Australia has been criticized for only doing two types of films well: the quirky comedy such as Strictly Ballroom, Priscilla or Crocodile Dundee, and the hardened drama that centres around crime such as Two Hands, Noise and Lantana. Animal Kingdom firmly sits in the second category and while lacking the humour of those mentioned, it makes up for it with some shockingly bleak scenes.

It’s not an easy watch, but film doesn’t exist to make you feel good, it exists to make you feel and with some of the most disgusting and cold actions justified by all too familiar human logic and emotions, it’s a sledgehammer of a picture that needs to be endured. The characters in this film actually go so far and are so self-serving, and such servants to their urges that in the end they are much more animal than human, especially Ben Mendelsohn, who turns in one of the creepiest performances in Australia cinema history.

SPONSOR

This is not an enjoyable film, but it is excellent. Immediately after watching Samson and Delilah, I thought it was awful. Exactly because I thought it was awful, a week later I’m convinced it’s brilliant. There are many different types of films. Some are immensely entertaining, but immediately forgettable. Like Avatar. Others stick with you, no matter how much you wish they wouldn’t, because they show you a truth about the world that you wish wasn’t so spot on. Samson and Delilah is based around the real-life experiences of director Warwick Thornton and present a part of Australia that most people, myself included, suspected existed, but really wish it didn’t. Now, what the hell do we do about it?

For a small country so close to Australia, so many of us know way too little about East Timor. Balibo makes it clear that the small nation was invaded by the Indonesians over thirty years ago, while Australia let it happen. This well paced, passionately acted portrayal of the events centres around the death of five young Australian journalists. Experienced Australian journalist Roger East tries to find out what happened to them, with the help of Jose Ramos Horta, who is still a pertinent figure in East Timorese politics. Anthony Lapaglia gives a spirited performance as East, who at one point comments, “Thousand of little brown people die; nobody back home (in Australia) is going to care. But five Australian journalists are killed and that’s front page news.” Which helps explain why their deaths were kept covered up for three decades. [read about more Australian pop culture at The Colour]

An Australian film that focuses on the hardships suffered by a typical lower-class family. I can feel you cringe, but there’s no need. This isn’t another clanger that relies on clichés and lame jokes, that portrays average Australians as simple and backward. Here are intelligent, warm, loving people struggling with a series of hardships with individuality, honesty and strength.

Many previous films have tried and failed to capture a particularly Australian aesthetic, and this picture succeeds because it is non-judgmental about the characters and their choices, instead choosing only to relay to us their actions. If you’re sick of seeing the same tired formula and need a break from flawless bodies, explosions and romantic clichés, search out this film. For another standout Australian picture, also check out writer-director Sarah Watt’s previous effort Look Both Ways.

Much more than just another surf movie, this is the previously untold story of surfing. Before four Australians and two South Africans arrived in Hawaii with the goal of starting a world surfing circuit, surfing was simply a hobby. These six had the idea of making it a full time profession and since surfing is now a multi-billion dollar industry, it is safe to say they succeeded. While they revolutionised the sport with new equipment, moves, style and an enthusiasm that bordered on lunacy, not everyone was happy with the exposure.

As the profile of the sport was exploding, the Hawaiians were not entirely taken with the brashness of the new breed that resulted in death threats and physical beatings. Using documentary footage along with interviews with many of the main players and some present day surfers this documentary combines some amazing footage with a well-told story narrated by Edward Norton. The scenery and waves make for amazing scenery, and anecdotes of how little money the first professional surfers survived on illustrate just how hard they had to fight for the sport. Currently the film is touring around the world.

SPONSOR

A couple on the run from the police are forced to take refuge with a rich agoraphobic man in country Australia. Frequent visits to the property from local police, a visibly unhinged male lead, and questions from the past keep more than enough tension and twists coming during this surprisingly good film. In recent decades, too many Australian films have been preoccupied with exploiting a perceived and often clichéd Australian aesthetic. With Restraint, the Australian film industry proves it has the acting, writing and directing talent to produce a taut and compelling thriller on a par with the bigger budgets and names coming out of Hollywood. The tension is cleverly teased out from several angles, using the mental illness of the captive, sexual innuendo and the class divide between those on the run and the well-educated man they have taken prisoner. By placing the criminals at the centre of the action and questioning the past of the captive, the film also leaves the audience unsure where to place their empathy, creating further tension and interest, as well as playing with the regular villain-hero dynamic.

