| Reference Type |
The Herald-Sun (Melbourne)
newspaper
|
| Title |
Leigh Paatsch Film Review |
| Chapter/Web article title |
South Solitary (M)Director : Shirley Barrett (Love Serenade)Starring : Miranda Otto, Martin Csokas, Barry Otto, Rohan Nicol, Essie Davis.Rating : ***Blissfully unaware of beacon havoc |
| Author(s) | Leigh Paatsch |
| State |
Unknown |
| Country |
Australia |
| Publication Date |
29-07-2010 |
| Citation Date |
02-05-2012 |
| Site URL |
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/movies/leigh-paatsch-film-review-south-solitary/story-e6frf8r6-1225898014980 |
| Comments |
This article written by Leigh Paatsch is typical of The Herald Sun; it is unappealing, negative towards Australian cinema, and above all unengaging. The article begins on a negative note putting doubt in the readers mind as to whether this film would be of any interest to anyone. The way in which it describes Shirley Barrett as brave suggests that all of her films have been similar and not necessarily successful and that her style is unique and not to all viewers liking. The use of negative words such as kidnap, strange, discomfort, shame all suggest to the reader within the first two paragraphs that the film will not be worth watching, this may be seen as a hidden clue towards the unsuccessful of the Australian film industry compared to the American. The information provided in the article does not seem to be well researched or at any rate comprehensive, it is brief and unpleasant. Very little interest and research seems to have been employed as the synopsis is simple and as if written by a viewer with no sense of the films actual themes or symbolism. In addition the language even shows this as it is simple and ignorant. It makes suggestions that the film is slow and irrelevant which sets ignores the writerâs whole intention and disregards all of the symbolism within the film. The article points out all the flaws which may be seen through the eyes of a shallow and blind individual. The article is a contrast to most others and is personally irrelevant to all aspects of my topic as it fails to recognise any of the unique Australian environments, and the raw and untouched nature of film making. I would certainly not recommend this article to anyone wishing to watch the film in the future as it may deter them from watching all together. |
| Synopsis |
Hard to imagine much of a queue forming for this quirky period piece.
Which is a shame, for South Solitaryâs Australian writer-director Shirley Barrett is one of the braver, self-styled filmmakers in this country.
As with her two previous works, the Cannes-winning Love Serenade and the under-rated Walk the Talk, Barrett kidnaps her audience to a strange, discomforting place, and exploits the advantage at every opportunity.
The film takes its name from its austere setting. South Solitary is a small and remote island adjacent to an infrequently used shipping lane off Australiaâs east coast. Less than ten people ever live here at any one time, and their only reason for doing so is to keep the regionâs only lighthouse going.
It is here, in 1928, that 35-year-old single woman Meredith (Miranda Otto) has come to start a new life. She is accompanying her crotchety uncle George (Barry Otto), an officious type who has taken over the running of the lighthouse.
The two new arrivals do not exactly receive a warm greeting from the incumbents, who thought they were doing a perfectly good job already.
Once the film establishes the stark nature of its forbidding locale, Barrett skilfully sets about charting the various tensions rippling through this tight-knit community.
Polite to a fault, Meredith invariably remains oblivious to the troubles afoot until it is way too late. An ill-fated affair with a married man (Rohan Nicol) and an uneasy relationship with a shell-shocked ex-soldier (Martin Csokas) are just two of many major mistakes Meredith will make during her stay.
Though beautifully acted and shot, South Solitary looks sure to be regarded as a decided acquired taste by many film goers. This is not because of its unfashionable subject matter, on which Barrett and her cast work hard to keep relevant and engaging.
No, the one undeniable flaw here is the looseness of the editing. At least half an hour could have whittled away without sacrificing too much of South Solitaryâs selective charm. |
tags:
add tag Please Wait...
|
|
|
| |
