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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 October 2020

Kids will always be shaped and influenced by the views of their parents but at some point, they reach an age where they start to develop their own sense of identity.  In the case of the lead character in Kajillionaire, that moment has arrived at the ridiculously late age of 26.  Her name (a terrible one) is Old Dolio (Wood) and she has spent her entire life addressing the needs of her repressive mother (Winger) and father (Jenkins).

It’s hard to believe the family has stuck together and survived for so long.  They’re all unemployed and so they make a living as petty thieves.  One of their more popular gigs is stealing parcels from post office boxes and hoping they get lucky with what’s inside.  Their efforts haven’t amounted to much.  They’re so poor that they live in a derelict office (the rent hasn’t been paid for months) and they catch public transport when travelling from crime to crime.

At its heart, Kajillionaire is a character study where Old Dolio finally realises her parents are not the people she thought them to be.  The catalyst for change is Melanie (Rodriguez), a young woman who they meet on a plane and then bring in as a partner for some easy scams.  Old Dolio, who never seems to have had a friend her whole life, becomes close with Melanie and starts to re-evaluate her view of the world.

You’ll feel sorry for Old Dolio.  Her dad remarks that she learned how to forge before she learned how to write.  When she goes into a supermarket, her first instinct is to look for security camera locations and determine which aisles are easiest to steal from.  It’s as if she’s spent 26 years in a cult and, with limited exposure to others, learned no morals and developed next-to-no social skills (complete with a dry, monotone voice).

Written and directed by Miranda July (Me and You and Everyone We Know), Kajillionaire is framed as a dark, offbeat comedy that’s loaded with distinctive characters and imagery.  From the crying landlord… to the confused masseuse… to the dirty pink bubbles floating down the walls, there’s plenty of eyebrow raising material to keep your attention.

The performances also deserve a shout-out with Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen) using an unusually deep voice to help define her quirky character.  Oscar nominees Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment) are also terrific as the two parents and they become more and more unlikeable (in a good way) as the film progresses.

Kajillionaire is both strange and entertaining.  That’s good enough for me.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 06 October 2020

Two strangers meet in a small seaside fishing town in Western Australia.  They chat, they hook up, and they fall in love.  All of this happens inside the opening half-hour of Dirt Music, the latest from director Gregor Jordan (Two Hands).  You might hope this is the start of a long, beautiful relationship but the problem is that neither person is allowing themselves to be happy.

These two characters know they’ve got demons to exorcise but, for those of watching the movie, we don’t know what they are.  Thus, the majority of the film is about filling in those gaps via gradual reveals and short flashbacks.  It’s a formula that might have worked in the pages of Tim Winton’s 2002 award winning novel, on which the movie is based, but it’s less effective in cinematic form.

Stars Kelly Macdonald (No Country for Old Men) and Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) struggle to make much of the material.  As the guy, Hedlund is the quiet, mysterious type who keeps to himself and avoids conversations.  As the girl, Macdonald is more open with her thoughts but she’s directionless when it comes her career and future plans.  Australian David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings) also has a role to play but his character is slight and poorly developed.

Dirt Music wants to elicit an emotional reaction but it fails to do so.  There’s a scene where Macdonald learns a shocking truth and it’s immediately followed by a sequence of her playing with sand on the beach.  It’s one of many odd moments that shake the film’s credibility.  Is that really how someone would react?

The final nail in the film’s coffin comes in the form of a head-scratching climax.  It’s hard to understand what’s going through their minds as they stumble across a group of rocky islands off the coastline (without giving too much away).  There are corny lines (“I just need a one-way ticket”) and a final, cliché-laden scene that defies comprehension.

The cinematography from Sam Chiplin might be good for tourism in Western Australia (particularly when the borders open back up) but if you’re looking for a great movie with interesting characters and an engaging storyline, look somewhere else.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 15 October 2020

The 2020 Academy Awards will be remembered most for the achievements of Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite which, in addition to winning three other awards, became the first film not in the English language to win the top prize for best picture.  Given the hype and attention garnered by Parasite, it’s easy to overlook the other four great films nominated in the Best International Feature Film category.  Pain and Glory from Spain, Les Misérables from France and Honeyland from North Macedonia have already been released in Australian cinemas.

The final nominee, Corpus Christi from Poland, is now getting a run here in Australia and it rounds out a remarkable quintet of films that all deserve to be seen.  It’s the story of a young man, Daniel (Bielenia), who has spent time in a juvenile detention centre after being found guilty of second-degree murder.  It was there where he befriended a priest and learned the ways of Catholicism.  I wouldn’t describe it as a full transformation (he’s still a bit rough around the edges) but it’s clear Daniel has benefited from his dose of religion.

Now’s the part where it starts to get interesting.  Released from detention, Daniel is sent to a small town to work in a saw mill (it’s one of the few places where a convicted felon can find employment).  He doesn’t want to talk about his troubled past and so after meeting a young woman in the town’s local church, he lies and says he’s a freshly ordained priest who is travelling across the country.  That single falsehood sets in motion a chaotic series of events where Daniel becomes the parish’s new celebrant.

It might sound like a clumsy comedy but Corpus Christi is a powerful drama that has a lot to say about religion, forgiveness and redemption.  Yes, Daniel is a fraud but despite that and his criminal background, he arrives in the stuffy, gloomy town like a breath of fresh air.  His passion and energy helps unite some of the townsfolk (still grieving from a tragic event) whilst exposing the actions of those looking to create negativity and division (such as the town’s mayor).

