Reviews
Bloody Sunday
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Paul Greengrass |
| Written by: | Paul Greengrass |
| Starring: | James Nesbitt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Nicholas Farrell, Gerard McSorley |
| Released: | October 3, 2002 |
| Grade: | A |
In 1971, the British Government introduced internment without trial in Northern Ireland. They did so under severe pressure from the Unionist Government who warned against a rising tide of Catholic unrest. On January 30, 1972, the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association organised a protest march through the city of Free Derry. At 2:50pm, it began.
The initial plan was for the march to conclude at the Guildhall but the British Army had erected barricades to turn them away. Led by the local member of Parliament, Ivan Cooper (Nesbett), the crowd marched instead to Free Derry Corner. However, a breakaway group tried to continue on to the Guildhall and a riot ensued. At 4:07pm, an order was given for the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment to begin an arrest operation of the breakaway group.
The army fired on the rogue group and over the next 30 minutes, 13 protesters were killed and a further 14 injured from gunshot wounds. Not a single soldier was injured. Soldiers claimed they had seen the protesters with guns and nail bombs although no eyewitness accounts could confirm this. 21 soldiers fired a total of 108 rounds in the massacre.
An investigation was performed led by Lord Widgery who concluded the soldiers were fired on first and the deaths would have been avoided if the illegal marchers had not created such “a highly dangerous situation”. The soldiers who orchestrated the attack were praised and in fact some were later decorated by the Queen. To most however, Widgery’s report was regarded as fabricated garbage. There was no conclusive proof those killed held firearms, testimony was not taken from wounded survivors, forensic evidence was flawed and many eyewitnesses were not called.
Twenty five years later, the Irish Government submitted a dossier of evidence to the UK government demanding a fresh inquiry. In January 1998, Tony Blair announced an independent judicial inquiry headed by Lord Saville would be conducted. The enquiry began in 2000 and is ongoing to this date.
Written and directed by Paul Greengrass, Bloody Sunday shows both the lead-up and aftermath to that tragic day in 1972. His screenplay is based on a 1997 book published by Don Mullan which drew attention to the holes in the Widgery Tribunal. Instead of shooting it as a conventional drama, the film is shot documentary-style. To give the audience the sense of confusion that people themselves felt on the day, the camera is shaky and the colours grainy. It’s reminiscent of war footage we see on the news each week.
Given the number of extras required, it’s impossible to comprehend how Greengrass made it look so real. Perhaps it was the film’s importance in exposing the truth that had residents of Northern Ireland flock to support and be part of it. In a cast of few big names, James Nesbett leads the pack with an exemplary performance. You will be amazed.
Despite not being released in the United States, Bloody Sunday is already making headlines. It shared the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival which has been previously won by films including Magnolia, The Thin Red Line, The People Vs. Larry Flynt, Sense And Sensibility and In The Name Of The Father. The film also won the World Cinema Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Some films are made for entertainment but some are made for more important reasons. After 30 years of misinformation, the world is finally hearing the truth about Bloody Sunday. Thank god for film.
Nine Queens
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Fabian Bielinsky |
| Written by: | Fabian Bielinsky |
| Starring: | Gaston Pauls, Ricardo Darin, Leticia Bredice, Tomas Fonzi |
| Released: | September 26, 2002 |
| Grade: | A- |
Made two years ago, Nine Queens was one of the most successful films in Argentina and is now sneaking its way around the world. It premiered here at the Brisbane International Film Festival where it placed fourth on the audience popularity ranking. Don’t be perturbed by the Spanish dialect and English subtitles, this film breaths life in the cinematic marketplace which is currently void of anything remotely creative.
At a convenience store, Juan (Pauls) pulls an old scam with a $50 note and walks away $45 richer. He tries to pull the same stunt with a new attendant in the store but gets busted and the owner threatens to calls the police. Watching the whole time is an Marcos (Darin), who flashes his badge, pretends to be a police officer and takes Juan outside.
Of course Marcos is also a con artist and has done a rare good deed in intervening to save Juan. His last partner disappeared and Marcos needs someone to help him scam the streets. Juan needs a lot of money to bribe his father out of jail and agrees to go along for the day to see what Marcos has to offer. They pull some light cons before a “one in a million” opportunity comes along.
Getting a call from an old friend named Sandler, Marcos heads to the hotel where his estranged sister, Valeria (Bredice) works. Marcos and Valeria are at odds as both were left a large inheritance from their grandparents and Marcos is holding up the release of the funds in the courts so he can screw his sister over. At the hotel, an ill Sandler tells Marcos he has a forgery of some very rare stamps, the “Nine Queens”, that he going to sell to a wealthy collector staying in the hotel. The collector is being deported the following day and there isn’t much time to reach a deal. Sandler asks Marcus to sell the stamps for him which Marcus of course agrees to for a very large cut. Marcus soon finds he needs Juan to help him and offers him a small piece of pie.
