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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 August 2025

The tagline on the poster of Mr. Burton provides an apt summation of the film’s essence – “some are born great… some are inspired to be great.”  History books chronicle those who have changed the world but not as well known, if at all, are the people behind the scenes who provided them with education, guidance and support.  Whether you’re a researcher trying to cure cancer or an athlete preparing for an upcoming meet, it’s near impossible to achieve one’s goals without help.

He passed away in 1984 at the relatively young age of 58 but Welsh actor Richard Burton had a stellar career.  He received 7 Academy Award nominations for acting across a 25-year period with highlights including Becket, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  He won a Tony Award for his performance in the musical Camelot and his rocky marriage(s) with Elizabeth Taylor made him a much talked about figure.  He’d be included in any conversation when debating the best actors of the 20^th Century.

Marc Evans’ film is titled Mr Burton but it’s not necessarily referring to the acclaimed actor.  Set in 1942 when Richard was a school student living in a small Welsh village, the focal character is Philip Burton, a teacher with a love for the arts.  He sensed Richard’s passion for acting from an early age and did whatever he could to nurture his talent and open doors.  While it led to Richard’s success, it created problems for both given Philip was a middle-aged gay man, and gossipy townsfolk questioned his true intentions.

It may not answer ever question on audiences’ minds, but Mr. Burton is an interesting true story bolstered by its three lead performances.  As Philip, the softly spoken Toby Jones (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) delicately captures the satisfaction of a teacher moulding his pupil… and the resulting insecurity from their connection.  Harry Lawtey (Industry) steps into the shoes of a young Richard Burton and creates a rough-around-the-edges character who is likeable and ambitious.  Oscar nominee Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) plays Philip’s landlord, a widowed woman who offers sage advice at opportune moments.

Likely to inspire more reading about its subjects (it certainly did for me), Mr. Burton is to be celebrated as a biopic and its bleak depiction of 1940s Wales.  More importantly though, it’s a reminder to reflect on the people in our own lives who have made us who we are today.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 August 2025

There have been several iterations of Mary Rodgers’ 1972 children novel Freaky Friday.  This movie serves as a sequel to the popular 2003 cinema release starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.  Both stars have returned for Freakier Friday along with a host of supporting players including Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray and Stephen Tobolowsky.  It works as a standalone film but it’s clearly pitching itself at the family-friendly fan base which has grown over the past two decades.

Under the guidance of Canadian director Nisha Ganatra, the stakes have been raised for this follow-up.  Instead of two people switching bodies… we now have four.  Anna (Lohan) is now a middle-aged single mum who works as a music agent in Los Angeles while her own mother, Tess (Curtis), is still humorously meddling in her life.  After a whirlwind romance, Anna is set to marry Eric (Jacinto), a fellow single parent, but their lives are made complicated as their respective teenage daughters, Harper (Butters) and Lily (Hammons), do not get along.  They’re as different as chalk and cheese.

A dodgy psychic then lays the groundwork for the film’s promised mayhem.  They wake up one morning to find Anna has swapped bodies with her daughter while, more bizarrely, Grandma Tess has swapped with her soon-to-be granddaughter-in-law.  Eric has somehow escaped unscathed.  The quartet have been given a riddle about breaking the “curse” but with the wedding ceremony only days away, the clock is ticking…

Freakier Friday is simple, harmless entertainment.  It requires a stronger attention span to remember who is in each body but, in the same vein as the original, it’s about creating wacky scenarios the women must bluff their way through.  At home, Anna conjures excuses as to why she suddenly can’t kiss her fiancé and at work, she “wings it” while managing a stressed, high-profile client.  The cast have fun with their exaggerated behaviours and that vibe should impart itself on audiences.  The outtakes shown during the closing credits are further evidence of the film’s goofy vibe.

The themes are laid on thickly and several of the character personalities are rushed (it’s amazing how easily things are resolved) but there’s still a likeable spirit to Freakier Friday, elevated by the cast, which makes it worthwhile. 

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 11 August 2025

You only get one life and so you’ve got to make the most of it.  It’s a mantra I follow and, while its not revelatory, it’s a piece of advice I like giving to younger folk.  That theme as at the core of The Life of Chuck, a new film from director Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep) based off a short story authored by Stephen King (The Shining, It).  It’s a reminder to see the world, take chances, make friends, and have fun.  Enjoy life because you never know when Death will come knocking.

While it’s a valuable, powerful message, its delivery in The Life of Chuck is a little frustrating.  The story revolves around Charles Krantz, a character we see… but don’t really get to know.  He has an emotionally fraught upbringing when his two parents are killed in a car accident and goes on to discover a passion for dance and accounting.  Oh, and he seems like a nice, genuine guy.  That’s about it.  The film is scant on other details including the relationship he shares with his wife and son.