When it’s all wrapped up and the closing credits are starting to roll, there’s plenty to sit back and ponder.  Who are the good people and who are the bad people in this tale?  Should mistakes from our past be allowed to dictate our future?  Who deserves forgiveness and who deserves retribution?  The quality cast, headlined by Bartosz Bielenia in the lead role, add greyness to their respective characters and you’ll have think deeply in answering these questions.

Poland is home to a healthy film industry with the population getting behind local productions.  The country makes roughly 40 feature films each year and they contribute approximately 30% to the total box-office – one of the highest percentages in Europe.  By comparison, Australian movies make up less than 5% of our annual box-office totals (highlighting our reliance on American blockbusters).

While most Polish films aren’t seen in Australian cinemas, exceptions are made when critical acclaim is strong.  Recent examples have included In Darkness, Ida and Cold War.  Corpus Christi can now be added to that list and it’s a worthy, memorable inclusion.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 September 2020

Even before the arrival of COVID-19, the relationship between production companies, streaming platforms, and movie theatres was starting to change.  We saw it last year with two Oscar nominated films – The Irishman and Marriage Story.  They were financed by Netflix, produced by separate companies, screened for a few weeks in cinemas (to qualify for awards season), and then immediately made available to stream.

That same model has been picked up by Apple TV who, over the past two years, have secured details with smaller distribution companies (A24, Bleecker Street, Greenwick Entertainment) to create original content.  Their first major title is On the Rocks and it’s likely to attract attention given it stars Bill Murray and is written and directed by Sofia Coppola.  It’s their first big screen collaboration since 2003’s award winning Lost in Translation (as likeable today as it was back then).

Unfortunately, those expecting something the equal of Lost in Translation will be disappointed by this latest creation.  It’s a slight, less profound movie that lacks the humour and life-affirming messages that made their earlier film so memorable.  The crux of this tale revolves around trust and fidelity.  Laura (Jones), a mother with two daughters, suspects her husband (Wayans) is having an affair with a co-worker based on the limited amount of time he is spending at home.

Voicing these concerns to her alcohol-loving father, Felix (Murray), the pair team up and become quasi private detectives.  They look through his mobile phone, monitor his calendar, and drive around town following his late-night movements.  This could have been given the full dramatic treatment (ala Marriage Story) but Coppola has gone with a lighter touch.

For example, there’s a scene where Laura and Felix recklessly weave through the streets of Manhattan in a red Alfa Romeo (not exactly discreet) before sweet-talking a naïve police officer out of a dangerous driving fine.  It’s one of numerous sequences that feels clumsy, contrived and unoriginal.  It certainly doesn’t generate the laughs that Coppola would have been seeking.

Rashida Jones (The Office) and Bill Murray (Caddyshack) are both accomplished actors and whilst they are trying to illustrate the rocky relationship between father and daughter, it’s a challenge given the imperfect screenplay.  The most interesting cast member is Marlon Wayans (Requiem for a Dream) who, in a rare yet refreshing dramatic role, keeps you guessing as to his thoughts and intentions.

Culminating with a rushed, goofy moment in Mexico, On the Rocks is a weaker inclusion on Sofia Coppola’s otherwise strong resume.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 October 2020

Irresistible is a fictional tale that begins with a real-life event.  You’d have to be living under a rock to not recall 8 November 2016 – the night on which Donald Trump shocked many pundits and became the 45^th President of the United States.  It provided a sobering wake-up call to the Democratic Party who lost key swing states including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Florida.

Campaign consultant Gary Zimmer (Carell) is still reeling from the result and is strategizing ways for Democrats to win back votes in the “American heartland”.  His team stumble across a recent Youtube video of a Marine Corps veteran, Jack Hastings (Cooper), standing up in a town hall meeting and passionately criticising the decisions of the long-time Republican mayor.

Gary senses an opportunity.  He flies to Wisconsin, meets with Jack, and convinces him to run in the upcoming mayoral elections as a Democrat.  The town of Deerlaken may be home to just 5,000 people (who all seem to know each other) but Gary realises that if the Democratic Party can win the election, it’ll send a broader message that his party can connect with rural America.

What follows is a dirty, messy mayoral election that unexplainably becomes the talk of news networks across the country.  Realising the Democrats are bringing in big teams and big money, the Republican Party retaliates by bringing in one of their top consultants, Faith Brewster (Byrne).  It reaches the point where the town has been completely overrun by news/political folk and the locals are struggling to find a seat in their normally quiet bars and cafes.

There’s no shortage of great political comedies to come out of the United States.  Any “must see” list would include Bulworth, Wag the Dog, Election, In the Loop and Dave.  The problem with Irresistible is that it’s not selling any new messages (e.g. we know money ruins politics) and, by over-exaggerating every scene, it’s pitching itself to the lowest common denominator.  I was expecting something with more edge given it’s written and directed by comedian/TV host Jon Stewart.

The depiction of Steve Carell’s character is the best example in terms of the film’s zany tone.  He tries to act like a “normal guy” but it’s clear to everyone that his a posh wanker who is detached from reality.  When he arrives in Deerlaken, he’s rude, he’s condescending and he’s using complex political jargon that the townsfolk can’t understand.  This asks the obvious question – how has Gary been a success within the industry for so long and why is he employed by the Democratic Party?  It’d be like getting me to teach chess (footnote: I can’t play chess).

With so much focus placed on Gary’s character, others unnecessarily fall by the wayside.  A lot of good points are made in Jack’s original Youtube video but once the election campaign gets started, we learn next-to-nothing about his policy platform and how he intends to reinvigorate the struggling town.  Rather than delve into ways that American can be transformed for the better, the film falls back on easy laughs (like Carell being mean to a coffee shop owner).

Irresistible represents a missed opportunity to show the world something new when it comes to dirty politics.