Paynbob
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Cheryl
A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.
minch007
(only contains spoilers of a general kind)Disturbing, intense and creepy, this film at one level is a fairly straightforward story of a man who travels to his father's homeland and discovers the skeletons in the closet. Ewen Leslie as the haunted son Isaac seeking to lay the ghost of his dad Vasili in the mountains of Greece, Martin Csokas as his corrupted brother Nico and Kodi Smit-McPhee as the face of all refugee boys everywhere all do a fine job, the cinematography, score and directing work together well to create a menacing and disorienting view of the seedier side of Europe. At another level, this film explores the moral complexities of the refugee crisis. The curse that seems to follow Vasili's family can be interpreted as the guilt that lurks behind every decision to turn your back on another human being in desperate straits. And how easy it is to do that, given their overwhelming need, their anonymity, their foreignness, and the sometimes bald ugliness of their desperation. This film takes you unflinchingly into the heart of this "blackness" that consumed the soul of Vasili and eventually his sons, it slaps you unapologetically in the face with it. Vasili himself is a refugee, fleeing the devastation of post war Greece to Australia. Perhaps there's no guilt like that of a refugee who has left others to perish. There's no light at the end of this film, which I think is particularly fitting because there is no easy answer to the desperation of the millions fleeing to Europe and scraping an existence in the decrepit slums and alleys of the grand old cities. Just as it has for thousands of years, the situation fosters prejudice, exploitation and cruelty on all sides. You will appreciate this film, if not enjoy it, if you are interested in what is, and always has been, one of the greatest social, moral and even spiritual challenges to the illusions of our comfortable and sheltered lives.
ste noa
Dead worth seeing. The camera and director got out and about - in the mountains of Greece and in the dodgy areas of Paris. Refreshing and raw in turns - I felt like I was sitting in a car with the windows down. I liked the variety and European scope of the locations. The music was peppy not derivative nor bouzouki or Dvorak. Characters were acted easily and convincingly apart from Ewen's which was unconvincing and all earnestness.Also no love interest and no hearts of gold.The characters outgrow the familiar plot. They are well-rounded and never reveal all.In the end we are not sure about any of the characters and what they have revealed. Like at the end of a documentary you are left figuring out just what you have seen.Enjoy the ride as film takes you places you seldom get to see.
bettestreep2004
I saw this last night at the Melbourne Film Festival and had to be on my best behavior because the cast and crew were sitting directly behind me.I haven't read the book this is based on so I can't comment on it's adaptation but I did walk away thinking that this 84 minute film was about 10 minutes too long.Plenty of arty farty pretentious scenes that just had no need to be there IMO.None of the characters have been fleshed out - a glaring weakness by the writer and the lead, Leslie, delivered a frustratingly one note performance. There is only so many times one can deliver the 'F' word in a performance.There apparently is a very interesting story about people's pasts in the book - but this sadly didn't come across in the film.A very disappointing film.
ffuuut
One of two Australian made films I saw at the Sydney Film Festival, both of which were set in Europe. Ewan Leslie was very good in the lead role as was Marton Csokas in a minor role late in the film, but the same can not be said for the actress who played the main characters mother. She seemed very poorly cast (age wise) and did not give a very consistent performance, as scenes with her felt very uneven.The film was shot well and in places not often seen in predominately English language films and the first half really set up the mystery and thriller like aspect, but it was let down badly by a very poor last third as it fell into an incoherent confusing mess, but maybe that was intentional as the character fell into that cycle himself.It was just very meh.
