ISLE OF DOGS : Tuesday 17th April 2018.

'ISLE OF DOGS' which I saw earlier in the week is a film by Wes Anderson who has been Directing, Producing, Writing and at times Acting in films since 1996 when he launched himself onto the movie making world with 'Bottle Rocket'. Since then there has been 'Rushmore', 'The Royal Tenenbaums', 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', 'The Darjeeling Limited', 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', 'Moonrise Kingdom', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and now 'Isle of Dogs' on which he Directs, Co-Produces, wrote the Screenplay and came up with the original storyline in tandem with Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola. The film was in competition at the recent 68th Berlin International Film Festival where it was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director, before going on limited release in the US in late March before its much wider release last week, and here in Australia too. The film has been universally acclaimed for its stop motion animation, storyline and deadpan humour. It has so far taken US$30M at the Box Office.

Starring an ensemble cast of voice talent, the film here centres on a dystopian near-future Japan, in which a 'dog flu', 'snout fever' and 'canine saturation' virus spreads throughout the dog population. When, by executive decree, handed down by the ruthless Mayor of Megasaki City, Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura), all dogs are exiled to a vast rubbish tip located just off the Japanese mainland called Trash Island. This public announcement comes despite Professor Watanabe (Akira Ito) indicating to the gathered crowd that he is close to finding a cure for the pandemic spreading through the dog population.

The first dog to be banished to Trash Island, is Spots (voiced by Liev Schreiber) the household pet and watchdog of Kobayashi, who belonged to Atari Kobayashi (Koyu Rankin) - the twelve year old orphaned nephew and ward of the Mayor.

Some six months later on, and young Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop aeroplane and flies across the narrow stretch of sea in search of Spots. After a crash landing, in which Atari is injured but not critically so, he is rescued by a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Duke (Jeff Goldblum), Boss (Bill Murray) and Chief (Bryan Cranston). The pack of dogs decide to help Atari locate Spots, although Chief is reluctant to help the human boy, because he is a stray and has had bad experiences with humans earlier in the life when he was a household pet.

At the start of their journey they come across a cage in which they believe the skeleton of a dog contained therein is Spots. With the cage door still firmly locked shut there would have been no means of escape, and a broken name tag with the letters 'SPO' cements their opinion that the poor dog must have perished. However, they learn a short time afterwards that there was a mix up and the skeletal animal in the cage was 'SPORT' and not Spots, indicating that he may still be alive on the island somewhere.

Following a stand-off with a rescue team sent to retrieve Atari form the island, and some practical advice from a purebred show dog named Nutmeg (Scarlett Johansson), Chief has a change of mind and decides to accompany Atari on his quest to locate his dog. En route they come across two wise dogs - Oracle (Tilda Swinton) and Jupiter (F. Murray Abraham) who point the pack to a remote part of the island where a cannibal tribe of dogs gather.

In the meantime, Professor Watanabe has found a cure, but is poisoned by Kobayashi to keep the cat loving Mayor from having to return the dogs from Trash Island in order that they can integrate back into society. American female foreign exchange student Tracy Walker (Greta Gerwig) suspects that something is not quite right in Dodge City and suspects a conspiracy behind Watanabe's death, and tries to call it out. She confronts a distraught Assistant Scientist to Watanabe, Yoko Ono (Yoko Ono) who confirms Tracy's suspicions and hands over the last remaining bottle of the cure.

Along the way to locate Spots, Atari and Chief are separated from the rest of the pack. Resting up, Atari decides to give Chief a much needed bath having noticed that he is of the same breed as his beloved Spots. In so doing Chief's coat returns to its natural white and black flecked colours rather than the filthy black that he had become. Later they catch up with the remaining pack but are set upon by an ambush of Kobayashi's men again. Spots arrives with a small army of dogs and helps fend off the attackers. In flashback we learn that Spots was rescued by the so called cannibal tribe of dogs and over the following months became the leader of the pack. Spots also advises that Chief is in fact his brother, and they are now almost identical. Spots asks Atari to transfer his guard dog responsibilities over to Chief, to which the pair agree.

Atari and his new found canine friends learn by way of an owl, that Kobayashi intends to exterminate all dogs on Trash Island as a ploy to win support in the upcoming elections. Atari and many of the pack decide to head back to Megasaki City to prevent this from happening. At the election ceremony as Kobayashi is about to give the order to exterminate, Tracy Walker steps up with an impassioned speech and announces that a cure has been found, and that their is hard evidence of corruption in Kobayashi's ranks. At this point Atari and his dog pack arrive confirming that the cure serum works.

Kobayashi sees the error of his ways but his henchman Major Domo (Akira Takayama) has different views and plans to proceed with the extermination. A fight breaks out between Atari, his dogs and the perpetrators resulting in the big red 'Execute' button being depressed. A hacker friend of Tracy's has however, intervened, and reversed the poison gas injection back on the dogs captors so allowing the Trash Island dogs to escape death and go free.

