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Blogs by Jerome Parisse
Animal Kingdom 8/4/2010 9:22:53 AM Another long flight, this time from Hong Kong to London (nearly thirteen hours), and the opportunity to read and read, and watch more movies. I saw Animal Kingdom, the debut feature from writer/director David Michod. I enjoyed the film and highly recommend it. "Welcome to the Melbourne underworld," says the film's website (http://www.animalkingdomthefilm.com.au/). Joshua Cody sees his mother OD and finds himself alone in the world. He calls upon his grandmother Janine (long estranged from her daughter), who welcomes him in her home.... Joshua's nightmare has only just begun. His grandmother is the matriarch of a clan of thugs, who will drag the poor boy into their dark world. Joshua's uncles are mad, scary, ruthless, and very dangerous. Joshua will play along until he finds himself unable to cope (I don't want to spoil the movie here, but something terrible happens). He ends up in the middle of a battle between clans and the police, which turns bloody and more dangerous every day. I found the end of the movie (the last five minutes) terribly strong.
The underworld is not really my favourite topic, but its treatment is perfect. We live the lives of the Cody family, the dramas, the angst, the need to act - and then someone commits the irreparable, and we can only witness how the nightmare develops into something that no one can stop. The acting is superb. I loved Jacki Weaver in Grandma Cody, Ben Mendelsohn in Andrew Cody, and James Frecheville in Joshua. And of course, Guy Pearce (as in Memento, an amazing film, for those who have not seen it) as Nathan Leckie, a senior homicide detective. Make sure the sun is shining outside when you leave the cinema! Joke apart, Animal Kingdom is dark, powerful, and unsettling. It was the winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2010. Four stars.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5BsYRmMfus]
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More Blogs by Jerome Parisse Body Swap Interview and Yunnan Trip... - Thursday, March 10, 2011 The Corrections - Wednesday, March 09, 2011 Buried - Wednesday, March 09, 2011 Black Swan - Monday, March 07, 2011 Educating Rita - Sunday, February 27, 2011 Bidrman, by Mo hayder - Sunday, February 27, 2011 The Insomnia of Stars - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 If I Stay, by Gayle Forman - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 Blacklands by Belinda bauer - Wednesday, February 16, 2011 Where is Marc Levy's respect for his readers? - Saturday, February 12, 2011 The Wings of Leo Spencer at $10 only! - Wednesday, February 09, 2011 Boracay, twenty years later - Tuesday, February 08, 2011 Hereafter - Tuesday, February 08, 2011 Gone (Mo Hayder) - Tuesday, February 08, 2011 Free e-books until 6 February! - Monday, January 31, 2011 Two Brothers - Sunday, January 30, 2011 Miserere - Saturday, January 29, 2011 Shanghai - Saturday, January 22, 2011 3 e-books for free until 6 January! - Thursday, January 20, 2011 A Spot of Bother - Thursday, January 20, 2011 Sarah's Key - Wednesday, January 19, 2011 The Tree - Tuesday, January 18, 2011 Norwegian Wood - Tuesday, January 18, 2011 The American - Tuesday, January 18, 2011 Eat Pray Love - Saturday, January 08, 2011 50 literature ideas you really need to know, by John Sutherland - Saturday, January 08, 2011 Aftershock - Thursday, January 06, 2011 Room by Emma Donoghue - Tuesday, January 04, 2011 Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows - Friday, December 17, 2010 The art of happiness - Thursday, December 16, 2010 The Scold's Bridle by Minette Walters - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 Worst film ever? - Sunday, December 12, 2010 Trailer for BODY SWAP - Friday, December 10, 2010 Hong Kong Murders - Monday, December 06, 2010 The kids are all right - Monday, December 06, 2010 The Killing Fields - My Father's Guests - Tuesday, November 30, 2010 Interview on Body Swap and publishing on Kindle by David Wisehart - Friday, November 26, 2010 The Animated Version of the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival - Monday, November 22, 2010 What is it about Japan? - Saturday, November 13, 2010 The Ice House - Sunday, November 07, 2010 Body Swap - Wednesday, November 03, 2010 Taipei: the city that reads... - Tuesday, November 02, 2010 Free royalty-free music - Monday, October 25, 2010 Trailer for THE WINGS OF LEO SPENCER - Saturday, October 23, 2010 Reference Material for Learning Chinese - Saturday, October 23, 2010 The world’s first text message adventure romance with the other side! - Wednesday, October 20, 2010 Grease.... or a failed English test - Monday, October 18, 2010 The jungle temples of Angkor, Cambodia - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 A little lower than the angels - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 61 Hours by Lee Child - Friday, October 01, 2010 The obsessions of Amelie Nothomb - Monday, September 27, 2010 Kaohsiung, the friendly city - Sunday, September 26, 2010 A concise history of Hong Kong - Tuesday, September 21, 2010 Nicaragua, twenty years on... - Monday, September 20, 2010 We all make mistakes, don't we? - Saturday, September 18, 2010 Serena - Thursday, September 16, 2010 Early works: Coben takes us for a ride - Tuesday, September 14, 2010 Tokyo / The Devil of Nanking - Sunday, September 12, 2010 Young and bold - Saturday, September 11, 2010 Gay marriage anyone? - Thursday, September 09, 2010 iPad anyone? - Wednesday, September 08, 2010 Online book promotion: The French strike again! - Tuesday, September 07, 2010 Blood Canticle - Monday, September 06, 2010 More Vampires! 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