Once again, Australian cinema has impressed me. You have heard of spaghetti westerns and John Wayne westerns but I bet you have not heard of an Australian western before. An Australian western sounds out of place but do not underestimate "Red Hill". This film carries familiar material yet travels in new territories.
Constable Shane Cooper (played by Ryan Kwanten) is an officer of the law who moves to the high country of Australia with his pregnant wife to start a new life after an upsetting past. He is assigned to Red Hill, a small town with a single main road, which is run by an isolationist sheriff, Old Bill (played by Steve Bisley). On Cooper's first day of the job, an escaped convict named Jimmy Conway (played by Tommy Lewis) wages a one-man war against the town. However, as the battle escalates, Cooper starts to realize that there is more to Conway's rampage than meets the eye.
The film salutes to the western genre with an isolated setting and a sweet rock-county vibe among other elements. A lone stranger rides on a horse into the darkness of a silent town while everyone hides in fear. It is reminiscent to the western movies made for pure entertainment; however, the fun is overshadowed by a thrilling atmosphere similar to "No Country for Old Men". In fact, much of the action and thrills remind me of the cat-and-mouse game of Anton Chigurh and Llewelyn Moss. There is an abundance of shocking moments to experience in "Red Hill", some are predictable and some are unexpected.
Greg McLean (the director of "Wolf Creek" and "Rogue") has attached his name to the movie as executive producer and, like his horror competitor Eli Roth, promotes the emergence of a new filmmaker, Patrick Hughes. Hughes' debut film presents immense talent in setting shots, cinematography, and story-telling. Hughes commands a magnificent picture of the Australian high country throughout the movie while he utilizes impressive shadow techniques indoors. Perhaps they signal a dreary past in Red Hill hidden by the natural beauty of the land. Ultimately, Hughes' story is a study of man's hesitation to do the right thing through an immoral course of action.
I have been paying attention to Ryan Kwanten ever since I started watching "True Blood" and his career has flourished. It is exciting to see him lose his American accent in favor of his native Australian tongue in "Red Hill". Kwanten embodies his role sincerely and becomes a man who wants to deliver justice but is unsure if he is willing to kill anybody for its preservation. Tommy Lewis doesn't need to say a word for his character because his presence and appearance are all that is needed. With a half-burned face (and half-burned beard for that matter), Jimmy Conway etches fear and panic in the hearts of his prey by toying with their suffering before finishing them off. He even finishes eating a victim's cake! Steve Bisley provides some of the comedic lines of the film and his role as Old Bill is mediocre at best. In his opening scene, Bill acts more like an American traditionalist wanting to keep his town simple and immune to change than an Australian officer of the law. His subordinates are a different matter.
I would like to know which police academy the officers attended because they poorly execute their tactics and usually give their position away. I would not mind if there is a blundering officer or two on the force but it is ridiculous to have a town run by blundering men who do not know how to subdue a suspect effectively. Their dialogue is clichéd but there are moments where I would prick my ears up and grin in admiration. One of my biggest complaints of the movie is the addition of a legend which I found to be irrelevant to the storyline. It comes out of nowhere and sets itself in the middle of all the chaos without explanation. Worst of all, the question is never answered.
Nevertheless, "Red Hill" is an Australian gem worth checking out even though it has specks of dust blurring the vision. If you "look where you want to go," you will find something to love about it. Hughes showers the audience with thrills and exhilaration with bliss, and I hope he continues to do so in other movies. In the meantime, I think I will continue to critique more of the films from Down Under.
My Rating: 6/10
Constable Shane Cooper (played by Ryan Kwanten) is an officer of the law who moves to the high country of Australia with his pregnant wife to start a new life after an upsetting past. He is assigned to Red Hill, a small town with a single main road, which is run by an isolationist sheriff, Old Bill (played by Steve Bisley). On Cooper's first day of the job, an escaped convict named Jimmy Conway (played by Tommy Lewis) wages a one-man war against the town. However, as the battle escalates, Cooper starts to realize that there is more to Conway's rampage than meets the eye.
The film salutes to the western genre with an isolated setting and a sweet rock-county vibe among other elements. A lone stranger rides on a horse into the darkness of a silent town while everyone hides in fear. It is reminiscent to the western movies made for pure entertainment; however, the fun is overshadowed by a thrilling atmosphere similar to "No Country for Old Men". In fact, much of the action and thrills remind me of the cat-and-mouse game of Anton Chigurh and Llewelyn Moss. There is an abundance of shocking moments to experience in "Red Hill", some are predictable and some are unexpected.
Greg McLean (the director of "Wolf Creek" and "Rogue") has attached his name to the movie as executive producer and, like his horror competitor Eli Roth, promotes the emergence of a new filmmaker, Patrick Hughes. Hughes' debut film presents immense talent in setting shots, cinematography, and story-telling. Hughes commands a magnificent picture of the Australian high country throughout the movie while he utilizes impressive shadow techniques indoors. Perhaps they signal a dreary past in Red Hill hidden by the natural beauty of the land. Ultimately, Hughes' story is a study of man's hesitation to do the right thing through an immoral course of action.
I have been paying attention to Ryan Kwanten ever since I started watching "True Blood" and his career has flourished. It is exciting to see him lose his American accent in favor of his native Australian tongue in "Red Hill". Kwanten embodies his role sincerely and becomes a man who wants to deliver justice but is unsure if he is willing to kill anybody for its preservation. Tommy Lewis doesn't need to say a word for his character because his presence and appearance are all that is needed. With a half-burned face (and half-burned beard for that matter), Jimmy Conway etches fear and panic in the hearts of his prey by toying with their suffering before finishing them off. He even finishes eating a victim's cake! Steve Bisley provides some of the comedic lines of the film and his role as Old Bill is mediocre at best. In his opening scene, Bill acts more like an American traditionalist wanting to keep his town simple and immune to change than an Australian officer of the law. His subordinates are a different matter.
I would like to know which police academy the officers attended because they poorly execute their tactics and usually give their position away. I would not mind if there is a blundering officer or two on the force but it is ridiculous to have a town run by blundering men who do not know how to subdue a suspect effectively. Their dialogue is clichéd but there are moments where I would prick my ears up and grin in admiration. One of my biggest complaints of the movie is the addition of a legend which I found to be irrelevant to the storyline. It comes out of nowhere and sets itself in the middle of all the chaos without explanation. Worst of all, the question is never answered.
Nevertheless, "Red Hill" is an Australian gem worth checking out even though it has specks of dust blurring the vision. If you "look where you want to go," you will find something to love about it. Hughes showers the audience with thrills and exhilaration with bliss, and I hope he continues to do so in other movies. In the meantime, I think I will continue to critique more of the films from Down Under.
My Rating: 6/10