 |
|
 Home
Products
Store
Forum
Warehouse
Contact Us
|
|
|
|
 
|
|
Author
|
Topic: Animal Kingdom
|
Stu Jamieson
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 524
From: Buccan, Qld, Australia
Registered: Jan 2008
|
posted 05-01-2010 08:40 PM
A stellar cast (in Aussie terms, at least), including Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce, Joel Edgerton and Jackie Weaver, features in writer/director David Michôd's debut feature film which has already found success picking up the World Cinema Jury prize at this years Sundance Film Festival. The film couldn't be better placed in time, trading on the Victorian organised crime scene made fashionable by the very successful Underbelly television series. The fortuitous (for this film, at least, if not the wider community) recent death in prison of underworld kingpin, Carl Williams, can only further bolster this films fortunes; fortunes which are well deserved!
Animal Kingdom tells the story of a 17 year old lad, Josh (James Frecheville), who has the unfortunate destiny of being adopted into his wider family of organised crime after the death of his mother. A true fish out of water, Josh attempts to negotiate the obligatory nefarious criminal loyalties imposed on him by his extended family whilst secretly wanting to live just a normal life free from corruption.
The film is riveting from start to finish. The ominous imagery of armed hold-ups which plays over the opening credits creates a suitable tone for the events to come, forecasting the subtle menace and tension which subverts the film as a whole. The outstanding performances of the capable cast maintains the tension throughout. Of particular note is Jackie Weaver as the criminal matriarch; her schizophrenic switching between loving mother and ruthless viper is utterly convincing.
David Michôd has chiselled out a worthy niche in the Australian cinematic canon with Animal Kingdom, pegging himself as a film maker to watch. We eagerly await his next venture.
8.5 out of 10.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|
|
|
|
Printer-friendly view of this topic