Reviews
The Combination
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | David Field |
| Written by: | George Basha |
| Starring: | George Basha, Firass Dirani, Doris Younane, Clare Bowen, Michael Denkha |
| Released: | February 26, 2009 |
| Grade: | B |
The Combination is set in Sydney and centres on two Lebanese brothers. John (Basha) has just been released after a two year stint in jail. The time he spent locked away had a profound impact. He’s now returned to live with his mother (Younane) and he wants to rebuild his life. He’s got a new girlfriend (Bowen) and he’s got a part-time job at a small boxing centre.
John’s biggest concern is his youngest brother, Charlie (Dirani). Over the past two years, Charlie has fallen in with the wrong crowd at school and has been caught up in a gang war. To make matters worse, he’s recently become a drug dealer. John doesn’t want Charlie to make the same mistakes that he did. He needs to find away to get through to him and set him on the right path.
This is a nice story. It highlights the importance of one’s family and how far we’re prepared to go to look after our own. It also looks at the drivers behind much of the racial tension in some Australian communities. There’s a brief clip shown of the 2005 riots in Cronulla that reminds us that this story is closer to home than you might think.
Writer George Basha, who also plays John, drew on his own experiences to help create the story. He changed his own lifestyle after seeing one of his best friends set on fire by an underworld figure for an unpaid debt. By chance, his script found its way into the hands of actor David Field (Gettin’ Square, Unfinished Sky) who agreed to make his directorial debut. It’s worth pointing out that it took six years to secure the funding to make the movie. It’s not an easy business.
We’re almost two full months into the 2009 calendar year and this is the first Aussie film to be released. The Combination isn’t going to set the local box-office on fire but I hope the film does find an audience. It’s a decent movie made on a shoe-string budget and it’s better than at least half of the films currently showing in cinemas. Give it a chance.
Zack And Miri Make A Porno
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Kevin Smith |
| Written by: | Kevin Smith |
| Starring: | Elizabeth Banks, Seth Rogen, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords, Jeff Anderson |
| Released: | February 19, 2009 |
| Grade: | B+ |
The title of this film is self explanatory. The fact that it is R-rated should also tell you a little bit more. Zack & Miri Make A Porno is the latest creation from Kevin Smith, the guy responsible for cult classics such as Clerks, Chasing Amy and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back.
The reason that Zack and Miri have found themselves making their own porno is because they have no cash. Their overdue on their rent payments and both the water and electricity have been cut off. They’re desperate. The pair come up with the idea after meeting gay porn star Brandon St. Randy (an hilarious cameo from Justin Long) at a high school reunion.
They assemble a small cast and end up shooting it at a Starbucks-life coffee shop where Zack works. Everyone’s excited and everyone’s hoping to make some money. There’s a catch however. Zack and Miri have been long-time friends and both are worried about their looming scene together. Can they sleep together for the purposes of the movie and still maintain their plutonic friendship?
This film won’t suit everyone’s tastes but fans of previous Kevin Smith flicks will probably get a few kicks out of it. Almost every joke involves sex and/or nudity. There’s a particular moment near the end of the film involving the cameraman that will leave you feeling sick and laughing hysterically. That’s not easy to do.
Lead stars Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen also make a fun couple. They work well off each other and I enjoyed listening to their light-hearted discussions. What I’m trying to say is that there’s a half-interesting story going on amongst the toilet-humour. Craig Robinson is the best of the supporting cast. He plays an under-the-thumb husband who has secretly put the funds to make the movie.
I can’t say too much more (in case little kiddies are reading this review) but if you’re over the age of 18 and don’t mind some low-brow comedy, you’re likely to lap this up.
Rachel Getting Married
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Jonathan Demme |
| Written by: | Jenny Lumet |
| Starring: | Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Maher Zickel, Bill Irwin, Anna Deavere Smith, Debra Winger |
| Released: | February 12, 2009 |
| Grade: | B- |
Last month, I saw a film called Bride Wars. There is no question that it is one of the worst films in the history of cinema. I must sound like I’m over exaggerating but trust me I’m not. I didn’t end up writing a full length review because (1) I’d rather spend my time talking about decent movies, and (2) I couldn’t think of enough negative adjectives to adequately describe it.
I’m mentioning Bride Wars because I don’t want anyone to confuse it with Rachel Getting Married. They are similar because they both involve a wedding and they both star Anne Hathaway (The Princess Diaries). Whilst I’m not a huge fan of this film either, it has reaffirmed my belief that Hathaway has talent as an actress. In line with today’s economic times, we’ll just treat Bride Wars as a bad debt and move forward.
