Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by tinear (A) on September 20, 2010 at 20:04:50

rottentomatoes.com, this film delivers. It is the most realistic portrayal of a group of vicious killers you've ever seen--- and it's one family. I imagine the powers behind, "The Town" have something to do with repressing this most worthwhile crime film from Australia. Guy Pearce, as usual, portrays a very complex character with few words, gestures. Is there a more enigmatic, skillful actor working today? The matriarch of this family is the scariest of characters--- she makes Lady Macbeth appear benign.
One of the brothers in a clan known for their armed robberies is assassinated by the police which sets off a series of reprisals and counter-reprisals. A young relative, orphaned when his mother ODs, falls into their home just as the murders begin and, try as he and his uncles try to keep him separate, he is dragged into it. Always present, the mother of the clan silently and invisibly pulls the strings which bring grief to so many.
Not since, "At Close Range," have I seen such a hard-hitting crime drama. "Shotgun," which I "reviewed" a bit ago, is very good but this film tops it.
I'm next seeing, "The Town," but, from its trailer and the reviews I've read, it looks like it follows a familiar Hollywood pattern. "Animal Kingdom" does not: it's power comes from its bloody unpredictability.