Watch the Sunset

I saw this fabulous Australian movie last night during the AACTA Film Festival. Whilst it was an intense & tragic tale, it was beautifully told and acted by all. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time & thourougly enjoyed the cinematography & music.

I stumbled across this Australian film on Stan, knowing nothing about it other that it was an Indie production. The performances from every actor on board were not only believable but faultless, especially the child actor. This film is very realistic and to think it was all done in one take is astounding! The work by the DOP was very clever especially at the motel using the reflection of the glass to capture a hectic moment.

The script was authentic and the plot was full of surprises which kept me glued to the screen. The fact that I am still thinking about this low budget film 24 hours later speaks volumes about all the team involved in the process. This may well be viewed as an Australian masterpiece in years to come.

Hailed as Australia's very first one-shot feature film, Watch the Sunset is an impressive example of boundary pushing independent filmmaking that heralds in some noteworthy talent in the form of co-directors and co-stars Tristan Barr and Michael Gosden and the films true MVP, cinematographer Damian Lipp.

Shot in the picturesque rural country town of Kerang, Sunset follows Barr's drug-addled bikie gang member Danny Biaro across a fateful 80 or so minutes as the tormented soul finds his breaking free of the ties to his gang The Bloodless Brothers anything but smooth sailing as his young daughter and on and off again partner are drawn into a dangerous game of life or death as Biaro must confront those he once saw as family.

There's nothing overly new or ground-breaking in this tale of a criminal seeking redemption and family connection after years of neglect and bad decisions but Barr and Gosden's ability to craft this narrative in a singular take ensures Sunset is never anything but captivating and while it's hard to form too much of a strong bond on a human level to those that come and go in the single take offering, Sunset grips the viewer from the opening 10 minutes and won't let you go until its impressively staged finale.

What makes this feat even more incredible is the fact these filmmakers constructed such a polished offering outside of big-studio and big budget backing and from everything from the performances that are led impressively by Barr in the lead role, the moody score by Richard Labrooy, through to the realism drenched and hard hitting dialogue, Sunset feels like a film made by a team of highly skilled and dedicated filmmakers that will surely be mainstays of local and overseas cinema in the years yet to come.

There's a care and professional that seeps out of every pour of the film, while at times its grimy, grungy and grainy, this is perfectly suited to a tale that deals with hard hitting issues, unafraid to showcase the pitfalls and problems that follow drug addicts around like a black dog, many unable to escape from its constant stalking and preying despite their best efforts.

While it doesn't make for mainstream feel-good entertainment, Sunset is the type of Australian production that is far too rare in today's current marketplace and for fans of local cinema and for those overseas cinephiles that are seeking quality foreign content, Sunset is a prime example of what can be achieved from our home grown talent and skill sets.

Final Say -

Both an impressive feat of filmmaking workmanship and hard hitting story-telling, Watch the Sunset is a stunning example of Australian film and a truly exciting calling card for all involved.

4 church choirs out of 5

'Watch the Sunset' is a gritty drama that showcases the talent of Tristan Barr in delivering Australia's first full-length feature film in one take. Danny (Tristan Barr) tries to escape his life as a Bikie Gang member after kidnapping the drugged Charis (Zia Zantis-Vinycomb) from a violent Shane (Aaron Walton). Danny then tries to repair his damaged relationship with the resistant Sally (Chelsea Zeller) so that the couple and their daughter, Joey (Annabelle Williamson) can runaway from Danny's former life.

Barr and Zeller play Danny and Sally well, with each performing their characters realistically and with depth. However, the screenplay leaves a little to be desired as problems do arise with Danny's past not being completely clear and large gaps in-between significant action as the main characters drive somewhere new. The large gaps of silence are filled by Richard Labrooy fantastic score and shrewd sound design by Steven Aram that weaves the music with the story and conversations expertly. The cinematography though sometimes jarring is incredibly innovative using the film locations to their highest potential.

This film is a fine edition to the Australian drama landscape and Tristan Barr has created a truly worthy film worthy of being Australia's first one-shot feature length movie.

I really enjoyed watching this film, although be warned it is confronting at times. The use of the one shot is a stroke of genius - massive kudos to the cinematographer - but is in no way gimmicky. It works beautifully with the story, and creates a deep investment in the characters. The performances are superb; these are real, relatable people and it is impossible not to empathise. The score is exceptional. An all round really great film; innovative, engaging and kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend watching it!