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Reviews
Beneath Hill 60 (2010)
A story just crying out to be told
After recently returning from a very moving tour of some of the battlefields of the western front (including Hill 60 itself), I was extremely glad to hear of a film depicting some of the heroics which took place there. Given the enormity of what happened in those years, the events which took place there are undeniably underrecognised. Make no mistake, World War One in film has none of the glory associated with it as so often its sequel. It was a truly awful war, for both sides. Unique in every way, difficult to explain to others, and for all the bloodshed, is difficult to comprehend in modern times. Some of the stories from that period are crying out to be told. This is one of them.
As war had reached the industrial age, the unpredicted stalemate of trench warfare would force either side into unforeseen warfare tactics. This is the story of the 1st Australian Tunneling company's experience in the region around Ieper, Belgium. An extremely rare kind of battle was taking place, underground warfare. Given the place in history Gallipoli has to Australia, one can only wonder why so few of the younger generations of Australians have ever heard of places such as Messines, Passchendaele, Pozieres and Fromelles to name a few. A film which depicts the heroic events of that important chapter of world history should be received with open arms.
And so I am so glad to say that the acting, characterisation and cinematography are very good, as are (to my mind at least) the relative historical accuracy of the script and sets. However this film has one major hurdle in its way of being utterly brilliant. It is of course Australian. By this I mean that doesn't intend to significantly push the envelope or have much of a sharp edge, but to appeal to the masses and not take many risks. To be honest I was surprised to see the occasional cigarette smoking of soldiers given the political correctness of modern Australia. Any realist knows however that the majority of those soldiers were smokers and I am glad they kept modern perceptions second to historical accuracy.
If I was going to be critical (and I will be), it is that this film in one or two moments treads closely to falling into some of the same traps of film-making clichés that belong in 20th century Hollywood. Thankfully the foot that is about to get stuck in this trap is soon lifted out and back on track to being a great film.
I hope many will see it. I also hope Baz Luhrmann learns a thing or two about film-making and the people who funded and plugged his last piece of trash feel humiliated that someone made a slightly better film about Australia's history.
A very moving film. Congratulations to the cast and crew.
Last Train to Freo (2006)
Congratulations. Perth finally made a movie.
Last Train to Freo is a film worth seeing. It is a good, well acted, simple idea movie which really focuses strongly on the characters involved and you will stay in suspense as their stories continue to unfold.
It will particularly appeal to the people of Western Australia as it was not only set there, it was filmed there (shock horror). This is a welcome change as the state has seen so many great films set in WA but filmed elsewhere through the likes of Gallipoli, Shine, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Wolf Creek to name a few. This is largely due to the WA government's continued stubbornness when it comes to funding films and any other area of arts for that matter. A real shame when the state continues to be a gold mine for talent. It's really no wonder then that anyone successful from Perth in film or music never really comes back. What may come as a surprise to some, is that most of the film was not filmed on an actual Transperth train, but a purpose made set which could have fooled any regular Transperth rail commuter, a real credit to the set production.
It is a film where you as the viewer can really feel yourself being involved in and where you will possibly be asking yourself what you would do if you were put in such a situation. The characters all take turns in controlling the scene and they are also all put into a state of vulnerability.
The film also touches on Perth's identity, as it has been burdened with the "Dullsville" tagline for quite a while. The most isolated city in the world has an identity crisis, with many in denial of such a claim. Trev's character seems hold some of the past of the State in his appearance: A Perth Football Club beanie from an era when WAFL was king, and a shirt from WA's 150th anniversary circa 1979. The film is set on a train which travels from Midland, through Perth, and onto Fremantle which is where the bulk of Perth's historical significance can be found.
I hope this film is a real starting point for a new culture in Western Australia. Worth seeing.
Year of the Dogs (1997)
Feel all the emotion in this excellent documentary
Footscray Football Club, "The Bulldogs," 1996. It's about a desperate club in desperate times. A club which must fight for survival on and off the field. A team that the league it plays in is even trying to kill off. Footscray FC receives no sympathy on any sides and it is shown in full in this piece.
It captures the tension, drama, sacrifice, depression and hope of a football club, during a season that it will struggle. Viewers will no doubt find the coach's address to his players before, during and after a game the focal point of this film. What we are left with is powerful speeches that will fuel our emotions. The language used by the people in it will stick in the minds of the viewer as it is unscripted and as-it-happened.
Take a step back and realise that the filmmakers had absolutely no idea what kind of year ahead the club was going to have. There is no narrator or voice-over, which leaves out such bias viewpoint as in other documentaries.
The score is excellent. An anthem which represents all the emotions shown, with a melody that spins off from the club song 'Sons of the 'Scray'. Pay particular attention to the closing credits, it features the Footscray stripes fading into black to the tune of the club song, in a coal miner's brass band style. It's also the last time we get to see the Bulldogs go by a proper name, Footscray.
What really makes 'Year of the Dogs' exceptional is the fact it has captured the mood and unscripted language of people, and through the use of music, camera-work and editing, at times gives it all the makings of a Hollywood movie.
This documentary was released the year after it was filmed, in 1997, fueling the Bulldogs almost fairy tale season of that year as they were approaching the finals. A film delivered at a time when no team had reached a Grand Final after finishing as low as fifteenth in the previous season. But the fairy tale was not to be. The Bulldogs stumbled in the final quarter of the preliminary final which would be their worst loss in memory.