This is but the first half of a movie that seems simple but will keep you guessing to the very end. With so many characters and so many potential con-artists, it comes down to a question of who is playing who. Reflecting back, the script does seem a little too hard to believe but in that darkened cinema, it was the least of my concerns. Like other great twist-thrillers, The Usual Suspects and The Sixth Sense, Nine Queens delivers with a ending designed to jolt you.
Made by a first-timer, Fabian Bielinsky has assembled a well defined cast. They are all intriguing characters. I expect to see most of them never again as Argentinean cinema does not have a predominant place in Australian/American film culture. It’s the way it always is. Good or bad, American films will always be released in this country. However, only good foreign films with already established reputations will ever be released here. So don’t be “conned” by inferior Yankee product and take the time to see Nine Queens.
Lilo And Stitch
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Dean Deblois, Chris Sanders |
| Written by: | Dean Deblois, Chris Sanders |
| Starring: | Daveigh Chase, Chris Sanders, Tia Carrere, Jason Scott Lee, David Ogden Stiers |
| Released: | September 19, 2002 |
| Grade: | B |
Talk about misleading advertising! From the trailers, and the TV clips and the newspaper ads, I was expecting a parody of previous Disney films. These ads have shown a crazy looking creature known as Stitch interacting with famous Disney characters from Aladdin, Beauty & The Beast and The Lion King. Lilo & Stitch is far removed from anything I expected.
On a planet far, far away, a mad scientist, Dr. Jumba Jookiba, has developed a new freaky species. Known as Experiment #626, it’s an indestructible monster that will destroy anything in its path. Both Jumba and #626 are imprisoned so that no harm can be done only that #626 escapes custody and flees to a small planet known as Earth. On orders from the Council, Jumba is released from custody and promised freedom if he can retrieve #626 before it reeks havoc on other planets.
On a small Hawaiian island, Lilo Pelekai lives with her sister Nani. Their parents died when they were young and Nani is struggling to hold down a job and care for Lilo. Authorities are considering taking Lilo and placing her in a foster home because she has been constantly rebelling against Nani’s authority. Deep down though, she just wants some friends as most people are very unhospitable to her at school.
To cheer her up, Nani suggests Lilo get a pet. At the pound, they find a disgusting looking creature (yep, #626) that has recently been captured and Lilo falls instantly in love with in. Naming it Stitch, it certainly is a mischievous little thing - it reeks havoc on everything. But just when all hope seems lost, it seems to develop a conscience and feels sorry for causing Lilo trouble. It starts to rectify the wrongs it has done but those two bounty hunters are still after him thinking he’s all bad.
Disney films have been slipping of late and on a critical scale, this film is a mix of both good and bad. I think kids might find more enjoyment out of the other September holiday release, Stuart Little 2. There isn’t a great variety of characters here and kids might be confused by the opening which begins on another planet. At least that’s the impression I got from the kids yelling out “mummy, what’s going on”.
Like I always say, animation is top notch. Jokes will appeal more to kids than adults. It’s a great chance to get the kids of the house. So what the hell was I doing there since it’s seems I’m the last person a film like this is targeted at? Well, I’m here to voice my two cents, and so for what it’s worth, which isn’t much, I’ll let it sneak though with a passing grade.
The Bourne Identity
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Doug Liman |
| Written by: | Tony Gilroy, William Blake Herron |
| Starring: | Matt Damon, Franke Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles |
| Released: | September 26, 2002 |
| Grade: | B |
If you see Matt Damon as just another young “pretty boy” actor, you’re missing the wonderful start of what will be a long and fruitful career. With his passion for each and every role, Damon transforms himself, leaving behind his own traits and idiosyncrasies. Since 1997, he’s played a cunning lawyer (The Rainmaker), an unwilling genius (Good Will Hunting), a war hero (Saving Private Ryan), a murdering psycho (The Talented Mr. Ripley), a golf professional (The Legend Of Bagger Vance), a lovesick cowboy (All The Pretty Horses), a casual thief (Ocean’s Eleven), and even a humorous impression of himself (Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back).
The Bourne Identity sees him awake on a boat with two bullet holes in his back and no identity whatsoever. His hip contains a computer chip with the number of a Swiss bank account - a clue that he is no ordinary individual. At the bank, he finds a safety deposit box with a gun, a wad of money and several fake passports including one in the name of Jason Bourne. Almost immediately, he is attacked by armed men but fends them off and flees the building.
He meets a young lady with a car, Marie (Potente), and persuades her (with $20,000) to take him to Paris to find more from his past. Soon, everyone is chasing them and police all over Europe are on alert but why? Exactly who is after them and what is it that Jason is supposed to have done? As to be expected in the movies, we’ll find out all the answers but I’m not giving it away in this column.
