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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 March 2022

Texas, 1979.  Three men and three women have rented a run-down guest house on a remote farm to shoot a “quality” porno movie to be viewed in people’s homes using the new medium of VHS.  There’s a producer (Henderson), a director (Campbell), an assistant (Ortega), a well-hung male lead (Mescudi), and two female stars (Goth and Snow).

I was reminded of the closing scene of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights when Mark Wahlberg whips out his schlong in front of a dressing room mirror and naively proclaims “I am a big bright shining star.”  The simply-titled X opens with something similar – albeit from a female perspective.  It immediately tells us that while these characters have good intentions (for the most part), their dreams of success and stardom are simply delusions.  Nothing about the porno they’re making will improve their financial or social standing.

It’s at the half-way mark where X morphs from a comedy-drama into a violent horror flick.  Writer-director Ti West is no stranger to the genre having made films including Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever, The Innkeepers and The Sacrament.  West uses well-trodden formulas here (such as splitting everyone up to create multiple subplots) but the characters act in a rational, realistic manner which gives the film credibility.  They’re not the sharpest tools in the shed but you’ll care about them more than you might expect (the interesting backstory helps).

I wasn’t as convinced by the “villains” but X is still an above-average horror movie with several moments that will catch audiences off guard.  It’s got a decent script, an energetic cast, and lots of style.  I had to laugh at a random split-screen musical interlude half-way through.  There’s another memorable moment, humorously shot by cinematographer Eliot Rockett, involving a naked Scott Mescudi standing outside the front door in the middle of the night.  These scenes highlight that the film is as light-hearted and entertaining as it is creepy and gory.

West was fortunate enough to get renowned American production company A24 to rely on economies of scale and put up the money to make two movies about these characters and their messed-up world.  They were shot back-to-back in New Zealand in early 2021 and, based on the early hype/success for X, we can expect to see the next instalment very soon.  A tease of this very different film (a prequel) is offered after the closing credits so be sure to stick around.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 March 2022

Jackson Briggs (Tatum) is a pill-popping, ex-U.S. Army Ranger who is struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after several overseas tours.  He has trouble sleeping, gets blurry vision, and often has a ringing sensation in his ears.  He needs support, both physically and mentally, but doesn't want to ask for it given his macho, shrug-things-off type mentality. 

Support finally arrives but in an unlikely form.  When a close friend / fellow Army Ranger commits suicide, Jackson goes on a lengthy road trip down the western side of the United States, from Washington to Arizona, to attend his funeral.  He is accompanied by Lulu, the late Ranger’s dog who spent much of her life working as a military dog and is battling demons of her own.

You’ll know where this film is going from the outset.  It’s like the classic tale of two troubled people coming together, cathartically opening up, and helping each other in the process.  The slight catch is that one of them is a barking Belgian Shephard.  Three different dogs were used as part of the shoot (you’re unlikely to notice the difference) and I’ll give them credit – they’re well-trained and deliver convincing performances.  The best scenes in the movie are the one-on-one interactions between a frustrated Jackson and cheeky Lulu.  A good example is a sequence where they spend a rainy night in a rusty, rundown barn.

The rest of the film is a little iffy.  The screenplay finds it hard to straddle the line between being a light-hearted animal flick that kids can equally enjoy, and a darker tale of war, PTSD and suicide.  There’s a heavier subplot where Jackson is trying to reconnect with his wife (I think) and young daughter but it’s so woefully underdeveloped that you wonder why it’s included.  It’s as if they don’t want to probe, make Jackson unlikeable, and aggravate audiences.  A quick-fire shot of them all together at the very end is such a cop-out!

There’s the aforementioned “through-line” but Dog is largely structured as a series of short stories involving unconnected characters.  As the pair travel from town to town, they interact with an assortment of people including seductive spiritual healers, a pretentious police officer, a pair of weed farmers, a gullible hotel concierge, and a fellow military veteran with a dog of his own.  Again, some moments are better that others.  I laughed at a scene involving a reconciliation and a lollipop… but cringed at one involving a jail cell and a line-up.

