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Nicole Kidman, like Tilda Swinton, has often undertaken riskier roles, such as her performances in Dogville (2003), Birth (2004) and Margot at the Wedding (2007). Her biggest problem, and my reason for being a less devoted fan, is her string of major disasters, like Bewitched (2005), The Golden Compass (2007) and Nine (2009). Kidman forfeited her role in Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger in order to produce and star in Rabbit Hole. This may have been a wise choice as she and the amazing Dianne Wiest have both garnered critical praise since the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Rabbit Hole is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire which won Cynthia Nixon a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 2007. This is one of Nicole Kidman's best performances since Dogville. I am hoping that this is a stepping stone to a rebound in her career, though her next film, Just Go With It, may not have bee the best choice. John Michael Cameron, director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) and Shortbus (2006), may not have been my first choice of director because the material is richly dramatic and emotional, but he allows the David Lindsay-Abaire's screenplay and the performances to speak for themselves. Rabbit Hole, despite its heavy themes, is an emotionally resonant film that is anchored by Nicole Kidman's flawless performance.
Becca and Howie Corbett (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) find their lives forever altered when their young son Danny is killed by a car. Becca, a former executive at Sotheby's auction house, was a stay at home mother who is struggling to cope with the constant reminders of Danny at home. Without consulting Howie she starts removing all concrete reminds of Danny from the house, which upsets her husband. They tried to go to group therapy but Becca becomes increasingly agitated by the religious fanatics that she refuses to keep going. Howie keeps going to therapy and becomes friendly with Gabby (Sandra Oh) and the two end up getting high in her car before sessions as a means to cope with their grief. Becca, meanwhile, has decided to become better acquainted with Jason (Miles Teller), the teenage boy that killed Danny. Through all this Becca must deal with her mother Nat (Dianne Wiest), who has her own views about losing a son, and her pregnant sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard).
I wish that I had been able to see Rabbit Hole as a theatrical play. It strikes me that the emotion of the story may be even more poignant on state. Becca and Howie are dealing with their grief in such a private and individual manner that it is a wonder that their marriage survived the death of their only child. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart offer such wonderfully understated performances that I sat on edge for most of the film waiting for an eruption of emotion. I would have preferred if the film would have given a richer emotional context to Becca's friendship with Jason and Howie's with Gabby, and perhaps this is the fault of adapting a stage play. Dianne Wiest as we all know is one of my favourite actresses and I quite loved her chemistry with Nicole Kidman. The light and tender moments the two women shared were just as important as the deep emotional bond they have as mother and daughter but also as mothers who have lost their sons. Rabbit Hole allows its characters to be human so that the contrast of heartbreak and comfort experienced by Becca and Howie seems natural. While Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest are both exceptional, it is Nicole Kidman's multidimensional performance of a grief-stricken mother that drives this film.
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4.
Sally Hawkins has quickly become one of my favourite actresses. I admittedly have a weakness for British women who appear in Mike Leigh films (see Brenda Blethyn and Imelda Staunton). Sally Hawkins blew me away in Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) and I have rediscovered her performances in Vera Drake (2004), Cassandra's Dream (2007) and her emotional scene in An Education (2009). Her newest film, Made in Dagenham, is based on real events surrounding the 1968 Ford Dagenham plant strike when women wanted equal pay. Usually I am a little turned off when a film is inspired by true events, but luckily Made in Dagenham has effervescent Sally Hawkins at its helm. She creates an empathetic and multidimensional character and gives a performance that stands above the trite and overly cliched screenplay. Nigel Cole is a competent director who does not offer any surprises, much like his previous films Saving Grace (2000) and Calendar Girls (2003). His third feature, A Lot Like Love (2005), is amongst Roger Ebert's most hated films. Like The King's Speech, Made in Dagenham succeeds because of one outstanding lead and two great supporting performances. Miranda Richardson and Bob Hoskins give great flair to their smaller roles. Made in Dagenham is a simple film about a group of women fighting for equality and, while it often gets lost in its own sense of morality, Sally Hawkins continues to prove she is an absolute treasure.
