Ivan Sen's unflinching, insightful film about Aboriginal life in rural Australia features a revelatory central peformance from Aaron Pedersen
Aboriginal detective Joe Swan, returned to his small town after a stint in the city, finds himself investigating the murder of a teenaged Aboriginal girl in this crime thriller by ambitious, independent filmmaker Ivan Sen. As the town's secrets are unravelled, a sometimes awkward plot is eclipsed by Sen's cinematic craft, stellar performances and insights about the intricacies of race relations in rural Australia. This subject matter can be often piously handled but thanks to Sen's deft touch, here the more difficult political messages do not patronise the audience.
Swan's personal choices, which have left him estranged from his daughter and created a complex, bitter relationship with her mother, are also symptomatic of his relationship with the broader Aboriginal community. He has returned to a town in which he is now a complete outsider.
Aboriginal detective Joe Swan, returned to his small town after a stint in the city, finds himself investigating the murder of a teenaged Aboriginal girl in this crime thriller by ambitious, independent filmmaker Ivan Sen. As the town's secrets are unravelled, a sometimes awkward plot is eclipsed by Sen's cinematic craft, stellar performances and insights about the intricacies of race relations in rural Australia. This subject matter can be often piously handled but thanks to Sen's deft touch, here the more difficult political messages do not patronise the audience.
Swan's personal choices, which have left him estranged from his daughter and created a complex, bitter relationship with her mother, are also symptomatic of his relationship with the broader Aboriginal community. He has returned to a town in which he is now a complete outsider.
- 6/6/2013
- by Larissa Behrendt
- The Guardian - Film News
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