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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 August 2022

Don’t ask me for statistical proof but Australia seems to bat above the worldwide average when it comes to actors making a mark on the international stage.  Over the past quarter of a century, 13 Aussies have earned acting nominations at the Academy Awards.  There’s an even bigger group who have found fame in major franchises and/or action blockbusters.  The two highest grossing movies of all time feature Australians in leading roles – Sam Worthington in Avatar and Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Endgame.

All of these skilled actors began their careers with roles in Australian-made flicks.  Nicole Kidman starred in BMX Bandits, Cate Blanchett featured in Paradise Road, Heath Ledger first appeared in the teen drama Blackrock, and Hugh Jackman won a critics award for his debut in Erskineville Kings.  Like many others, I’d love to see a bigger film industry in this country but, it’s important to acknowledge that locally made movies have provided a valuable first step for those breaking into the industry.

It’s a point worth noting as there are currently two movies in Aussie cinemas starring 17-year-old newcomer Rasmus King – 6 Festivals (released last week) and now Bosch & Rockit.  Raised in Byron Bay, King has been known for his surfing prowess before now (he was winning titles as a 9-year-old).  He “fluked” his way into the acting profession (his word, not mine) but based on his two skilled, passionate performances in these movies, he’s likely to get the attention of other filmmakers in search of tomorrow’s superstars.

Based on a true story, Bosch & Rockit is a father and son tale set in the late 1990s.  King plays Rockit – a surf-loving teenager trying to find his place in the world while Luke Hemsworth (Westworld) plays Bosch – a single dad who wants to be there for his son but keeps making mistakes.  Forced to flee their home after a Bosch gets on the wrong side of dodgy drug dealers, the pair hide out in Byron Bay until things quieten down.  Rockit doesn’t know the truth, however.  He’s unaware of his dad’s criminal activities and thinks Byron Bay is an opportune holiday where they can spend quality time together.

Selected as the closing night feature for the Gold Coast Film Festival back in April, Bosch & Rockit is a little clunky and formulaic in places but it’s still a worthy story bolstered by great performances.  King is terrific (just mentioning it again) but so too is Hemsworth who finds the right blend of “likeable” and “unlikeable” in bringing the flawed father to life.  They share some great exchanges – from deep and meaningful conversations about family… to petty arguments in front of strangers at hotel receptions.

You won’t find them in as many cinemas as Bullet Train and Nope but if you want to see what the Australian film industry is offering up, find the time and give both 6 Festivals and Bosch & Rockit a look.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 August 2022

There’s no shortage of recent product delving into the life of Princess Diana.  Kristen Stewart earned a first Academy Award nomination earlier this year for portraying the beloved royal in Pablo Larraín’s Spencer.  Princes William and Harry commissions two television documentaries about their mother which premiered in 2017.  Fans of the popular television series The Crown will remember the arrival of Diana in series 4.  There was even a much-maligned Broadway musical that premiered in November 2021, simply titled Diana, that was savaged by critics and closed after just 33 performances.

This begs the question – why do we need yet another film about this subject?  Is there enough demand to meet the increasing supply?  The Princess is a documentary that covers the life of Diana from her engagement to Prince Charles in 1981 through to her death in 1997.  When it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, directed Ed Perkins stated that he tackled the project because he felt they had a “different perspective or vantage point” to previous works.

It’s certainly different in terms of approach.  Using the same technique adopted by Asif Kapadia in the brilliant 2010 documentary Senna, Perkins relies entirely on archival footage to create a narrative.  There are no current day interviews with Diana’s friends and family looking back on her life.  There are no recreated scenes to depict what may have happened behind closed doors.  There is no narration telling us what to think.

Instead, the filmmakers use video extracts from news reports, talk shows, paparazzi, and random home movies (some of it never seen before).  I’ll give credit to Perkins and lead editors Jinx Godfrey (The Theory of Everything) and Daniel Lapira (The Boat) in weaving the hundreds of hours of footage into a fast-paced, two-hour documentary.