This is a very important film for Anne Hathaway as she has earned her first Academy Award nomination. She has also picked up numerous critics awards. It’s the kind of role that was always going to generate award season buzz. She plays a young woman who has battled depression, anorexia and an addiction to drugs. Her name is Kym and for the past year, she’s spent most of her time in a rehabilitation centre.
Kym has been released for the weekend so she can attend the wedding of her older sister, Rachel (DeWitt). It’s going to be a relatively small ceremony at her father’s house. A small group of family and friends have been invited. Kym’s arrival throws the wedding preparations upside down. She is immediately upset that Rachel hasn’t asked her to be the made of honour and the fact that her sister is receiving so much affection has left her feeling unloved. You’ll sense that fireworks are imminent.
There are a few really great scenes in this film. I’ll mention one in particular. The night before the wedding, many of those involved with the wedding go out to a celebratory dinner at a restaurant. A microphone is passed around the table and each guest tells a humorous story about the bride or groom. When Rachel gets her chance to speak, I was cringing in my seat. I couldn’t quite tell whether she was being sincere or whether she was looking for attention. There was an awkward silence both on screen and in the audience.
These terrific sequences are contrasted by moments of shear boredom. I think they show about ten non-stop minutes of dancing during the finale which takes place at the wedding reception. I wanted to know more about these characters and whether they had any hope of healing old wounds. I didn’t care at all about the wedding itself. It’s as if writer Jenny Lumet, daughter of legendary director Sidney Lumet, has only just scraped the surface.
Directed by Jonathan Demme (The Silence Of The Lambs), Rachel Getting Married grabbed my attention but in the end, it never delivered the emotional punch line that I was anticipating.
The Reader
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Stephen Daldry |
| Written by: | David Hare |
| Starring: | Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, David Kross, Lena Olin, Bruno Ganz |
| Released: | February 19, 2009 |
| Grade: | A |
When the Academy Award nominations were announced last month, The Reader caught many tipsters off guard. It picked up five nominations including a slot in the best picture category. It also earned Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours) his third nomination for best director. That’s pretty impressive when you consider that he’s only made three feature films in his entire life. Has that ever been achieved before?
There film has attracted criticism from those who believe it’s "just another holocaust movie." I have to disagree. There isn’t a single scene set during World War II. Whilst references are made to what happened at Auschwitz, this is ultimately a story about two people who struggle to be honest with each other. Are there certain things which are best kept hidden?
Michael Berg (Cross) and Hanna Schmitz (Winslet) first meet on the streets of Berlin in 1958. He is a 15 year old boy. She is a 36 year old woman. Each afternoon, he would come to her house for two reasons. The first is the most obvious and doesn’t require explanation. The second reason is that Hanna loved to be read to. They would lie in bed and Michael would read from the classic books that he was studying in school.
After several months, it all came to an abrupt end. Michael came by Hanna’s house to find it empty. She had gone. It was difficult to come to grips with. He was a love-struck teenager and his first true love had vanished without explanation.
The film then moves 8 years into the future where the two would be reunited. Now studying law at university, Michael sees Hanna on trial for her crimes during World War II. It turns out that Hanna was a guard at a Nazi concentration camp. She was one of six women responsible for guarding a church which accidentally caught fire. By not opening the locked doors, over 300 Jewish women died as a result. One of the few survivors had written a book which implicated Hanna Schmitz.
This is all news to Michael who now must battle his personal feelings for Hanna with this newly discovered information. It forces him to think about the Nazi war trials and whether they do provide justice. With so many people involved in the atrocities that took place, is it fair to single a select few out and punish them for their deeds?
As I’ve already alluded to, there are a few things to think about in The Reader. I know that some are outraged by the fact that it tries to make you sympathise with a Nazi solider. I didn’t really see it that way. I enjoyed it more for the exploration of the relationship between Michael and Hanna. These are two people who are inexplicably drawn to each other despite their differing ages and backgrounds. They try to fight their feelings but it’s a struggle to do so.
Terrific performances are turned in by Kate Winslet and David Kross in the leading roles. Ralph Fiennes plays the older version of Michael who pops in and out of the story, as it is told in flashback form. Bruno Ganz (who played Hitler in Downfall) also makes a great cameo.
Based on the novel by Bernhard Schlink, The Reader is moving drama which I look forward to seeing for a second time.
Ghost Town
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | David Koepp |
| Written by: | David Koepp, John Kamps |
| Starring: | Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni, Billy Campbell, Kristen Wiig, Dana Ivey |
| Released: | February 12, 2009 |
| Grade: | B |
Bertram Pincus (Gervais) is a cynical, miserable individual. To put it simply – he hates interacting with other people. There’s a scene early in the film where a woman is rushing to the elevator in his apartment building and she asks him to hold the doors open. What does Bertram do? He quickly presses the close door button and goes on his merry way.
