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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 June 2022

When it comes to biopics, condensing the entire life of a renowned individual into a two-and-a-bit hour movie isn’t my preferred approach.  I lean towards a narrower focus on a particular moment in their career, such as what director Stephen Frears did with The Queen, to provide a deeper insight into who they are/were as a person.  If I want to know more about them, I can jump on the internet and do some reading to fill in the gaps.

This personal preference explains why I was lukewarm about the opening hour of Elvis.  In trying to provide a quick overview of Elvis Presley’s upbringing and rise to stardom, director Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby, Romeo + Juliet) hits us with a torrent of sound and visuals (with an emphasis on reaction shots).  The editing is so fast paced that there’s barely any time for characters to share meaningful conversations.  It’s like skim reading a book – you get a high-level feel for the content but not a full comprehension.

Thankfully, the tempo is slowed in the second half and we finally get an appreciation of Presley’s talent along with his strengths and weaknesses.  Central to film’s allure is the lead performance of Austin Butler – an American actor better known for his television work (The Carrie Diaries, The Shannara Chronicles) before now.  He does a wonderful job capturing the soul of Elvis Presley and you will care about the character as his life unravels in the later stages.  Butler was recommended for the role by Denzel Washington (they worked together on Broadway in 2018) and it’s easy to see why.

With so much story to tell, it’s inevitable that a few supporting players will fall by the wayside.  Elvis’s wife, Priscilla (DeJone), and his father, Vernon (Roxburgh), come across as simple and one-dimensional.  Presley’s music was shaped by that of many gifted black artists and again, it’s fleetingly touched upon in only a handful of scenes.

The four-person writing team have chosen Elvis’s long-time manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks), to be the film’s dominant focus.  He serves as the story’s villain in that he was a gambling addict who took a farcically high commission from his client’s revenues.  On top of that, he was an expert manipulator who deliberately sabotaged Elvis’s relationships with friends and family.  It’s rare to see Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump) step into the shoes of such a loathsome, whiny character but he’s solid as the sweet-talking Colonel Parker.  That said, I’ve have cut the 1990s scenes as they add little.

I spoke with actor Kelvin Harrison Jr several months ago (he plays B.B. King in the movie) who succinctly summed up the filmmaking experience – “Baz is an event in one person.”  It’s an apt way of describing this movie.  Shot here in Australia on the Gold Coast, Luhrmann draws on his trademark style and creates something loud, colourful, bold and “in your face”.  It takes time to warm up but Elvis provides audiences with a celebratory tribute to an iconic musician.  At the very least, see it for Austin Butler's performance!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 09 June 2022

In 1989, acclaimed author Michael Crichton and his wife, Anne-Maree Martin, were expecting the birth of their first child.  Crichton bought a bunch of stuffed dinosaurs, popular with kids at the time, to help fill the nursery they were decorating at home.  To borrow from the lyrics of Kev Carmody – “from little things, big things grow.”  That seemingly innocuous purchase of plush toys served as the inspiration for Crichton’s famous novel, Jurassic Park, and it’s now spawned a movie franchise which has grossed over $5 billion at the international box-office. 

As you will have seen from the trailers and other promotional material, Jurassic World Dominion represents a “coming together” of characters from previous movies.  The two stars of the 1993 original, Sam Neill and Laura Dern, interact with the two stars from the more recent flicks, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.  While it’s not a huge role, Jeff Goldblum also returns to offer humour, sarcasm and other light-hearted moments – “it’s always darkest just before eternal nothingness.”

Unlike the prehistoric creatures themselves, the screenwriters haven’t been too adventurous when it comes to the script.  It’s a seen-it-all-before tale where crazy scientists try to control/profit from the dinosaurs and, lo and behold, it all goes pear shaped.  Gasp, shock, horror – science ain’t always a great thing!  The keynote villain is the quirky Lewis Dodgson (Scott) who some will remember from the first movie.  He’s now the CEO of a leading pharmaceutical company who has bought the rights to the dinosaurs and is interested in them for one key reason – profit.