The best moments are those where the camera catches a concerned looking individual (usually either Charles or Diana) and you can tell, particularly from a disgruntled look or shift in their eyes, exactly what they’re thinking.  Another highlight is the poignant closing sequence which, backed by a moving music score from Martin Phipps, reminds us of the public’s outpouring of grief in the days following Diana’s death.

It’s hard to fault the skill which has gone into The Princess but, despite what Perkins suggested at the world premiere, I’m not convinced it provides anything new in terms of “perspective”.  If you’re a young person unfamiliar about Charles and Diana’s marriage, it’s a good introductory eye-opener that provides motivation to do more research.

For everyone else however, it’ll be hard to maintain interest levels throughout given we already know this story.  There’s no change in terms of heroes or victims either.  With the exception of Princess Diana, everyone comes off looking sketchy and Perkins points his finger at the media/paparazzi in having a major role to play in Diana’s difficult years.  I’ll make the point again – this is not new information.  If being asked to watch an umpteenth movie about the princess, this needed to offer more.   

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 August 2022

The setting a standard hotel room with a queen bed, mini bar, and city views. The sixty-something-year-old Nancy (Thompson) is not there on holidays though. After months of nervous deliberation and procrastination, she’s finally harnessed the courage to book a male escort for a two hour “session”. His name is Leo (McCormack) and while he doesn’t give up too much information about his backstory and other clients, you can tell he’s got the experience, both physically and conversationally, to meet her needs.

In a constant state of unease, Nancy finally opens up about what she wants. She’d been married for over three decades but when her husband passed away two years ago, it got her thinking about life’s opportunities that she never took advantage of. One of those is sex. Her husband is the only person she’s ever made love with and she wouldn’t describe him as a passionate, adventurous lover. There’s a humorous scene where Nancy explains her husband’s hapless bedroom antics and it’s no surprise to learn she’s never had an orgasm in her life.

The film has a claustrophobic feel in that, for the most part, it’s set entirely within the hotel room. While they both have separate lives outside its walls (Nancy talks about being a mum and a retired school teacher), the only “version” we see of these two characters is that which exists while they’re together. Australian director Sophie Hyde (52 Tuesdays) has split the film into four distinct chapters which coincide with their total number of meetings (it’s all Nancy can afford).

It may sound limited in terms of scope but without unnecessary supporting characters, it provides a great opportunity to delve deeply into the two leads. The experienced Emma Thompson (Howard’s End) and relative newcomer Daryl McCormack work brilliantly off each other. They share lengthy conversations, sometimes humorous and sometimes dramatic, which allow us to peel back their outer layers and see what truly lies beneath. There’s a splash of sex too!

Dialogue isn’t always necessary though. As an example, I love the choice of Hyde to keep the camera on Leo when Nancy slips off to the bathroom during their first encounter. He’s very smooth and suave when in Nancy’s presence but these moments allow us to see a more vulnerable side to Leo. It provides a reminder that who we are around others isn’t always the same as who we are when alone. These early scenes also signal that the movie is as much about Leo finding peace with his life choices it is about Nancy’s.

Helping breakdown stigmas and stereotypes when it comes to sex workers, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is an interesting, progressive character study that offers up material we don’t usually see on the big screen. It’ll provide great talking points with family/friends and is not to be missed.

You can read my chat with director Sophie Hyde by clicking here..

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 August 2022

It’s an easy setting to describe.  We’ve got the famous bullet train in Japan which takes about three hours to travel from Tokyo to Kyoto.  On board is the son of a famous crime lord, a locked briefcase containing $10 million, and a bunch of experienced assassins with missions to complete.  It may sound intense but the narrative is given the lightest possible touch by director David Leitch (Deadpool 2).  There are heavy splashes of blood/gore but for the most part, this is crafted as a comedy.  The characters spend that much time delivering witty one-liners that they barely have time to fight for their lives.

