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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 31 January 2021

There’s a moment in The Simpsons where Mr Burns speak of his incredible wealth and says “but I’d trade it all for a little more”.  It’s the first thought that came to mind in describing Rory O’Hara (Law), a commodities trader who yearns for financial wealth above all things.  He has a nice home with a backyard pool in New York but he’s given it up and taken his reluctant wife and two teenage kids to London to “make some real money”.  Given they’ve moved 4 times in the past 10 years, you get a sense it’s not the first time they’ve made such a leap for those reasons.

Rory is a superficial, compulsive liar.  He puts an exhaustive amount of time into “appearing successful” as opposed to doing the hard yards and earning his achievements.  When out with work colleagues, he picks up the full tab for their expensive lunch.  When at a party, he brags about his non-existent New York penthouse.  When at a business dinner, he tells prospective clients he can get them tickets for an acclaimed Anthony Hopkins play.  The reality is that Rory has next-to-nothing in his bank account and, despite all the confidence he exudes publicly, he has no meaningful plan to fix his financial free fall.

Written and directed by Canadian Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and set in the year 1986, The Nest delves into Rory’s insecurities while also looking at the way his self-destructive actions impact on the rest of the family.  His wife, Allison (Coon), interchangeably provides support and criticism to her husband’s ideas.  There’s a great scene where they go out for a fancy dinner and argue over what to order.  The two children are witness to their parents’ disagreements with the eldest (Roche) using it as opportunity to behave badly.

Their new home in London, an unfurnished mansion in the middle of nowhere, could be considered a character in itself.  It’s far too big for them (typical of Rory’s vain nature) and so many rooms remain vacant.  It gives the place a creepy vibe to the point where the youngest son (Shotwell) gets scared walking through the long, darkened corridors at night.

Rory and Allison are flashy, interesting cinematic figures but the character arcs they’re provided with are limited.  You get to know them both during the opening half-hour and beyond that, there’s not a lot on offer in terms of change and development.  There’s a random sequence involving Rory and his estranged mother that feels unnecessary.  The same could be said of a quirky subplot involving the fate of Allison’s prized riding horse.  I’d have preferred to see more interaction with the vulnerable kids who have been pushed too far into the background.

The Nest deserves a look but it misses an opportunity to become something more distinct and memorable.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 January 2021

Given it’s a rite of passage to be swooped by an attacking magpie here in Australia, the idea of a family adopting one as a playful, loveable pet sounds a little far-fetched.  Thankfully, any believability issues are dispensed by the fact Penguin Bloom is based on a true story.  Some will have read the popular 2016 biography, authored by Bradley Trevor Greive, while others might remember a feature story on 60 Minutes from 2018.  The level of public interest in this tale clearly contributed to the film rights been snapped up so quickly after the book’s original release.

We’ve seen live action movies involving stunts animals (everything from dogs and cats to bears and horses) but director Glendyn Ivin was sceptical about how to do the same with one of Australia’s most famous wild birds.  It wasn’t until he reached out to a “bird whisperer” from Queensland that he realised a magpie could be trained to do the movements and tricks we see on screen.  It reduced the need for costly digital effects and, despite a few bird scenes feeling cobbled together from inconsistent shots, it gives the film a sense of credibility.

In terms of narrative, there are two prominent stories being told.  The first is the aforementioned light, feathery yarn where the oldest son, Noah (Murray-Johnston), finds the abandoned magpie on the beach, takes it back home, and nurtures it with the help of other family members.  Yes, it makes annoying noises and yes, it poops everywhere but they turn out to be minor quibbles given the positive way it brings the household together (particularly the impressionable kids).

The second story is heavier, deeper.  Noah’s mother, Sam (Watts), was recently paralysed from the waist down after falling 6 metres off a balcony while on a Thai holiday.  Everyone wants to help, particularly her mother (Weaver) and husband (Lincoln), but Sam is stuck is a pit of self-loathing and continually pushes people away.  The memories of her prior life, where she was a well-liked nurse and an active surfer, further contribute to her negativity as she mopes in bed.