During the fight however, Atari and Spots are badly injured. So much so that Atari's only remaining kidney fails. Out of guilt Kobayashi agrees to donate one of his kidney's to save the life of his young nephew (with the operation scene shown from above probably being a world first stop motion kidney transplant from one patient directly to another!) With Kobayashi serving time in a Japanese jail cell, by law the mantle of Mayor falls to Atari who quickly decrees that all dogs be allowed to reintegrate with society and their former owners. Tracy and Atari become close friends, and Chief teams up with Nutmeg and assumes the position of guard dog for Atari. Spots recovers from his injuries, and raises his puppies somewhere peaceful and quiet hidden away within the grounds of the Kobayashi household.

The quality and level of detail in the stop motion animation is what really stands out in this film, together with the impressive voice cast who really inhibit their canine (and human) characters and bring them to life. The storyline is essentially Spots recovery over a seemingly post-apocalyptic garbage filled wasteland interspersed with moments of legend and dog character back story; clashes between canines and humans involving cotton wool clouds of dust from which periodically emerge paws, snouts and clenched fists and wayward legs; and moments of deadpan humour which won't make you laugh out loud but rather chuckle under your breath. In a way this is a sad film about the way mankind treats his 'best friend' but its also relevant for today's political landscape with fake news, dictatorships, deportation and social and cultural divide. All that said, the beauty here is in the scrappy, dirty, flea ridden dogs scavenging around the garbage heap (that upon closer inspection reveals hidden gems) seeing out their final days offered a last chance at redemption at the hands of a twelve year old lad. On the less favourable side Anderson takes liberties with his somewhat skewed view of Japan; and having the humans all speak the native Japanese (save for Tracy Walker) with subtitles when it suits, detracts from the story arc; there are a few holes in the plot along the way too and in places the film really failed to hold my attention. It's worth seeing, but you can easily wait for the BluRay, digital download or the PayTV screening. Also starring the voice talents of Frances McDormand, Harvey Keitel, Ken Watanabe, Fisher Stevens, Roman Coppola, Anjelica Huston and Courtney B. Vance.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SPOTLIGHT : Tuesday 2nd February 2016

'SPOTLIGHT' which I saw earlier this week is a truly compelling film account of the true life facts surrounding the systematic abuse of children by the Catholic Church spanning decades. Directed by Tom McCarthy and with an all star award winning ensemble cast, this film was made for US$20M and has so far made US$37M having premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in early September before general release in the US on 6th November and here in Australia on 20th January. Nominated for six yet to be announced Academy Awards, those being for Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Supporting Actor and Actress, as well as three  also yet to be announced BAFTA nominations for Best Actor, Best Film and Best Screenplay. Additionally, it has garnered along the way 84 award wins and another 107 award nominations - not so bad at all, and, hardly surprising given the acting talent on display here, the story telling and the manner in which the subject matter is handled on screen.

And so to that subject matter which make this so compelling, and a story that had to be told, and that as a consequence, had much further reaching implications worldwide. The film opens with the appointment of a new Editor to The Boston Globe newspaper in 2001 - Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) who is quickly introduced to Walter 'Robby' Robinson (Michael Keaton) who heads up the famed 'Spotlight' Team for the newspaper. This small but experienced group of investigative journalists work tirelessly on hand picked cases to investigate and expose, often taking months and up to a year to bring their story and its findings to print. The Spotlight Team has been operating since 1970, and is the longest running continuous newspaper investigative team working in the US. Baron, of Jewish decent, picks up on a former case about a paedophile priest and a lawyer Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci) who knew that the Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law (Lou Cariou) knew of the priests sexual abuse of children but did nothing about it. This case was reported in Globe but only a few column inches were dedicated to it and it was quickly covered up and buried by the Church.

Gathering Robinson and Ben Bradlee (John Slattery) together who both work as investigators and Editors at The Globe and on the Spotlight Team, Baron tasks them with digging deeper and to investigate the story thoroughly putting whatever resources necessary toward their case. Robinson and Bradlee agree somewhat reluctantly believing there to be just one priest who has moved around through the years. And so the remaining team are each assigned tasks - Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo on fine form and noticeably slimmed down),  Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James) and Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) begin to quickly uncover more than they bargained for.

Rezendes meets with Garabedian who has ongoing direct contact with such victims of abuse but has been banned for speaking about such cases by the Church - but he is a reliable source of information and history. Pfeiffer and Robinson meet up with a guy who leads a victims rights group and provides evidence of abuse and cover ups by the Church going back many years, but the group has dwindled to just a handful because some have moved on, many are embarrassed and ashamed, and many are too tired to pursue any action of recompense further. But, it provides further evidence for the investigative Team. In turn they track down attorney Eric MacLeish (Billy Crudup) who has defended a number of priests against such claims but is sworn to not disclose any matters relating to those cases. Pfeiffer and Carroll also start interviewing willing victims all of whom have their own shocking stories to tell of their younger years at the hands of their caring local neighbourhood priest.