When you think about it, Bertram has an ideal job. He’s a dentist. He gets to shove things down people’s throats and he enjoys the fact that they can’t talk back to him. The only problem is that he has to avoid the other dentists that he works with.
After going into the hospital for a routine colonoscopy (ouch), Bertram wakes up and finds that something is different. To use a famous line from The Sixth Sense, he "can see dead people". When he asks his doctor if anything when wrong during his procedure, she confesses that he did die for "just a little bit". As a result of his short trip to the after-life, he can now see a small group of people who are trapped between the two worlds.
As you can image, these ghosts are thrilled that Bertram can see them. They want to use him to help communicate with their loved ones. They can resolve past misdeeds with the hope that they will then move on to whatever awaits them.
Doctor Pincus wants nothing to do with them however. He loathes communicating with living people let alone dead people. Dressed in a tuxedo, a ghost named Frank (Kinnear) puts a proposition to Bertram. He’ll make sure all the other ghosts stay away but in return, he must do him a favour. Bertram has to find a way to break up Frank’s ex-wife, Gwen, (Leoni) and her new boyfriend (Campbell). What’s the reason you ask? Frank’s worried that he’s not the right guy for her.
Bertram’s cunning strategy is to offer himself as the alternative. He thinks he can use his charm to win over Gwen’s affections. It doesn’t go as planned of course and you’ll have a few chuckles when you hear some of Bertram’s creepy one-liners. This guy has no idea what he’s doing.
Ricky Gervais is the headline act in this comedy and as much as I love the guy for his work in shows such as The Office and Extras, this isn’t quite his thing. He’s limited by the material and there weren’t too many "laugh out loud" moments. I think Gervais is at his best with an open canvas. I love seeing his impromptu gags at award shows and other major events.
Ghost Town is sluggish to start. For example, the scene where Bertram is told my his doctor that he died during the operation drags on and on. Thankfully, the film finds its feet in the second half and there are some nice, sentimental moments. There was an unexpected twist at the end which I liked also.
It won’t set the world on fire by Ghost Town is worth the price of admission.
He's Just Not That Into You
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Ken Kwapis |
| Written by: | Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein |
| Starring: | Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, Justin Long |
| Released: | February 12, 2009 |
| Grade: | C |
Warning: The views expressed in this review are solely those of Matthew Toomey and may not be a true reflection of the general public.
He’s Just Not That Into You is a dreadful film. It’s about a bunch of shallow, superficial people trying to justify to themselves why they can’t find the perfect guy/girl. Some of them are borderline psychotic. This isn’t a drama though. It’s packaged as some fluffy romantic comedy which is supposed to make us feel good. I left the theatre feeling angry.
The film is based on the self-help book which was first published in 2004. The two people responsible, Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, got the idea from an episode of Sex And The City. I haven’t read the book and I have no desire to having seen this film. I don’t want people thinking I’m on some tirade against "chick flicks" so I will confess at this point that I liked the Sex And The City television series. It has the depth and intelligence that this film is sorely lacking in its exploration of friendships and relationships.
There are nine high-profile actors in this ensemble so let me quickly rush through them. There’s a married guy being seduced by a young wanna-be singer. There’s a married woman trapped in a loveless marriage. There’s a man and a woman who are in a long-term relationship but disagree over whether they should tie the knot. There’s a real estate agent who doesn’t know where he stands. There’s a chick who dates guys she meets on MySpace. There’s a bar manager helping a neurotic young girl understand what men think.
It all adds up to a waste of time. Is there any reason why it needed to be a whopping 129 minutes in length? The ending is the worst part about this movie. They try to wrap everything up in a neat little package to reaffirm our belief that if we’re nice people, we’ll find happiness and if we cheat on our spouses, we’ll be miserable for the rest of our lives. These fantasy type films have their place in our world but I object to this one in particular. It’s just too phoney.
As much as I disliked He’s Just Not That Into You, it has ticked one box in that it will generate discussion. It inspired me to write this review and I have shared my thoughts with several friends since I saw it. I would rather have seen this film, which fired me up, than something that left me feeling more ho-hum. I just love talking about movies.
This film was released in the United States last weekend and it topped the box-office with a very strong showing. When I attended a preview screening earlier this week, many laughs could be heard. For this reason, once again, I think I’m in the minority. Am I just a miserable old Grinch? Or am I just one of the few people who are just not that into this.