His latest cartoonish idea is to clone giant locusts which will eat the crops of all farmers who aren’t using grain seeds from his own company.  This will essentially allow him to control the world’s food supply.  Like a true movie villain, he may deep pockets, big dreams, and outlandish ideas… but he’s not as savvy when it comes to security services and competent henchmen.  This allows the heroes to infiltrate his laboratories and put an end to his devious, capitalist-driven plans.

There are several subplots to keep audiences interested and fill the lengthy 146-minute running time.  Using a classic technique, the characters split up and get their own separate mini adventure.  Parts are quite thrilling – like a moment where Bryce Dallas Howard’s character hides under water to evade a chasing dinosaur.  Other parts are frustrating contrived – like a scene where a pet raptor is rescued despite putting human lives at significant risk.

While the script needed improvement, it’s still nice to see Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum reprising roles for which they will always be famous for.  It’s been almost thirty years since the first movie and this new instalment does invoke a warm sense of nostalgia.  Oscar winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up) adds to that vibe by sneaking in John Williams’ familiar Jurassic Park score at timely intervals.

Jurassic World Dominion ticks a few boxes but not quite enough to make this a distinctive, original, memorable adventure.

You can read my chat with director Colin Trevorrow by clicking here.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 June 2022

If you’re familiar with the original Toy Story from 1995, you’ll know Buzz Lightyear was a new toy owned by that film’s 6-year-old protagonist, Andy.  Andy’s parents bought the toy because it was the lead character in their son’s favourite movie.  As we learn from the opening credits here, Lightyear is that movie.  You could therefore describe it as the animated equivalent of “a film within a film” in that it exists inside the Toy Story universe.  Hope that’s not too confusing!

Considering it was the favourite movie of a 6-year-old, it won’t come as much surprise to see this pitched at a younger crowd.  With its simple storyline, there’s clearly more for kids than adults.  It begins with Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) inadvertently crashing his spaceship on a desolate planet.  It leaves him and the large crew marooned with no chance of rescue unless they can develop the technology to get the spaceship working again.

Two well-worn themes are pushed strongly, perhaps too much so, throughout the film.  The first is that of teamwork.  Buzz is very much an individual who wants to do things by himself.  That’s partly because he feels guilt from the accident and wants to the person to “fix” things… and it’s partly because he’s following the space ranger code and doesn’t want to put the lives of others in danger.  He soon learns he’ll need the help of an eccentric group of misfits to get the job done.

The second theme is that of change and the importance of looking forward as opposed to looking back.  The marooned crew have been stuck for several decades (time moves quickly in the same vein as the ocean planet in Interstellar) and across that time, guided by generational growth, they come to see the planet as a new home.  The idea of repairing the spaceship is of less relevance and there’s an increased focus on making the best of what they have.

Such tales need a villain and it arrives in the form a giant robot, complete with his own high-powered spaceship, who attacks the new planet and wants to steal their technology.  This allows the writers to create several decent, fast-paced escape scenes where Buzz and his semi-reluctant team use an array of skills to stay one step ahead.  A highlight is a sequence involving giant bugs and a cloaking device.

Lightyear won't blow you away but there are some nice touches.  Buzz has a cute robot cat which is of value in terms of his intelligence and his companionship.  I was also a fan of the auto-pilot device named I.V.A.N. and its dry sense of humour.  That’s not to say the film doesn’t have weaknesses.  Buzz isn’t the most interesting of characters and he comes across as very repetitive and one-dimensional.  It’s an example of where supporting players, like an introverted teammate voiced by Taika Waititi, are funnier and more compelling.

The original Toy Story is considered to be one of the great animated features of all time – because it was the first feature-length film to be fully animated using computers, and because of the strong emotional connection audiences built with the lovable characters.  Lightyear may keep children occupied for two hours but it doesn’t resonate as intensely.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 June 2022

Since the category was introduced at the Academy Awards in 1947, only six directors have won the best international feature film category on multiple occasions.  The most recent addition to that group (and the only person still alive) is Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi.  He won in 2012 for his Golden Bear winning A Separation and followed it up five years later with a win for The Salesman.