As their digging deepens so it becomes evident that there have been cover ups by the Church for many many years, and indications lead to thirteen priests in all that now come under much closer scrutiny across the Boston area. The Team further learns through Richard Sipe (Richard Jenkins in telephone voiceover only), a former Benedictine priest of almost twenty years, and now professional psychotherapist who has worked with rehabilitating paedophile priests, that in his expert estimation there is likely to be 6% of the priesthood who are offenders, and therefore by his estimation that would be ninety priests in the Boston area. This statistic stuns the Team, but gels them into further intensity in their investigations.

In doing so The Spotlight Team soon uncover 87 names that they have determined are legitimate repeat child sex offenders and that Cardinal Law knew about this, and did nothing to stop it, and allowed further ongoing abuse . . . and so did a number of public officials, spanning decades. To support the case The Boston Globe wins the right to have a number of legally sealed evidentiary documents  released into the public domain, which provide firm conclusive proof that Cardinal Law knew of these activities and chose to ignore them. As a result the Team set about preparing their final work for release in the newspaper early in 2002.

As a consequence of their work on exposing this case and bringing it to the worlds attention, the Spotlight Team win The Boston Globe the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. This story which eventually saw over 240 priests exposed in the Greater Boston area (as the end credits tell us) had more far reaching implications around the world as more and more evidence of systematic Catholic Church child abuse came to light, and continues to do so. This film made be pleased not to be a Catholic!

This is a film that had to be told because we have heard these stories in the news all too frequently in more recent years, which of course make this all the more real, relevant and abhorrent. The performances of the Spotlight Team are first rate - nuanced, grounded, emotional and especially that of Ruffalo who has recreated his character with all the nervous energy, mannerisms and expressions and unique characteristics that are worthy of his award nominations, if not a win at least! A truly riveting film that unravels slowly as the Spotlight Team go about their investigative work uncovering more revelations, cover-ups and abuse by those supposedly closest to God! Tom McCarthy who wrote the script with Josh Singer has crafted a brave, relevant, compelling story that is one of this years must-sees!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

FADING GIGOLO - Wednesday 4th June 2014.

I ventured out on a rainy Sydney night to Collaroy on Wednesday evening to see 'FADING GIGOLO' which is still just about doing the rounds. Directed, written and starring John Turturro this delightful little film is one of an occasional directorial outing for Mr. Turturro who is usually seen in front of the camera. That said he has aligned a solid cast that includes his offsider here Murray (played by Woody Allen seen more these days behind the camera than in front) with various love/sex interests that for the most part are Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara and Vanessa Paradis (in her English language debut), and along the way trying to maintain the straight and narrow as Jewish local law keeper is Liev Schreiber.

The plot is simple enough - two long term friends Fioravante/Virgil (Turturro) and Murray (Allen) are down on their luck and down on their money, when Murray announces one day that when talking to his dermatologist Dr. Parker (Stone) she stated an interest in a 'menage a trois', and did he know anyone that could help the cause? Murray of course springs to action with a thought that Fioravante could fit the bill and could be willing if the price were agreeable. And so Murray becomes Fioravante's ageing 'pimp' and when business picks up the latter creates a 'stage' name for himself . . . and so 'Virgil' is born! After various assignments the 'menage a trios' occurs with Stone's friend - the curvaceous, buxom, and willing Selima (Vergara).

All of this is set with the backdrop of Brooklyn's Jewish community and so enter Avigal (Paradis) the widow of a former basketball champ who has been in enforced mourning for two years as her religious beliefs dictate, and craves some connection to combat her desperate loneliness. And so Virgil seeks to lend his services but is overcome with respect, compassion and love to the extent that any sexual contact is pushed to the sidelines. Meanwhile local Jewish policeman Dovi (Schreiber) has been besotted with Avigal since they were kids having grown up across the street from each other, but he never had the courage to quite tell her how much he loves her . . . until now, when there is another suitor on the block and his hand is forced for fear of loosing her.

This film gives us a handful of sharp witted lovable characters interspersed with sexual longing, awakening and a needing to belong. Turturro does a solid job both in front and behind the camera, but for me this is Allen's film, and it has his trademarks all over it. His laconic, neurotic, idiosyncratic dialogue and mannerisms are a treat and makes the film what it is, together with the backdrop of his beloved city make this so much more that your average tween/twenty something rom-com.

You can rush out and see it at your local independent movie theatre (where it is more likely to be playing), or wait for the dvd/Bluray which will be out soon, but certainly worth a viewing.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-