The female employees at Ford in Dagenham sew seat covers by hand. They often strip down to their underwear because it is so hot. The women are encouraged by Albert (Hoskins), the union steward, that they must substantiate their claim against the company by having a one-day strike. The women are in need of a new leader because Connie's (Geraldine James) husband is ill. Albert encourages Rita (Hawkins) to take her place and tells her that the real issue is pay equity. After the strike the women are given letters from management and Rita becomes so upset by the lack of respect that she proposes a full strike. One of Rita's first ideas is to include the women at Ford in Halewood to join the demonstration. While the man in administration try to downplay the issue and belittle Rita and the other women, her greatest challenge comes at home. Her husband Eddie (Daniel Mays) is also a Ford employee and he is laid off when the plant runs out of seats and is unable to build any new vehicles. Rita has to battle against her own family, Connie, who needs money to support her sick husband, and the Ford manager Peter Hopkins (Rupert Graves). The women gain so much publicity that Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson), the Secretary of State, must intervene.
Part of what makes Made in Dagenham so enjoyable is how Rita's relationships are treated. There is a real honesty to her relationship with her husband even though it plays out in a very predictable manner. Rita has a huge burden. She wants to be a good wife, a loving mother and a supportive colleague all while trying to stand firm in her beliefs. My only complaint is that I was not satisfied by her friendship with Lisa Hopkins (Rosamund Pike). The two women meet while confronting an abusive teacher but Lisa is Peter Hopkin's wife and their social background prevent them from becoming friends. I understand how Lisa sees Rita's fight as a symbol for her own equality, but I found it emotionally dissatisfying in the film. Sally Hawkins is reason enough to see Made in Dagenham. It is a decent film with a great lead performance, but if you really want to be blown away by her I will once again suggest Happy-Go-Lucky, one can never go wrong with Mike Leigh.
My rating: 3 stars out of 4.
The King's Speech won the prestigious Audience Award at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. While standing in line waiting to see Black Swan in September it was the only film anyone was talking about. Colin Firth, who should have won the Oscar last year for A Single Man, has been cited by many as a clear favourite to win Best Actor this year. I obviously had a lot of expectations for this film. I was not disappointed by The King's Speech as much as I was surprised by how generic and formulaic it is. Even The Queen (2006), which won Helen Mirren an Oscar, was almost too respectful in its portrayal of British royalty. Stephen Frears is a much more accomplished director than Tom Hooper, whose only other directorial credits are 2004's Red Dust and 2009's The Damned United. The King's Speech absolutely hinges on Colin Firth's brilliant performance, but the film also offers two incredible supporting performances. Both Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter offer their finest performances in over a decade. While The King's Speech may be entirely too predictable, it is nonetheless an inspirational film with a powerful performance from Colin Firth.
King George VI (Colin Firth) ascended to the throne after his brother, King Edward VIII (Guy Pierce), abdicated the throne in 1936, following the death of their father father, King George V (Michael Gambon), earlier that year. The king, known to his family as Bertie, suffered from a terrible speech impediment. His wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), arranges for her husband to visit an eccentric speech therapist with an unorthodox practice, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Bertie is uncomfortable speaking in public and produces a terrible stutter. With the advances in technology it has become customary for the king to speak to his people by radio address. Lionel works very closely with Bertie and the two develop a very strong bond and friendship. The two have a very tense confrontation when it becomes apparent that Edward VIII will surrender the throne in order to marry a divorced woman. While Lionel has complete faith that Bertie will become a great king, Bertie doubts his own abilities because of his stammer. Soon after King George VI takes the throne England declares war on Germany, sparking World War II, and the bond between the two men becomes even more important.
The King's Speech is very dramatic, but I think the film thrives in the more lighthearted moments. I quite loved the dynamic between Bertie and his wife Elizabeth as Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter have great chemistry. Colin Firth delivers one of the year's best performances and is absolutely deserving of an Oscar nomination. While the Best Actress this year seems to be the most competitive category in recent years, I would not be surprised to see the Best Actor race come down to Colin Firth and James Franco, for 127 Hours. I saw The King's Speech at 1:00 on a Friday afternoon. The theatre was completely full and I felt terribly out of place, being about 40 years younger than everyone else. The King's Speech will win favour from older viewers who have a stronger connection to the British monarchy but I do not think it is deserving of a Best Picture award. The film has three award-worthy performances but the film itself is a familiar period piece.
My rating: 3 stars out of 4.
