Beautiful Kate
Review
by Sean Lynch
It's near impossible to walk out of an Australian
film these days without wanting to slit your wrists.
Not because Aussie films are that
wretchedly awful (although Nick Gianopolous does his danrdest to make
it look that way), but because the only films that seem to be
commissioned are gut-wrenching and emotionally draining stories of
drugs, sex, alcohol and Australian life gone wrong.
For better or worse, Rachel
Ward's feature film directorial debut - Beautiful Kate - is in no danger of bucking that trend.
Adapted from Newtown Thornberg's novel of the same name, Beautiful Kate takes us on a powerful, and often painful, journey within a forbidding Australian landscape on a homestead in Wilpena Pound.
It follows the story of Ned Kendall (Ben Mendelsohn), his
relationship as a teenager with his twin sister Kate (the gorgeous Sophie Lowe), and
the emotional aftermath of a series of tragic and awkwardly confronting events which unfolded when
he was sixteen.
A
stellar cast including Ben
Mendelsohn (who is genuinely excellent in almost everything he does),
the always solid Bryan Brown, Rachel Griffiths and new comer Sophie
Lowe come together wonderfully here under Ward's direction to deliver a
uniquely evocative, enthralling, extremely unconventional, morally-stomach-turning love story.
Look, lets just get it out there... Beautiful Kate,
for all it's wonderfully crafted story telling and comfortingly numbing
tone, will forever be known as "That incest film, yeah?".
And that's a real shame, because it deserves more than that.
Leaving the cinema I was torn. There was so much that made me angry, so many questions left unanswered:
Should
we forgive a father who is, without question a bit of a c**nt, just
because our lead character forgives himself for unrelated past sins?
Did the father also dip his pen in family ink (which might explain a few things)?
Is it wrong to invest yourself in a love story that we as a culture frown upon?
But that's where the true glory of Beautiful Kate
lies, in that - even several days after seeing the film - I'm still
thinking about it, still wanting to discuss it, still haunted by the
heart breaking and often oddly stomach churning anguish it delivers.
It's
just so rare to see a film that truly engrosses you, makes such an
impact, and stays with you long after the final reel of film has spun
out.
Transformers : Revenge Of The Fallen this is not.
Whether it be good or bad, Beautiful Kate will make you feel... something. A perk of cinema-going that is sadly absent from most flicks hitting the screen these days.
Sure, the painfully embarrassing Australian cliche's
come thick and fast (there is a long dusty road, aboriginals,
kangaroos, references to the drought and witchity grubs all within the
first 20 minutes) but ultimately Beautiful Kate reels you in like a fish that's unaware that it's even been hooked.
It's a true credit to Rachel Ward's directorial abilities - as well as Tex Perkins hauntingly calming score.
Let's face facts, Beautiful Kate isn't
a fun night out at the movies. It is painful, it is often tough to
watch and it sure as hell won't get you laid afterwards if you are on a
date...
But because of that, Beautiful Kate is probably one of the most rewarding film making experiences you are ever likely to encounter.
A triumph for Australian cinema.
4
out
of 5
Beautiful
Kate
Australian release: 6th
August,
2009
Official
Site: Beautiful Kate
Cast: Ben Mendelsohn, Bryan Brown,
Maeve Dermody, Rachel Griffiths
Director: Rachel Ward
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