I arrived in Sydney at 9.00 a.m. to check out this year's Sydney Film Festival. If there was ever the perfect day for cinema-going it was today with heavy rain all day. The rain was so intense that you got soaked just moving from venue to venue.
I managed to get from the Sydney airport to the first screening that was 10.00 a.m.
Heartbeats (2010), Canada, filmed in Montreal and French language film, directed by 21 year old Xavier Oliver (his second feature film) who delivers a dreamy and brilliantly executed romantic story with a twist.
Marie (Monia Chokri) and Francis (Xavier Oliver), two best friends who fall in love with the same guy, Nicolas (Neils Schneider). They both become good friends with Nicolas and they formed unique friendships. They send plenty time with Nicolas and neither Marie or Francis know where their relationships actually stands with Nicolas. Oliver constructs a beautiful scenes and peels back the layers of Marie and Francis lives, as both continue in unsatisfying sexual relationship with other people. While their own friendship suffers as they compete with each other for Nicolas attention. Unfortunately, Nicolas never really gives a hint about his true feelings for his friends which causes huge frustrations for his suitors. They both find different ways to confess their true feelings to Nicolas.
Heartbeats has a perfect tone and style which will immerse audiences into this enchanting film.
Red Hill (2010), Australia, is a modern day take on the western genre. Patrick Hughes, director, attempts to revitalise the western genre by transplanting the concept into a current day high country Victorian town. A new policeman, Shane Cooper (Ryan Kwanten), arrives in the decaying town with his new work colleagues showing very little hospitality toward himself. The town is presided over by the charismatic local Inspector, Old Bill (Steve Bisley), who quickly puts his new recruit into place while learning about his new work environment. The town is thrown into turmoil when news arrives that a prisoner has broken out of a jail and is a former resident, convicted of a murder in town decades ago. The law goes on high alert as they wait for the ex-resident to return seek vengeance against his enemy. The film is well acted and staged, but falls down horrible in the believability stakes as this film requires the audience to switch off every brain cell to get this plot by. As piece of action and entertainment, this film is great, but the quality of story, characters and believability stakes it's a big failure.w
Red Hill is a genre film that feels like it should have been made in the 80's, where it's weakness wouldn't have been such an issue with today's audiences who are a whole lot more savvy. Hughes also introduces an extra story element (well known urban myth in Australia) which feels out of place in this film and adds nothing to the story. A special mention for the performance by Tommy Lewis as Jimmy Conway, the escaped prisoner hell bent on revenge delivers a memorable portrayal that will potentially make Red Hill a cult classic.
Red Hill as pure popcorn entertainment is an amazing effort considering the films limited budget and forgiving the film's short comings will make it an enjoyable visit to the cinema.
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