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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 07 April 2024

When the Academy Award nominations were announced on 23 January 2024, one nod which put a smile on many faces that for Robot Dreams in the best animated feature film category.  It was a European film made on a budget of just €5 million which had not yet been released in the United States.  Based on great word of mouth at film festivals including Cannes and Toronto, it wove its way into the hearts of Oscar voters over more conventional films.

The story is simple and powerful.  It’s set in the 1980s and features a dystopian version of New York City where the landmarks are the same… but animals live there as opposed to humans.  The central character is a lonely dog who has a nice apartment but no friends to share it with.  In search of companionship, he orders an Amica 2000 robot after seeing a television infomercial.  The two quickly become inseparable with the fast-learning robot developing a habit of mimicking those around it (whether it be holding hands, or giving the “middle finger”).

Tragedy then strikes.  After a day swimming at the beach, the robot malfunctions and its limbs seize up (probably should have got it wet).  The dog has no way of fixing his friend and it is left on the shoreline as security lock the beach’s gates for the upcoming winter.  Not only is he back to being alone, the poor dog now as the added baggage of losing his closet companion.

It takes a little while to get going but this is an outstanding film.  Now is probably for the time to mention there isn’t a single word of spoken dialogue in the entire movie.  Just like The Shaun the Sheep Movie, we understand and empathise with these characters because of their actions and facial expressions.  This approach also gives it universal appeal.  It’s a Spanish-French co-production but with no words, there’s no need for subtitles.

The script is based on a 2007 graphic novel authored by American Sara Varon, and writer-director Pablo Berger deserves praise in keeping the essence and grittiness of the material.  There’s an upper layer which kids can easily follow but there are other deeper layers which require a higher maturity level to fully grasp.  It creatively blends dreams with reality, it delves into the subject of loneliness, and it’s not afraid to be dark and sad.  There’s much to soak up within the 102-minute running time.

At a time when animated features are feeling more and more formulaic, Robot Dreams is an original entry which stands out from the pack.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 28 March 2024

For several (largely financial) reasons, movie studios have developed an attachment to certain fictional characters.  Some are animated like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny, some are human like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes, and some are grotesque creatures like Dracula and Frankenstein.  A long list of films and television shows have been centred around these folk.  Gotta stick with what works, right?

Godzilla and King Kong have the same history.  Wikipedia states there have been 38 Godzilla films since the original in 1954, and 13 King Kong flicks since his famed debut in 1933.  The two monsters were brought together for a Japanese feature in 1962 but it wasn’t until three years ago that they faced off in a major Hollywood movie – the obviously titled Godzilla v Kong.  The total box-office take of $470 million USD proved there’s still interest in their misadventures.

Director Adam Wingard is back for the next instalment, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and for the most part, the characters are kept separate.  Godzilla is battling monstrous reptiles in Europe while Kong has gone in search of his family in the recently discovered Hollow Earth (a rainforest-like world beneath the Earth’s surface).  The humans, headlined by returning stars Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and Brian Tyree Henry (Causeway), don’t have much to do.  They’re keeping a close eye on the two creatures to make sure nothing “really” bad happens.  Note: Something really bad does happen.

I could cut and paste my review notes from the 2021 movie, and you wouldn’t know the difference.  I didn’t like that film for the same reasons as this one.  The visual effects are terrific, and the monster battles are cool to watch… but the rest is underwhelming.  The human characters are a boring bunch who magically solve any problem (spouting a bunch of technical jargon) in a matter of seconds.  Further, the ongoing destruction of major cities across the globe is treated as an unnecessary triviality.  What was the death toll?  Why does no one seem to care?

The film’s biggest problem is tone.  There are moments where characters are pushing for laughs as if in a contest to see who can come up the funniest reference about a particular situation.  Minutes later, the film is asking us to feel emotion and compassion for subplots like a displaced tribe, or a mum trying to connect with her adopted daughter.  I’d have preferred the writing team to go with a full action-comedy approach like last year’s sleeper hit, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.

Given the similarities of approach, I can say if you liked Godzilla v Kong you’re probably going to like this too.  The converse also applies.  Shot at Village Roadshow Studios here on the Gold Coast, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire safely keeps the franchise kicking along but lacks a memorable “wow” factor to get people talking.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 April 2024

Dev Patel is doing quite well for himself.  He was a 17-year-old when he made his feature film debut as the lead in Danny Boyle’s Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire.  He was a 26-year-old when he earned his first Academy Award nomination for his excellent supporting performance in Garth Davis’s Lion.  Now, as a 33-year-old, he’s making his directorial and screenwriting debut with the action-thriller Monkey Man. 

The tradition with action flicks is to go with a simplistic, over-the-top “bad guy” intent on destroying the world, and a suave, charismatic hero who thwarts those plans.  In interviews promoting the film’s release, Patel talks about wanting to make something with more substance and grit.  He’s achieved just that.  It’s set in the fictitious Indian city of Yatana and shows a world where religion is used as the smokescreen to create an even wider gap between rich and poor.

It’s interesting to see a movie where the keynote villain is a popular spiritual figure, and the cons of organised religion are placed under the spotlight.  Makarand Deshpande plays Baba Shakti, a powerful man who promotes peace and understanding to his cult-like followers but behind closed doors, he uses the power of a corrupt media and police force to supress dissent amongst poorer folk and deepen his already bulging pockets.  I wish there was more insight into his background, rise and motivations, but he still makes for an intriguing adversary to root against.

