Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 29 November 2001

Jack’s intimate knowledge of the House’s structure is a valuable asset but he needs Nick’s experience to crack the safe and steal the sceptre undetected.  Nick’s hesitant at the difficulty of the job and the inexperience of Jack but the thought of one final payoff to let him settle down with girlfriend Diane (Bassett) provides enough lure.

Without divulging more of the intricate screenplay, The Score is absorbing from the very opening scenes.  There are no unwanted subplots – it’s just three characters organising and implementing this cunning idea.  The screenwriters have gone to great depths to develop the concept.  Whilst the robbery itself is what filmgoers will pay to see, I loved watching Nick, Max and Jack plan every minor detail.  By the time theory is put into practice, you’ll be on the edge of your seat.

It’s no surprise Robert DeNiro put his signature to this project.  It’s a great script and a great character for DeNiro to portray.  Edward Norton hasn’t put a foot wrong in Hollywood yet and along side DeNiro they make a dynamite pair.  Marlon Brando has little screen time but in what I’m sure will be one of his final appearances, he makes his presence felt in an ideal role.

Criminal thrillers are a personal favourite of mine but an inability to follow reason and a desire to satisfy the audience with cheap twists is often the pitfall in creating them.  Not so with The Score.  It’s a realistic gritty look at just how easy it sometimes can be when you have the experience.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2001

Charged with a breach of military protocol that resulted in heavy loss of life, Irwin pleaded guilty and received a ten year sentence.  Winter feels awkward accepting Irwin as a prisoner and initially treats him with respect.  He even asks him for an autograph.  Irwin is solemn and when asked what he expects from his time in prison he gives the model answer - “Nothing.  I just want to pay my time and go home.”

Soon enough though, Irwin finds that Colonel Winter’s warm introduction wasn’t typical of his persona.  Irwin’s natural leadership qualities earn him respect from the other prisoners and they tell of Winter’s reign of extreme discipline.  There have been several deaths under his rule and the standard of life is inadequate.  Instinct tells Irwin to act and so the prisoners rally to take control of the facility to remove Winter from command.

What should have been a very powerful motion picture fizzes out with what is becoming commonplace - a ludicrous ending.  There were several moments during the final battle where logistics were questioned.  Why weren’t more prisoners injured in the attack?  Why did the prison guards retreat?  And where the hell did they get the slingshot from?

The screenplay and editing are significant flaws.  Aside from the above discrepancies, the issue as to why Winter is so hated isn’t explored.  How are we supposed to hate this guy if we don’t know why he’s so bad?  Also, the prisoners are portrayed like innocent pawns.  The story of why many came to be in the jail isn’t told.  I guess they felt if we knew they were all murders, we wouldn’t like them as much.

Robert Redford offers little more than a smile and an occasional inspiring remark in a disappointing appearance.  James Gandolfini is the standout with an excellent performance but The Last Castle’s silly ending greatly reduces his character’s credibility - it’s just too over the top.

The high benchmark set by The Shawshank Redemption will probably never be eclipsed but it hasn’t stopped filmmakers trying to show what it’s like on the inside.  All I ask for is a little realism.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2001

When on a beach collecting rubbish as community service, Nicole meets latino Carlos Nunez (Hernandez), a fellow classmate, and they develop a natural attraction.  Closely guarded by his mother, Carlos is a straight shooting character who is studying hard at school to make it into the Naval Academy upon graduation.

The two make an unlikely couple but somehow seem perfect for each other.  However, this is not the perception of those around them.  Carlos’s mother is appalled that he’s seeing someone outside his race, particularly with her reputation.  Nicole’s father is concerned for her daughter’s mental well-being and doesn’t want any man causing further grief to her already fragile state.

But when things are meant to be, they’re meant to be.  Nicole and Carlos are determined to be together and nothing will keep them apart.  Even if it’s worth risking the rest of their lives to do so...

I’m relieved to see a film with a teen cast that isn’t necessarily aimed at a teen audience.  Crazy/Beautiful is a serious, heartfelt love story.  The casting of Dunst and Hernandez will draw a youthful demographic but don’t think this is anything like the schmaltzy teenage garbage that’s been littering our screens.