Many Australian actors have found success in Hollywood. Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett have each won an Oscar and continue to thrive internationally. Toni Collette has parlayed a string of great supporting film roles into Emmy success on United States of Tara. It is unfortunate that so few Australian films reach North American audiences. It seems to be only when a huge name makes a small Australian film does anyone ever take notice. Animal Kingdom features only one notable name, Guy Pierce, and has garnered rave international reviews because of Jacki Weaver. The actress, who has appeared in very few films, delivers an outstanding and provocative performance as the matriarch of a Melbourne crime family. She has already won the Best Supporting Actress prize from the US-based National Board of Review. Though the winner of this particular award rarely goes on to Oscar glory, it is fantastic for a small Australian film to receive such acclaim in North America. David Michod demonstrates a great gift in his directorial debut and has assembled a first-rate cast. Every performance works and I sat at the edge of my seat for the entire film, unsure and eager to discover what would happen next. Animal Kingdom, which has been likened to a smaller-in-stature Goodfellas, is a briskly paced and often shocking film that left me completely out of breath.
Joshua 'J' Cody (James Frecheville) is seventeen and knows very little about his extended family. His mother shielded him from her family and has not seen her mother, Janine 'Smurf' Cody (Jacki Weaver), in a very long time. Things all change when J's mother dies of a heroin overdose and he has no other choice but to seek out his grandmother, who willingly invites him into her home. Smurf is the matriarch of a family of criminals and has a seemingly incestuous love for her three sons: Andrew (Ben Mendelsohn), also known as Pope, an armed robber, Darren (Luke Ford), Pope's apprentice, and Craig (Sullivan Stapleton), a drug dealer. The Armed Robbery Squad is after Pope and one detective, Nathan Leckie (Guy Pierce), believes that J is the link that will help the police arrest him. J is grounded by his relationship with Nicky (Laura Wheelwright), though his uncles and grandmother doubt her allegiance. The war between the Codys and the police eventually becomes more violent and J is unsure whether his loyalties lie with Leckie or with his estranged family.
Jacki Weaver's standout performance in Animal Kingdom is only made stronger by her fellow actors. James Frecheville gives J an honest sense of confusion and naivete while Ben Mendelsohn gives Pope a frightening volatility. The pacing of the film rarely gives you an opportunity to catch your breath of figure out what is going on and it is a successful tactic. Goodfellas is more of an saga featuring a large group of characters and it is hard to compare the two films, though I have read many articles that have tried. One called it Goodfellas-lite. Animal Kingdom succeeds on its own merits and David Michod, who also wrote the screenplay, has crafted a great film. The film is apparently based on a real-life Melbourne crime family, the Pettingills, who became infamous in Australia in 1988. Animal Kingdom shocked me and fascinated me. It is a chilling and compelling film that is well worth your time and will not disappoint you.
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4.
We all know when Anne Hathaway supposedly became an artist and not just an actress. She was phenomenal in Rachel Getting Married (2008) and deserved her Oscar nomination. But she followed that with Bride Wars (2009) and her credibility has been misplaced ever since. She was great alongside Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada (2006) but that was in the bubble of a romantic comedy. Love and Other Drugs reunites Hathaway with her Brokeback Mountain co-star Jake Gyllenhaal, who also has had some clunkers (Prince of Persia, anyone?). Love and Other Drugs wants to be a serious drama and a romantic comedy all at once and fails at both. The relationship between their two characters is unable to achieve emotional cohesiveness because it is overshadowed by his shallow and gimmicky attempts to win favour with women as a drug representative. It is directed by Edward Zwick who has directed some very dramatic films, such as Glory (1989), Courage Under Fire (1996) and Blood Diamond (2006), which may explain why the romantic comedy element of the film does not mesh very well with its dramatic overtones. He also co-wrote the screenplay, which is based on the book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman. Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal offer convincing performances, but Love and Other Drugs struggles to manage its comedic and dramatic elements.
Set during the 1990s, Jamie Randall (Gyllenhaal) is the unfocused son of doctors whose older brother made millions online. He is a terrific salesman but his penchant for women is often his undoing. Jamie becomes a pharmaceutical representative for Pfizer and travels the Ohio valley trying to convince doctors to prescribe Zoloft instead Prozac, its chief competitor. He turns to shameless flirting with receptionists to gain access to the doctors. The most sought after doctor is Dr. Knight (Hank Azaria) and his receptionist Cindy (Judy Greer) is easily seduced by Jamie. During one of his visits he is allowed to observe a patient, Maggie Murdock (Hathaway). It turns out she suffers from early onset Parkinson's disease. She wants a one night stand but he begins to fall in love with her. Their relationship begins to grow as he starts selling a brand new drug, Viagra. He becomes very successful selling Viagra but Maggie is still unwilling to let herself fall in love with Jamie.
