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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 03 June 2015

There have been some terrific television series over the past decade such as Lost, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and Mad Men. I feel somewhat ashamed to admit that I haven’t seen any of them.  I spend so much time pursuing other interests (work, golf, movies) that I rarely have the time to sit on the couch at home and immerse myself in a successful, long-running TV show.

I use the term “rarely” because I have made exceptions.  One of those is Entourage.  It premiered on HBO in July 2004 and I was quickly lured in by the subject matter.  Loosely based on the life of Mark Wahlberg, the series followed the adventures of a young actor named Vincent Chase (Grenier) trying to find fame and fortune in Hollywood.

The show’s title signified that it was about more than just Vincent.  He was continually surrounded by a group of loyal, long-time friends who were riding his coattails in search of their own success.  E (Connolly) was an inexperienced manager battling to keep his client in check.  Drama (Dillon) was a struggling actor looking for a break out role.  Turtle (Ferrara) was a simple driver in search of better business opportunities.  Ari (Piven) was a ruthless, foul-mouthed agent trying to juggle work with family.

The show was framed as a comedy but the characters went through a number of ups and downs across its 8 seasons (the final episode aired in September 2011).  For this cinematic follow up, which picks up where the series left off, writer Doug Ellin doesn’t have time for complex storylines or character reintroductions.  He’s kept things light and succinct.

Vincent, now one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, is looking to take his career in a different direction.  After a failed marriage (it lasted only 9 days), he’s convinced a major studio to give him $100 million to make his directorial debut with a modern-day adaptation of Jekyll & Hyde.  Unfortunately, the project is now over budget and the Texas-based financier (Thornton) is worried.  He’s sent his goofy son (Osment) to Los Angeles to take charge of the film and as you can imagine, Vincent and his entourage aren’t too pleased.

I’ve got friends who can’t stand these characters.  They see them as sexist, talentless, self-centred losers that highlight everything that’s wrong about the film industry.  They party, they drive fast cars, and they spend money as if it’s their last day on earth.  Yeah, I can see that point of view… but I still like them.  They’re simply a bunch of ordinary guys trying to forge a career and have fun in the process.  I know many folk who are similar.

Filled with cameos (some of them quite bizarre), this film is more of a celebration of the Entourage series rather than a continuation of it.  We get to catch up with these characters for the first time in 4 years, have a few laughs, and realise that not much has changed.  It also provides a fast-paced, slightly over-exaggerated look at the inner-workings of the studio system in Hollywood (although not as juicy as the recent Sony email leak).

Those unfamiliar with the TV series may struggle without the background knowledge (although a Piers Morgan interview to open the film may help).  Fans of the show, and that’s clearly the target audience, will lap it up.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 May 2015

This latest comedy from director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat) starts out like a James Bond spoof.  We are introduced to Bradley Fine (Law) – a cool, suave, well-dressed CIA operative who has infiltrated a lavish party and is looking for the bad guy to apprehend.  The film even comes with a Bond-like opening title sequence.

Fine isn’t the focus though.  While he’s out shooting villains and seducing women, there’s someone behind the scenes who is a huge part of his success.  Her name is Susan Cooper (McCarthy) and she sits at a small desk at CIA headquarters.  She does his research, she tells him where the bad guys are located, and she even picks up his dry cleaning.

Cooper has a huge crush on Fine and is content to live in his shadow… but it’s not quite the career she envisioned.  She’s always wanted to get out in the field and become a “full on” spy herself.  Thankfully, opportunity is about to come knocking.  When a mole reveals the identity of all current agents, CIA chief Elaine Crocker (Janney) is forced to go with a compete unknown for the latest assignment.

Cooper’s job should be a simple one.  She is to head to Paris and monitor the activities of Rayna Boyanov (Byrne), a villainous Bulgarian who is rumoured to be selling nuclear weapons to terrorist organisations.  Cooper is ordered to keep her distance and observe Boyanov from afar but that’s not how the situation will play out.  She wants to prove to everyone that she’s a top class spy and so she takes matters into own hands… with hilarious consequences.

Paul Feig already has two terrific female-centric comedies to his name – Bridesmaids and The Heat.  Spy is similarly impressive but he deserves twice as much credit this time around since he serves as both director and writer.  It’s a screenplay choc-filled with insults.  It’s as if every character is doing their best to degrade others.  Cooper even does it to herself.  Asked to wear a disguise, she describes her look as being “like someone’s homophobic aunt”.

