By Rama Gaind
Every once in a while you see film that leaves a lasting impression. ‘Animal Kingdom’ (Madman Entertainment) is just such an example.
There is a certain fascination with the criminal aspects of the underworld, but the way it is portrayed here, together with the events, is totally gripping. This is a very good Australian film that is intelligently presented.
The tense battle between a dangerous criminal family and the police has some menacing moments.
This powerful psychological crime drama sees armed robber Pope Cody (Ben Mendelsohn)in hiding amd on the run from a gang of renegade detectives who want him dead. His business partner and best friend, Barry ‘Baz’ Brown (Joel Edgerton), wants out of the game, recognising that their days of old-school banditry are all but over. Pope’s younger brother, the speed-addicted and volatile Craig Cody (Sullivan Stapleton), is making a fortune in the illicit substances trade – the true cash cow of the modern criminal fraternity – whilst the youngest Cody brother, Darren (Luke Ford), naively navigates his way through the criminal world – the only world his family has ever known.
Into this world arrives their nephew, Joshua ‘J’ Cody (James Frecheville) after the death of his mother.
Under the watchful eye of his doting grandmother, Janine, better known as Smurf (Jacki Weaver), J finds himself at the centre of a cold-blooded revenge plot that turns the family upside down, threatening to also entangle his girlfriend, Nicky (Laura Wheelwright).
It doesn’t take long for J to realise that in order to survive the brutal animal kingdom he has to work smartly.
Nathan Leckie (Guy Pearce) is one senior policeman who has to lure J into the police fold and shepherd him through a complex minefield of witness protection, corrupt cops, slippery layers and a paranoid and vengeful underworld.
Making an auspicious debut, writer-director David Michod provides a suspense-filled, engrossing study of the collapse of a family of criminals.
All the actors, literally, give superb performances particularly Jacki Weaver.
Adam Arkapaw has shot the film well, it has been tightly edited by Luke Doolan and the music by Antony Partos is a revelation.
Even the special features of this DVD are informative.
Further accolades are bound to be bestowed on this film: ‘Animal Kingdom’ has received a record number of 2010 AFI award nominations. It has taken out a total of 18 nominations across all major feature film categories – a record achievement
The 2010 Samsung Mobile AFI Awards winners will be announced in a ceremony at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne on December 10 and 11.
