Review: Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom

James Frenchville plays 17-year-old Joshua “J” Cody

By Adam Keleman

The low down in the down under

As part of the recent upsurge in rousing cinema from the land down under, writer-director David Michod’s Animal Kingdom proves to be a tense, masterly orchestrated crime thriller, showcasing the Melbourne suburbs in a wholly different light than American audiences have seen before. A fiercely confident debut, the film delves into the psyche of a young boy caught between the interests of his family and doing what is right, while richly portraying the ruthless hierarchy that exists in the crime world and, to an extent, nature itself.

The Cody clan, a feisty, animated bunch of drug-dealing thieves and murderers, has violently ruled the Melbourne streets for years, much to the dismay of the local police force. In its current state, however, the family is beginning to show signs of weakness, as each member is picked off one by one by the police, their once-firm grip on the land tested. In the film’s unexpected first scene, one seemingly straight out of a Tarantino flick, 17-year-old Joshua “J” Cody (James Frenchville), a lanky mumbler, sits next to his drugged-up mother on the couch, awaiting EMTs to revive her. What is usually a harrowing event proves instead to be a routine moment for the young, emotionally vacant boy. When she dies, “J” rings up his peculiarly affectionate grandmother, who arrives immediately to pick him up. However, we can sense the distance between the two, as Joshua asks over the phone if she remembers where he lives.

When the teenager arrives to his grandmother’s home, his voiceover introduces a family friend and business partner, Barry (Joel Edgerton) as well as his handsomely brawny, tattooed uncle, Craig (Sullivan Stapleton), and his quiet youngest uncle, Darren (Luke Ford). The audience soon comprehends that this house is actually a crime den, as Barry counts his money and a drugged-up Craig runs around the house like a lightning-bolt, shouting expletives. Still, it isn’t until uncle Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) enters the picture later that we fully start to perceive how volatile the family is. One skillfully realized shot finds Pope and Craig playfully wrestling on the couch as Michod slowly zooms in and the paralyzing, haunting score takes over, thoroughly illustrating the savage and animalistic nature of the family.

The driving force of the story takes shape when Guy Pearce’s character, a genial police inspector, enters the picture, hoping to lure “J” from his family and persuade him to testify in court. “J” is now stuck in a precarious position, having to constantly reaffirm his loyalty to the only family he has left, though hardly knows, while appeasing the cop who is always showing up on his doorstep. In the end, the naïve kid must quickly make a decision about whom he trusts more, his family of deceiving cons or the possibly corrupt police.

What is absolutely terrifying about Kingdom is how Michod refuses to show direct gun violence, only revealing the sound of the bang and the image of blood splattering after a shot is fired, forcing the viewer to fill in the blank with unseen, electrifying action. It is a choice that exemplifies classically taut cinema. However, the director’s clear strength lies in his use of cinematic imagery to consistently establish the tone and mood of the film. There is an incredible close-up of flies hovering over the bullet-ridden body of one of the uncles in a grassy field, a sequence fully mimicking the primitive hunt of prey and the remaining, lifeless carcass.

There are times Michod’s filmmaking style remarkably suggests the cinematic height of legendary auteur Martin Scorsese, exquisitely bringing together pace, mood, and sound. When “J” and his girlfriend fall asleep on the couch, the camera slowly pans around to find Pope quietly observing the young couple as the Air Supply song “All Out of Love” blares from the television. It is a moment that humanizes Pope’s unpredictable, underhanded character, as he lusts for the young girl like any other lonely man would.

Animal Kingdom hits theatres on August 13th. Visit www.animalkingdomthefilm.com.au for more information.

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