It’s the terrific characters that elevate this above your average comedy.  Jason Statham (Fast & Furious 7) plays Rick Ford – an arrogant, self-centred CIA agent who keeps popping up at every location and trying to steal Cooper’s thunder.  Australian Rose Byrne (Bad Neighbours) is a refreshingly unorthodox villain and earns plenty of laughs from her fashion commentary and her pompous attitude.  Melissa McCarthy again proves that she can be one of the funniest actors in the business when given a well-written script (i.e. something that isn’t Tammy or Identify Thief).

Feig isn’t afraid to throw in a few “what the f***” moments either.  For example, there’s a bizarre yet amusing moment where the CIA offices are overrun with bats.  He’s also crafted a sufficiently interesting screenplay.  Yes, it’s a far-fetched comedy but you’ll still be invested in the characters and curious to see how they fare in the film’s finale (which itself includes a “what the f***” cameo).

Some pay be perturbed by its crudeness but Spy is the best mainstream comedy we’ve seen so far in 2015.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 May 2015

“Puzzling” is the best word to describe the opening half-hour of Partisan, the feature debut of Australian director Ariel Kleiman.  Where is it set?  My best guess was a small, rundown town in Eastern Europe but there aren’t any clues to help.  When is it set?  There’s nothing in the way of modern technology (phones, televisions).  Is it in the current day?  50 years ago?  Maybe it’s somewhere in the future?

Don’t expect any answers.  Kleiman describes the film as a “mythic tale” set in a place labelled “nowhere land”.  It’s like a classic fable where the location isn’t really important – it’s more about characters and the message.  Once you come to that realisation, you can sit back and soak in this intriguing premise.

It is told through the eyes of Alexander (Chabriel), an 11-year-old boy who lives in a sheltered commune.  It is home to a bunch of poor, single mothers and their young children.  There’s just one man amongst them, Gregori (Cassel).  For the women, he’s the quasi-husband who provides comfort, shelter and food.  For the kids, he’s a father-like figure who serves as both mentor and educator.

They all seem to be living a happy life.  There’s not much in the way of conflict.  Why are they living that way though?  No one is allowed to leave the commune unless instructed by Gregori.  Some characters don’t appear to have been outside the walls in many years.  Is Gregori keeping them safe from a nastiness that exists on the outside?  Or is he a controlling, dominating individual who is taking advantage of those most vulnerable?

Despite his enclosed surroundings, Alexander is a sharp, mature kid who is starting to ask his own questions about the small world he inhabits.  He’s always looked up to Gregori and heeded his advice but now he has doubts.  A few shorts trips to the “outside” world only add to his confusion.  There’s a poignant moment where he meets an old man in a supermarket and is given a chocolate bar to try for the first time.

Partisan is a film that gets you thinking about the way that parents can influence and shape children.  Contemplate your own situation.  Do you share the same religious beliefs as your parents?  What about your political views, your manners, and your ethics?  At what age do you start to think for yourself?  What if you lived a sheltered life like Alexander and had no friends or teachers to provide differing views?

The Sundance Film Festival is about as big as it gets in terms of independent cinema but less than 5% of feature films submitted each year make it into the final program.  One of those in 2015 was Partisan and the reason is obvious – Kleiman’s skill mixed with a splash of luck.  Fellow Australian Germain McMicking picked up an award for the film’s striking cinematography.

French actor Vincent Cassel (Black Swan) is terrific as Gregori.  His motives are difficult to ascertain and your position on his character will waver throughout the film.  Young actor Jeremy Chabriel, who had no acting experience prior to the film, also makes his mark as the likeable Alexander.

The story drags a little in the middle stages but this is still a strong, unsettling Australian feature and I’m pleased to see it making its way into local cinemas.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 17 May 2015

In George Clooney’s The Monuments Men, released early last year, a group of American soldiers were prepared to risk their lives so as to recover famous works of art that had been stolen by the Nazis during World War II.  It wasn’t the greatest of films… but it said something about the value we place on historical art in today’s society.  Roughly 10 million people flock to the Lourve Museum in Paris each year so as to get a small glimpse into the past.

Woman In Gold taps into similar themes in telling the true story of Maria Altmann (played in the film by Helen Mirren).  Altmann was born in Austria and raised of wealthy Jewish parents but was forced to flee the country after the Germans took control in 1938.  She eventually settled in the United States where she lived with her husband and operated a small clothing business.

In the late 1990s, the Austrian government passed legislation that allowed art works stolen during the Nazi occupation to be returned to their rightful owners.  Altmann, now in her early 80s, saw it as opportunity to reclaim a portrait of her aunt that had been painted by the acclaimed Gustav Klimt and taken by the Nazis from her home in Vienna. Her reasons were twofold.  Firstly, she wanted to use the painting to keep alive the memory of her beloved aunt (who passed away when Altmann was only a child).  Secondly, she wanted justice.

