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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 10 July 2024

Hollywood has made some wonderful movies showcasing the bravery of astronauts and the technical nous of those working behind the scenes at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  First Man centred on Neil Armstrong, Hidden Figures spotlighted female African American mathematicians, and the award-winning Apollo 13 chronicled one of the great rescue missions of all time.

Unfortunately, Fly Me to the Moon can’t match any of the aforementioned films when it comes to credibility and excitement.  History books look back fondly on Americans stepping foot on the moon in July 1969, but it was a chequered lead up in terms of government and public support.   With several competing priorities (poverty, civil rights, Vietnam War), many soured on the enormous taxpayer funded price tag of the Apollo moon landing program.

In the case of Fly Me to the Moon, that’s about where the truth stops, and the fiction begins.  The main narrative revolves around three key individuals.  Moe Berkus (Harrelson) is a secretive figure working for President Richard Nixon who wants to spruik interest in the space program.  Kelly Jones (Johansson) is a colourful, chatty marketing guru employed by Moe to generate positive buzz for NASA.  Cole Davis (Tatum) is the Launch Director for the upcoming Apollo 11 mission and is focused solely on getting the job done.

None of these people existed in real life.  I understand when a group of characters are merged into one to help a movie’s runtime (as they did with Jonah Hill’s statistician role in Moneyball) but why be so flippant with facts here?  Actor Ed Harris iconised Flight Director Gene Kranz in Apollo 13 (earning an Oscar nomination for his efforts) and so it’s weird to see Channing Tatum play a shallower, goofier version of the same person but with a different name.  Tatum is anything but convincing.

The film may have worked better if it went the fully comedic route (playing for laughs as opposed to accuracy) but there’s a raft of tonal changes which don’t suit.  Given the silliness of these fake characters and some of their actions, it’s hard to take them seriously when the film rushes through dramatic plot elements like Cole’s internal turmoil over three astronauts who perished in the first Apollo mission.

One positive is the broader performance of Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation) who infuses her character with feminine power and non-stop energy.  When you throw in the editing, time period and striking costumes, it reminded me a little of what Renee Zellweger achieved in the 2003 cult classic Down with Love.  Despite her best efforts, I wasn’t as sold on the small romantic subplot between her and Tatum (I’ll blame the writers there).

Likely to generate chatter amongst conspiracy theorists (you’ll know why once you’ve seen the movie), Fly Me to the Moon wants to be light and fun but, unlike the Apollo 11 astronauts themselves, struggles to achieve its mission.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 25 June 2024

52-year-old New Zealand actress Rachel House has made a career out of creating funny, distinctive characters.  Some of her best work has been under the guidance of Oscar winning writer-director Taika Waititi with supporting roles in Eagle vs Shark, Boy and Thor: Ragnarok.  My favourite House performance was in Hunt for the Wilderpeople where she played a darkly comedic social worker who, as part of a manhunt, channelled Tommy Lee Jones’s character in The Fugitive.

Having spent decades in front of the camera, The Mountain provides an opportunity for House to stand behind the camera as director for the first time.  Writer Tom Furniss (7 Days) created the initial script with House injecting a dose of Māori culture to craft something closer to her own values.  If you’re wondering about the title, much of the 4-week shoot took place at Mount Taranaki, the second highest mountain on New Zealand’s North Island.

In the same vein as American films like Five Feet Apart and The Fault in Our Stars, The Mountain is a story about young people dealing with terminal illnesses.  Sam (Atkinson) is an 11-year-old battling cancer who is tired of being cooped up in hospital.  Aided by a fellow patient, she escapes one morning and goes on a mountain hiking expedition to learn more about herself and the world.  Along the way she meets two other kids, of similar age, who tag along as they flee problems of their own.

The Mountain isn’t offering a huge deal.  It’s a short, 89-minute feature with a few silly laughs and a few moments of genuine drama.  The three child leads, who had no prior acting experience, struggle to deliver their lines with authenticity and conviction (it does feel over-scripted).  The better material has been saved for the quirky adult characters (the parents) but their screentime is limited as the children’s formulaic coming-of-age adventures are the focus,

I warmed to the film more in the second half as the kids head deeper into the mountain range and develop closer friendships.  House weaves Māori legends into the narrative which are mildly interesting… but she struggles to use them in a way which leaves an emotional footprint.  I wasn’t always convinced the characters believed in their own journey and the end goal.  The script also needed more drama.

Showcasing New Zealand’s beautiful landscapes (it’s such a great part of the world to be filming), The Mountain is a simplistic offering for families over the current school holidays.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 July 2024

Sunflower had its world premiere over a year ago at the Sydney Film Festival and when asked why he made the film, Australian writer-director Gabriel Carrubba said it would all be worthwhile if it stopped just one gay kid from taking their own life.  He can relate to the pressures growing up as a closeted teenager and wanted to play a small part in making sure today’s youth don’t feel as uncomfortable in their own skin.

Made on a miniscule budget, Sunflower is centred on Leo (Mollica), a 17-year-old from Melbourne who lives with his chatty parents and good-natured brother.  In helping illustrate the family dynamic, there’s a wonderful early scene where they sit around the dinner table and humorously debate the difference between a “gathering” and a “small party”.  Leo’s best friend is Boof (Morgan) and the pair regularly hang out together.

