I sat down and watched arguably the best Australian film of 2010 last week, Animal Kingdom . If you like a good crime thriller, Underbelly & The Combination you will enjoy this cinema experience. Based on the Cody Family of Melbourne in the 1970’s, this little production punches well above its weight.

This Australian film won the World Cinema Jury prize at Sundance earlier this year and deservedly so. The story was quite compelling and I was gripped to my seat with all of the twists and turns. In the centre of this story is Josh (James Frecheville); whose mother dies from an overdose and is thrown into an urban war zone and with his grandmother who he hardly knows. This young Aussie actor is superb in his first lead role.

His grandmother (Jacki Weaver) who plays Smurf is brilliant as head of a criminal family; the Cody Clain for which her four (4) sons; Baz (Joel Edgerton) who is thinking of giving up the world of crime; Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) who is just out of prison and lying low; Darren (Luke Ford) who is quiet and withdrawn and Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) a lunatic and is as unstable as they come; all of who form a gang that travel around Melbourne robbing banks.

The gang is pursued by Leckie (Guy Pearce), a detective who is hot on their heels. It was good to see Guy back on our screens and he really does well in this film. Overall, a movie well worth seeing.

Article written by Checkmate

Nash Edgerton has his first go behind the camera as director of The Square . Written by the director’s brother Joel Edgerton & Matthew Dabner, this Australian film is a black comedy with plenty of mystery, intrigue & by the seat of your pants action.

The film begins with the audience being introduced to three couples. First, there’s building & construction manager Ray (David Roberts) & his socially egotistic wife Martha (Lucy Bell). Their marriage is shaky, Ray is having an affair & when Martha finds out there is hell to pay.

Carla (Claire Van Der Boom), is having the affair with Ray, she works as a hairdresser & is game to be cheating on her husband, Smithy (Anthony Hayes), who is a local thug with a 1980’s mullet & one short fuse. All Carla wants is to run away with her lover and live happily ever after. Smithy has a bagful of cash from a recent robbery stashed away in the roof of the house, & against his better judgment Ray joins her in a scheme to get hold of the loot.

To do so, they have to enlist a second local crook, Billy (Joel Edgerton), a low-life arsonist who shares Smithy’s fashion sense but not his fearsome nature. Billy’s housemate & confidant is Lily (Hanna Mangan-Lawrence), his skittish little sister. I initially mistook these two for another pair of lovers, but since Mangan-Lawrence is just 16, I’m happy to stand corrected.

Throughout the film, Ray’s decisions turn from bad to worse, the plot keeps you guessing, there is just the right mix of humour, the characters intriguing & the acting is superb. The Square is an Australian film which is not only very well made but entertaining as well.

Article written by Steve Elias