It’s worth noting Dog marks the directorial debut of 41-year-old Channing Tatum (Step Up, Magic Mike) who teamed up with long-time friend Reid Carolin in bringing this project to life.  I don’t think it’s part of any major transformation (he’ll be sticking to acting in the short-to-medium term) but given the story is loosely based on a road-trip he took with his own dying dog in 2018, it’s understandable why he wanted to be more involved in the film’s creative process.

Pitched at those who love canines and feel-good crowd-pleasers, Dog is well-intentioned but not particularly deep or memorable.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 March 2022

All long-time filmgoers have a handful of movies they’d describe as “hidden gems”.  I’m speaking of films you love despite the fact they didn’t fire at the box-office, weren’t beloved by critics, very few people have seen them.  An example I often refer to is Still Life, a tear-inducing British drama about a council employee (Eddie Marsan) who organises funerals for people who have died with no friends and family.  I named it my second favourite release of 2014 (behind Boyhood) and yet, it took in just $9,481 at the box-office in the United States.

Italian filmmaker Uberto Pasolini was the gifted writer-director behind Still Life (he’s also an Academy Award nominee for producing The Full Monty) and now, for the first time in almost a decade, he’s back behind the camera and making another terrific film.  Several years ago, Pasolini picked up a newspaper and read a short article about a single father with a 4-year-old son.  The dad had a terminal illness and, with no immediately family and just a few months left to live, he had to help pick an adoptive family to raise his child.  That tale became the bones for Nowhere Special.

You don’t even need to see this movie to appreciate the emotion involved with such a story.  Just picture yourself in the same situation.  With the clock ticking, imagine the pressure of having to choose someone to raise your 4-year-old child.  What if you make the wrong choice?  Another question to be answered is what you elect to leave behind in a “memory box” if the child grows up and wants to learn more about his biological father.  So as not to create a lingering sense of sadness, would it be better if the kid didn’t know anything at all?

Pasolini doesn’t milk this story any harder than needed.  Tears will flow regardless.  We just follow the window-cleaning father, John (Norton), as he teams up with good-natured social workers in “auditioning” new parents for his son, Michael (Lamont).  Intermingled with this, we have heartfelt scenes where father and son enjoy simple pleasures such as walking to school, attending a carnival, and eating fairy floss.  The kid is largely oblivious but we, as the audience, know the significance of these moments in the mind of the dying John.  In lieu of a physical villain, the “bad guy” is time and the lack of it that remains in John’s life.

James Norton (Happy Valley, Little Women) is sensational in the lead role and deftly illustrates the emotions from such a situation – from the deep love of a child to the growing fear of death.  It can’t have been easy extracting such an important performance from 4-year-old newcomer Daniel Lamont but Pasolini has done as well as can be expected.  Over 100 boys auditioned with Lamont deservedly getting the nod.

He’s not exactly a household name but Nowhere Special solidifies the reputation of Uberto Pasolini in my eyes as being a wonderful storyteller.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 02 March 2022

It’s a stretch at 2 hours, 56 minutes but to the film’s credit, it doesn’t waste time on a long-winded introduction establishing Batman’s origins.  We know he’s Bruce Wayne and that he was orphaned at a young age.  We know he’s a filthy rich recluse and is aided by a loyal butler.  We know he goes out at night to help rid Gotham City of its gangsters and criminals.  If you’ve seen one of the many cinematic interpretations of this character (there’s even a LEGO version), none of this is new information.

So… it’s straight into the story and the action.  Gotham is as corrupt as it’s ever been and a masked man, known as The Riddler (Dano), is intent on exposing the dirty, powerful men behind it.  The mayor is his first victim and that’s followed by other respected, high-profile individuals who have been engaged in illegal activity for many years.

