Alexandra's Project (2003)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Rolf de Heer

Writer:

Rolf de Heer (writer)

Release Date:

8 May 2003 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Not everyone loves surprises

Plot:

A regular suburban family man comes home from work on his birthday to find a deserted house and a videotape waiting to be played...

Plot Keywords:

Birthday | Videotape | Deserted House | Revenge | Conspiracy

Awards:

3 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Gary Sweet	...	Steve
Helen Buday	...	Alexandra
Bogdan Koca	...	Bill
Samantha Knigge	...	Emma
Jack Christie	...	Sam
Eileen Darley	...	Christine
Geoff Revell	...	Rodney
Philip Spruce	...	Taxi Driver (as Phillip Spruce)
Nathan O'Keefe	...	Man at Door
Peter Green	...	Chairman
Martha Lott	...	Female Worker
Cindy Elliott	...	Female Worker
Gemma Falk	...	Female Worker
Nicole Daniel	...	Female Worker
Duncan Graham	...	Male Worker

Also Known As:

Alexandra's Progress (Australia) (working title)

Runtime:

Australia:103 min | Canada:98 min (Ontario)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Italy:VM14 (re-rating) (2005) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) (2003) | Australia:MA (video rating) | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Germany:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | Mexico:C | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R18 | Singapore:R(A)

Filming Locations:

Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Company:

Vertigo Productions Pty. Ltd.

Trivia:

Most of the film was shot "in continuity".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Alexandra: [talking to the mirror] I'm sorry Steve, I'm truly sorry.
[spits into the mirror]
Alexandra: Don't be sorry. Never be sorry.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Soundtrack:

Steam Will Rise

A psychological sidewinder. (spoilers)

This is a very interesting Australian drama, one that hits hard (along with the short film about the fighting brothers contained on the American DVD version) because of the way the audience reacts to the characters on screen. With whom will they sympathize? Judging by the messageboards, some blame Alexandra's poor husband, Steve. It is on his birthday when she chooses to dispense with carefully planned and merciless revenge that even a promotion at the office couldn't help him ignore. At night, after work, he comes home to an empty, dark house and finds little more than a videocassette addressed to him from what looks to be his kids. This is the bulk of the film, him watching Alexandra's progressively more disgusting testimony of how miserable her life has been essentially since she married Steve. The movie becomes so emotionally charged as it moves along and Alexandra starts to explain her well-crafted web of deceit in her attempt to crush Steve's spirits as much as possible.

I would agree with one viewer that the there are parts of the film which are not so well developed and particularly, the introduction of the family and especially, Alexandra and Steve, at the start of the film. But nonetheless, the shock of the film can rock audiences pretty hard. And, at least as evident from some of the comments on the boards for this movie, leave people feeling bitterly angry about either gender. The power that this film has to separate its audiences to that extent is amazing because the film seems to, on the one hand, waver between its sympathies of its lead characters, essentially leaving the audiences to their own vices in deciding which character is to blame and which is really deserving of sympathies. In the end, is it better to view Alexandra in such a vicious light because of the she admits to doing when alone in the house or when she explains what she has in store for the man who consistently ignored her? Or are we supposed to be more sympathetic to Steve who, by some rationales of audience members, was acting by hormonal response and only needed a good talking to in order to get Alexandra's point about him using her strictly for sex. What results on the videotape as it moves along as Steve is watching in almost paralyzed helplessness by a particular point is certain, Alexandra is not the character we made our assumptions about at the beginning of the film.