Bullet Train features a substantive, handsomely-paid cast.  Headlining the bunch is Brad Pitt as a self-described “unlucky” guy who, despite a pessimistic view of the world, seems to be doing okay.  His particular assignment is simply to steal the briefcase and get off the train and the first stop.  The other assassins have more complex agendas but, as we learn through rushed flashbacks, they all seem to have a connection with a mysterious figure known as “The White Death”.

This is a movie where the colourful train, hip soundtrack and famous actors provide a “gloss” that mask its flaws and unoriginality.  It’s the same jokes used again and again and again.  As an example, Brian Tyree Henry plays a hitman who, having loved the show as a child, uses Thomas the Tank Engine metaphors when describing adversaries.  It’s a quirk that’s funny at first but is quickly overused.  The same applies to a cameo from a well-known Hollywood actor (I won’t spoil) who pops up halfway through.

Oscar winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) oozes charm but it’s not enough to compensate for his one-dimensional character who barely raises a sweat, and nonchalantly rambles on about bad luck and philosophy.  The overarching theme of “fate” is beaten into audiences as if we’re a puppy dog who needs constant training and reminding.  I wanted to shout at the screen – “I got it the first five times you said it!”

It’s rare to be saying this about an action comedy but the film’s strongest attributes are its art and set decoration.  The bullet train is a cool location for such a tale and the talented craftsmen give the 16 carriages (10 economy, 6 first class) a distinctive look – from the stylish bathrooms, to the sumptuous snack service, to a carriage filled with plush toys.  The action sequences, while disobeying the laws of physics at times, aren’t too bad either and offer a few surprises.

A friend summed it up best – “if this was on Netflix and starred a bunch of nobodies, it would be terrible.”  The cast do their best to elevate the material but it’s not enough to sustain interest levels for over two hours.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 August 2022

As a director, it’s nice when your first big movie is a massive hit.  On this same weekend 23 years ago, The Sixth Sense arrived in American cinemas and the line “I see dead people” became one of the most memorable in movie history.  It was the second highest grossing flick of 1999 (behind The Phantom Menace) and it made M. Night Shyamalan a household name… and a dual Oscar nominee for writing and directing.

The upside for Shyamalan is that it gave him more creativity freedom.  He could take chances on weird, not-so-audience friendly movies and still have the backing of big studio money with little interference.  The downside for Shyamalan is that with such early acclaim, it became harder to meet the public’s now higher expectations.  I’ve enjoyed some (emphasis on “some”) of his works but most would agree that nothing has matched what he achieved as a 28-year-old with The Sixth Sense.

Jordan Peele finds himself at a similar point in his career.  The comedian-turned-filmmaker won the Academy Award for best original screenplay in 2017 with his debut feature, Get Out, and he followed that up two years later with Us.  Nope marks his third outing and he’s sticking with what he’s become known for – a supernatural, horror-style flick where perplexed audiences are kept guessing throughout. 

To the credit of the studio, and this is probably because of Peele’s strong influence, very few details are given away in the trailers and promotional material.  Stars Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Keke Palmer (Hustlers) play siblings responsible for a long-running horse wrangling business.  Their personalities are polar opposites and this makes for feisty, pull-no-punches banter between the pair – particularly since sales are slow.

What follows shouldn’t be spoiled but even if I tried, it’d be difficult to describe.  Some weird, unexplainable stuff goes on at the ranch and it brings together an eclectic group of characters to get to the bottom of it.  They are headlined by an inquisitive tech guru (Perea), a theme park operator with a curious past (Yeun), and a talented cinematographer on a constant search for the perfect shot (Wincott).

I’m split down the middle on this one.  It’s the kind of movie where you’re never bored but you’re also never fully buying into events as they unfold.  It’s a “round peg in a square hole” at times as Peele can’t quite get the storyline to marry up with the themes he’s selling.  The cinematographer is one character I’ll be forever scratching my head about.  Is it poor development… or am I simply a moron for not understanding him?

Maybe Nope will require multiple viewings to appreciate more deeply?  Maybe I’m just overthinking it?  It’ll get people talking but, at least for now, Get Out remains Peele’s high-water mark.