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Reviews
Alien Visitor (1996)
Intelligent and charming sf
Epsilon proves that science fiction need not be only about huge special effects, cross marketing and vapid story lines. (Don't get me wrong, I like these things to, they just aren't essential)
This film has an incredible heart, a storyline which while fairly simple is nonetheless thoughtprovoking and powerfully emotional, some fantastic performances from The Man and She, who are under the camera in every scene and shine and beautiful cinematography.
Rolf de Heer is like an Oz Cohen brother, he has put his hand to a wide variety of genres of film and never once failed to deliver a masterpiece (or near masterpiece)
It may be hard to find this film and you may find it a little slow to begin with, but just let it draw you in and feel your consciousness evolve. (Ok, that maybe a little over the top but it is pretty profound)
Spirits of the Air: Gremlins of the Clouds (1987)
Like a dream, some things can only be experienced to understand
This film has some of the most beautiful imagery and haunting music ever. (Not to overstate it or anything) A three hander set in a post apocalyptic Oz outback (but one which is wildly more fantastical than Mad Max), Spirits of the Air tells the story of Smith, a stranger on the run who happens upon Felix and Betty, far into the desert.
All around them are amazing images of cars buried into the ground like totems, huge flags blowing madly in the desert wind and their house itself is of the old oz pioneer style but decorated everywhere with crucifixes. Felix is an inventor obsessed with flight and making a glider, an obsession which has already left him in a wheel chair. Betty is one of the truly great film characters, just an absolute tripper - I can't describe her but the performance is a delight.
This is not a fast film, it is not action packed but is intense - the imagery and art direction are beautiful, the writing is distinct and very Australian but still universal, the soundtrack is haunting (a lot of windsound montages with a simple tune used to great effect) and the performances are both real and surreal.
Until you see this film (and for those who have enjoyed the increasingly brilliant work of Alex Proyas, you really should) you won't know what you are missing.
(By the way, to the @$#%ing mongrel who stole my Japanese import copy of the soundtrack on CD may you be locked in a room with Betty for a very long time)
The Price of Milk (2000)
A beautiful and dare I say quirky modern fairy tale
The Price of Milk is a delight of a film. It is beautifully shot, the story moseys along and is most engaging with its utterly surreal twists and turns leaving you in a modern fantasy land for the whole experience. The classical score meshes nicely with the story (and is I understand the actual inspiration of it).
The characters (whilst being very individual) seem like stock fairy tale characters but do have the depth they need to carry the story along - I would perhaps say that they are 2.5 dimensional - and everyone is just so nice.
The performances are just right, not too over the top considering that these people find themselves in some decidedly out there situations. >
A Wreck, a Tangle (2000)
A snappy addition to the junkie/psycho drama subgenre.
This isn't a film that is easily classified, junkie/psycho drama is as close as I can come to it but it is both less and more than this. The story is definitely engaging, moving along in fits and starts which could be distracting but in this case seemed quite real - it would be easy to draw some comparisons to Go and Trainspotting in style but this is by no means a derivative film.
Essentially a charming and educated junkie couple ("we prefer chemically dependant") run into a nice well to do 30 something couple and end up staying with them - first for a night, then a week and then for too long.
Everyone has an agenda and these are presented realistically - sometimes people do things that make you wonder why but thats like life really.
The script is tight and literate and the performances of the main characters are mostly believable as their lives intertwine and all affect each other.
Nicely shot, well cut and directed, this is a confident film which makes good use of scientific themes and stock footage.