Exclusive: The first season of hit Australian drama Rfds, which portrays the modern heroes of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, has been sold by Banijay Rights across Europe and the Middle East.
Australian Seven Network’s gripping show has been picked up by Sky Italia, Ireland’s Rte, M7 Group S.A. in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, TV Joj in Slovakia and The Walt Disney Company in Africa and the Middle East.
The highly-rated show has just been renewed for a second season.
The sales follow earlier deals struck with the UK’s Channel 4, U.S. network PBS, Tvnz New Zealand and several other European territories, and the second season is currently being written by Ian Meadows and Claire Phillips.
Produced by Endemol Shine Australia, the first run followed the doctors, nurses, pilots and support staff who work for the Rfds. The second season comes a year after Eliza left Broken Hill behind,...
Australian Seven Network’s gripping show has been picked up by Sky Italia, Ireland’s Rte, M7 Group S.A. in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, TV Joj in Slovakia and The Walt Disney Company in Africa and the Middle East.
The highly-rated show has just been renewed for a second season.
The sales follow earlier deals struck with the UK’s Channel 4, U.S. network PBS, Tvnz New Zealand and several other European territories, and the second season is currently being written by Ian Meadows and Claire Phillips.
Produced by Endemol Shine Australia, the first run followed the doctors, nurses, pilots and support staff who work for the Rfds. The second season comes a year after Eliza left Broken Hill behind,...
- 7/7/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The final season of Sbs’s The Family Law, the first series of ABC’s The Heights and the Sbs miniseries The Hunting have won the 10th annual Equity Ensemble Awards.
The actors who starred in these programs were voted the most outstanding Australian small screen ensembles in their respective categories by the Meaa Equity National Performers’ Committee (Npc).
Equity president Chloe Dallimore, who was among the 33 Npc members who selected this year’s finalists and winners, said: “I can’t think of a better way to spend lockdown than re-watching the incredible small screen performances of the last 12 months. What phenomenal talent we have in this country, both in front and behind the camera.
“It emphasised what’s at stake if we don’t continue to vigorously defend our local content quotas, and why we must continue to remind our government how the arts contribute to our Australian cultural identity.
The actors who starred in these programs were voted the most outstanding Australian small screen ensembles in their respective categories by the Meaa Equity National Performers’ Committee (Npc).
Equity president Chloe Dallimore, who was among the 33 Npc members who selected this year’s finalists and winners, said: “I can’t think of a better way to spend lockdown than re-watching the incredible small screen performances of the last 12 months. What phenomenal talent we have in this country, both in front and behind the camera.
“It emphasised what’s at stake if we don’t continue to vigorously defend our local content quotas, and why we must continue to remind our government how the arts contribute to our Australian cultural identity.
- 8/13/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Hunting.’
France’s M6 Group is the latest international broadcaster to acquire The Hunting, Closer Productions’ four-part drama commissioned by Sbs.
Created by Sophie Hyde and Matthew Cormack and starring Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh, the series exploring the effects of online sexting on teenagers and their families will screen on M6’s digital terrestrial channel W9.
That follows deals negotiated by UK-based Dcd Rights with Viacom-owned Channel 5 in the UK, Sky New Zealand, RTÉ in Ireland, CBC in Canada, Ivi in Russia and Npo in the Netherlands.
The ensemble cast includes Sam Reid, Jessica De Gouw, Luca Sardelis, Yazeed Daher, Pamela Rabe, Leah Vandenberg, Rodney Afif, Sachin Joab, Elena Carapetis, Anni Lindner and newcomers Kavitha Anandasivam and Alex Cusack.
Cormack penned the scripts with Niki Aken. Hyde shared directing duties with Ana Kokkinos and produced with Rebecca Summerton and Lisa Scott. Screen Australia and the Safc backed the production.
France’s M6 Group is the latest international broadcaster to acquire The Hunting, Closer Productions’ four-part drama commissioned by Sbs.
Created by Sophie Hyde and Matthew Cormack and starring Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh, the series exploring the effects of online sexting on teenagers and their families will screen on M6’s digital terrestrial channel W9.
That follows deals negotiated by UK-based Dcd Rights with Viacom-owned Channel 5 in the UK, Sky New Zealand, RTÉ in Ireland, CBC in Canada, Ivi in Russia and Npo in the Netherlands.
