Matt's Blog

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 November 2013

My apologies for the lack of an update last week.  I've been extremely busy with work, the Brisbane International Film Festival and commitments with Golf Queensland.  I spent the weekend in Melbourne watching Adam Scott defend the Australian Masters title which was very exciting!

It’s that time of the year where I like to speculate as to which films will earn a best picture nomination at the Academy Awards.  The awards season kicks off on 4 December 2013 when the National Board of Review announces their winners.  What will follow are three intense months of campaigning in the lead up to the Oscars on 2 March 2014 (that’s a week later than usual so as to avoid a clash with the Winter Olympics).

Many of the films in contention have already been released or have popped up at film festivals.  Only a small few remain under wraps since they are yet to be completed (including American Hustle, The Wolf Of Wall Street).  It’s therefore relatively easy to pick which films will be the hunt.  Those with high critical approval and strong box-office success will always find a place on an Oscar forecaster’s list.

Two years ago, I correctly picked all 9 of the nominees with my early November picks.  Last year, I could only manage 7 of the 9 but did pick 3 of the 4 acting winners last year.  I'm not trying to brag (ok, maybe I am a little) but I'm just highlighting the general predictability of the Academy voters.

Having seen a few of the films and sized up the form guides offered by other Oscar bloggers, films already released that will contend this year include Gravity, Captain Phillips, The Butler, Fruitvale Station and Blue Jasmine.  Here’s a look at what we can expect to see over the next few months (with descriptions taken from the IMDB)…

American Hustle
Release Date In Australia: 12 December 2013
Director: David O. Russell  (Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter)
Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive British partner Sydney Prosser is forced to work for a wild FBI agent Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.

Nebraska
Release Date In Australia: 26 December 2013
Director: Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Descendants)
Starring: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb
Plot Overview Per IMDB: An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.

Philomena
Release Date In Australia: 26 December 2013
Director: Stephen Frears (The Queen, High Fidelity)
Starring: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman's search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.

August: Osage County
Release Date In Australia: 1 January 2014
Director: John Wells (The Company Men)
Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Juliette Lewis, Ewan McGregor
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

Saving Mr Banks
Release Date In Australia: 9 January 2014
Director: John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side)
Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell
Plot Overview Per IMDB: Author P. L. Travers reflects on her difficult childhood while meeting with filmmaker Walt Disney during production for the adaptation of her novel, Mary Poppins.

The Wolf Of Wall Street
Release Date In Australia: 23 January 2014
Director: Martin Scorsese  (The Departed, Hugo)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill
Plot Overview Per IMDB: Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

12 Years A Slave
Release Date In Australia: 30 January 2014
Director: Steve McQueen  (Shame, Hunger)
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt
Plot Overview Per IMDB: In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.

All Is Lost
Release Date In Australia: 20 February 2014
Director: JC Chandor (Margin Call)
Starring: Robert Redford
Plot Overview Per IMDB: After a collision with a shipping container at sea, a resourceful sailor finds himself, despite all efforts to the contrary, staring his mortality in the face.

Inside Llewlyn Davis
Release Date In Australia: 20 February 2014
Director: Ethan Coen & Joel Coen (Fargo, No Country For Old Men)
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake
Plot Overview Per IMDB: A week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.

Dallas Buyers Club
Release Date In Australia: TBA
Director: Jean-Marc Vallée (Café De Flor, C.R.A.Z.Y.)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Steve Zahn
Plot Overview Per IMDB: The story of Texas electrician Ron Woodroof and his battle with the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies after being diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1986.

So on that note, my tips (in order) for the best picture Oscar are: 1. Gravity, 2. 12 Years A Slave, 3. The Wolf Of Wall Street, 4. Captain Phillips, 5. Blue Jasmine, 6. Inside Llewyn Davis, 7. American Hustle, 8. Dallas Buyers Club, 9. Saving Mr Banks, 10. August: Osage County.

The best actor prize looks to be a three horse race between Robert Redford (All Is Lost), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave) and Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club).  A tough choice but I’ll lean towards Robert Redford to win his first actor Oscar.

Sandra Bullock has been touted as a contender for best actress but I’ll be putting my house on Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) to win.  Can’t see her getting beaten.

The best supporting actor category has bloggers divided between Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) and Michael Fassbender (12 Years A Slave).  He’s been on a great run in recent years and my pick is Michael Fassbender.

