Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 05 June 2024

From a creative/artistic point of view, there’s no reason for this film to exist.  The comedically adventurous lives of Miami Police Department detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett have already been fleshed out in three previous movies – the original released in 1995 and the latest in 2020 (Bad Boys for Life).  There’s not much on offer here in terms of action or character exposition and thus, it’s easy to see it as a cynical cash grab for the studio and its leading men.  It’s the first film Will Smith has shot since his infamous Oscars slap in March 2022 and for Martin Lawrence, it’s just his fourth film role in the past decade.  Both could use a hit.

The plot makes little sense.  Much-loved leader Captain Howard (Pantoliano) was killed in the last instalment, but the writers find a way to weave him into the narrative.  Prior to his death, the captain was investigating crooked cops who were working in cahoots with powerful drug cartels.  These dodgy cops are now trying to cover their tracks (using brutal force) while Lowrey and Burnett, who were left a series of oddly cryptic clues by their former boss, are trying to identify and stop them.  There’s computer hacking, money laundering, gun fights, bounties, alligators… with no trace of realism or accountability.

Is the film still worth your time and money?  Maybe.  While my interest levels were low on entering the theatre, the material is elevated by the comedic chemistry between Smith and Lawrence.  I’m not sure we needed all the added guff about Mike’s anxiety issues and Marcus’s heart problems (the opening wedding stuff is also a snooze) but when placed in perilous situations, they find a way to make audiences laugh.  In keeping with previous outings, Lawrence gets the best of the material with a near-death, spiritual awakening serving as the catalyst for several decent jokes.

The supporting players aren’t too bad either with several of them reprising their roles from the last movie.  Whether they be heroic or villainous, each gets their own mini-subplot which is easy to follow and invest in.  The normally reliable Tiffany Haddish is the exception in a tiny, wasted cameo (a shame they didn’t give her more to do).  While previous viewing isn’t essential, it will help if you’ve seen Bad Boys for Life in understanding the existing connections between returning characters.

Several action scenes look too much like a computer game (particularly the finale) but if you’re in the mood for laughs above all else, Bad Boys: Ride or Die may unexpectedly satisfy.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 May 2024

Some films quickly fade from memory but that wasn’t the case with George Miller’s iconic 2015 sequel, Mad Max: Fury Road.  Featuring wild, stylish chase sequences, it was a 2-hour, non-stop action ride that had the courage to never slow down.  Why use dialogue when a picture can paint a thousand words, right?  The film’s boldness and imagination saw it rewarded with 6 Academy Awards (losing best picture to Spotlight) and a global box-office haul exceeding $380 million USD. (a modest hit, not a smash hit).

Serving as a prequel to Fury Road, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga spans two decades and begins in a more traditional approach.  We spend time getting to know key characters and the action is milder.  It’s centered on a pre-teen Furiosa (Browne) who is kidnapped by a nasty horde and taken to the desolate home of its power-hungry leader, Dementus (Hemsworth).  Set in a post-apocalyptic version of Australia where survival revolves around commodities in limited supply - food, water, energy, and weapons - Dementus believes Furiosa is of value as both an information source and a bargaining chip.

Those looking for explosive combat must wait until the second and third acts when Miller, working with co-writer Nico Lathouris, ramps things up.  The plot is straight-forward and semi-irrelevant (similar to past outings) – a now grown Furiosa (Taylor-Joy) seeks bloody revenge against Dementus and his crew.  With the stage set, it’s now time for elaborately choreographed battles involving weird-looking, fast-moving vehicles.  I’m not sure where 79-year-old George Miller gets his wacky ideas (and character names) but he stands out from the pack within the action genre.

I don’t think Furiosa achieves the same “edge of your seat” impact as its predecessor.  The opening is a touch slow, a few plot points miss the mark (what was with Quaden Bayles’ character?), and while the lengthy pursuits hold your attention, there’s a familiarity with Fury Road which makes them less original.  Still, I generally enjoyed what Miller has served up and it’s hard not to be impressed by the crew’s talents – from the costume designers and make-up artists through the cinematographer and stuntpeople (doing a better job of showcasing the craft than they did in The Fall Guy).

The cast also excels.  A friend expressed doubt about Chris Hemsworth’s (Thor) ability to play a convincing “bad guy” but, helped by a remarkable different physical appearance, he’s up to the challenge.  I like the splash of humour he brings to the character.  Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) barely says a word, but her facial expressions and brutish intensity make her a great hero to cheer for.  Australian actress Alyla Browne (Sting) also has a strong screen presence as the young Furiosa.

Shot in Australia this time around (the last movie was filmed in Namibia), Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is another worthwhile instalment in George Miller’s distinctive franchise.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 May 2024

Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald has a good eye when it comes to picking interesting subjects for feature-length documentaries.  They have included the murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich (One Day in September), two mountaineers who encountered trouble when descending a mountain in Peru (Touching the Void), and gifted musicians who died while still in the prime of their careers (Marley, Whitney).

His latest documentary is centred on British fashion designer John Galliano and, as the film’s title articulates, there have been plenty of highs and lows across his career.  Galliano, interviewed on camera as part of the introduction, says “I’m going to tell you everything” and while he’s a little sheepish and/or forgettable about some events, it doesn’t fall into the trap of some other docos which resemble glorified puff-pieces paid for by the subject (or their families).