Perhaps this is due to the film’s unusual structure which is both cool and annoying.  Mirroring the Stephen King novella, it’s split into three very different acts and told in reverse chronological order.  The first two chapters show Chuck as a middle-aged adult, played by Tom Hiddleston (Thor), while the lengthy final section depicts him as a youngster, played by Jacon Tremblay (Room) and newcomer Benjamin Pajak.  I applaud the unusual approach but needed more narrative.  It unfortunately falls upon a narrator (Nick Offerman) to provide heavy-handed monologues explaining each character’s history and mindset.

I’d still recommend this though and that’s largely thanks to the direction of Mike Flanagan.  From the way he depicts the bizarre happenings in the opening act, through to a public elaborate dance sequence, Flanagan uses musical and visual stimulation to engage audiences and compensate for the screenplay’s shortcomings.  The weaving of characters and imagery between the chapters, such as a simple hand-waving gesture picked up from his grandmother, also leaves a positive impression.

Since 2012, every winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival has earned an Academy Award nomination for best picture.  The Life of Chuck took the honours last September but after an underwhelming release in the United States two months ago (it made just $7 million USD at the box-office), that streak is a near certainty to end.  Perhaps Neon bungled the marketing campaign or perhaps the movie isn’t as good as hyped-up Toronto audiences would have us believe.  It’s probably a combination of both.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 July 2025

There are several awards each year that honour the gifted performances of animals on the big screen.  The Palm Dog is “dished” out at the Cannes Film Festival and the 2024 winner was the Border Collie seen in Anatomy of a Fall.  People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) hand out a series of awards, punily titled the “Oscats”, which promote kindness to animals.  Media outlets light-heartedly pitch for a new Oscars category given the “performances” featured in films including The Banshees of Inisherin, EO, Inside Llewyn Davis, and The Artist.

I didn’t think much of The Friend, but I’ll concede it’s a film which may weave its way into the hearts of dog lovers.  Iris (Watts) is a New York City-based writer rocked by the suicide of a friend and colleague, Walter (Murray).  In the aftermath of his passing, Iris is asked to take custody of Walter’s loyal Great Dane, Apollo.  It’s a difficult situation for them both.  Apollo slips into a depressive state and doesn’t understand why his long-time master is no longer around.  Iris lives in a small, one-bedroom apartment and in addition to animals being banned in the building, she lacks the time to care for a needy dog.

You can see where this movie is going from the outset.  Based on a 2018 novel from American author Sigrid Nunez, it’s a tale about the value of canines in shaping our lives.  A dog is the last thing Iris wanted but, with each passing day, she forms a closer connection with Apollo which provides comfort and purpose.  In the case of the Great Dane, he slowly warms to his new owner’s mannerisms and rediscovers a sense of happiness. 

There’s not much to take away from the rest of the narrative.  There are subplots involving Iris’s interactions with Walter’s ex-wives and college students but they’re not particularly enlightening.  Bill Murray (Lost in Translation) is promoted on the film’s poster but is seldom seen given his early demise.  Aside from Iris, the only human character arc of interest is that of the building manager (Solis) who faces a dilemma when his employment obligations clash with his moral compass.

If you’re a dog lover though, don’t let my negatively dissuade you from seeing The Friend.  If there really was an Oscar for best animal performance, Apollo would be a serious contender.  He’s fun to watch!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 August 2025

Weapons wastes no time in building intrigue.  A young narrator explains that at 2:17am one evening, 17 young children from a small town ran out the front door of their respective homes and disappeared into the night.  The common link is that each kid was part of the same class at elementary school and taught by the popular Ms Gandy.  A month has since passed with the parents’ grief turning into anger.  They’re frustrated by the lack of answers coming from local authorities.

Writer-director Zach Cregger, who burst into the spotlight three years ago with the impressive Barbarian, splits the film into six chapters which each telling the story from a different perspective.  There’s Ms Gandy (Garner), a frustrated parent (Brolin), an alcoholic police officer (Ehrenreich), a homeless drug user (Abrams), the school principal (Wong), and a quiet young boy (Christopher).  Each segment is like a jigsaw puzzle piece.  You can't appreciate the “full” picture until you see them all woven together.  It’s not a new cinematic technique but Cregger uses it to great effect.

If you’re a fan of horror-thrillers, Weapons delivers in spades.  This genre can often box itself into a corner by building early suspense but then realising there’s no logical path to a credible finale.  That’s not the case here.  I won’t reveal spoilers… but I will say ending fits with the material, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and provides food for thought (don’t expect everything to be explained).  The direction is top notch with Cregger using a myriad of ways to extract tension – from a simple lock of hair being cut from someone’s fringe… to a bloody battle at a gas station… through to a peculiar way of running.

The characters have also been well crafted with emphasis on Emmy winner Julia Garner (Ozark) as Ms Gandy.  She’s a heroic, inquisitive person worth rooting for but, at the same time, we see her flaws.  Her good intentions are often undermined by poor decision making.  The whole cast deserve praise.  The experienced Josh Brolin (Milk) and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) showcase their talents with nuanced performances while 9-year-old Cary Christopher displays a range of emotion as the unsettled Alex.

Holding your attention from start to finish, Weapons is not a film you’ll easily forget.