Helping Altmann was a budding lawyer based in Los Angeles named Randol Schoenberg.  Played by Ryan Reynolds, Schoenberg is from the textbook of young movie lawyers.  He’s struggling to find work, he’s in need of cash, and he’s horribly inexperienced.  When asked by Altmann what he knows about art restitution, Schoenberg’s answer is “not a thing.”

He’s only taken the case because he can see huge dollar signs at the finish line.  A quick internet search shows Schoenberg that Klimt’s painting, known as Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, is housed at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna and is valued in excess of $100 million.  A journalist (Bruhl) describes it to him as “the Mona Lisa of Austria”.

Suffice to say that the Austrian government aren’t going to hand it over without a fight.  It turns out the art restitution legislation was just a “PR exercise” and they’re going use their own high-profile lawyers to thwart Altmann’s efforts and ensure the painting remains in Austrian hands.

Directed by Englishman Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn), Woman In Gold is a film of two halves.  The first hour provides context through lengthy flashbacks.  We are introduced to the younger Altmann, view her life in Vienna, and understand why she is so attached to her aunt’s portrait.  The second hour follows her current day legal dramas and involves a trip to the United States Supreme Court.

Like last week’s A Royal Night Out, the film is framed as a crowd pleaser.  Mirren portrays Altmann as both stubborn and demanding… but in a way that audiences will still find funny and endearing (her age helps).  Unfortunately, the screenplay doesn’t ask tough enough questions of her character.  Her “revenge against the Nazis” mantra can only stretch so far.  Was she ever motivated by money?  Why did she not seek other, not-so-valuable paintings that were stolen?  Did she ever consider the importance of the portrait to the current day population of Austria?

On the whole, it’s an interesting premise but many of the subplots are rushed.  Schoenberg is the most troublesome character in this regard.  There’s a moment where he continues legal action despite the wishes of Altmann.  Was he still driven by a lucrative commission at that point?  Or had his trip to Vienna flipped his moral position?  I had no idea.  His unassisted progression through the courts was also tough to believe.

The film’s 1930s narrative resonates much more strongly.  It’s hard not to feel sympathy for the younger Altmann as she makes the difficult decision to flee Austria.  There’s a particularly moving scene where she says good-bye to her parents for the final time.  If only the rest of the movie felt this authentic.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 May 2015

In June last year, I received a letter in the mail advising that my home street in the Brisbane CBD would be closed so that Warner Bros. could shoot scenes for a new earthquake movie starring Dwayne Johnson.  It was a cool event… but it also highlighted the wonders of visual effects.  A movie set in Los Angeles and San Francisco (which you’ll see very clearly in the film) was shot on the opposite side of the world.

Alas, I didn’t get to meet Dwayne.  There’s probably not much I could have asked given this is a generic action blockbuster.  He stars as Ray – a Los Angeles based fire fighter who is practically a superhero.  In the film’s opening scene, we see him flying a helicopter and rescuing a woman who is trapped in her car which hangs precariously on a cliff face.  It’s all captured on video too by a journalist profiling Ray for a news story.

Unfortunately, his family life isn’t quite as successful.  His wife, Emma (Gugino), has just issued him with divorce papers because she’s decided to tie the knot with a billionaire real estate developer (Gruffudd).  Caught in the middle is their teenage daughter, Blake (Daddario).  I’m not quite sure what Ray did wrong to warrant the divorce… but it can’t have been too bad because he’s a nice guy and he seems to have taken it all in his stride.

With that limited character development out of the way, it’s time to cue the earthquakes.  A sizeable quake strikes Nevada and obliterates the Hoover Dam.  It’s just the start however of a series of quakes along the San Andreas Fault that will leave historians (well, those who survive anyway) searching through the record books.  The level of destruction rivals that of a Roland Emmerich film (2012, The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day).

Director Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore) throws in a few scenes that show Ray rescuing complete strangers.  We need to be reminded that he’s a nice guy, remember?  That’s not the focus though.  Ray steals/borrows a fire department helicopter and goes on a journey to rescue his daughter and soon-to-be ex-wife who have both become trapped by fallen buildings.

I can’t imagine Ray winning the lottery anytime soon.  That’s because he’s used all of his luck making it to the end of this movie.  The situations he extracts himself from are so cartoonish and far-fetched that they’re impossible to take seriously.  There’s zero tension here.  You’ll just spend two hours admiring the work of the sound technicians and visual effects artists.

Such a farcical premise could have worked with a few laughs but it’s another area where the film is lacking.  Peyton and the three-man writing team have strangely gone with a melodramatic approach.  We watch an old couple hold each other for the last time before they’re swept away by a tidal wave.  We see an American flag unfurled by the wind as a symbol of strength and patriotism.  Sorry, this just didn’t work for me.