The ensemble cast includes Sam Reid, Jessica De Gouw, Luca Sardelis, Yazeed Daher, Pamela Rabe, Leah Vandenberg, Rodney Afif, Sachin Joab, Elena Carapetis, Anni Lindner and newcomers Kavitha Anandasivam and Alex Cusack.
Cormack penned the scripts with Niki Aken. Hyde shared directing duties with Ana Kokkinos and produced with Rebecca Summerton and Lisa Scott. Screen Australia and the Safc backed the production.
- 10/14/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘My Life is Murder.’
Cjz’s private investigator series My Life is Murder and Closer Productions’ four-part drama The Hunting have been acquired by UK broadcasters.
Multi-channel operator UKTV will screen the 10-part Cjz production, which follows Lucy Lawless as former homicide cop Alexa Crowe as she investigates baffling and bizarre murders, on its crime drama channel Alibi.
Directed by Leah Purcell, Mat King and Jovita O’Shaugnessy and produced by Elisa Argenzio and Cjz head of development Claire Tonkin, the series premiered on Network 10 on Wednesday night.
The first episode drew 482,000 viewers in the mainland capitals, trailing Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell’s 495,000, despite the fact the ABC mistakenly put to air the previous week’s episode of Micallef.
However the 7-day and 28-day figures for 10’s murder-mystery are bound to be a lot higher. The consolidated total for Five Bedrooms, for example, was 642,000 in the five metros,...
Cjz’s private investigator series My Life is Murder and Closer Productions’ four-part drama The Hunting have been acquired by UK broadcasters.
Multi-channel operator UKTV will screen the 10-part Cjz production, which follows Lucy Lawless as former homicide cop Alexa Crowe as she investigates baffling and bizarre murders, on its crime drama channel Alibi.
Directed by Leah Purcell, Mat King and Jovita O’Shaugnessy and produced by Elisa Argenzio and Cjz head of development Claire Tonkin, the series premiered on Network 10 on Wednesday night.
The first episode drew 482,000 viewers in the mainland capitals, trailing Shaun Micallef’s Mad as Hell’s 495,000, despite the fact the ABC mistakenly put to air the previous week’s episode of Micallef.
However the 7-day and 28-day figures for 10’s murder-mystery are bound to be a lot higher. The consolidated total for Five Bedrooms, for example, was 642,000 in the five metros,...
- 7/17/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh in ‘The Hunting.’
Closer Productions’ The Hunting, a four-part drama which examines how teenagers navigate the complexities of relationships, identity and sexuality via technology, will premiere on Sbs at 8.30 pm on Thursday August 1.
Created by Closer’s Sophie Hyde and Matthew Cormack and starring Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh, the plot follows two high school teachers who discover students are sharing explicit photos of their underage friends and peers online.
The revelation has devastating consequences for the students and their families, tackling themes of misogyny, privacy, sexuality and sexualisation, online exploitation, masculinity and gender.
The ensemble cast includes Sam Reid, Jessica De Gouw, Luca Sardelis, Yazeed Daher, Pamela Rabe, Leah Vandenberg, Rodney Afif, Sachin Joab, Elena Carapetis, Anni Lindner and newcomers Kavitha Anandasivam and Alex Cusack.
Cormack penned the scripts with Niki Aken, and Hyde shared directing duties with Ana Kokkinos. Hyde produces with Rebecca Summerton and Lisa Scott.
Closer Productions’ The Hunting, a four-part drama which examines how teenagers navigate the complexities of relationships, identity and sexuality via technology, will premiere on Sbs at 8.30 pm on Thursday August 1.
Created by Closer’s Sophie Hyde and Matthew Cormack and starring Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh, the plot follows two high school teachers who discover students are sharing explicit photos of their underage friends and peers online.
The revelation has devastating consequences for the students and their families, tackling themes of misogyny, privacy, sexuality and sexualisation, online exploitation, masculinity and gender.
The ensemble cast includes Sam Reid, Jessica De Gouw, Luca Sardelis, Yazeed Daher, Pamela Rabe, Leah Vandenberg, Rodney Afif, Sachin Joab, Elena Carapetis, Anni Lindner and newcomers Kavitha Anandasivam and Alex Cusack.
Cormack penned the scripts with Niki Aken, and Hyde shared directing duties with Ana Kokkinos. Hyde produces with Rebecca Summerton and Lisa Scott.
- 7/3/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The Hunting’ (Photo: Nat Rogers).
Closer Productions’ The Hunting and Guesswork Television/Merman Television’s Frayed will premiere at Series Mania Melbourne in early July.