When a son returns home to a sleepy South Australian town for the Christening of his half-sister, he finds his brother suffering from depression and his father and stepmother struggling to cope. This picture isn’t hilarious, action-packed, or at all revolutionary. But is a brilliantly told story of how the lauded traits among males can have disastrous consequences. It is typically Australian, with heavy drinking, barbecues and a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. But when things aren’t fine, the characters are forced to develop, pushing the piece into compelling and layered narrative territory. Instead of simply painting the typical male, that male is taken, twisted and bent through struggle and conflict to show that underneath the clichéd shell, there is a real human inside everyone.

Back at a time when the Australian film industry rivalled Iceland’s for inactivity, the first Australian films to hit American and British drive-ins featured some weird plots indeed. Split into three parts, covering sex, slasher and smash and crash, Not Quite Hollywood focuses on Australian exploitation films. It is argued that without these films, Australia might not have a film industry at all. The pure volume of footage cut together from different sources, along with interviews with those involved in production, harsh critics and fans, makes for a fascinating historical artifact. The volume of nudity, violence and gore that went into these films, plenty of which makes it to the documentary, also means it’s both entertaining and titillating. While the cultural creditability of many of these films remains questionable, it was a fascinating time in Australian cinema and this comprehensive, slicked edited documentary does it more than justice. Some scenes simply defy belief — such as that featuring a naked woman strapped to the front of a truck then driven around at high speeds.

A farmer that goes weeks without speaking to anyone comes across a traumatised woman who’s unable to speak English. He takes her in, caring for her despite the consequences. Instead of being worried about fitting into a particular genre, Unfinished Sky is instead a gripping story, wonderfully acted and intelligently shot. Initial scenes illustrate the loneliness, repetition and silence of the farmer’s life, along with the beauty and emptiness of the Australian landscape. The story develops quickly with enough twists to keep even the most jaded viewer intrigued. The subplots are also carefully constructed, and subtle imagery is used throughout to provide depth. A reminder of what can be achieved without a big budget or a star-studded cast, but instead a carefully written script, coupled with excellent direction. William McInnes, in the lead role reminds us again that while he might never have made an impact overseas, he is still one of the finest actors this country has ever produced. Almost makes you want to go out and rent old episodes of Blue Heelers. Almost.

SPONSOR

Drug addicted angels prostituting themselves, alcoholic angels, angels who work in soup kitchens, all trapped in purgatory. They had been sent down, or fallen, in an effort to bring back the light and save souls, but have failed. Gabriel is then the last hope of the light. Fairly standard action fare and despite a few twists, the ending is predictable. For a low budget Australian film though, Gabriel is an amazing achievement with enough surprises and inventive devices to make it worthwhile viewing. It’s a great reminder that you don’t need millions to make a decent action flick. Giving angels and demons guns and having them blow each other away looks cool, and the contact lenses used to show spirituality are freaky enough to be memorable. The city itself is then deliciously dark, wet and dirty. For once, this is an Australian film not obsessed with being Australian — a fine piece of escapist, fun but, ultimately, disposable cinema that keeps you engrossed for the duration, while leaving little for you to think about afterwards.

I don’t know what’s going on with me. My two favourite films of the last six months are about a bloke who can only move one eye and a suburban Australian family with an autistic son. I used to like action. These were not two films I was desperate to see and it proves that it’s not the story or number of explosions that makes a great film, but how it’s told. The Black Balloon succeeds where so many Australian films have failed as it is insightful and emotional without being clichéd. It does not shy away from the more confronting issues of mental illness and features some truly uncomfortable scenes handled with an honesty that makes them unforgettable. The characters themselves are also unrelentingly human, struggling in an extraordinarily difficult situation. And while they make mistakes, their good nature shines through. The suburban Australian town and its inhabitants are also lovingly shot, without the condescending eye common to similar films.