For once the movie reviews are actually relevant to our Big Adventure, since the three films we saw this week are all Aussie films. All were on video, and first up was a film Richard brought round: Two Hands. This was released in about 1999 and stars Heath Ledger as a bouncer in a Kings Cross strip club, trying to work his way up in the Sydney underworld. Kings Cross is the red light district of Sydney, popular with travellers as it's cheap and has lots of hostels. We've reasonably familiar with it (we looked at flats there) so it was good to see it on film. The action takes place at various places around the city, many of which we recognised. Aussie films made in Sydney seem to be keen to avoid showing the opera house and bridge - presumably they are just for the tourists. It's a good, enjoyable film and gains half a star since we recognised some of the locations. Three and a half stars.
Next up, Crackerjack - a comedy about a Bowls club with comedian Mick Molloy. He plays guy who is a member of a bowls club simply to get a city parking space, and is roped into a tournament when the club hits hard times. Lots of jokes about the old people's sport and pretty amiable. Nothing you've not seen before, but well made and a decent gentle comedy. Three stars.
The third film in our Aussie Trilogy - Rabbit Proof Fence. This was out in the UK a bit before we came away, and is directed by Phillip Noyce. It's about the "stolen Generations" of Aborigines. Right up until the seventies half-caste children were removed from their Aboriginal families and put into camps to train them in white-ways "for their own good" This attempt to breed to Aboriginal out of the children is astounding and, naturally, is something the Aussies aren't proud of. At the time, however, they genuinely seemed to believe it was for the children's own good. This story follows three such kidnapped kids as they escape and try to get home on a 1500 mile journey along a fence (a rabbit proof one). The film's good and at ninety minutes doesn't have time to drag. Kenneth Brannagh is very good as the "protector" of the Aboriginals (i.e. the one responsible for implementing the cruel policy, and for looking for the escapees). The astounding story overwhelms the film a little, and it's hard to really comprehend how far these kids have walked. Four stars.
The Matrix Reloaded comes out here on Friday - yay! We'll try to see it at the weekend. I suppose that that's kind of an Aussie film too (filmed here). But doesn't really count.