Hunt Angels Review
by Clint Morris
It may be the diet coke of cinematic history lessons – less
kick and taste than the others, and at best, good without being great –
but even with its uneven balance of sight and sound (a mix that usually
had to blend effectively to get an audience), Hunt Angels still gets the job done. There
are films for the common everyday filmgoer, and then there are films
for the common everyday film nut. This is one of those films. It’s a
must-see for anyone who has an interest in Australian cinema, because
it effectively tells the story of how our film industry came together.
Sure, it’s a skimming look at it, but it’s still an effectual look all
the same – and yeah, it probably will leave you wanting more at the
end. Would you believe that there was a time in the ‘30s when
U.S studios dictated what was shown in Australian multiplex cinemas?
Would you believe that it was actually rather difficult to get an
Aussie film off the ground? And how’s this – crooks actually used to
finance half the movies made here, and there. Yeah, funny how things haven’t changed over the course of history. Angels
encompasses one of those stories that you probably wouldn’t find in the
back of Leonard Maltin’s movie encyclopaedia or see on The Biography
Channel – and because of that, it plays fresh and rather compellingly.
It tells of ambitious Rupert Kathner (Mendelsohn), a shoddy film
producer wannabe, who turns up in glittery Sydney with a plan to take
over the movie screen. With aid from Alma Brooks (Hill), Kathner
embarked on a movie-making spree that took on the Hollywood barons, a
corrupt police Commissioner and the cultural cringe all in their
passionate pursuit to make Australian films. On the run from police
across thousands of miles, they would stop at almost nothing to get
their films made. The always-solid Ben Mendelsohn makes a grand
return to the big screen as Kathner, and is a fine-fit for the shonky
but determined filmmaker’s trousers. Possibly better, is rising starlet
Victoria Hill (Macbeth, BoyTown) who gives a multi-layered performance as siren Brooks. Hill has that perfect ‘golden era look’ that suits the film to a tee. What
also should’ve been a highlight of the movie though is the look of the
thing – the backdrop is completely hand-coloured 2-D animation - but
unfortunately, it isn’t. Whether it’s because we’ve been spoilt by
Robert Rodriguez’s amazing Sin City
or simply because the filmmakers couldn’t come up with enough cash to
see the idea through, the film’s backgrounds look a little shabby – and
in turn, they distract rather than attract. A bit clunky. A lot
of imagination has gone into the film though – the way the movie meshes
live-action sequences with documentary-style interviews (usually
featuring actors playing real-life characters; though not always) is
rather inspired, and the fact that Morgan has gambled on such a
perilous visualization for the film – this whole ‘fake backdrop’ trend
- deserves credit alone. 3
out
of 5 Hunt Angels
Australian
release: 30th November,
2006
Cast: Ben Mendelsohn, Victoria Hill
Director: Alec Morgan
Website: Click
here.
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