2 Filmmakers Review ANIMAL KINGDOM

The new Australian drama Animal Kingdom is a slow burning crime story that subjects its audience to serious amounts of suspense. It appears to be set during the height of the Melbourne Gang Wars. The Codys are under suspicion for a number of armed robberies and are being closely watched by some angry, bent coppers. The Codys develop a siege mentality and it's at this time that their nephew and cousin J is introduced to them.

J is Joshua Cody and his mother has just died. He needs a refuge and finds himself in the middle of the violence and madness of his criminal relatives. A lot of my discontent with this film had to do with choice of Frecheville as the lead character. He is mostly an observer and because of his recent tragedy he is almost silent with a grief he doesn't understand.

This makes J's character very much the mystery at the centre of the story. The Codys see him one way - as potential; a potential crim to help them with their illegal businesses; the police see him another way - as youthful informant who can help to bring the family to justice. Whatever J thinks is, for the most part, hidden from us. There is heavy use of voice over in the first few minutes, but mostly we have no idea what J is thinking or feeling. This makes his character less than compelling over the course of a feature film.

First time feature director David Michod has made a solid debut. The performances are uniformly excellent. However, the story telling is good in parts and muddled in others. On more than one occassion I found myself just drifiting with the story because the narrative force of the plot had disappeared. At this point, a grand and overpowering soundtrack usually did the emoting for me.

The film aims high. This is obvious in its frequent use of slow motion and in the analysis that J has of his uncles and his grandmother always 'living scared'. This is a critique of a certain mentality. The Codys are as flawed as the Soprano family and we are led to understand that despite their humour and loyalty, when cornered, the Codys will revert to jungle law. Which means no one, friends or family, is safe from them and their greed.

For audiences who like a crime drama with high production values, this film will deliver. I scored it 3/5.

Phil Jeng Kane

David Michod's directorial debut delves into the lives of a Melbourne crime family. Yes, another one.

Michod had already been working on the script for years before Underbelly hit the big time, and whilst this film has far more depth and layering than the television series, it has an episodic structure that impacts negatively on the tension required to sustain the drama.

When J's (James Frecheville) mother has a fatal heroine overdose, he is drawn into a criminal web led by grandmother Smurf (Jacqui Weaver), his three uncles and family friend Barry (Joel Edgerton). When J assists the brothers to murder two police officers, detectives waste no time in hauling the family in for questioning. Detective Leckie (Guy Pearce) sees J as the weak link in the family and tries to coerce him into betraying his family.

The casting of this film is superb - each performance is beautifully subtle and layered, Joel Edgerton was particularly electric as Barry Brown. Overall it's the length and structure of the film that lets it down.

Despite this, David Michod's directorial talent shines through and this is a fantastic first film. I can't wait for his next one. 3.5 out of 5

Liz Sideris