Headlining this year’s event, which is held with the support of Acmi and Film Victoria, is Jessica Jones creator and showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, who will appear in conversation.
Rosenberg will also speak at the industry day, alongside screenwriter Luke Davies; Foxtel director of television Brian Walsh; Series Mania creative director Francois-Pier Pelinard-Lambert and actor, director and producer Rachel Griffiths.
Commissioned by Sbs, The Hunting is a four-part drama set in Adelaide that explores the lives of four teenagers, their teachers and families as they deal with the fallout of a nude teen photo scandal. Toplined by Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh, the ensemble cast also includes Sam Reid, Jessica De Gouw, Luca Sardelis, Yazeed Daher, Pamela Rabe, Leah Vandenberg, Rodney Afif, Sachin Joab, Elena Carapetis,...
Closer Productions’ The Hunting and Guesswork Television/Merman Television’s Frayed will premiere at Series Mania Melbourne in early July.
Headlining this year’s event, which is held with the support of Acmi and Film Victoria, is Jessica Jones creator and showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, who will appear in conversation.
Rosenberg will also speak at the industry day, alongside screenwriter Luke Davies; Foxtel director of television Brian Walsh; Series Mania creative director Francois-Pier Pelinard-Lambert and actor, director and producer Rachel Griffiths.
Commissioned by Sbs, The Hunting is a four-part drama set in Adelaide that explores the lives of four teenagers, their teachers and families as they deal with the fallout of a nude teen photo scandal. Toplined by Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh, the ensemble cast also includes Sam Reid, Jessica De Gouw, Luca Sardelis, Yazeed Daher, Pamela Rabe, Leah Vandenberg, Rodney Afif, Sachin Joab, Elena Carapetis,...
- 6/20/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
The Hunting.
Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh will head the ensemble cast of Sbs’s four-part drama The Hunting, which goes into production tomorrow in Adelaide.
Joining the two actors in the Closer Productions series are Sam Reid (Bloom, Lambs of God), Jessica De Gouw (Arrow, Deadline Gallipoli), Luca Sardelis, Yazeed Daher (The Heights, Safe Harbour), Pamela Rabe (Wentworth), Leah Vandenberg (The Letdown), Rodney Afif (Ali’s Wedding), Sachin Joab (Lion) Elena Carapetis (Look Both Ways), Anni Lindner (Wolf Creek TV) and newcomers Kavitha Anandasivam and Alex Cusack.
Created by Closer’s Sophie Hyde and Matthew Cormack, The Hunting (previously titled The Hunt) follows four teenagers, their teachers and families throughout the lead up, revelation and aftermath of a nude teen photo scandal. When two high school teachers discover students are sharing explicit photos of their underage friends and peers online, the revelation has unbearable consequences for the students and their families.
Asher Keddie and Richard Roxburgh will head the ensemble cast of Sbs’s four-part drama The Hunting, which goes into production tomorrow in Adelaide.
Joining the two actors in the Closer Productions series are Sam Reid (Bloom, Lambs of God), Jessica De Gouw (Arrow, Deadline Gallipoli), Luca Sardelis, Yazeed Daher (The Heights, Safe Harbour), Pamela Rabe (Wentworth), Leah Vandenberg (The Letdown), Rodney Afif (Ali’s Wedding), Sachin Joab (Lion) Elena Carapetis (Look Both Ways), Anni Lindner (Wolf Creek TV) and newcomers Kavitha Anandasivam and Alex Cusack.
Created by Closer’s Sophie Hyde and Matthew Cormack, The Hunting (previously titled The Hunt) follows four teenagers, their teachers and families throughout the lead up, revelation and aftermath of a nude teen photo scandal. When two high school teachers discover students are sharing explicit photos of their underage friends and peers online, the revelation has unbearable consequences for the students and their families.
- 1/17/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
"Look, I don't think you understand. There's been an attack and we're not safe." Bleecker Street Media has released the full-length, official Us trailer for a true story thriller titled Hotel Mumbai, telling the story of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. The film is about the hotel staff who risk their own lives to keep everyone safe, as guests make unthinkable sacrifices to try and save themselves and their families. Dev Patel stars as Arjun, a newly promoted waiter who gets involved in the crossfire trying to rescue guests. The cast also includes Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Angus McLaren, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Rodney Afif, and Sachin Joab. This film first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year to mostly positive reviews. This looks frightening and intense, almost too real and too relevant to everything going on around the world nowadays.
- 1/9/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
We’ve got a new trailer to share with you for an intense-looking true story thriller called Hotel Mumbai.