Arriving late, I was forced to sit in the second-front row for this film but from the view I had, the cinematography and editing looked great. Having raved about his last film, Go, I’d expect nothing less from Doug Liman. But as seems to happen with most small rising directors, once they get money for bigger budgets and bigger films, they’re constricted by the safety barriers but in place by studio investors. The Bourne Identity takes few chances and plays out like a typical thriller with easy-to-like good guys and one-dimensional bad guys.
Matt Damon is great in the title role and German actress Franke Potente (Run Lola Run) has the tough persona to look good along side him. They become a fun team and whilst touched upon, the film doesn’t get sidetracked by frivolous romance. To show his commitment to the project, Damon bulked up heavily and even learned Filipino martial arts! Sadly, one my favourite actresses, Julia Stiles (Save The Last Dance), plays a nothing role that seems heavily edited. It may once again be a case of stuffing too much from the novel (written by Robert Ludham) into a two-hour time frame.
Shot it Prague, Paris and Italy, The Bourne Identity is a picture-perfect advertisement for travelling through Europe. Liman makes the most of these locations with his creatively visual style, fast pace and European crew. It plays well but as expected, is too predictable. As the audience, we knew more about Bourne in the early stages than he did and I believe this to be a flaw. To keep us on the edge of our seats, we didn’t need to see the identity of those chasing him. Too many questions were answered too early and the end result was a lack in suspense. In my theatre, only Matt Damon was left looking for answers.
Austin Powers In Goldmember
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Jay Roach |
| Written by: | Mike Myers, Michael McCullers |
| Starring: | Mike Myers, Beyonce Knowles, Michael Caine, Seth Green, Verne Troyer |
| Released: | September 19, 2002 |
| Grade: | C+ |
Many things in life are best had in small doses. Austin Powers In Goldmember is a prime example. In 1997, I laughed heartedly at the original Austin Powers and the subtle wit that mocked the tired James Bond series. Since then, I’ve grown an even bigger appreciation for the film and to a lesser extent, its sequel. They are films that age well.
Goldmember has a few funny moments but is inferior compared with the other two films. Jokes are rehashed and the “subtle wit” I spoke of has been replaced by standard gross-out jokes. There’s a gag where Austin mocks the name of a Japanese girl called Fook Mi. Um, not funny.
This time around, Austin is forced to travel back in time to 1975 to foil Dr. Evil’s latest plan. A Dutch villain known as Goldmember developed the technology to create a powerful “tractor beam” and Dr. Evil wants to use it against the world. Meanwhile, Austin has a hollow feeling in that his father, Nigel Powers (played by Michael Caine), hasn’t been around for most of his life. So it’s going to be a buzy adventure for Austin Powers...
The opening sequence is amazing and the funniest part of the film. There’s some wonderful star cameos that are ideally cast and give the film its platform. Things fall away quickly after that. Most of dialogue between Dr. Evil and his son Scotty, which was so funny in the first two films, is flat. Rather than mock the cliches that riddle current flicks, the film gets bogged down with silly characters like Fat Bastard, Mini-Me and of course, Goldmember.
So is there another film in store? I hope not but if money dictates Hollywood (which um, it does), then there sure will be. Only this time, I won’t be as enthusastic to see it on opening night.
Eight Legged Freaks
- Details
- Written by Matthew Toomey
| Directed by: | Ellory Elkayem |
| Written by: | Jesse Alexander, Ellory Elkayem |
| Starring: | David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, Scott Terra, Scarlett Johansson, Doug E. Doug |
| Released: | Septmeber 26, 2002 |
| Grade: | B |
What is your greatest fear? Well for me, spiders are right up there and I sure was freaked out by some of the moments in the aptly titled Eight Legged Freaks. Not since Arachnophobia
has a big-time spider flick been released and even today, I have trouble watching that one all the way through. Bottom line, spiders freak me out!
Putting on my critics hat sees the film begin in a small American town where a barrel of nuclear waste falls off a truck and into a river. Animals in the river are affected including small crickets which a local spider guy feeds to his scary pets. The spiders start growing to massive proportions then wreak havoc on the town and its people.
Leading the fight is Chris McCormack (Arquette) and Sheriff Sam Parker (Wurher). There’s a whole other sub-plot involving these two which isn’t worth wasting time on. If you’ve seen the poster, you don’t see a film like this for its romance. I did like the way though director Ellory Elkayem mocks that standard Hollywood scene where two people kiss for the first time. A nice touch.
Special effects could have been better. After hearing conversations with the film’s stars, it would have be quite a challenge to run around like a manic being chased by spiders that didn’t even exist when the film was shot. All the spiders were inserted later with digital effects and if you ask me, the CGI effects team weren’t up to their own challenge. Good without being great.
I also expected better from David Arquette. He’s made some decent films but I don’t what particularly attracted him to this project (aside from the money). Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World) is also a favourite actress of mine who should picked another film. I hope they don’t share the same agent.