Directed by Rachel Ward
Well-known Australian actress Rachel Ward describes her first feature film, which is based on a novel by American author Newton Thornburg, as a ‘gothic love story’. Speaking at the Perth launch of her fantastic film, she said that she enjoyed exploring the grey areas of morality and the circumstances that blur the boundaries between concepts of right and wrong. Exploring the sexual awakening of three teenagers growing up in isolation from the rest of the world, her absolutely mesmerising film does exactly that. Unfortunately, to reveal all the twists and turns of the plot would detract from the journey of self-discovery that the audience takes as they discover their grey areas and boundaries.
After a twenty year absence, Ned (Ben Mendelsohn) returns to the isolated family farm where younger sister Sally (Rachel Griffiths) is looking after their dying father (Bryan Brown). Although he is accompanied by his young girlfriend Toni (a very provocative Mauve Dermody), Ned shuts himself away in the old school room and writes down the memories that he has put on hold for the last twenty years. Full of antagonism for his father, he picks away at the scabs of the past while the present constantly intrudes. The unmistakable Australian landscape amplifies the narration as flashbacks to the lush pastures of the past contrast to the drought-stricken present.
Kate (Sophie Lowe) is (or more accurately was) beautiful, a beautiful sixteen year old girl with a free spirit who was Ned’s twin sister. Her death, along with that of his older brother, is what made Ned flee to the city but no amount of distance or time has been able to resolve the guilt he harbours. This is an extremely powerful and confronting film that does journey towards reconciliation and redemption, but stops short of absolutely forgiving the characters.
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