The film tells the story of a terrorist attack that took place in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The focus will be put on the staff of the hotel as they risk their lives to keep their guests safe. This would be a crazy frightening situation to be in!
Dev Patel stars in the film as Arjun, who is a newly promoted waiter who finds himself neck deep in this terrorist attack. He will be joined by Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Angus McLaren, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Rodney Afif, and Sachin Joab. Here’s the synopsis:
Hotel Mumbai is based on the true story of the devastating terrorist attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in 2008. The terrifying assault brings together the guests and the...
The film tells the story of a terrorist attack that took place in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The focus will be put on the staff of the hotel as they risk their lives to keep their guests safe. This would be a crazy frightening situation to be in!
Dev Patel stars in the film as Arjun, who is a newly promoted waiter who finds himself neck deep in this terrorist attack. He will be joined by Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Angus McLaren, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Rodney Afif, and Sachin Joab. Here’s the synopsis:
Hotel Mumbai is based on the true story of the devastating terrorist attack on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in 2008. The terrifying assault brings together the guests and the...
- 12/13/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
"Remember always: here at the Taj, guest is God" Icon Film Distribution has debuted a teaser trailer for a true story thriller titled Hotel Mumbai, telling the story of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. The film is about the hotel staff who risk their own lives to keep everyone safe, as guests make unthinkable sacrifices to try and save themselves and their families. Dev Patel stars as Arjun, a newly promoted waiter who gets involved in the crossfire. The full cast also includes Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Angus McLaren, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Rodney Afif, and Sachin Joab. This film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this fall, and received rave reviews, as quoted in this trailer. This is an intense first look, almost a bit too frightening. Here's the international teaser trailer (+ poster) for Anthony Maras' Hotel Mumbai,...
- 12/11/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
After the likes of Crank and Shoot ‘Em Up, the prospect of seeing fellow Brit action stars Jason Statham and Clive Owen go head to head is certainly an exciting one. It is therefore intriguing that they chose a relatively low-key true life thriller Killer Elite, released on Blu-ray and DVD this week, as the film that brings them together on screen for the first time.
Based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ 1991 novel The Feather Men, the film follows ex-special ops agent Danny Bryce (Statham) as he is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro) who has been taken hostage in Oman by Sheikh Amr (Rodney Afif) after failing to accomplish a mission for him. Bryce makes a deal to finish the mission which involves killing three former Sas assassins protected by a secret society known as the Feather Men led by Spike Logan (Owen). A...
Based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ 1991 novel The Feather Men, the film follows ex-special ops agent Danny Bryce (Statham) as he is lured out of retirement to rescue his mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro) who has been taken hostage in Oman by Sheikh Amr (Rodney Afif) after failing to accomplish a mission for him. Bryce makes a deal to finish the mission which involves killing three former Sas assassins protected by a secret society known as the Feather Men led by Spike Logan (Owen). A...
- 1/16/2012
- by Chris Wright
- Obsessed with Film
Killer Elite is a movie that consistently struggles to find the right balance. At times, it plays out in the manner of a serious espionage thriller. Yet other moments feel like a cheesy, Transporter-esque B-movie action flick. For action movie fans, the results are serviceable. Still, given the impressive cast, many will be frustrated that the film ultimately hedges its bets and never resolves this tonal issue, veering from straight-faced drama to preposterous fight scenes.
Based on the 1991 novel The Feather Men, the story follows hitman for hire and Ex-Special Ops member Danny (Jason Statham). When his assassin pal Hunter (Robert De Niro) is taken hostage in Oman by Sheikh Amr (Rodney Afif), Danny is forced out of retirement. His mission: to assassinate three retired members of the British Sas responsible for the death of Amr’s son. Further complications arise when Spike (Clive Owen), a member of the top...
Based on the 1991 novel The Feather Men, the story follows hitman for hire and Ex-Special Ops member Danny (Jason Statham). When his assassin pal Hunter (Robert De Niro) is taken hostage in Oman by Sheikh Amr (Rodney Afif), Danny is forced out of retirement. His mission: to assassinate three retired members of the British Sas responsible for the death of Amr’s son. Further complications arise when Spike (Clive Owen), a member of the top...
