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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 August 2024

“If there is something unsaid or undone in your life, it is never too late to rectify it.”  That quote from Icelandic writer-director Baltasar Kormákur (101 Reykjavík) gets to the heart of Touch.  His daughter gave him Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson’s novel as a Christmas present in 2021 and, enthralled by the material, he bought the film rights within a week.  His goal was to lure audiences with a complex romantic story but tell it in a quiet, understated way.  He’s achieved just that.

Two timelines have been carefully woven together with the help of editor Sigurður Eyþórsson.  The first takes place in the late 1960s when Kristófer (Palmi Kormakur) is a young Icelander studying economics at a university in London.  Disenfranchised by the university’s right-leaning administration, he drops out and accepts a job at a local Japanese restaurant.  He starts out washing dishes but it’s not long before Kristófer’s passion is noticed by the restaurant’s owner, and he becomes an apprentice chef.

The second takes place in early 2020 as COVID spreads and airlines/hotels are on the cusp of shutting down.  Plagued by health issues, a now 70-something-year-old Kristófer (Ólafsson) gets one of the last flights from Iceland to England to track down a woman, Miko, he met a half-century earlier while working at the restaurant.  The two had a brief, intimate relationship as youngsters but lost touch for reasons explained late in the film (I won’t spoil).  Kristófer has never forgotten their blissful time together and goes in search of his long-lost love before his own clock runs out.

Touch is a beautiful film bolstered by its unorthodox cast.  Icelandic actor/pop star Egill Ólafsson was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and only had enough energy to work for a few hours each day.  In playing the older Kristófer, you get a sense his personal battles helped shape the character.  He’s created a likeable, kind-hearted man with a splash of humour and stubbornness.  While he’s not big on dialogue, you’ll be cheering for him to succeed.

In looking for someone with a “John Lennon gentleness”, Baltasar Kormákur struggled to find the ideal actor to play the younger version of Kristófer.  In the end, he cast his own son!  It sounds nepotistic, but Kormákur had sign off from the film’s producers who were wowed by his audition tapes.  I agree with their decision as Palmi Kormákur brilliantly captures the softly spoken nature of the role, and the character’s overall authenticity.

Shot across Iceland, England, and Japan, Touch is a credible romantic tale that touches the heart and offers a few laughs along the way.  If all cinema was this good, this world would be a better place.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 08 August 2024

It Ends with Us spent 11 weeks atop The New York Times best-seller list in 2022.  It had been published six years earlier, but the popularity of Colleen Hoover’s novel surged after being discussed on TikTok (I missed the hype).  Given the unexpected publicity boost, it made sense to adapt into a movie as quicky as possible.  Blake Lively came on board in the lead role, shooting took place in 2023, and it’s now in theatres across the globe.

The film opens with Lily Bloom (Lively) returning home to Boston for her father’s funeral.  He was a widely regarded member of the community (a former mayor) but when pressed to eulogise his achievements, Lily comes up blank.  This is because the memories of her childhood which resonate most strongly are those where he was physically abusive towards her mother.  We’re provided a glimpse through flashbacks, but these are short and fractured – partly because Lily would rather forget, and partly because director Justin Baldoni doesn’t want to go too heavy on the audience.

We’re not given much information about Lily’s past decade but, in choosing to stay in Boston, two events provide her life with purpose and happiness.  Firstly, she rents a dilapidated, dust-laded store and transforms it into a neighbourhood flower shop.  Her mother thinks it’ll be a financial disaster (she learns on Google that 45% of flower shops fail) but Lily is giving it her best shot.  Secondly, she befriends Ryle (Baldoni), a handsome neurosurgeon who she meets by chance atop an apartment building.  It’s not long before they’re falling in love and living together.

I enjoyed the performances of both Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (who also serves as the film’s director).  Romantic dramas tend to get bogged down with cheesy dialogue but that’s not the case here.  Their interactions have a whiff of simplicity and spontaneity which makes their lust feel more natural, more credible.  I wasn’t as enamoured with the over-exaggerated supporting characters, such as Lily’s mother (Morton), who don’t get the best material to work with.

As alluded to above, the film does have something to say about domestic violence.  This includes tragic chapters from our past which will forever shape our memories and personalities… through to abuse happening today which needs to be called out.  It’s an important theme and, without giving too much away, it’s delicately handled by Baldoni and screenwriter Christy Hall who highlight the ways in which it is often ignored or excused.

The film is too long, the finale is a head-scratcher, and Lily’s character needed more depth.  It’s weird she doesn’t have much of a backstory and we just know her as a simple, friend-less woman wanting a flower shop.  Yes, It Ends with Us has its flaws but when stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, it’s still a movie worth seeing and discussing.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 August 2024

The Alien franchise has been a consistent staple of the American film industry since the release of Ridley Scott’s original in 1979.  Three sequels were created in the 1980s and 1990s, two Predator crossovers were developed in the 2000s, and two prequels were released in 2010s.  A television series is currently in the works but before it arrives on Hulu, another flick gets its chance its cinemas.  Directed by Uruguayan Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe), it’s described as “standalone” feature which takes place between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986).

Alien: Romulus opens on a depressing, sunlight-free mining colony located 67-light years from Earth.  The villainous Weyland-Yutani Corporation use it to exploit a few thousand human workers (they’re quasi-slaves) in pursuit of minerals and profit.  The film’s orphaned central character, Rain (Spaeny), has reached the end of her fuse after completing her 12,000-hour work contract… only for a company buerocrat to extended it by a further 5 years (the good old “we’re short on staff” excuse).

