Reviews
The Hulk
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Ang Lee |
| Written by: | John Turman, Michael France, James Schamus |
| Starring: | Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte |
| Released: | June 26, 2003 |
| Grade: | B |
I’m tiring quickly of comic book heroes turned movie stars and the numerous previews for The Hulk did nothing to increase my enthusiasm. Ah, but I must be fair and objective as a critic so unlike the time I dished Brittany Spears’ Crossroads before seeing it, I thought I’d give this film a chance. All the hype regarding the special effects, the action and the rising status of Australian star Eric Bana meant very little to me. The real reason to see this film was because of Ang Lee.
Lee is a brilliant director who rose to fame with The Ice Storm (one of my all-time favourite films) and Sense & Sensibility. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is his highest-grossing film to date and it also earned him the best director prize from the Directors’ Guild Of America. His choosing of a project like The Hulk came as a complete surprise to me but from the very beginning of the film itself, I could see his reasons for doing so.
With a filming budget of $120m, it would be so easy for a director to take a conservative path to ensure box-office success. Instead, Lee has mixed up the standard screenplay with some wonderful camera and editing techniques. There are some magical fade-ins between scenes but my personal favourite touch were the split-screen shots where up to four camera angles appeared on screen at once. Ang Lee is not a Hollywood sell-out and this proves he’s willing to take a risk to further his work.
The brilliance of Lee’s direction has not been matched by the script. I expected a much shorter time in the theatre and the film would have been better served without the heavy padding at the very end. There’s also a distinctive lack of adventure. The focus of the film is on Bruce Banner’s (aka The Hulk) discovery of his past. His parents died when he was young (or so he thought) and with the help of semi-love interest Betty Ross, he will uncover the mysteries which plague his dreams. All well and good but the general public may be let down by the lack of a serious villain.
Younger audiences may also be disturbed by some of the violence. There’s one scene where The Hulk battles three mutant dogs and it’s considerably violent. You can see though that an effort has been made to eliminate any human casualties which are a bit silly but necessary for the audience they want to attract.
By now everyone should know that Australian Eric Bana is the next “it thing” in America with his role as the leading guy. More people seem to focus more on the fact that he is in the movie rather than how good his performance actually is. In my mind, he’s good but not great and in the final hour, he’s replaced by a scary looking green visual effect. It can’t have been the most mentally challenging task for Bana and it’s his bank balance that will receive the most benefit.
I haven’t focused too much on the plot since that’s not why you pay your admission fee. Like all these mega-blockbusters of late, the finale sets up an expected sequel. So if you want to save yourself time, money and effort, wait until the next instalment is due. By then, The Hulk will be on free-to-air TV and you’ll be one of the few to say that you haven’t contributed to the box-office success of a film that probably doesn’t deserve it.
Tape
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Richard Linklater |
| Written by: | Stephen Belber |
| Starring: | Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Uma Thurman |
| Released: | June 26, 2003 |
| Grade: | A- |
Tape is distinctive in that there are only three cast members and the entire film is set in a small hotel room. At times, some of the cast enter and exit through the only door but the camera does not follow them. Despite these visual limitations, the film is more interesting than most.
It begins with Vince (Hawke) silently passing time in his hotel room by sculling a few beers. Jon (Leonard) then arrives and the two embrace. Vince and Jon were best friends at school but ten years has passed and they now live different lives. Both are Michigan to catch up on old times and to celebrate a defining moment in Jon’s career. A budding filmmaker, Jon’s first major film is to screen at the local film festival tomorrow afternoon.
Vince is a drug dealer who passes himself off as a volunteer fire-fighter in California. After the initial pleasantries, Jon does what comes naturally and suggests to Vince, as his friend, that it’s time to find a new line of work. This sets of a carefully planned chain of events for Vince that lead to the unexpected developments and the ultimate conclusion. Reflecting back, I have doubts as to whether Vince could have planned the next hour with the precision he does but it is a minor criticism.
Defensive of Jon’s criticism, Vince turns the table on Jon by recalling a fateful night in their final year at high school. Vince dated sweetheart Amy Randall (Thurman) but the two broke up just prior to graduation. Jon then had a one-night stand with Amy which surprised Vince since he and Amy never slept together during their full relationship. Vince always suspected Jon raped Amy but nothing was ever said. Now, Vince wants the answers and is willing to risk his friendships to uncover the truth…
The history of director Richard Linklater’s shows a man with great creativity. In 1993, he made crazy drug comedy Dazed And Confused which seems to get better with age. It’s a film Entertainment Weekly rated in the top 20 cult films of all time. His last work was the trippy animation flick Waking Life that left critics in awe of its complexity and originality. Trivia fans will be interested by the fact that Tape marks the fourth time star Ethan Hawke has starred in a Linklater film.