Last but not least is best supporting actress and two African Americans have taken people’s fancy - Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years A Slave) and Oprah Winfrey (The Butler).  You can’t help but think the power of Oprah Winfrey will help her over the line in what is her first on screen performance in 15 years.

The nominations are announced on 16 January 2014 and as always, I’ll be hoping for a few surprises!
 

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 04 November 2013

I first attended the Brisbane International Film Festival in 1995 and another year is upon us.  It’s a shame that Richard Moore is no longer around as Festival Director – he was always great to speak with during the Festival and was very passionate about the program.  Richard’s contract wasn’t renewed and I’m yet to meet new Festival Director Jennie Hughes who was appointed earlier this year.

I’m often indifferent when it comes to retrospectives but there are two great ones as part of this year’s BIFF.  The first is a tribute to the films of James Ivory and Ismail Merchant.  Films screening include A Room With A View, Howard’s End and The Remains Of The Day.  I’m hoping to make it along to a few of those screenings.  The second is a homage to director Fred Schepisi.  I first met Fred at the Toronto Film Festival back in 2011 and of the films screenings at BIFF this year, I’d can strongly recommend Six Degrees Of Separation and Last Orders.

Two big films have been chosen to open and close this year’s festival.  Things get started with The Railway Man which was shot here in Queensland and stars Colin Firth.  It closes a week and a half later with 12 Years A Slave – the current frontrunner for the best picture Oscar.  Opening night can be a bit pricey for those who don’t drink ($65 inclusive of the after party) but closing night looks much more attractive with a $35 ticket price including its own after party.  Of all the films screening at BIFF, I think 12 Years A Slave is the one I’m most keen to see.  I should mention that tickets to most general sessions are $18.

The Festival doesn’t officially open until Wednesday, November 13 but there are “curtain raisers” in the lead up.  The Monday night (Nov 11) looks like a tricky choice with two intriguing films on offer – Filth (with James McAvoy) and The Past (the latest from the Oscar winning director of A Separation).

Other films high on my list include Don Jon – written by, directed by and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Only Lovers Left Alive – a vampire romance with Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, Labor Day – the latest from Juno director Jason Reitman, All Is Lost – the follow up from the director of Margin Call, and Blue Is The Warmest Colour – the controversial 3-hour lesbian romance which won the top prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.  As huge fan of director Xavier Dolan’s last film, Laurence Anyways, I’m also keen to catch Tom At The Farm.

I’ll be away for a few days during the middle of the Festival but you’ll be able to hear my thoughts on the films through Twitter (@icestorm77) and through my weekly radio spot with Spencer Howson on Thursday mornings on 612ABC.  The latest radio ratings were released today and I’m thrilled to see Spencer’s program ranked number 1 in Brisbane by a significant margin.  He is damn good at what he does.

Hopefully I’ll see at the Festival!  This year’s venues include the Palace Centro, Palace Barracks, GOMA, Dendy Portside and the Event Myer Centre.  You can see the whole program at www.biff.com.au.
 

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 October 2013

The latest in the Marvel franchise, Thor: The Dark World, is about to be released in Australian cinemas.  I was thrilled to catch up with star Tom Hiddleston about the movie and his soaring career over the past two years. You can download the full audio of the interview by clicking here.

Matt:  You’d done some theatre and some TV but your career really has taken off since the original Thor was released back in 2011.  How would you describe the last two years?

Tom:  A roller coaster, my friend.  Everything has been beyond my wildest expectations and dreams.  Being Loki has opened up opportunities that I never had before in my life.  It’s no secret that acting is a tough game, certainly at the beginning.  We all start at the bottom and this character has been very kind to me.

Matt:  In a very short period of time, you’ve worked under Kenneth Branagh, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg and Joss Whedon.  From the perspective of an actor, is there a lot you can learn working under these acclaimed directors?

Tom:  Oh yes, absolutely.  Their experience speaks for itself.  Kenneth Branagh has been in front of and behind the camera countless times.  I think Steven Spielberg is possibly the greatest living cinematic artist.  Some people may disagree with me on that but I think he’s a master.  And of course Woody Allen has made a film every year for the past 50 years.

You learn that it is an art form but there’s also an incredible craft to constructing a story and constructing a narrative that is entertaining and moving and engaging and makes people feel connected to the characters.  The particular rigour and discipline of those directors is really inspiring.

Matt:  And while some actors win Oscars, you won the MTV Movie Award earlier in the year for best villain in The Avengers.  We see a lot of stereotypical villains – guys with masks or eastern European accents.  But since you’ve won an award for this – what is the secret to creating a great villain?