In search of hope and a better life, Rain teams up with a group of young rebels who intend to steal a craft and travel to a decommissioned space station hovering above the planet.  Once there, they can refuel, go into a cryogenic sleep, and set a course for a planet offering freedom and sunshine.  Rain doesn’t see eye-to-eye with everyone on the mission, but she has one person she can confidently confide in – Andy (Jonsson) is a pun-telling, artificial human who has her best interests at heart.

They’re not the most interesting bunch of people which is a weakness of the film.  Did I care whether they lived or died?  Not really.  Anyway, this is an Alien movie above all else so let’s cut to the chase.  When they arrive on the space station, they quickly discover why it is uninhabited.  It was once home to an alien-research facility which killed a bunch of people.  Now that these nasty, face-sucking creatures have fresh meat aboard the ship, they’re keen to repeat the process.

Álvarez is a talented filmmaker but Alien: Romulus gives of a “seen-it-all-before vibe”.  You’ve got annoying humans making dumb decisions, you’ve got lights continually flicking on and off to create tension, and you’ve got ugly, shrieking aliens dripping in acidic goo.  I don’t see what this film offers which hasn’t already been provided in previous movies.  Even the action scenes feel sub-par.  The dingy lighting and chaotic cinematography make it hard to work out what’s going on.

The likeable Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) gives it her best shot in the lead role (she’s the film’s biggest positive) but the screenplay lacks the charisma and originality to make this movie stand out from the pack.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 30 July 2024

In a recent interview for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ digital magazine, writer Tony Spiridakis (If Lucy Fell) reflected on the saying – “If you’ve met one autistic child, you’ve met one autistic child.”  He himself is a parent with two neurodiverse sons but given all kids are different, he felt pressure in depicting such a relationship on screen and having it connect with audiences.  Spiridakis took on feedback from a range of folk, including long-time friend and director Tony Goldwin (Conviction), and Ezra is the finished product.  It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last September and is now receiving a small release in cinemas across the globe.

The narrative is centred on the relationship between Max (Cannavale), a struggling comedian in search of a big break, and Ezzie (Fitzgerland), his autistic 11-year-old son having a tough time at school.  Max has a clear view in what’s best for his child but that doesn’t always align with those of his ex-wife (Byrne), the school principal, and doctors looking to prescribe drugs to moderate Ezzie’s behaviour.  Adding further complications are Max’s irregular work commitments which sometimes take precedence over Ezzie’s best interests.

Blending both comedy and drama, Ezra is a warm-hearted film which deftly illustrates the challenges of parental responsibility.  No character is perfect.  They have good intentions (there are no villains here) but they often make judgmental errors (as we all do) which create problems and anxiety.  Without giving too much away, Max and Ezzie go on a road trip across the country  It’s a metaphorically bumpy ride, but it deepens the father-son relationship and provides lifelong memories.

Ezra is a well-honed production.  The performances are wonderful with Bobby Cannavale (Blue Jasmine), Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids), and Robert DeNiro (Taxi Driver) all getting a chance to open their hearts and offer sage advice.  It was important to Goldwin and Spiridakis that a neurodiverse actor play the title role and they’ve hit the jackpot in finding 15-year-old William Fitzgerald who defies a lack of experience (it’s his acting debut) and adeptly captures his character’s pent-up emotions.

With cameos from the likes of Rainn Wilson (The Office) and Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost), Ezra provides a timely reminder that when it comes to being a supportive parent, no one is perfect.  Life is a continual journey of learning and discovery.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 August 2024

Iris (Calamy) is a long-married woman with a successful dental practice.  Is she happy?  Apparently not.  She and her workaholic husband haven’t made love in 4 years and rather than talk it through or see a councillor, Iris joins a Tinder-like app in search of quick hook-ups.  She has a series of ground rules (e.g. they can only be one-off encounters) and as the title explains, she meets men of differing ages, experiences, and personalities.

This latest from French writer-director Caroline Vignal is intended to be a comedy and so it’s about creating as many humorous scenes as possible.  In terms of the guys, some have quirky tastes while others lack understanding.  Outside of her sexual misadventures, Iris has other issues such as explaining continual absences to her husband (Elbaz) and stressed work assistant (de Baecque).  The way she interacts with her teenage children also takes an unexpected shift.

Perhaps I’m not the target audience but I struggled to find laughs given the contrived, over-the-top screenplay.  How many times do we need a joke about Iris’ mobile phone buzzing non-stop with dating app messages at an inconvenient time (like in bed with her husband or cleaning teeth at work)?  As alluded to above, it’s also a wonder Iris doesn’t have a heart-to-heart with her husband about their lack of intimacy despite her being an extrovert who’s willing to talk about anything.  She’s a topsy-turvy character who often lacks believability.

Iris and the Men marks the second time Vignal has worked with leading lady Laure Calamy in the past four years.  They teamed up for the likeable romantic comedy Antoinette in the Cévennes which was about a schoolteacher who went on a week-long hiking trip in search of love.  Sadly, the material isn’t as strong this time around and it feels like a simple idea stretched out for an unnecessary 90 minutes.  I realise the tone is different but the Emma Thompson-led Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is a much better example of how to extract humour, both light and dark, from the concept of an unfulfilled woman.

Unable to be saved by the finale (which doesn’t make sense either), Iris and the Men is an underwhelming French comedy which doesn’t live up to its promise.