Tape has been shot with only two simple hand-held camcorders and thanks to seamless editing by Sandra Adair, it looks like one continuous take. I am unsure the screenwriter’s intentions as varying interpretations exist as to the “goodness” presented in each of the characters. In my eyes, Vince acts insanely and Jon is very harshly treated but others may share a differing opinion. I won’t ramble on with a detailed analysis as it may influence your own objectivity.
Beginning it’s life as a play, the cinematic equivalent of Tape was released in the United States over 18 months ago It has since done its run on the film festival circuit with major showings at Sundance and Toronto. The small cast, budget and release are in no way correlated to the film’s success. Like good dinner conversation, it is always interesting.
Travelling Birds
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud, Michel Debats |
| Released: | June 19, 2003 |
| Grade: | B |
Documentaries are born out of love for the subject material. Nothing it is scripted and it is up to the cameraman to find the drama. Hundreds of film reels are used and all you can do is hope that you find what you’re looking for.
Travelling Birds is the apt title for this project headed by Frenchman Jacques Perrin. Five film crews followed migrating birds across seven continents over a three year period. To raise his documentary to a new level, Perrin has used camera techniques. To create the incredibly close shots of the birds as they fly overhead, a camera has been attached to a remote controlled bird which flies within the pack. In other scenes, a cameraman sits in a glider which flies above. Even helicopters, delta planes, ultra light motorized aircraft and balloons are used to get the perfect shot of the winged creatures.
It’s beautiful to watch but I was disappointed by what I learnt from it all. There is little narration and the bulk of the film is just the birds flying with soft music (composed by Bruno Coulais) echoing in the background. There are some spectacular single camera shots and some very colourful species of birds to admire but I would have preferred more education. More discussion was needed on why the birds acted as they do. Further, a few silly special effect shots looking down on the globe were an unwanted distraction.
Whilst I criticise these elements of the film that didn’t personally please me, I point out that it was always Perrin’s intention to have the film rely on visual images rather than spoken words. One of his previous documentaries, Microcosmos, was very similar in the way it looked at the insect world. In his own words, “Man has dreamt of birds since the beginning of time. How to imagine being among the first to transform this dream into reality?” There is no question that he has provided this reality.
Funded by a number of production companies, including National Geographic (as you’d expect), Travelling Birds received a nomination for best documentary at this year’s Academy Awards. Despite losing the top prize to Michael Moore’s Bowling For Columbine, the film has generated world wide interest. Unlike most feature length documentaries, which debut on cable television, Travelling Birds has been released theatrically in over 20 countries around the world (including France, Russia, Italy, Spain, Japan, Canada and the United States). If nothing else, it’s void of clichés, and if you look at what else is currently screening, it’ll be the only film in that category.
White Oleander
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Peter Kosminsky |
| Written by: | Mary Agnes Donoghue |
| Starring: | Alison Lohman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger, Robin Wright Penn, Billy Connolly, Patrick Fugit |
| Released: | June 19, 2003 |
| Grade: | A- |
Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger, Robin Wright Penn. All three of these accomplished starlets have been overshadowed by an incredible performance from newcomer Alison Lohman. In the leading role, Lohman blossoms and whether you can or cannot relate to her position, you will certainly feel for her.
Barely a teenager, Astrid’s (Lohman) life is forever changed when her mother, Ingrid (Pfeiffer) is found guilty of murdering her boyfriend. Importantly, the film doesn’t dwell on the details of this event. There’s no drawn out court trial or doubt as to her guilt. Ingrid is getting the punishment that she deserves.
With no father to care for her, Astrid now finds herself bouncing from foster home to foster home. It’s a difficult time for an impressionable young lady and she changes very much as a person through the experience. Her most difficult obstacle though seems to be her mother. Ingrid was always a controlling mother and is still trying to keep this role from behind bars. She cannot deal with the fact Astrid has a new “mother” and poisons her mind with unnecessary thoughts.
Robin Wright Penn and Renee Zellweger play two of Astrid’s foster mothers and both meet different fates. The focus is though on Astrid and her development as a person as a result of the many tragedies that plague her. You may think it has the makings of a sappy soap opera but don’t let your judgement be clouded in this regard. It’s a well thought out story that has been adapted from the popular novel by Janet Fitch. For some, the later stages will bring a tear to the eye.
Michelle Pfeiffer picked up a few award nominations along the way but as I emphasised at the very beginning of this review, don’t overlook Alison Lohman. White Oleander should open many doors for her and with the right choices, she’ll be a star of the future.
