Last Train to Freo

I wasn't sure what to expect and originally watched this movie because I like just about anything with Gigi Edgley in it. I wasn't disappointed at all. This movie starts out in what seems a slow and sluggish way but the eventual twists and turns make it all worthwhile. It was an excellent character study piece. It really isn't a movie for the younger crowd because of the adult situations. But then, I guess compared to HollyWould movies this is rather tame. It is just that the acting and situations build to a crescendo towards the end and present the subject matter in a very visceral way. It will have you on the edge of your seat towards the end. The casting couldn't have been better, the acting was great, and the direction was excellent. It is a drama/thriller extraordinaire.

I got this movie out as a DVD recently, not knowing anything about it or the actors/director. My interest was due to the fact that it is set in Perth, where I'm from. It's a great small budget film in which all the action takes place on a train. The actors, especially the lead - the tall thug, are excellent and the script quite confronting, with snippets of humor throughout. The storyline is quite believable for anyone who's been even briefly annoyed with idiots/anti-social members of society acting-up on trains. My wife and I sat transfixed for the entire movie, which is pretty unusual. I certainly recommend this movie, although not if in the mood for a light, fluffy feel-good experience!

Five people on a train for an hour and a half, how good can it be? Well, considering my rating, I'd say pretty good. To tell you the truth, I just watched this because Gigi Edgley was in it (I love her), and my expectations weren't really that high. Just a few minutes in I was pretty sure I had nothing to worry about. With most movies nowadays (at least the ones that reach me) focusing on action and hi-tech stuff, this movie felt really refreshing. Even though it begins pretty light, with two guys just having fun (well, at least one of them) on the train, it gets increasingly darker and more complex with every minute. No one is really what they seem to be, and several plot twists were truly unexpected. As was the ending. Speaking of which, by the time you get there you'll have no idea what will happen. That's a feeling lacking in most contemporary movies. I mean, the good guys always win, right? But what if there is no good guy? No bad guy? Just people. Real people.

And if you're too lazy to read all that, then at least read this: Watch this movie. You'll be positively surprised. If not, send me an e-mail and I'll buy you a beer. Or something.

This was an interesting film with some unusual elements. It's a story in real time and it has some real tension to it. I thought the characters were going to be caricatures, but was pleasantly surprised to find that mostly they were authentic.

The film is based on a play, and at times this seemed evident (particularly the weaknesses). But because the story was original and different, it had a freshness and vitality to it.

There were some minor contrivances and implausibilities in the first hour that I could easily overlook because of the strength of the performances and the genuine tension. The setting within an all but deserted train carriage was claustrophobic and chilling. For me, the film took a turn for the worse after an hour, that lead to aspects that just didn't ring true.

Overall, it was a job well done by Jeremy Sims as first-time director, and worth seeing in one of the best years in Australian cinema for a very long time. There's been a great diversity of interesting stories. From the actors, I found the performances of Steve Le Marquand, Tom Budge and Gillian Jones the strongest. Gigi Edgeley was good but not consistent (perhaps that's the fault of the script).

On a final note, for the life of me, I can't understand the Office of Film and Literature Classification's "MA" (equivalent to "R" in the US) on this film. Yes, there is a little violence and coarse language – but with the Hollywood shoot-em-ups that get through on an "M" rating, I can't see why this shouldn't also.

This is a hidden gem of a film, one that I sadly missed at the theatre. Shot entirely in one carriage of a suburban train with only a few characters, it is almost entirely driven by crackling dialogue - no doubt both a legacy of the story's origin as stage play.

The stand out of the film is a tour de force performance by Steve Le Marquand as the 'tall thug'. His swaggering, menacing, compelling performance is captivating to watch. He is well supported by Gigi Edgely who pulls off a difficult role with panache. The storyline twists and turns, and they mostly pull off what could easily have descended into farce.

It's really all about Le Marquand though, who provides his character with megawatts of charisma, and it's remarkable that this spellbinding performance has not seen him picked up for starring roles in larger films.

All in all an excellent film, well worth watching.