It’s not hard to predict how things will unfold and when it comes to analogies, the writers are laying it on thick.  There’s even a sequence where Sam points out that Penguin has wings but can’t fly and that she has legs but can’t walk – part of the reason the two forge a bond.  Noah also offers up some profound narration which feels over-written given his young age.

Whilst character development is lacking in places (particularly the husband the two youngest kids), Penguin Bloom delivers as an inspiring, feel-good tale about overcoming adversity, and as another opportunity to appreciate the talent of New Zealand actress Rachel House.  Her arrival midway through the film, as a kayaking instructor trying to build Sam’s confidence, gives the film a huge boost.  House received the New Zealand Order of Merit (in 2017) but she deserves a damehood from the Queen given her ability to improve any movie she appears in.

Shot in the actual home where the real Bloom family live (they moved out for a few months to allow the shoot to occur), Penguin Bloom will win most people over.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 January 2021

Today’s news can be read online by holding a tiny electronic device in your hand.  In the 1950s, you could watch nightly national newscasts on TV and if you were around in the 1920s, you could stay informed by listening to bulletins on your local radio station.  News of the World takes us back to the year 1870 where there was only one reliable method to broadly inform the masses – newspapers.

Jefferson Kidd (Hanks) isn’t a journalist, a publisher or a salesman but he’s been able use the medium to make a meagre living.  He collects newspapers from across the country and relays the key stories in town halls to those with “10 cents and the time to hear it.”  When he reads good news tales, the folk cheer excitedly.  When he reads bad news or starts talking about national politics, jeers drown out his voice.

It may sound like an odd occupation but it’s of huge benefit to small towns.  Their residents can’t afford and/or don’t have access to a wide range of newspapers and further, this was a time in the United States when 20% of the population was illiterate.  Kidd enjoys the spotlight but it’s still a tough profession.  The pay is poor, the journeys are lonely, and the roads are dangerous.  It’s a step down from his previous role as a captain in the Confederate Infantry during the American Civil War.

It’s on a routine trip through Texas that Kidd comes across a horrific scene – a lynched black man, a destroyed carriage, and a scared 10-year-old orphaned girl named Johanna (Zengel) who cannot speak English. Realising there’s no one else who cares enough to help, Kidd takes it upon himself to care for the girl until she can be reunited with her long-lost aunt and uncle.  They travel across Texas together and become entangled in a series of life-threatening situations.

An outstanding Tom Hanks looks like he’s been wearing the shoes of Jefferson Kidd his whole life.  There’s a tiredness in his eyes and some scar tissue in his mind but he’s still trying to live a fruitful existence and make the world a better place.  This is evident when you see the news stories he selectively chooses to read (subtly shaping debate) and the way he cares deeply for Johanna.  It’s not a flashy performance but Hanks has created an interesting character worth rooting for.

Oscar nominated director Paul Greengrass (United 93) excels in capturing 1870s America.  The rocky landscapes are beautiful to look at but difficult to travel across.  The people vary from educated lawyers to racist hicks refusing to accept the result of the Civil War.  It’s all on display thanks to the cinematography of Dariusz Wolski (The Martian) and a well-chosen group of supporting actors.  Australian Luke Davies (Lion) also deserves a shout-out in working with Greengrass to adapt Paulette Jiles’ novel for the screen.

The biggest takeaway is the performance of 12-year-old newcomer Helena Zengel as Johanna.  She hardly speaks throughout the entire film and yet we still feel the impact of Johanna’s troubled upbringing and we still understand her confusing search for a sense of family and identity.  Zengel will be a name to watch in the future.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 14 January 2021

If you visit room 41 at London’s British Museum, you’ll find an array of precious artifacts from an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the early 7^th century.  Their discovery in 1939, labelled as one of the great archaeological finds of all time, is the subject of The Dig.  Australian director Simon Stone (The Daughter) and English screenwriter Moira Buffini (Jane Eyre, Viceroy’s House) have drawn from the John Preston’s 2007 novel – a work described as part historical, part fictional.

