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Lost Gully Road (2017)
If you go out in the woods today...
Urban dweller Lucy is waiting for her sister in a rented secluded cottage in the Rain Forest. Her sister's arrival is delayed and a week in paradise progressively turns out to be a week in hell as she encounters a series of symbolic objects and happenings playing with her nerves and putting her on edge. Is the house haunted? Is she being stalked? Is she deranged and everything only happens in her mind? What is revealed toward the end of this gripping movie is guaranteed to curdle your blood...
The allusion to the Little Red Riding Hood in the woods of deep greens is beautifully photographed by László Baranyai and so are the indoor scenes with great use of lighting and clair-obscur.
The music composed and performed by Dave Graney & Clare Moore gives at times a clear insight into Lucy's feelings and psyche and other times builds up the suspense and anxiety.
Lucy is portrayed with faultless humanity by Adele Perovic.
The script by Donna McRae and Michel Vale is minimalist in form but very dense in content.
As in Johnny Ghost, Donna McRae's direction is inspired. Sensitive yet firm, she seems to play with the audience, making one feels as isolated, lonely and vulnerable as Lucy.
Lucy getting high on pills and champagne for her lonely birthday is shown in a psychedelic style that reminded me of French horror classics of the 70s like Jean Rollin or Joël Sierra.
The suspense, isolation and maddening angst are a strong reminder of The Tenant by Roman Polanski.
Johnny Ghost (2011)
Not Skin Deep
Is the vast stillness of the bay in Saint-Kilda very peaceful or simply deadly ? The past can weigh so much on the present that it becomes a burden and a tattoo can be as heavy as a corpse to carry on your shoulder. An astounding movie that will linger in your mind and senses thereafter. There is a classical Melbournian elegance in the beauty of the cinematography and the moments of suspense are so finely directed and edited that they are near unbearable. The original music and the visuals complement each other to great visceral effect. Lead actress Anni Finsterer expresses beyond "playing" the drama of high solitude that reigns supreme on the doomed mind.. ...And as cult wants it, we are offered -as a flashback and thanks to Mick Harvey- a never seen before footage of the Birthday Party live at the Crystal Ballroom.