The supporting players aren’t a huge focus as this is the Dev Patel show.  In addition to his work behind the camera, he steps into the shoes of the film’s protagonist – an unnamed orphaned man from the slums of India who seeks vengeance against those responsible for the death of his mother.  He appears in almost every scene and gives it everything with his passionate performance in terms of both emotion and physicality.  The fight sequences left me contorting in my seat with their brutal, jarring nature.  I’m surprised the film snuck through Australian censors with an MA rating (as opposed to R).

Monkey Man is a touch uneven in places.  It’s as if Patel wants to blend the intensity of a John Wick instalment (that character even gets a mention) with the reflective, visual imagery of a Terrence Malick movie.  The slow introduction (plot details are deliberately kept vague) and continual use of up-close, out-of-focus shots is a minor annoyance.  Still, the film hits its stride in the second half and culminates with a quick-paced, violent finale that ends without an unnecessary epilogue.

Originally intended to be a direct-to-streaming release for Netflix, renowned horror director Jordan Peele (Get Out, Nope) saw an early cut and, in coming on board as a producer, helped get Monkey Man in cinemas across the globe.  With the film tracking to earn roughly $20 million USD in its opening weekend in the US, Peele’s decision looks to be the right one!

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 March 2024

Since their creation in 2007, the Asia Pacific Screen Awards have helped shine a light on the great cinema emanating from the region.  Winners of best picture have included Samson & Delilah, A Separation, Parasite, and Drive My Car.  Last year’s top prize recipient was the Japanese-German co-production Perfect Days, a film which premiered at Cannes and since earned a nod at the Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film (losing to The Zone of Interest).

I’ll describe it as a wacky cross between Kenny, Happy-Go-Lucky, and Groundhog Day.  Set in downtown Tokyo, it follows the day-to-day existence of a simple man named Hirayama (Yakusho).  He lives alone in a rundown flat and works as a public toilet cleaner.  Hirayama wakes up at dawn, brushes his teeth, grabs a coffee from a vending machine, then drives across town in a small blue van.  He’s armed with an array of cleaning products and a jangling chain of keys which he uses to access storerooms.

I don’t think I’ve seen a film which features so many toilets!  As strange as it may sound, I think it’s a positive for the image of Japan because we see the artistic design which has gone into several of their public restrooms.  Another interesting plot is the pride and passion which Hirayama has for his work.  There is no cutting of corners.  He scrubs every toilet, sink and mirror until they are shiny and spotless.  He even uses a small mirror to help see behind corners where his head can’t reach.

I’ve always liked the line “the world is what we make of it.”  Hirayama’s profession may not be glamorous but he’s found, for the most part, an inner peace which allows him to value life’s beauties.  During his lunch breaks, he sits quietly in a shady park, eats a sandwich, and admires the trees above.  While driving around, he listens to upbeat Western music on scratchy cassette tapes.  Of an evening, he visits a small café where he enjoys a simple meal while watching baseball on television.  His happiness asks us, as the audience, to reflect on our own life and whether we are appreciating the many positives we often take for granted.

He’s not a big talker but over the course of the film, Hirayama interacts with a small number of people including an annoying co-worker, a restaurant manager, and his teenage niece.  These scenes allow us to see a beyond Hirayama’s smiling exterior and show not everything is as “happy” as it appears.  They trigger moments of deliberation about his work, his status as a bachelor, and the estranged relationship he has with certain family members.

I’d have preferred the pace to be a touch quicker, but I still admire what acclaimed German Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire, Buena Vista Social Club) has achieved here.  Perfect Days is a chill, mellow filmgoing experience with a great leading character.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 April 2024

Last year, Goodbye Julia became just the second film from Sudan to be submitted to the Oscars for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category.  It wasn’t nominated (nor did it make the shortlist) but it’s still a terrific movie which reminds us of the creative talent which exists in countries not widely known for their film industries.  It was selected for the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival (won by the recently released How to Have Sex) which itself is a huge honour.

It’s a film to be celebrated for two main reasons.  Firstly, it raises awareness about Sudan’s politics and people.  It covers a period from 2005 to 2011 in which there was much division between the northern part of the country, largely Arabs and Muslims, and the southern part, mainly African and Christian.  Conflict between the sides had existed for decades and it led to an independence referendum where voters decided to split the nation in two.  Early scenes highlight the key themes of the time including a significant wealth disparity, and ongoing fears of violence.

The second justification is because it tells a bloody good story.  Writer-director Mohamed Kordofani frames the narrative around two families who come together under tragic circumstances.  Mona (Youstif), a wealthy Muslim from the northern half of Sudan, accidentally hits a young boy with her car while driving by an impoverished shanty town.  She panics, drives off, and is then followed by the father of the boy who angrily pursues on his motorcycle.  On arriving home, Mona’s husband is waiting out front and, not understanding the situation, sees the aggression of the father and kills him with a recently purchased gun.

What follows is a rich, complex story of lies, forgiveness and redemption.  Mona doesn’t tell her husband why she was being chased so that he’s not burdened with the guilt of killing an innocent man.  Suffering from her own remorse, she reaches out to the wife (Riak) of the deceased man and offers her a job as housemaid.  Both she and her son (who survived the accident with just minor injuries) are also offered a place to live in a shed adjoining the house.  The catch is that only Mona knows about her husband’s involvement in the shooting.

It may sound contrived but Goodbye Julia works as a riveting drama.  In telling lies while trying to atone for her own mistakes, Mona digs a metaphorical hole from which it is near impossible to extricate herself.  She makes for a riveting character study.  Mona becomes close friends with the mother and extends her a financial lifeline…  but can she be considered a good person if this connection is based on such a large deception?  Mona’s blindsided husband develops his own meritorious interpretations of his wife’s strange actions.

The acting is a touch stiff in places but that’s a minor quibble given the strength of the script and direction.  Goodbye Julia deserves your time and attention.