It’s clear from the outset that Leo is wrestling with himself internally.  Despite his good looks and friendly nature, there’s an air of shyness and discomfort which others struggle to detect.  A female classmate (Fildes) tries to seduce Leo at a student shindig and what follows is an awkward sexual encounter which leaves both of them feeling embarrassed.  It leaves Leo in a difficult spot as it helps clarify his attraction to men… but he has no one to confide in.

This subject has been explored in countless dramas and given the Melbourne setting, it’s hard not to compare it with the excellent Of an Age, my favourite Aussie film of 2023.  I’ll acknowledge there’s nothing revolutionary about the themes and material, but Sunflower still packs an emotional punch on the back of the performances and direction.  Garrubba maintains a quick, interesting pace (the film is just 84 minutes) and star Liam Mollica (Nowhere Boys) has a likeable screen presence.

In also crafting the script, Garrubba uses dialogue sparingly and creates a workable blend of tones.  Some sequences are tough and confronting while others are sweet and uplifting.  As difficult as life can be, it’s nice to be reminded there’s often light at the end of the tunnel.  The developing relationship between Leo and his two parents is another subplot handled with delicacy.  It’s easy to put yourself in their shoes of their characters’ and understand their confusion.

Fresh off its run at film festivals around the country, Sunflower is now receiving a small release in Australian cinemas and hopefully it connects with its target audience.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 June 2024

Withholding information from the audience to build intrigue is an age-old cinematic technique which sometimes works… and sometimes doesn’t.  A Silence, a French flick from director Joachim Lafosse (Private Lessons), is an example of the later.  It begins with an out-of-sequence scene in a police station and then slips back a few weeks to chronicle the events leading up.  It’s a slow burn with the three-person writing team waiting a solid hour before revealing the film’s true premise.  I was unsold on the approach as it become a silly “mystery” as opposed to an intricate drama exploring the seriousness of certain issues.

I’d like to talk about the “issues” but as they are revealed so late in the movie, I’ll be cryptic and describe this as a family drama.  The perspectives change throughout but the focus is on three key characters.  François (Auteuil) is a high-profile lawyer who loves the media spotlight and works on cases involving abused children.  Astrid (Devos) is his loyal, long-term wife who knows damaging secrets about her husband but keeps quiet to protect the family and her way of life.  Raphaël (Galoux) is their adopted teenage son going through a rebellious streak which includes skipping school.

The film has 90+ minutes to explore these three individuals but sadly, the time is wasted on unnecessary scenes which add little (such as those involving a pack of journalists parked outside the family home).  The material leaves a lot of unanswered questions, and I didn’t know much more about the character’s mindset at the end as I did at the beginning.  The dialogue between them all is trivial and aside from a probing police interrogation in the final act, it lacks the tension and drama to engage audiences (and get them thinking afterwards).  The closing scene is another disappointing weak spot.

Stars Daniel Auteuil (Jean de Florette) and Emmanuelle Devos (Kings and Queen) are two acclaimed French actors (they’ve each won two César Awards) but the screenplay doesn’t allow them to showcase their talents.  Perhaps I should have expected it given the title, but the film needed less “silence” and more direct confrontation between their respective characters. 

Loosely based on a true story, A Silence tackles an important subject matter but barely scratches the surface.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 01 July 2024

In 1963, Danny Lyon was a young guy studying for a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Chicago.  With a love for both photography and motorcycles, Lyon took a series of pictures which he then shared with Hugh Edwards, a curator at the Art Institute of Chicago.  It was Edwards’ idea to turn the images into a book and in 1968, The Bikeriders was first published.  It featured black and white photographs of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club and interviews with members across several years.

To quote Lyon himself, the book was a “total flop” but somehow, enough copies remained in circulation to keep folks talking.  It’s gone through several reiterations since (including a 2014 version which Lyon loves) but it was in 2003 that American writer-director Jeff Nichols (Mud) was given a second-hand copy by his younger brother.  Nichols didn’t have much knowledge of “biker culture” but he loved the photographs, the material, and thought it would make for a great movie.

The problem with Nichols’ film is including Lyon as a featured supporting character.  He’s played by Mike Faist (Challengers), one of my favourite actors, but his scenes are a time-wasting distraction which add little.  Instead of watching Lyon take photographs and conduct lengthy interviews on his old-school tape recorder, I’d have preferred to follow the motorcycle club members more closely.  I wanted to “see” things take place (via re-enactment) as opposed to listening to an after-the-fact conversation between two people.

The rest of the movie isn’t too bad and is centred on three key characters.  Johnny (Hardy) is the head of the Chicago Vandals motorcycle club, Benny (Butler) is a likeable member who everyone gets along with, and Kathy (Comer) is Benny’s chatty wife (they got married five weeks after first meeting).  The first two acts delve into the largely positive culture of the club (it was like a Men’s Shed for motorcycle enthusiasts) and the power dynamic between its members.  Benny is described as the loner with “no feelings” but it doesn’t stop others fighting for his attention – Johnny because he considers him a successor, and Kathy because she’s in love and wants to spend her whole life with him.

The final act is the juiciest as the club grows and Johnny starts to lose his grip on power.  It raises interesting questions about whether the club is too big to control, and what level of loyalty is expected (it’s damn hard to quit).  Supporting players with parts to play include Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals) along with Australians Damon Herriman (The Nightingale) and Toby Wallace (Babyteeth). 

I’d have preferred the tension to be ratcheted up early on but if interested in motorcycles and this slice of 1960s American history, The Bikeriders is worth your time.

You can read my chat with star Austin Butler by clicking here.