Hunting

Style and substance, seldom compatible elements across categories of creative expression, are at odds within this Australian production where strong exploration of the former by director Frank Howson clearly wins out over his own shallowly constructed screenplay. When first seen, Michelle Harris (Kerry Armstrong), executive secretary to the managing director of a large stock brokerage firm in Melbourne, is ostensibly happily married, but her jobless husband's low level of self-esteem causes her to lose interest in their physical relationship, simultaneously increasing her vulnerability to her employer's most influential client, American Michael Bergman (John Savage), with whom she begins an affair. Larry (Jeffrey Thomas), her spouse, not oblivious to a personality change in his love bewitched wife, takes what he perceives as needed steps to shield Michelle from Bergman, but following Larry's dubitable suicide, she becomes the financier's mistress although as she lives with him it becomes apparent to her that her lover is clearly not what he originally appeared to be. Ruthlessness to rivals in his business dealings is a trademark of Bergman who additionally uses blackmailing methods to corral potential foes and politicians, yet an even more significant lesson to be learned by Michelle is that seduction of women is a sport for Bergman, and since she has forsaken all that she formerly valued in order to follow him, she seeks for a way to escape what has become a snare. Visually there are few dull moments in this film, for even when a highly predictable script dictates the action, baroque compositions chosen by Howson provide more than enough creative camera and lighting imagery to offset what is essentially a trite, often uncomfortably so, tale of a scorned woman seeking revenge. The twitchy Savage offers a typically mannered performance while Armstrong's strongest moments are when her character is startled, which is frequently, Thomas winning acting honours here as a cuckold who defies his fate; versatile Howson composes several songs for the production ( sung by Guy Pearce, cast as a Bergman henchman) and notice shall be given to the sets, ably designed by Jan Dowding and Bernadette Wynack, and to top-flight work from costumer Aphrodite Kondos, for a film wherein visuals and scoring happily triumph over the scenario.

I don't know what to make of Hunting. I really don't. It almost has admirable enigma about it. It's much thanks to American import, John Savage, a shady tycoon who owns a film company, only he's profiting from other not so legal means. He's character is intriguing. We really want to know more about him. A pretty secretary, a Armstrong, who's really good here, and I really liked her too ,in Grievous Bodily Harm, my of my Aussie faves, falls for Savage like a moth to the flame, and believe me, you'll see a few within the film, while her stay at home hubby, who can't compete, becomes suspicious. One hot scene has Savage doing another female employee in his own. As a savage fan, he's the best thing about this unexceptional drama.thriller, while Pearce, really good, is fun as one of Savage's henchman, in a barely adequate if even vague thriller drama, where if not a savage fan, this isn't worth a huntdown, although it retains a classy style.

John Savage fans will be delightfully surprised by his performance in this movie as it is unlike anything he has ever done. His character, Michael Bergman, is a wealthy Australian with a penchant for the finer things in life and does whatever it takes to get what he wants, including the married secretary, Michelle, at his client's office. To insure his future with this woman, he woos her away from her unstable husband and "takes care of him". After he's got her where he wants her, he starts to ignore her and it's back to work making money and pursuing other women. She later opens her eyes to all his wrong doings, but then it's too late as she realizes he's using her like he uses everyone else to fulfill his needs. She's just another item in his collection and she gets her revenge in the climax which is really shocking. I think this one of Savage's best movies.

I'm Australian and have seen hundreds, if not thousands of movies, and I always like to support Australian movies if I can but when I think of the worst movies I have ever seen this is one of the first, if not the first, movie that comes to mind. Enough said.