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michaelglord88
Reviews
Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)
Aussie B Movie is adequate film, dreadful adaptation of book
OK, as a major fan of the book series and as the project i would most have loved to have worked on myself if i ever got into the directing business it was always gonna be hard to please me with this film, and after seeing it in cinemas i was feeling fairly happy about it. However, watching again on DVD and without the big screen sound and effects you start to notice the flaws in the project.
First off, yes the characters in this movie are very stereotypical, the more you tend to watch them the more you tend to find annoyance at the fact that, even without knowledge of the book, you can kind of work out for yourself just how each character will eventually react to a situation. You know that the bad boy will develop a responsibility and leadership qualities, you have the inkling that the mysterious and silent Thai boy will be revealed to be a poetic at heart, you aren't at all surprised when the cowardly jock finds his courage in the end. The only character well developed into more than a one dimensional being is, thankfully, the lead Ellie.
Stuart Beattie should not be all to blame though, the characters in the book, while originally appearing as stereotypical do, over the course of the first book (and indeed the seven book series), develop into deep and interesting characters. However, only so much can be done in a film, and particularly in a film where its obvious the main intention was for an action film rather than a war drama. I think a combination of inexperienced actors/actresses and the constraints of making a book into a film has resulted in several underdeveloped protagonists, in result turning drama into melodrama which fails to hold the attention or sympathy of an audience.
One thing particularly notable (I found anyway) about the books were they were particularly brutal at times. Some aspects of that were present in the film (A prisoner shot straight in the head without warning) but unfortunately most of the action either fell in the category of unrealistic (nearly every action scene) or cheesy.
The one scene i think the director nailed was the scene where the kids were hiding in a house from a helicopter spotlight, it was subdued and suspenseful. I think if the director for the next film (whoever may get that job) can maintain that kind of suspense for several key scenes i very much look forward to the sequels that are announced to be on the horizon.
The production values were impeccable, but no amount of glossy shine or impressive car chase can remove some of the B movie cheesiness that can be felt on repeated viewings. It felt too choreographed, more like a car show than the chaos of urban warfare.
The first time i watched this at the cinema i loved this, but on repeated viewings it loses a lot of its glossy sheen (kind of like Independence Day). the final scene is still unforgivably cheesy. however, I hope the director and writing staff WILL take some of the criticisms leveled at them on board and i very much look forward to the second movie when it is released.
Beneath Hill 60 (2010)
A solid script bringing Aussie war film into the 21st century
This is my first film review on this site as a student, so bear with me.
Being a massive fan of several modern war films, i was rather impressed with the production values on show here. This movie never felt like set design; the mud, the blood, the dirt and the trenches all instantly transported the viewer to the western front World War I. To see how far Australian film has come along in the last decade has really impressed me, to be able to move away from schlocky World War I television mini series of past years to a film of this caliber is truly an amazing thing, and the whole production crew for this film should be very proud of the final product that they have produced.
The picture and sound would easily make it comparable to any Hollywood releases of this era in film, and it is nice to see Australia able to technically compete with the rest of the world in that regard.
I think the script and cast were criticized perhaps too harshly by some, i found that the script perfectly mixed both the central love story of the main protagonist's sweetheart back home and the mess that was the war. Many movies (Pearl Harbor and Saving Private Ryan for instance) often make the mistake of having sequences of reflection/discussion that last too long, often bringing out an unfortunate feeling of Hollywood plot cheesiness. The former film indeed swamped so much romance into the film it felt the war was lost in the final product. There is enough flashes to the protagonists home, to his sweetheart and happier times to help the audience not be "war wearied" by the continuous darkness of the trenches without detracting from the point that this is a movie about war. At no time did any individuals musings of home, tears for the lost or moments of weakness feel out of character or like it was just added into the story in an effort to reach audiences. At the same time there is not too much of these scenes to remove the viewer from the war front long enough for the tension of the situation to be removed. I think the director has masterfully combined the two in a way that many better known directors often don't succeed at doing.
It was very interesting to see also the interactions between the Australian and British troops in this movie, and I think one of the testament scenes in this movie would be the passing of a bottle of wine to the moving Australians to the remaining British troops on the line in a sign of solidarity. There have been some opinions that this film brings into light the British rather unfavorably but I don't think this was the intention of the director. If anything this film is very much about mate ship, and how in the end its not the officers keeping you and your men alive through this war, but each other.
I would encourage all Australians to see this movie and support its work, but I would also encourage foreigners to view this movie, it is a tense and exciting story well worth your time.
In closing, to be honest i never really viewed this as an "Aussie Movie" the whole time i viewed it, but simply as a movie. And i think that is the biggest triumph of Australian film to be able to remove a nationality from a film and to make it universally enjoyable by all.