Reviewed by Kate Rodger
Sundance loved it, so did the New Zealand Film Festival.
Now the rest of us get to see why Animal Kingdom is the best film to come out of Australia in a very long time.
It’s the explosive story of a crime family in Melbourne – three brothers and their deceptively suburban matriarchal mother who welcomes her 17-year-old estranged grandson into the family fold.
We follow him as he tries to navigate the minefield of the family dynamic as the increasingly lawless armed robbery squad hunts the brothers down.
It is actually hard to believe watching Animal Kingdom on the big screen that this is a first-time outing for Australian director David Michôd, and it took him nine long years to bring it to the big screen.
The cast is a mix of the well-known and newcomers. Guy Pearce – sporting a rather scary moustache – is a detective trying to pin the bad guys using the ‘weakest link’ theory. He’s excellent, as usual.
This is a debut role for James Freshville in the lead, and while he seems like a blank canvas to start with, you soon realise how perfect that is. He’s definitely one to watch.
The two standouts here though are Ben Mendleson and Jacki Weaver.
While the performances are obviously key here, the real star is the story. In a day and age of regurgitating storylines, it is so incredibly refreshing to know you can still be taken by surprise.
My feelings about Animal Kingdom have not been secret. This was a near-perfect experience in the cinema for me. It’s a fresh gut-punch to the senses on so many levels, and from start to finish is incredibly compelling.
Five stars.
Animal Kingdom
:: Director: David Michôd
:: Starring: Ben Mendelsohn, Jacki Weaver, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, James Frecheville
:: Running Time: 112 mins
:: Rating: R16 – contains violence, offensive language and drug use
:: Release Date: September 16, 2010
:: Trailer: Watch here
