for the full duration.  Jeanne Tripplehorn has to be singled out for her dazzling performance that is emphasised by the fact she appears on screen for the entire movie.  It’s not easy and yet everything flows so well that you don’t notice the lack of editing.

Figgis has publicly stated that this film is designed for DVD usage.  When released early in 2001, you’ll be able to watch the whole movie from one camera if you like.  If watching all four, you’ll have the option of turning up the volume on whichever camera you choose.  It’s very overwhelming but it shows just what can be done in today’s world.  Technology has arrived and it’s time to move forward...

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 September 2000

Hal Brandston (Webber) is a school kid with only one thing on his mind - Claire Bonner.  He’s been dying to ask her out but just can’t conjure up the courage to do so.  For Hal’s sister, Natalie, the winter has not gone so well.  Spring has almost approached and still no snow.  Every year she yearns for a “snow day” - that rarest of days that closes all schools.  Snow days have a reputation as a special day in which anything can happen.

Sure enough, the snow day arrives and the story begins.  Hal thinks it’s time to take a chance with Claire and Natalie sets out to stop the ploughman (Elliot) and help create a second snow day.

It’s all sweet with sugar on top.  Chevy Chase and Pam Grier pop up in small cameo-like roles and I was surprised that neither was given any good lines nor screen time.  The kids seem to take all the jokes but admittedly it is designed for a younger audience.

It’s hard to relate to a film like this in Brisbane given our climate but if you’re looking to offload the kids this school holidays, Snow Day could just be the ticket.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 September 2000

From here the story follows the standard method.  Jody struggles at first and is almost booted out of the Academy before finding her true self.  There is the guy she lusts after, Cooper (Stiefel) and the guy who lusts after her, Charlie (Radetsky).  There’s the gifted, yet uptight Maureen (Pratt) whose mother pushes her hard to get results.  Throw in a few other notables - the foreign student, the gay student, the wild student and all stereotypes are covered.

Although this gives a negative impression, Centre Stage is a very entertaining film for one main reason - the musical numbers.  There are many of them during the film with emphasis on the big finale and the choreography is reminiscent of classic musicals that these days are seldom seen.  It must have taken weeks of effort to pull off the two wonderful stage productions prominent in the film’s final climax.

The producers have not succumbed to casting Hollywood big names and have selected their cast from Ballet schools across the United States.  Schull is a member of the San Francisco Ballet and Radetsky hails from the American Ballet Company.  In an even bigger surprise, Ilia Kulik, who won the men's figure skating gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, plays Sergei the Russian student.

Having a cast with such a wide knowledge of the subject material helps the film immensely and creates passion for the characters.  You get the impression they’ve all felt these pressures before and can strongly relate to what this film has to say.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 September 2000

On Ava’s suggestion, they head off to San Diego, California to see the beach and find new opportunities.  Ava enrols in a local school and starts making friends from day one.  Mary makes her own friends when she finds a filing job to help pay the “bills that keep coming in”.  Things look even rosier when Mary meets and falls for Jack (O’Connor) and the three move in together.  However, given her past run of separations, is this romance going to be any different?

Delightfully told, Tumbleweeds will guarantee futures for most of its participants.  Gavin O’Connor has left his options open.  He co-wrote the screenplay, took on a major supporting role and was the film’s director - a lot of work!

From an acting perspective, Kimberly Brown has exploded onto the Hollywood scene with her portrayal as Ava.  Her Southern accent, mixed with classic facial expressions, gives her character an edge that makes her perfect opposite McTeer.  As for McTeer, what can be said?  Where has she come from?  Predominantly appearing in English films, Tumbleweeds earned her a Golden Globe Award, an Academy Award nomination and several other film critics’ awards along the way.

Playing Mary, McTeer is more than just a zany mother - her exuberant exterior hides a troubled interior that is evident from the outset.  You always have a feeling where the film is going (especially after the introduction of workmate Dan) but there’s an instinct that tells you it may not all be so predictable and that’s a tribute to the acting abilities of the cast.

Mother-daughter bonding movies are becoming a common occurrence on film screens.  Anywhere But Here with Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman bears a striking resemblance to Tumbleweeds.  In the wash up, Tumbleweeds gets the nod from me for in essence, the richness of it characters.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 September 2000

Determined to prove their lecturer wrong, the three set out to create a rumour and then monitor how far it goes and by how much it changes.  Their victims are Naomi (Hudson) and Beau (Jackson) who are a well-known couple in college circles.  Naomi has a fierce reputation of being a virgin and never “giving out”.

When Derrick spies both Naomi and Beau in a romantic moment at a party, Naomi, who is drunk, refuses Beau’s advances before passing out on the bed.  Beau promptly leaves but gives the indication to his mates that he may have just scored.  This gives Derrick’s his rumour to spread - that Naomi, despite all her ethical behaviour, “gave out”.  The experiment becomes a fascinating insight at first but things start to get carried away with people’s lives being put on the line.

Lena Headey gives the film’s best performance and should score some great future roles.  The young cast should be given high praise for all their performances that seem to gel much better than other “teen flicks”.

Director Davis Guggenheim is a newcomer to cinema having worked on TV shows such as Party Of Five, NYPD Blue and ER.  He has created a very dark film right from the intriguing opening scenes in the bar.  Greg Poirier should also be commended for his intelligent screenplay.

Gossip has a lot to say about modern day culture and the power of rumours, whether true or false.  There are plenty of twists and turns and the illusion of what is real and what isn’t will have you guessing all the way to the end.  Just like life.