Beautiful Kate

There are many good things about this film. It unsentimentally depicts the harshness and bareness of outback farm life in Australia. It has some highly creditable performances from some top Aussie actors. The cinematography does justice to the setting.

The problem is the story. Instead of following through on a psychological exploration of some forbidden desires and their roots in this remote community, which is invited so longingly by the scenario, it contents itself with yet another portrayal of the struggle between a tyrannical old bastard of a father and his surviving son, whom he devalues. Both father and son conspire to turn their backs in denial of what could have been a revolutionary turn of events to match, gee, I don't know, Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf or The Homecoming.

A missed opportunity.

I have mixed feelings about this one. It gives a real taste of the harshness of outback farm life in Australia, and it is certainly well directed and produced. The acting performances are convincing, though the character of Toni seems a little over the top, or even unnecessary to the story. Speaking of which; the story is the weakness here. What could have been a psychological drama tracing taboo desires and their roots is instead allowed to develop into a father vs son struggle that we've seen too many times before.

Overall: dark, fascinating, challenging, but let down in the end by a plot without the depth to really carry it over the line. Worth watching though.

I saw this film over a week ago, and it still stays with me, almost haunts me. Tex Perkins' soundtrack was perfect, and like the images, will hang around you for days, perhaps weeks.

The subject matter is not pretty, and may be confronting to many, but in my experience it is not terribly unusual or unexpected, given the remoteness of the family farm. Accolades must go to the cast - Ben Mendelsohn, Bryan Brown, Rachel Griffiths (deliberately dowdy in this)and the amazing Sophie Lowe as Kate. The Flinders Ranges in South Australia also has a major role, and performs well - beautiful, remote, dangerous and overwhelming, a bit like the underlying secret which gets addressed during the course of the film.

This is the story of a family secret, hidden (but not forgotten) for 20 years, and the final revelations are stark and shocking. The cinematography and editing are truly inspiring, and I was thrilled to see such a fine piece of film-making. Top credit however must go to Rachel Ward - Director, writer (adapted from the novel)- as this is her movie, and she deserves every one of the awards that this movie is sure to receive. As a piece of art - which it is - this film will move you, even if it makes your skin crawl, or you find yourself wriggling in your seat. For the experience alone, this film is worth seeing.

Let me start by saying that Beautiful Kate is an acquired taste. I believe that it's a movie that'll either shock you or enthrall you. This will depend on how attached you can become to a film. If you are not one of those people, then you'll still find an interesting, yet disturbing, flick.

If you are one of those 'attached' people, like me, then you will find an unexpected masterpiece.

Technically, there is a lot of impressive stuff here. The direction, editing, production and cinematography are most impressive. The editing is the notable mention for the way in which the film blends together different timelines in such a seamless manner. So while the director performs brilliantly, I think it's the editing team who should step forward and take the final bow for creating something so cohesive. But South Australia must also take a bow for providing some spectacular backdrops which you will get to see as the movie progresses.

I think Kate will go down as a critics' favourite and I hope to see it win big at awards. Australia is the place to be for art-house films these days. Beautiful Kate is the pinnacle of modern Australian movies. In recent years we've seen the quality of Australian storytelling from 'Ten Canoes' all the way through to the likes of 'Kenny'.

If you liked this, then I thoroughly recommend you also see 'Last Ride' with Hugo Weaving.

To summarise, Beautiful Kate's dark subject matter is superbly crafted with technical and artistic skill that will lead you on a roller-coaster of emotion. Unforgettable. 10/10

Ned Kendall (Ben Mendelsohn) has come back to the family home with young wannabe actress Toni (Maeve Dermody) after 20 years of absence. He must come to terms with his dying father Bruce (Bryan Brown), and resolve the death of his twin sister Kate (Sophie Lowe). There he finds his sister Sally (Rachel Griffiths) dutifully taking care of their mean spirited father in their old crumbling farm that is soon to be lost to the bank. Much of this movie goes into flashback mode. It's a much more compelling story in the past due mostly to Sophie Lowe's enigmatic performance. The present story is much more depressed, and it struggles under the weight of buried anger. There is a mystery of the family's past. There are deaths not talked about. The present day needs some more energy.