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This my annual Australian movie review that I’m dispensing with early this year.
Ned Kendall returns to his family home in outback to pay his last respects to his dying father, Bruce (Bryan Brown - the old bloke from Cocktail). Ned has been estranged from his family for 20 years after the tragic events that beset them; the death of his beautiful twin sister, Kate (played by the impish Sophie Lowe) and their older brother, Cliff for which Ned blames his father.
Ned’s return reawakens the demons that have haunted the family and the guilt, shame, and remorse they carry. Through a series of flashbacks, Ned recounts the events leading up to the death of his siblings, as the family’s secrets are gradually revealed.
The storyline and its themes are edgy (n. DC) and may shock some of you, particularly those with high moral sensibilities. There's also a decent amount of raunch. However, these elements are intertwined in an intelligent, emotive screenplay, which makes them credible and paradoxically, less provoking.
The film creates an intense, gritty atmosphere in its depiction of the harshness of rural life in Australia (the novel is actually set in a small town outside Chicago), aided by a great musical score and cinematography. The characters are strong and believable as you’d except in an artsy film of this kind, and they’re delivered flawlessly by all the actors.
This all gels neatly into what is probably the best Aussie film I’ve seen in recent years, although that’s not a particularly high benchmark. Nevertheless, Rachel Ward's first foray as a director is more than commendable.
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