Tom:  I couldn’t possibly tell you.  I suppose the secret to playing this particular villain is to try to have as much fun as you can.  I’ve always thought that good villains have a really enjoyable time being villains.  My favourite villains growing up had an elegance, a charm, a playfulness on the surface… even if they were motivated by a tragic, damaged psychology and hatred. 

Matt:  Marvel are very good at keeping their films under wraps.  Plot details are kept very quiet up until the day of release.  Are you contractually bound to keep it a secret and not spill the beans?

Tom:  Absolutely, yes.  It’s in my interests too.  I am the biggest fan of cinema and I go to see everything myself.  I hate it when I know everything before I’ve seen it.  Imagine if you knew what was going to happen in Inception before you see it.  Or someone had spoiled the ending of Memento for you.  Oh wow, I just so happened to have picked two Christopher Nolan films.  Like The Usual Suspects for example.  When I first saw that, I had no idea what was going to happen in the end.

Matt:  Now I haven’t seen Thor: The Dark World yet and I’m not expecting to see it until a day or two prior to its release.  Have you seen the finished product yourself?  Was it everything you thought it was going to be?

Tom:  I have seen it, yes.  It’s bigger, deeper, better, louder, more spectacular, more surprising.  I’m really proud of it.

Matt:  It feels like we’re seeing an increasing number of comic book / super hero movies being released each year.  They’re pulling in plenty of money but do you think we’re reaching a saturation point?  Or do you think the demand is there to see the number increase further?

Tom:  I don’t know.  As long as the films are fresh and have their own integrity, I think it’s absolutely fine.  It just so happens to be the particular genre we’re going through at this time.  I guess we won’t know why until we look back.  It’s funny that when you look back on the 1960s, there were so many Roman epics.  In the 1970s it was all about gangster movies and police thrillers.  In any genre, when it all starts to become formulaic, it’s where I’d be asking questions I suppose.

Matt:  These films have huge budgets – the original Thor was $150m and The Avengers was $220m.  With so much money to spend, I’ve always wondered… what’s the catering like?  Do you get really really really good food?

Tom:  Yes, that’s a good question!  The catering is great.  It’s different every time though.  Thor was shot in Los Angeles, The Avengers was shot in New Mexico and Ohio, and Thor: The Dark World was shot in London and Iceland. 

There were sequences in The Dark World where we were shooting on top of a volcano in Iceland which is four hours from the nearest residence with running water.  We’d get up at 4am and drive in a 4x4 all the way to the top of this mountain where someone from the crew is saying “would like a cup of hot coffee and some scrambled eggs?”  It’s amazing!  Scrambled eggs on top of a volcano at 4am in the morning is not bad.

Matt:  I’ll finish up by asking what’s in the works?  What are we going to see you in next?

Tom:  I’ve got a couple of things coming up.  I hope that a film I made last year with Jim Jarmusch makes it to Australia.  It’s called Only Lovers Left Alive where Tilda Swinton and I play a pair of vampire lovers who live in Detroit and Tangier.  It’s a love story that offers a unique take on the vampire genre.  Then I’m going to do a play in London that will be broadcast live across the world on 30 January 2014.  It’s Shakespeare’s Coriolanus.  In February, I start shooting a Guillermo del Toro film called Crimson Peak which is a gothic horror romance with Jessica Chastain and Mia Wasikowska. 

Matt:  Wow, life is good for Tom Hiddleston!  Thanks for speaking with us this morning.

Tom:  Thanks Matthew.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 21 October 2013

The Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) wrapped up last week on the Gold Coast.  The event brings together distributors and cinema folk from around the country to showcase the films that will be released over the next 12 months.

It’s an interesting format.  Each distributor is allocated a slot of around 3-4 hours to promote their product.  So you get roughly 2 hours of trailers, clips and speeches followed by a full length feature.  I guess those who don’t like lots of ads and trailers before their movies wouldn’t be too impressed!

The list of films screening at the convention included Captain Phillips, Last Vegas, Philomena, August: Osage County, Enough Said and Dallas Buyer’s Club.  For most of the content, embargoes are in place to prevent reviews and any other comments from being published.  This is partly because some of the films aren’t finished and partly because the studios are looking limit publicity until closer to the date of release.

One of the key guests at this year’s convention was Peter Del Vecho – a producer on the new Disney animated feature, Frozen (to be released in Australia on Boxing Day).  Peter has been in the industry for a while working on such animated flicks as Treasure Planet, Chicken Little, Winnie The Pooh and The Princess & The Frog.