The Core
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Jon Amiel |
| Written by: | Cooper Layne, John Rogers |
| Starring: | Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, Stanley Tucci, Delroy Lindo, Tcheky Karyo, Alfre Woodard, DJ Qualls, Bruce Greenwood |
| Released: | June 12, 2003 |
| Grade: | C |
Pardon the pun, but this disaster movie really is a disaster. The fad began in 1996 when Twister “swept” through cinemas. Since then, we’ve managed to survive through Daylight, Independence Day, Dante’s Peak, Volcano, Hard Rain, Deep Impact and Armageddon. Most thought the genre had been exhausted but Paramount Pictures believed there was still a window of opportunity and gambled another $85m on the success of The Core.
Their investment has turned to dust in this horribly misguided motion picture. A secret government agency has been working on a weapon which can plough into the Earth’s crust and generate seismic activity. Unfortunately, their testing has had a nasty effect on the Earth’s core – it has stopped spinning. Within months, the resulting cosmic radiation will cook the Earth and all its inhabitants.
The plan is to have a specially designed craft tunnel deep into the Earth’s core and then detonate a truckload of nuclear weapons to “jumpstart the planet”. As expected, a varying crew has been assembled for this mission to save the world. We have Ed Brazzleton (Lindo) who has designed the tunnelling craft. We have astronauts Robert Iverson (Greenwood) and Rebecca Childs (Swank) who will pilot the vehicle. And, we have experts Josh Keyes (Eckhart), Conrad Zimsky (Tucci) and Serge Leveque (Karyo) who are experts in the field and can offer the best advice to aid the mission’s success.
You need a degree in nuclear physics to understand much of the dialogue. The crew keep coming up with amazing ideas but it beats me what they are and on what basis they are expected to work. What I do know, is that it’s the most far-fetched piece of garbage seen on a screen this year. As I’ve said many a time on this matter, these films will only create the intended thrills and suspense if the storyline is plausible.
I also disapprove of the film’s length. For a poorly edited production, 135 minutes is too long to hold anyone’s attention. There’s a heavy reliance on special effects but even they look second-rate. In its planning stages, The Core must have looked an attractive proposition given the high profile cast it attracted. I can only assume that subsequent script changes have been a major factor in the film’s demise. It brings a tear to the eye to watch great independent actors like Aaron Eckhart and Stanley Tucci utter lines that belong in a trashy soap opera.
One could forgive me for wishing a natural disaster to befall the producers who gave the initial green light on The Core. Complete disappointment without exception.
Bruce Almighty
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Tom Shadyac |
| Written by: | Steve Koren, Mark O’Keefe, Steve Oedekerk |
| Starring: | Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston, Philip Baker Hall, Catherine Bell, Steven Carell |
| Released: | June 19, 2003 |
| Grade: | A- |
Expected to be a one-hit wonder after Ace Ventura, Jim Carrey has evolved as a premium actor. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s part of an elite group who can successfully deliver in any genre. As popular and successful as he as been, it’s been almost two years since the last Carrey film – The Majestic. Bruce Almighty calls on Carrey’s funny side but a few thought provoking moments, aimed at a wide audience, add a little extra.
Carrey is Bruce Nolan, a news reporter looking for an anchor spot on the station’s nightly news program. Station director Jack Keller (Hall) respects Bruce but has instead given the job to Evan Baxter (Carell) who he sees as a more serious reporter. It’s a bitter blow for the self-absorbed Bruce who takes out his frustrations during a live broadcast and is promptly fired.
His long-time girlfriend Grace (Aniston) has always been Bruce’s loyal supporter but his reactions to these events reaffirm her doubts that he cares more about himself and his work than their relationship. Looking for answers as to why he can’t get what he wants out of life, Bruce shouts out to God to give him a sign as to what he must do. God isn’t going to give him the simple answer. Played by Morgan Freeman, the great man pays Bruce a visit to provide a divine opportunity. He will let Bruce be God for a few weeks (complete with all his powers) so he can see just how hard it really is.
The film’s funniest moment arrives when Bruce sabotages a news report of rival Evan Baxter and credit to Steven Carell for his performance in this scene. It’s generally predictable humour but the limitless energy of Carrey and the lovability of Jennifer Aniston make it a joy to watch. The film could easily have become a schmaltzy, preachy affair but the experienced screenwriters know better. They understand the audience will foresee the finale and compensate but providing entertaining humour and a short, compact conclusion.
Bruce Almighty marks the third time director Tom Shadyac (Ace Ventura, Liar Liar) has worked with Carrey and their previous successes are proof they make a great team. In co-writing the crazy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective nine years ago, they provided the platform that gave each an entry into big-time Hollywood. Carrey now commands a $20m salary and has two Golden Globe Awards. Shadyac’s previous five films have grossed $550m in the United States alone and that doesn’t include the $194m that Bruce Almighty has claimed in the past four weeks. Not a bad stretch for these two good friends.