A two-hour movie about an archaeological dig may not sound like riveting cinema but those involved have done a wonderful job in making this tale both interesting and genuine.  A significant chunk of the credit belongs to Carey Mulligan (An Education) and Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient) who bring the two leading characters to life through their moving, subtle performances.

Mulligan plays Edith Pretty, a wealthy widower who lives with her young son on an expansive estate in Suffolk, England.  She’s always been curious about a series of man-made mounds on the southern part of the property and so, after years of procrastination, she’s hired the services of an amateur archaeologist to learn if anything of value lies beneath.  His name is Basil Brown (Fiennes) and he’s a married, subdued, not-so-wealthy man who has taken the job as much for the money (he’s handsomely paid) as for the experience.

I’m not sure we have a word for it in the English language but what develops between the two is more than a friendship but less than love.  They increasingly rely upon each other for advice and support but, knowing that Basil is happily married with a kind-hearted wife, they never “cross the line” into anything sexual.  When the dig bears fruit, they become a formidable pair as they push back against many advice-givers and decide what to do with their discovery.  The imminent threat of war (World War II was about to kick off) adds a layer of complexity.

This film is strongest when Mulligan and Fiennes share the screen and conversely, it’s weaker when devoting time to other characters involved with the excavation.  The most obvious is a love triangle between other archaeologists that feels like it’s only been included to satisfy romantics.  It’s cliched, poorly fleshed out and adds little to the broader story.

Helping bring to light a remarkable piece of British history that few will be familiar with, The Dig tells a damn good tale.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 24 January 2021

The first Australian feature film was made in 1906 (The Story of the Kelly Gang) but it took another half-century until we saw the first Aussie movie with Indigenous actors in leading roles (Jedda in 1955).  Progress since then has been slow but steady.  Over the past two decades, films such as Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Tracker, Ten Canoes, The Sapphires, Samson and Delilah, Mystery Road and The Nightingale have played their part in opening the world’s eyes to Aboriginal history, culture and stories.

High Ground is a fictional tale set in the 1920s and 30s but it’s inspired by events that took place across the era.  It begins with a group of trigger-happy white soldiers who lose their composure on a routine mission through Arnhem Land and kill a small tribe of Aboriginal men, women and children.  The aftermath is just as horrifying.  No soldiers are punished and the white authorities pretend it never happened.  This doesn’t sit well with a sniper named Travis (Baker), one of the few not involved in the massacre, who resigns from his post and takes on a new life as a crocodile hunter.

The film then pans 12 years into the future and lays out a complex scenario.  Baywarra (Mununggurr), an Aboriginal elder connected with the murdered tribe, has bide his time and now seeks vengeance. He and his “wild mob” are setting fire to farms and houses and, as expected, this has raised the ire of the arrogant police chief (Thompson) who wants Baywarra stopped at any cost.

Two unlikely people find themselves caught in the middle and trying to negotiate a truce so as to avoid further bloodshed. The first is the retired Travis who is lured back into service - partly because of his conscience and partly because his strings are being pulled like a puppet. The second is Gutjuk (Nayinggul), a 20-year-old Aboriginal man with divided loyalties given he’s been raised by a white missionary family since a small child.

The strongest selling point of High Ground is the lead performance of Jacob Junior Nayinggul in what is his first acting gig.  Director Stephen Maxwell Johnson made Nayinggul and other non-traditional Aboriginal actors feel comfortable by creating an open space with no rehearsals.  They understood the story as well as anyone and so it was simply a matter of letting them get into the moment and craft something truthful and honest.

The film isn’t as successful in balancing up its numerous subplots.  Characters played by Aaron Pedersen, Ryan Corr and Caren Pistorius feel underdeveloped and we don’t fully appreciate their perspectives and their role within the era.  The fact it’s such a chaotic narrative, where you’re never sure to whom allegiances lie, also makes it difficult to understand the reasons behind some decisions.

Making the most of its Northern Territory setting, High Ground reminds us that the Australia we know today is the result of a darker, troubled past.