I am not trying to say that it is impossible, or even all that difficult, for a film to blur the line between comedy and drama. Some of Woody Allen's most successful films were so brilliant because his films felt so natural. The problem with Love and Other Drugs is that there is a real dichotomy between the two genres. The film wants to be rooted in a romantic comedy when Jamie is playing the role of salesman, but it then wants to change gears and become a heavy drama when he is falling in love with Maggie. It is hard to become emotionally involved in the film because the comedic elements are at odds with the drama. Sure, it was funny when Maggie stripped naked in front of Jamie's brother, but it did nothing to further their relationship. The performances from Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal are good and it is a shame that the film fails them. Unlike Rachel McAdams, Anne Hathaway has already been granted leading actress status, but much like the Canadian, she had done very little to merit it. For a film released during the fall when studios are lobbying for Oscar nominations we as an audience should expect more from a film that received so much hype.
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4.
During the 1990s Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford would have been the perfect pairing to sell a romantic comedy. It would be fair to say that neither have been in a great film in nearly a decade. Both veteran actors play supporting roles behind Rachel McAdams who has enough charisma to light up the entire screen. The film is directed by English director Roger Michell whose previous films include Changing Lanes (2002) and Notting Hill (1999), which may be Hugh Grant's only decent film since the brilliant Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). Morning Glory is a formulaic romantic comedy with very few surprises but it is McAdams who makes the film feel fresh. Rachel McAdams gained widespread recognition for her role in Mean Girls (2004) and showed great promise in Red Eye (2005) and The Family Stone (2005), which also starred Diane Keaton. Unfortunately she has been unable to make the leap to become a veritable leading actress, either with poor choices or a lack of great offers. I am not convinced that Morning Glory is the film that will catapult her into adult stardom, different from the teenage stardom she achieved with Mean Girls and The Notebook (2004), but it should prove to studios and audiences that she can carry an entire film. While Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton offer gimmicky performances, it is Rachel McAdams that keeps Morning Glory afloat and ensures that it is a film about personal perseverance and not simply a career woman being rescued by a man.
Becky Fuller (McAdams) is a television news producer who gets fired from her job at Good Morning New Jersey. She refuses to wallow in self pity and sends resume after resume out to different networks. In her desperation she takes an interview with Jerry Barnes (Jeff Goldblum) who is looking to hire a new producer for his struggling morning show, DayBreak. Daybreak is the fourth (last) place morning show in New York City. Her first act as producer is to fire Colleen Peck's (Keaton) pretentious co-host Paul McVee (Ty Burrell). Becky is excited to learn that her childhood hero, Mike Pomeroy (Ford), is under contract to the network and he begrudgingly joins the show. As an established journalist he refuses to participate in any segment that he considers demeaning, which results in low ratings and Becky learns the network is considering canceling DayBreak. In an effort to gain more viewers she starts having Ernie (Matt Malloy) do his weather reports while performing wild stunts. Becky struggles to improve ratings with the icy relationship between Mike and Colleen and her dedication to her job threatens her blossoming relationship with Adam Bennett (Patrick Wilson), who she met at work.
It is hard to believe that Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford had never met prior to filming Morning Glory. They could have made a film together instead of the dreadful Town & Country (2001) or Hollywood Homicide (2003). I will always love Diane Keaton because of her work with Woody Allen and Harrison Ford has a dedicated following from Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but neither actor has managed much of a career in years and I wish that two other actors had been given the roles alongside Rachel McAdams. McAdams is too talented to need their aging names to sell a film. Keaton was vastly underused in this film and was little more than a cantankerous morning news anchor while Harrison Ford offered a husky voice. Luckily, there is Rachel McAdams whose charisma saves Morning Glory from monotony. She makes the film enjoyable and gives you a reason to cheer for Becky to succeed. Morning Glory also offers a good soundtrack, though at times the music seemed to overpower the events on screen.
My rating: 3 stars out of 4.
