Sweet River

The movie follows a great idea, and could have been great for Australian cinema, however poor scripting and editing leaves the viewer totally baffled at times as to what is going on and how each scene adds to the story attempting to be told.

This movie went nowhere, massive anticlimax. Was extremely slow and had a lot of unnecessary scenes thrown in. Really disappointed since I had high hopes due to the acting.

Slow, boring film with no horror, scares, suspense or thrills. A mysterious British woman returns to a Northern New South Wales town searching to find out what happpened to her missing child. No one in the town recognises her except for the local town cop? A cast of Australian TV actors star with a Rebecca Gibney look a like British actress in this waste of a film budget and a good location.

Darn it. For the first half, this felt like it was building up to be a genuinely creepy horror-mystery, of which there are too few from Australia. Tension never really gets past the first notch, however, and midway through the second half, the vibe is that of a premise that hadn't fully been thought through by the writers, resulting in a flat conclusion that was no more than a less-than-subtle metaphor for grief. What then was the point of the supernatural elements? Nice cinematography, acting is more than commendable with believable characterisations by all involved, but overall this is just a time filler.

I can't understand the negative reviews for this film. It has a good story, is well produced and has an excellent cast. It is an Australian film, and perhaps overseas American audiences miss the subtlety of Australian culture and story telling. However, the film is far from boring.

What separates the film from the mundane done to death horror, is the subtle showing of ghosts. There are no silly monsters popping out, or OTT special effects.

The lead English actress was very good, and I think that it's very unfair to just compare her to a look alike Rebecca Gibney. Because she certainly brings a strong screen presence with her. The supporting cast are also strong, and each shine in their own way.

The film also sheds light on the small towns near the Tweed River. For anyone who has ever visited there, it certainly does have a spooky feel and an unusual atmosphere about it. The sugar canes, which are largely the livelihood of such towns grow tall and far reaching. It is also has interesting Artistic culture.

My only criticism would have been to show less of the lead characters return to alcoholism. While a significant story to tell there could have been half the amount of scenes of her drinking to paint the picture.

All in all an enjoyable watch and definitely well above your cliched horror film.