Tangle : Series 1

There has long been a problem with Australian productions, the sort of problem I've never quite been able to put my finger on. Is it a case of production values? Writing talent? Acting Talent pool? Well, that can't be the case, we've seen countless Aussies cross over quite successfully into the UK and USA and bring a level of proffesionalism that never acutally seemed present in with their Australian work.

So what is the difference? The accent. Bear with me. While the Australian accent isn't always a deal breaker, it is none the less distinctive. Aussies have quite an ear for our own voice, not simply for the literal sound... but the rythms, the cadance, the intricacies of words. What may sound perfectly normal on paper almost NEVER translates when performed in an Aussie accent.

We subconciously detect somethings not right between : "I've love her" and "I love 'ah". On paper, it looks stupid and wrong, but it's the difference between honest and believable portrayals of Australians onscreen and Bad Acting by default through fault of "dishonest to the culture" dialogue (a perfect example of which can be seen in Tomorrow When The War Began. Excellent actors speaking words and rhythmic structures young Aussies simply DO NOT speak in).

Tangle : Series 1

It's in this regard producer John Edwards has been able to rise above the pack. It is no coincidence that Edwards has been behind the most highly regarded Aussie productions for over a decade (Love My Way, Puberty Blues, Secret Life Of Us), because he's stuck to a simple rule : understand the rhytms, understand the culture.

It's for this very reason Tangle, the logical follow up piece to Love My Way (still, without question, the benchmark by which all Australian TV should be measured) works so well.

Whereas Puberty Blues takes us on a journey from 10-20, Secret Life explored the perils of 20-30, Love My Way looked at 30-40, Tangle takes us through the downward spiral that is being 40-50.

It follows Ally (a pitch perfect Justine Clarke) who is married to Vince (Ben Mendelsohn) and their two children, Romeo & Gigi.

Vince's best friend Gabriel (Matt Day) is has secretly been in love with Ally since their high school days, and when faced with a moral dilemma finds that he is unwilling to cover for (one of) Vince's affairs with a local school mum named Em.

Mixed in with this is Em's daughter Charlotte, who is involved with Romeo and his cousin, Max. Max is the result of an affair between Tim and Ally's sister, Nat. Tim and his wife Christine are raising Max as their own. So what we have is three families colliding, connecting and navigating a maze of love, sex, money and politics.

While perhaps not as perfect as Love My Way (if only because the numbers of "Tangles" in question are almost TOO conincidental to really be belivable), Tangle has quite a lot going for it. As usual, the dialogue and performances are spot on. Everyone delivers here, nuanced and genuinely believable. These are people you have met, these are conversations you've had.

However, the real star is Ben Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn has been a staple of Aussie productions (and most recently broken into the USA with Animal Kingdom, The Dark Knight Rises and Killing Them Softly) but never have we been subjected to such a long lasting dose of his skills as seen here. He owns every single scene of the show, even the ones he isn't in, his presence is always felt such is the sinister, threatening (and oddly charming) vibe he exudes.

While Tangle is hardly the "feel good" viewing you might associate with "House Husbands" it's thoughroughly more rewarding.

It's very on trend with modern TV that opts for grim reality over fluffy colours. Shows of the 1970s and 1980s reflected a point of time that aimed to distract us from real life and think of WHAT COULD BE, to emphasise the dream. Whereas now, with Mad Men, Breaking Bad and Tangle - we watch to remind ourselves how lucky we are, and that we AREN'T living the lives we see on screen.

Worth watching for Mendelsohn's performance alone (and bonus points for DVD packaging nerds... this one's a doozy!)

Conclusion: Movie 90% Extras: N/A