The odd unnecessary scene detracts at times but generally, it’s a very interesting film to watch.  The cast are well-rounded.  Aside from the two leads, Bruce Davison offers a fresh take as Nicole’s father.  The soundtrack is also worth a look with a vibrant mix of songs provided by lesser names in the music biz.  It’s not ground breaking material but it is a good story and quite often, that’s all that matters.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2001

Malena Scordia (Bellucci) is a model of beauty in a small Sicilian town.  World War II has begun and Italy is now involved.  Malena’s husband, Nino (Aronica), has been sent off to war.  With such an attractive woman living alone, everyone is whispering.  Men talk of her splendour and fantasise of being her lover.  Women are crazy jealous and spread rumours of her unfaithfulness to her husband.

12-year-old Renato Amoroso (Sulfaro) is coming of age and Malena is the object of his desire.  He knows he’s too young but he keeps a constant eye on the luscious Malena and spies on her through a small hole in her home’s second story window.

Word arrives that Nino has been killed in combat and Malena is left with nothing.  Her pension is cut off, the women of the town have abandoned her and no one is willing to help.  The quiet and unassuming Malena is now being undeservedly punished for the beauty she was born with.

In Australia, we don’t see many foreign language films but many will see the similarity with Life Is Beautiful - a romantic comedy set against the tragedy of war.  In comparison, Malena’s total lack of substance makes it inferior.  The story is too simple.  Subplots are raised but never developed.  Renato’s bizarre relationship with his parents was more interesting than the love story but this element of the story was given little film time.

Malena was nominated for two Oscars earlier this year and there’s no denying the deservedness of Lajos Koltai’s cinematography and Ennio Morricone’s music score.  I love the way Koltai softly moves the camera during many scenes.  It gives a wider perspective and is a change from the simplicity of keeping a camera in one spot and zooming in and out.  Morricone’s peaceful music is ideal and is sure to find a place in my soundtrack collection.

All the elements are present but the story just doesn’t work.  It’s very sexual in looking at Renato’s pubescent development but the jokes are too silly and cute to create emotional feeling.  Malena’s story is tragic but I had little respect for either her or Renato.  It’s not easy trying to mix comedy and drama and Tornatore doesn’t get the job done.

In a time when few foreign language films are seen in this country, it’s a shame we’re given a weak entry when many other acclaimed foreign pics can’t find distribution.

Details

Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 22 November 2001

Out of concern for her son, Margaret confronts Darby and tells her never to see Beau again.  Darby doesn’t care and the very same night travels from Reno to see his lover.  Beau sneaks out to meet Darby in the boat shed but the two heatedly argue over his mother’s wishes and Beau heads back into the house.

Throughout this, Margaret has been working on her laptop upstairs and heard noises emanating from the shed.  The next morning she investigates and finds the dead body of Darby Reese impaled on an anchor by the shoreline.  The guard rail of the jetty ramp was broken in the spot from where Darby fell.

Believing that Beau has pushed Darby to his death, Margaret acts to protect her son.  Taking the body out on her dingy, she disposes of it in the lake.  Her problems though are only beginning.  Within days, the body is found.  Just as quickly, a man by the name of Alek Spera (Visnjic) arrives on her doorstep with a videotape of her son and Darby Reese engaging in sexual activity.  If she does not pay $50,000 within 24 hours, he will hand the tape over to police, implicating Beau in the murder.

The Deep End is an extremely well-woven drama.  What begins as a murder cover-up becomes a much deeper, darker tale.  Writer/directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel make it impossible to foretell the film’s direction.  This isn’t a good versus evil story where the lines are clearly defined.  This is a movie about secrets and the actions that result when we keep secrets from those we love.

Tilda Swinton (The Beach) is brilliant and flawlessly captures her character’s emotional state.  Within 24 hours, she’s gone from being the mother of a perfect son with unlimited academic potential, to the mother of a son who’s just murdered his gay lover.  The shock and adrenaline of the situation causes her to act without thinking of the ramifications.  All she wants is the problem to go away but as more people become involved, the hole only gets deeper.

The cinematography from Giles Nuttgens is a worthy talking point.  The wide expansive shots of the breathtaking vistas around the lake contrast heavy close-ups of the actors themselves (particularly in the car) to intensify their emotions.  Nuttgens was rewarded with the top cinematography prize at the recent Sundance Film Festival.

Without spoiling or revealing any of the film’s messages, The Deep End throws convention out the window to tell a story the way it should be.  Just don't keep this film a “secret”!