Some in the community see The Riddler as a hero but given the way he brutally kills his victims, as opposed to letting them have their day in court, Batman (Pattinson) paints him as a villain who must be identified and apprehended.  To paraphrase – “the city may be beyond saving but he has to try.”  Those offering support include police officer James Gordon (Wright), putting his neck out to provide Batman with access to crime scenes, and Selina Kyle (Kravitz), a well-connected nightclub bartender with hidden skills.

I’ve seen stronger stories.  The writers build early intrigue but the more it progresses, the more you realise it’s a simplistic tale of corruption with little nuance.  I hoped for more.  The Riddler could easily have been the most interesting character but we don’t spend enough time with him to understand his mindset and methods.  Without giving too much away, how did he orchestrate it all?  His key scenes generally involve gruesome/creative killings as opposed to insightful conversations with others.

Batman himself lacks complexity.  He’s so emotionless and forlorn that it makes me wonder how he gets out of bed of a morning!  Why does he keep doing what he’s doing?  We get a splash of detail through the use of narration but I wish the filmmakers delved more into his depressing nature as opposed to sequences where he cases crime scenes quicker than Sherlock Holmes and solves riddles faster than a Mensa member.  

The limitations of the screenplay are offset by the stellar direction of Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) and cinematography of Australian Grieg Fraser (Zero Dark Thirty, Dune).  I lost track of the number of times I thought “whoa, that’s a great shot!”  It all takes place at night (I’m not sure when these characters sleep) and it allows them to make great use of light and shadow in creating a stylish superhero movie.  Kudos also goes to the editing team of William Hoy and Tyler Nelson for using their tools selectively instead of abundantly.

Creating enough points of difference to distinguish itself from the successful Christopher Nolan-helmed Batman trilogy, The Batman is dark, interesting… and a little frustrating.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 16 March 2022

He’s never been nominated for an Academy Award and he’s never had a leading role in a big Hollywood blockbuster… but few would turn down the opportunity if offered the career of English actor Timothy Spall.  The 65-year-old has been in the business for over four decades and he’s worked under the guidance of directors including Mike Leigh, Kenneth Branagh, Cameron Crowe, Alfonso Cuarón, Tim Burton and Pablo Larraín.  He’s a gifted character actor with a knack for elevating the projects he’s involved with.

That’s again the case with It Snows in Benidorm, the latest from Spanish director Isabel Coixet (The Secret Life of Words, Elegy) which has been co-produced by Pedro Almodóvar (All About My Mother).  Spall plays Peter Riordan (Spall), a man who willingly admits his life is boring and unambitious.  He lives alone in a sparce apartment with no wife, no kids, and no pets.  He goes through the same routines each day and he’s worked as a bank manager for many years – a job that feels more of a monotonous, depressing chore than one offering hope and fulfilment.

These early scenes are terrific.  Spall, under the guidance of Coixet, creates a character who many with understand and empathise with.  It’s at this point where the film shifts tone and takes a different narrative path.  Pushed into early retirement, complete with a generous redundancy package, Peter decides to travel to Benidorm, a seaside holiday town in eastern Spain, to catch up with his brother for the first time in several years.

Within hours of his plane touching down, Peter realises something is amiss.  His brother has gone missing.  Unsure how worried he should be, he starts to ask questions but it’s difficult given he speaks no Spanish and knows very little about his brother’s work and lifestyle in Benidorm.  What follows is a curious, intriguing adventure.  Peter steps out of his comfort zone and learns as much about himself as he does about his brother’s location and wellbeing.

It Snows in Benidorm is an interesting tale that reminds us of the importance of romance, friendships, and general human connection.  Spall skilfully brings the character to life with splashes of narration helping us understand his insular nature.  His opening line is a great example – “neither the weather nor people can be trusted.”  You grow to care more about Peter’s wellbeing than that of his missing brother (one of the film’s unusual charms).

With a solid supporting cast, It Snows in Benidorm is two hours well spent at the cinema.