Farhadi's latest creation is A Hero and it solidifies his reputation of creating complex stories with equally complex characters.  In trying to squeeze comprehendible narratives inside of two hours, screenwriters often struggle to “flesh out” subplots in detail and so they fall into the trap of simplicity over substance.  A common example is in the rom-com genre where one suitor is inherently good, one suitor is inherently bad (despite appearing good at first), and the choice of who to marry becomes obvious.

Life is rarely that simple and we, as humans, are mysterious creatures.  There are times when we act in the interests of others… and then times when we put ourselves first.  There are times when we remain calm under pressure… and then times when we lose our composure.  There are times when we feel happy and appreciative of life… and then times when a wave of depression washes over.

This complexity is beautifully illustrated in A Hero.  The central character is Rahim (Jadidi), a man who has been imprisoned after failing to repay a sizeable business loan to his disgruntled ex-brother-in-law.  Allowed out of prison on two days’ leave, Rahim comes in possession of a lost handbag containing valuable gold coins.  He considers using it to repay a portion of the debt but instead, he returns the bag to its original owner.

Word gets around about Rahim’s good deed and he becomes a quasi-celebrity after being featured on a television news story.  A local charity steps in and tries to raise money which will allow for his release from prison.  However, it’s not long before a few people start questioning Rahim’s version of events and whether he is a “good guy”.  The truth keeps shifting to the point where it’s almost irrelevant!  Opinions have been formed and it’s going to be very difficult to change them.

37-year-old Amir Jadidi is outstanding in the lead role and skilfully plays the character as someone who is good-natured but also prone to mistakes.  Audiences will form a range of opinions about his actions and sincerity.  There are several interest subplots with the supporting cast all pulling their weight.  These include the perspective of the prison managers, the charity organisers, and Rahim’s married sister.

A joint winner of the Grand Prix at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival (considered to be the runner-up prize), A Hero is a terrific film where the performances are as a strong as the screenplay.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 12 June 2022

There are films where the good people get what they want, the bad people get what they deserve, and all the major subplots are neatly wrapped up.  Men is not one of those movies.  In the same vein as Mulholland Drive, Enter the Void, or Midsommar, it’s the kind of film that makes you go “what the hell did I just watch?”  That’s the best way of summing up by own confused, jolted view as the end credits unexpectedly started to roll.

Written and director by Alex Garland (Ex Machina), Men is a two-hander built around the great performances of Rory Kinnear (The Imitation Game) and recently minted Academy Award nominee Jesse Buckley (The Lost Daughter).  She plays Harper Marlowe, a woman who is on holidays in a small English town.  She’s rented an old-school cottage, complete with a piano and antique bathtub, and is there alone with just her thoughts, phone and laptop.

It’s a beautiful location but the reasons behind Harper’s trip are quite tragic.  Harper’s marriage had been on a wain and, after engaging in a passionate argument, it culminated with the husband (Essiedu) jumping from a balcony and committing suicide.  The widowed Harper is still coming to grips with the event (it’s a mix of confusion and grief) and the change of scenery will hopefully provide a few steps forward.  Providing emotional support is her best friend (Rankin) who regularly calls to talk about anything and everything.

She’d rather just keep to herself but Harper is forced to interact with a series of male townsfolk including the property manager, a bartender, a police officer, a vicar, and a naked stalker.  Every one of these characters is played by Kinnear – a convincing choice by Garland who uses a mix of make-up and visual effects to give them a distinctive look.  They all make Harper feel uncomfortable but in different ways and to different extents.

Whether you like it or not, the climax is a memorable one.  Garland has been cryptic in interviews and stated that the film has multiple interpretations – a deliberate decision on his part.  To directly quote Garland – “Does Harper see all men the same even though they’re not?  Or does she not realise that, in fact, they are all the same?”  There’s also stuff to think about in terms of trauma, its lingering impact, and the ways we overcome it.

I was looking for a touch more narrative but Men is to be praised as an original, unsettling drama-thriller that takes us out of our comfort zones.