MOVIE REVIEW … ANIMAL KINGDOM

MOVIE REVIEW …

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Animal Kingdom is the latest in a long line of Australian productions exploring the dodgy dealings of criminals.  It could almost be called an exploitation film as it rides on the coat-tails of the various crime related shows clogging television screens.  Whether audiences want to pay what they already see for free is another question, although it thrives due to its performances.  It’s this quality which distinguishes itself from the many dramas extending their fifteen minutes of infamy.

After his mother dies, Josh (James Frecheville) is sent to live with his grandmother Janine (Jacki Weaver).   With her are sons Andrew (Ben Mendelsohn), Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) and Darren (Luke Ford).  All are part of drug trafficking gang which includes Andrew’s friend Barry (Joel Edgerton).  When one of them is brutally slain, the tensions between them and the police ignite.  Waiting to pounce is senior homicide detective Nathan (Guy Pearce) who looks to Josh to unfurl the crooked familial dynamics.  With opposing sides at war, Josh’s new life threatens to tear asunder from the animalistic nature of gang warfare.

 Written and directed by David Michod, Animal Kingdom attempts to add to a heavily saturated genre.  In some ways a risky move as one would assume everything has already been told.  However he brings offers something new in examining the structure of a crime family who exist in a vacuum of mistrust and violence.  This is keenly felt with Andrew whose motivations are driven by the next deal and what his family can do for him.  In Josh he sees a potential new acolyte to his ways with their family ties creating an instant connection.  These elements are well conveyed by a mostly strong cast and involving script despite Michod's lacklustre direction.

 Very little tension is created due to his low key approach as the story demands a more dramatic touch.  Where there should be thumping urgency is replaced by slow pacing.  This miscue is matched by Frecheville's performance which is less than memorable.  His wooden delivery of lines almost derails Mendelsohn's and Weaver's sublime work. It's very difficult following a central character rendered so ineffectively where a more experienced hand would have been better.  Despite these less than pleasing aspects, the screenplay's strengths manage to surface as its' compelling tale reaches an unexpected conclusion

Although copying a template used dozens of times, Animal Kingdom feels fresh.  If the material hadn't been so mis-handled it could have been a winner, although as is it's still diverting enough to over-shadow memories of more expensive but less engaging crime dramas.

Movie Review Rating  6 / 10

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

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