The Rage in Placid Lake, dir. Tony McNamara, 2003.
The Rage in Placid Lake.
Dir. Tony McNamara. 2003.
I'm not a big fan of Australian cinema, which might sound odd considering that I am Australian. The thing of it is, is that I tend to find film made in my own country to be trying too hard to be 'artsy' and 'avant garde' and 'out there' in some way. Frequently, Australian cinema tries to be overly clever. This is not to say that there aren't Australian films that I don't like, because there are quite a few that I love, but I'm far more cynical about Australian cinema than other nations.
I'll admit I wasn't expecting a lot from this one. Starring Rose Byrne, Ben Lee (yes, the singer), Miranda Richardson and Garry McDonald, 'The Rage in Placid Lake' is about Placid, (Lee), son of hippy parents (Richardson and McDonald), who is trying desperately to rebel against them and their hippy lifestyle. He's in love with his best friend who is also a certified child prodigy and she constantly snubs him while he sets about his path of rebellion after jumping off the roof of their high school.
Placid's form of rebellion? He becomes an insurance salesman, much to the despair and horror of his very hippy parents, who encourage him to quit his job, go to poetry readings, protest against the state and smoke a lot of pot. Placid has had quite enough of being, well, placid, and simply enduring what life serves him, whether it be acting as the communicator between parents not willing to talk to each other while in the same room, or putting up with school bullies. His first act of rebellion is to show a film that captures the people at his school and his parents at their absolute worst (they have no idea they're being filmed), his second is to jump off the school building, his third, after recuperating from having broken every bone in his body, is to get fitted for a suit, get a George W. Bush haircut and become an insurance salesman. All the while, trying to impress his best friend with whom he is hopelessly in love.
It's a quirky, enjoyable little film, a slice of Australian suburbia that is completely over the top in some parts and quite true to life in others. While it won't be a must rewatch by any means, it certainly was entertaining enough to amuse and engross me. If quirky little films are your thing, you'll love this.
Dir. Tony McNamara. 2003.
I'm not a big fan of Australian cinema, which might sound odd considering that I am Australian. The thing of it is, is that I tend to find film made in my own country to be trying too hard to be 'artsy' and 'avant garde' and 'out there' in some way. Frequently, Australian cinema tries to be overly clever. This is not to say that there aren't Australian films that I don't like, because there are quite a few that I love, but I'm far more cynical about Australian cinema than other nations.
I'll admit I wasn't expecting a lot from this one. Starring Rose Byrne, Ben Lee (yes, the singer), Miranda Richardson and Garry McDonald, 'The Rage in Placid Lake' is about Placid, (Lee), son of hippy parents (Richardson and McDonald), who is trying desperately to rebel against them and their hippy lifestyle. He's in love with his best friend who is also a certified child prodigy and she constantly snubs him while he sets about his path of rebellion after jumping off the roof of their high school.
Placid's form of rebellion? He becomes an insurance salesman, much to the despair and horror of his very hippy parents, who encourage him to quit his job, go to poetry readings, protest against the state and smoke a lot of pot. Placid has had quite enough of being, well, placid, and simply enduring what life serves him, whether it be acting as the communicator between parents not willing to talk to each other while in the same room, or putting up with school bullies. His first act of rebellion is to show a film that captures the people at his school and his parents at their absolute worst (they have no idea they're being filmed), his second is to jump off the school building, his third, after recuperating from having broken every bone in his body, is to get fitted for a suit, get a George W. Bush haircut and become an insurance salesman. All the while, trying to impress his best friend with whom he is hopelessly in love.
It's a quirky, enjoyable little film, a slice of Australian suburbia that is completely over the top in some parts and quite true to life in others. While it won't be a must rewatch by any means, it certainly was entertaining enough to amuse and engross me. If quirky little films are your thing, you'll love this.