I went to see Hereafter with some hesitation. Clint Eastwood has made some outstanding films in his career with Mystic River (2003) and Million Dollar Baby (2004) being the highlights of his later career. I was not particularly fond of Changeling (2008) or Invictus (2009) and with Matt Damon headlining the film I had some major reservations. Eastwood has often dealt with darker themes in his films and Hereafter is his most obvious portrayal of death as a major character. The film tells three parallel stories about people who are affected by death in different ways. One is able to communicate with the dead, another has just a sibling, and the third has survived a terrible natural disaster. I like the idea of the parallel stories but personally I believe that the film would have worked better had the film focused on one story or had the stories overlapped sooner. The use of parallel stories was superbly executed in Robert Altman's brilliant Short Cuts (1993) and less successfully, but more enjoyably, in 2 Days in the Valley (1996). I found Hereafter to be overreaching and slightly pretentious. I was also not convinced by Matt Damon's performance and his credibility as an actor is diminishing for me. The saving grace for the film is Belgian actress Cécile de France, whose performance and emotional restraint complement the film. Hereafter does offer an interesting take on death through the eyes of three characters, but the film finds it hard to balance the three stories and the emotional cohesiveness necessary to the film is often lost.
Marie Lelay (Cécile de France), a French television journalist, is on location in Thailand for an assignment. She is in the market when a tsunami comes crashing through and she is swept underwater. Unconscious underwater she has a near-death experience and has a vision of a bright light. Marie is ultimately resuscitated by rescuers and reunited with her lover Didier (Thierry Neuvic). Upon their return to Paris Marie finds it hard to focus on work and takes a leave of absence to focus on writing. Marcus and Jason (Frankie and George McLaren) are twelve year old twins living in London. Their mother is a heroin addict and they are desperate to remain in her custody and not social services. While running an errand to the pharmacy Jason is attacked by a group of older boys and as he tries to escape into the street he is hit by a van and killed. Marcus has a terrible time coping with his brother's death and is eventually put in a foster home. Finally, there is George (Matt Damon) who lives in San Francisco and once made a career using his ability to communicate with the dead. He had to quit because he found it too difficult to cope with the emotional responsibilities. George enrolls in a cooking class and is paired with a beautiful young woman (Bryce Dallas Howard). They soon become very close and eventually she learns of George's gift and persuades him to do a reading. He reluctantly agrees but the experience is so traumatizing that she leaves and never sees him again. George decides to take a much deserved vacation and goes to London. Marie is also in London on a book tour for her book Hereafter. Hereafter builds to a climax when all three lives intersect at a book fair in London.
Hereafter is uneven in terms of story and emotion. The bleak colours on screen, which have worked for Eastwood in the past, unfortunately make it more difficult for the viewer to empathize with the characters. It is as if we are watching through a filter and all the relevant emotions have been drained, much like the colour. Part of my problem with the film may be due to the overlapping stories. I was never able to fully connect with Marie, Marcus or George because the focus was always changing. Hereafter has some interesting ideas about death and the afterlife but the film lacks conviction, which may be due to Peter Morgan's mediocre screenplay. Ultimately, Hereafter does not succeed because it fails to ignite any debate about the hereafter. Eastwood has proven in the past that he can handle delicate themes and characters, but Hereafter does not have enough thematic or character development.
My rating: 2 stars out of 4.
Nicole Kidman, like Tilda Swinton, has often undertaken riskier roles, such as her performances in Dogville (2003), Birth (2004) and Margot at the Wedding (2007). Her biggest problem, and my reason for being a less devoted fan, is her string of major disasters, like Bewitched (2005), The Golden Compass (2007) and Nine (2009). Kidman forfeited her role in Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger in order to produce and star in Rabbit Hole. This may have been a wise choice as she and the amazing Dianne Wiest have both garnered critical praise since the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Rabbit Hole is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire which won Cynthia Nixon a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 2007. This is one of Nicole Kidman's best performances since Dogville. I am hoping that this is a stepping stone to a rebound in her career, though her next film, Just Go With It, may not have bee the best choice. John Michael Cameron, director of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) and Shortbus (2006), may not have been my first choice of director because the material is richly dramatic and emotional, but he allows the David Lindsay-Abaire's screenplay and the performances to speak for themselves. Rabbit Hole, despite its heavy themes, is an emotionally resonant film that is anchored by Nicole Kidman's flawless performance.