I was lucky enough to spend a few minutes with Peter to chat about Frozen and get his thoughts on the animated film industry…
 

Matt:  I’ve spoken this year with writers, directors and actors but this is the first time I’ve spoken with a producer.  Can you tell us what was involved with your role as a producer on Frozen?

Peter:  My job is to get the director’s vision up on the screen so I’m involved in the creative process right from the beginning and once we decide that we want to move a movie into production.  I work with the director to surround them with the right teams.  That covers staffing up the movie as well as scheduling it out to make sure we meet the release date.  In this case, it was a two and a half year process.  

Matt:  This film, like so many in the animated genre these days, is in 3D.  Is this a fad or is 3D something more permanent within the animated feature industry?

Peter:  Disney is committed to giving audiences the option of seeing our films in either 2D or 3D.  That said, there are a lot of special effects in Frozen that lend themselves to the 3D experience.  There are specific moments like Elsa using her ice powers but also the broader scope of the movie with all the snow.

Matt:  I was reading that the film, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson, had been floating around for a while but couldn’t quite get off the ground.  What’s taken so long to get to the point where we are today?

Peter:  Everyone loves the novel The Snow Queen but it’s very symbolic in nature.  It doesn’t naturally translate to the screen very well because you have to have real, believable characters in a real, believable world.  The turning point for us was when we had this character with the ability to create ice and snow and then had a protagonist who happened to be her sister.  By making them royal and giving them a kingdom, it raised the stakes because not only did this person have a relationship with the Snow Queen but she also had a kingdom that she felt responsible to.  It was that sibling connection that helped elevate the story to the point where it was clear that we had something special to bring to the screen.

Matt:  It’s got me thinking.  Are there a lot of projects within Disney at the moment where you’re not sure if they’re going to get off the ground?  

Peter:  We have a very healthy slate of upcoming films.  It’s probably the strongest we’ve had in terms of the number of films in development that look really exciting and promising.  From Tangled to Wreck-It-Ralph and now Frozen, you can feel the studio growing and we feel a lot stronger going forward.

Matt:  We’re here at the Australian International Movie Convention and there’s always a lot of talk about where the industry is going.  More and more people like to download movies to consume in their own home.  Do you see that becoming more frequent or do you still think the big screen experience is going to keep drawing people into cinemas?

Peter:  I personally love the big screen but we’re aware that we have to provide content in many different platforms.  As the world changes, we are going to have to adapt to that.  Clearly, there’s nothing like seeing the movie on the big screen with a big group of people – particularly a comedy where laughter can become infectious.

Matt:  When I grew up, I remember there being only one or two animated features being released every year.  There was normally a big Disney film like Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin or The Lion King.  Now, it’s a much more crowded space.  Does the competition make it tougher for you guys?

Peter:  There is a lot of competition but that’s healthy for the industry.  The fact that a lot of animated movies are being made is a great thing but we still need to try our best to rise above them all.

Matt:  I know there’s the best animated feature category at the Academy Awards that is usually dominated by Pixar and Dreamworks.  A Disney film is yet to win the award so do you have high hopes for Frozen?  Could this be the one?

Peter:  You’re correct that Disney hasn’t won the award yet.  I believe this is a project well worth a nomination and of course, I’d hope that it wins.

Matt:  If I can talk quickly about the cast in Frozen – there’s Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad.  One of the things I noticed is that they all come from a theatrical background.  Is that a coincidence or is something more behind it?

Peter:  I come from a theatre background myself.  The type of person I think works best for animated features is an actor who is willing to improvise and really help push the boundaries of the character.  My experience has been that in a lot of cases, that collaborative process is more prevalent in theatre.  Plus, it was important that whoever we hired did ALL of the voice work – whether it be the dialogue or the music.

Matt:  Before I finish up… do you have any plans to do anything exciting while you’re here in Australia?

Peter:  I did.  Yesterday, I went for a helicopter ride over the Gold Coast and there were some great views.  I couldn’t believe how beautiful the coastline is and how it seems to extend on forever.  You’ve got some spectacular beaches here.

Matt:  And can you tell us what you’ll be working on next?  I’m guessing Frozen has taken up a lot of your time over the past few years.

Peter:  It has been my focus and I’ve promised my family that I’m going to take a little break and spend some time with my kids before they head off to college.  There are plenty of projects in development and so after this film is released, I’ll start to focus on what the next project is.