We pick things up in the mid-1980s when Galliano graduated from high school and studied fashion.  In 1995, he became the first English designer to head up a French fashion house (Givenchy) and a year later, he got the top job at Dior.  It was a meteoric rise for someone with little business acumen who described himself as “shy”.  Yet, there was something amazing about his designs and runway shows which captured the eye of influential folk including Anna Wintour, Penélope Cruz, and Kate Moss (all are heard from in the film).

Success has varying impacts on people and in the case of Galliano, he disintegrated during the first decade of the 21^st century.  He became so ego-driven that he saw himself as a God-like deity and everyone else in the world existed to serve his growing needs.  He became addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs to the point where he could barely function.  His loyal staff would spend hours trying to get Galliano into a presentable state before doing public appearance and interviews.  The low point came in 2010 when he was filmed on camera hurling antisemitic insults at patrons in a Parisian restaurant.

High & Low – John Galliano covers topics we’ve seen before in documentaries and biopics.  There are people who lose their identity in the pursuit of creative perfection.  The most interesting layer in Macdonald’s film is the discussion of forgiveness and redemption.  Galliano sought professional help and has reinvented his career (not quite to the same highs) but did he deserve a second chance?  That question is posed of several interviewees in the film who provide different perspectives and answers.  Audiences will form their opinion based on the evidence presented.

With something to say about both fashion and humanity, High & Low – John Galliano is an eye-opening, conversation generator.        

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 May 2024

In 2011, schoolteacher Sergio Juárez Correa walked into his 6^th grade class in Matamoros, Mexico and decided to do things differently.  He was tired of the one-size-fits-all, government-mandated curriculum which had produced nothing but poor results in the preceding years.  Inspired by the work of Indian computer scientist Sugata Mitra, he wanted to open his classroom to a different way of engagement, a different way of learning.  The results were incredible.

Correa’s story was discovered by writer Joshua Davis who penned an article for Wired magazine in 2013.  The film rights were picked up soon after by producers Benjamin Odell and Eugenio Derbez and now here we are with the finished product.  In addition to his role as producer, Derbez steps into the shoes of the leading character – giving the film a splash of star power as he’ll be known to audiences via his performances in the Oscar-winning CODA and the Apple TV+ series Acapulco.

Writer-director Christopher Zalla hasn’t Americanised the narrative – it’s still set in Mexico with characters speaking Spanish.  That said, the screenplay still follows the well-worn, predicable path you’d expect for such a movie.  Sergio gets a lot of early resistance from the headmaster, teachers, and students but over time, he wins them over with his excitable personality.

The film’s first half has a strong comedic flavour.  We learn Sergio is employed because no one else wants the job (he’s got a pulse, so he’s hired), the encyclopedias in the library date back to 1974, and there’s aren’t any computers in the lab because they were stolen two months ago.  Rather than seeing this as a barrier, Sergio involves the kids in an array of physical, hands-on experiments to educate them about the things they want to know more about.  These scenes are cheesy and simplistic… but will put a smile on many faces.

The second half is more dramatic as the focus shifts to the children, and we learn about their complicated lives at home.  This is the film’s strongest attribute.  It helps us care about the characters and understand that despite Sergio’s best efforts, they face other barriers which may be too hard to overcome.  The power of these scenes is a testament to the performances and Zalla’s approach – none of these kids had acting experience and so by keeping things loose and unscripted (there’s a lot of improvisation), it does feel authentic.

Winner of the Festival Favourite Audience Award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, Radical is easy to like and enjoy.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 May 2024

This isn’t the first crack at a Garfield movie.  A live action version feature was released in 2004 by 20^th Century Fox with Bill Murray voicing the famed cat and Breckin Meyer playing his devoted owner, Jon.  The film was garbage and the sequel, released two years later, wasn’t much better.  It may be the world’s most syndicated comic strip but it was too difficult a step in taking Jim Davis’s simple drawings and translating them into a 90-minute movie.

Columbia and Sony Pictures are now giving in a run with an animated adaptation.  Chris Pratt seems to be a popular choice when looking for a distinctive voice (The Lego Movie, Onward, The Super Maro Bros. Movie) and here again, he’s called upon to bring Garfield to life.  The opening few scenes paint a familiar picture.  Garfield loves lasagna, midnight snacking, lounging at home… and he hates Mondays.  Living alongside Jon (Hoult) and Odie (the voiceless dog), Garfield sees himself as master of the house with full control over Jon’s time, emotions… and credit card.

There’s not much to the character and hence, the three-person writing team have created a formulaic tale to create action and adventure in the same vein as Puss in Boots.  Firstly, we learn Garfield has a father, Vic (Jackson), who re-enters his life in unusual circumstances.  Second, we’re introduced to a villainous Persian cat, Jinx (Waddingham) who blackmails Garfield and his dad into stealing milk from the nearby Lactose Farm.

Maybe Garfield isn’t meant for the big screen because, once again, I didn’t think much of this.  It’s a slight story with one-dimensional characters.  They talk a lot but never have anything particularly interesting or funny to say.  The material is no limited that they need to include unnecessarily long montages such as a sequence where Garfield and Vic go through a day-long training regime in preparation for their upcoming crime.  I’m surprised they didn’t use more of Jon who, despite being a key player in the comic strip, is largely ignored in this instalment.

In terms of comedic elements, there’s very little for adults and, based on the reactions at the preview screening I attended, I’m not convinced there’s enough for children either.  This might have passed for fun, family entertainment a few decades ago but in a world where the bar for animated films has been raised much higher, it doesn’t stand out from the pack.  Save the money and wait for it to reach a streaming platform.