A wonderful, independent Australian film. Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill and Hugo Weaving are the names we know, rounded out by a talented bunch o' aussies.
When I saw Jackie Chan Supercop, one of the best parts of that movie was the glimpses of rural China, not on a movie set. This movie caught some terrific everyday Australian vibe in a similar fashion. Subtle influences from the Pacific Rim, different foods, drink, and, dare I say it?Sport.
Heroin is the same all over.As much as I might dream of a society that accepts the Pursuit of Oblivion, the cold facts today, yesterday and tomorrow do not bode well for those caught in the dope web. This drug becomes the center of the world, a black hole with deep, personal gravity.
The neat part is that by the time the survival reflex/humanity/"will to live" kicks in one's life has spiraled so far down the climb out becomes the sentence.
Cate has nearly done her time in a video store and wants to put her life back together.
Her history, and her family's history are revealed slowly, while the tension mounts and forces circle. Sam Neill is terrific as a minor--but still Lord--druglord. He gets little screentime, but the sketches of the Sopranos trope twisted are remarkable.
This is not your geek friend's Agent Smith either.
This is no "New World", or "Requiem", but it is a fine film, highly recommended for the set that does not need a car crash or fart joke to enjoy a movie.
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