Animal Kingdom
There are actress and actors out there who spend their whole lives trying to achieve worldwide cinematic acclaim. They take the extra roles, the supporting parts and do anything to be a success in their field. Many people see Hollywood as end game and despite successes in small countries, people would often negate this when someone of a particular age transcends to the Academy and finds award winning fame. Only they are then told they are “Overnight successes” as if they haven’t been struggled for years. People such as Christoph Waltz and J.K Simmons are prime examples of this - the latter not foreign but you get the picture.
Anyway, of that list of people who skirted under the mainstream eye then exploded onto the screen is Jackie Weaver. She appears in the excellent The Voices, out on DVD this week, so it’s nice to celebrate her best work (“you totally stopped taking the pills”)- Animal Kingdom.
Imagine all the best Australian actors around at the moment, minus Chris Hemsworth, and you’ll probably get an idea of the collective talent that’s in Animal Kingdom. Inspired by the true story of the Pettingill family, who two prominent members were acquitted of the murder of two Victoria police officers, The Rover’s director David Michod directs a phenomenal film. By placing tension, intrigue and cold brutality in the heart of this family crime drama unlike any other, Michod has created a terrifying look at controlling relatives and their underhand ways. Starring Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce and the aforementioned Weaver, the movie sees the young J move in with his estranged family when his mother overdoses. Only, after corrupt cops shoot friend Baz, the family seek out revenge.
Smart and coolly paced, as the heated action romps around Melbourne. It showcases an extreme talent for not centring the tension on guns and explosions but rather on the turmoil between the family and the drug-laundering empire. From the immediate beginning, it is clear that no one in involved is looking for redemption and that intellectually adds depth to the characters and equally, the film. Redolently shot with this astute awareness of the grimy grit that comes with drug-pushers and murders, Michod centralises the drama within the relatives and, sometimes, the outside influences. Keeping it inside these figures and allowing them to quietly cause mayhem makes for an alluring piece.
The acting here is on point as each character is complex. Mendelsohn, who is one of he most vital actors we have at the moment and the world would do well to pay attention to his work, plays the leader Cody with this calm sinister elements yet with darker impulses and frustrations that boil. Luke Ford is stunning as Cody trying to find a side in all his madness whilst Sullivan Stapleton is naïve in his undertakings. However, none of these men have anything upon Weaver. As the Matriarch of the family, she gifts the screen with this looming presence that, despite their misdeeds, the men would never be able to reach. She is terrifying, her wide eyes showcasing all the power she holds and the influence she can sway as she trickles out these pleasantries. It’s clear that her “Smurf” character dangles all the strings as the men follow. And she unravels this to J so seamlessly that its terrifying when he runs into her clutches again. It's not hard to see why Weaver was nominated for an Oscar here.
Animal Kingdom is not an easy watch and stalks your brain with its brooding atmospheres and redolent chills. What’s more shocking is the finale - making it clear that no one is safe in and criminals sometimes never pay for their crimes.