- 9/23/2011
- by Glenn Kay
- newsinfilm.com
Killer Elite begins by stressing that what on the surface appeared to be little more than a run-of-the-mill Jason Statham-Clive Owen action flick is in fact a serious evocation of the chaotic geopolitical scene circa 1980, and based on a true story. Naively, I felt a twinge of eager anticipation. Could this actually be a serious globe-trotting thriller, a chance for Statham to showcase some dramatic range? Not so much. Gary McKendry’s movie, based on the novel The Feather Men by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, is in fact only dubiously based on fact at all (there’s been an ongoing controversy over its claim to be a “true adventure” since its publication in 1991). Beyond that, the flick is basically the full-throttle machismo fest that’s the natural outcome when Statham and Owen get top billing on the same film, with Robert De Niro checking in for good measure. There’s butt-kicking in Oman, France...
- 9/23/2011
- by Robert Levin
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
SYDNEY -- With his debut feature Lucky Miles, Michael James Rowland leaches the politics out of the prickly topic of illegal immigration and turns out an unexpectedly amiable comedy. The narrative -- which follows a motley crew of asylum seekers stumbling through the Outback -- lacks momentum, and the film falls short of the Gods Must Be Crazy-style mayhem for which it appears to be shooting. But its congeniality is disarming, and the themes are slyly conscience-pricking.
Inspired by a number of real-life events, Miles features a cast of unknowns, which, together with frequent subtitles, could limit accessibility upon its local release. It's already proven to be a festival favorite in Australia, and Cineclick Asia has picked it up for international distribution.
Setting the action in 1990, Rowland harks back to a time before the nation, or at least its government, seemed to lose any sense of compassion for the Third World refugees seeking sanctuary on its shores. It starts on a cheery note as a group of Cambodians and Iraqis wade ashore after being dropped off by Indonesian people-smugglers on a deserted stretch of coastline in Western Australia.
Their joy soon turns to despair as the boat chugs off. They crest the sand dunes to discover, instead of the promised bus stop to Perth, an abundance of what is referred to by locals as "bugger-all."
They splinter into two groups: Iraqis heading one way into nothingness, Cambodians the other. The Cambodians are quickly picked up by police after they stop at an isolated pub to ask directions, though a fateful trip to the outhouse means one, Arun (Kenneth Moraleda), escapes the roundup. Meanwhile, a bunch of laconic army reservists on border patrol have been dispatched to investigate a suspicious fishing boat in the area.
They pick up Arun's tracks but soon discover three sets of footprints: A couple of only slightly strained plot contrivances have thrown the Cambodian together with one of the Iraqis, a structural engineer named Youssif (Rodney Afif), and Ramelan (Srisacd Sacdpraseuth), the Indonesian boat owner's ne'er-do-well nephew.
The ill-matched trio unites around a single water bottle and shared survival instincts, though the two refugees wonder how much they can trust a man who sadly informs them that his mother died before he was born. Arun's sketchy map gives no sense of the unpopulated vastness that surrounds them and sends them off on an elliptical odyssey that sorely tests their uneasy alliance.
Underpinning the naive slapstick and droll verbal clashes is a deep seam of humanism that makes its point about tolerance of difference gently. Heated debate about national identity and the ethics of detention have no place in this comic fable, and neither do cultural stereotypes.
Discord is rooted in the need for survival in a strange and hostile environment. Even the army trackers seem motivated by a desire to save the skins of the bumbling trespassers.
Moraleda is particularly effective as the politely resolute Arun, dogged in his determination to reach Perth and the father he has never met. Afif gets great comic mileage out of a centerpiece scene involving a cobbled-together Jeep.
Indian composer Trilok Gurtu contributes a dramatic percussive score, while cinematographer Geoff Burton does a terrific job conveying the enormity of the brutally beautiful West Australian landscapes.
LUCKY MILES
Cineclick Asia
Short of Easy
Credits:
Director/co-producer: Michael James Rowland
Screenwriters: Helen Barnes, Michael James Rowland
Producers: Jo Dyer, Lesley Dyer
Executive producer: Michael Bourchier
Director of photography: Geoff Burton
Production designer: Pete Baxter
Music: Trilok Gurtu
Costume designer: Ruth de la Lande
Editor: Henry Dangar
Cast:
Arun: Kenneth Moraleda
Youssif: Rodney Afif
Ramelan: Srisacd Sacdpraseuth
O'Shane: Glenn Shea
Greg: Don Hany
Tom: Sean Mununggurr
Muluk: Sawung Jabo
Abdu: Arif Hidayat
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Inspired by a number of real-life events, Miles features a cast of unknowns, which, together with frequent subtitles, could limit accessibility upon its local release. It's already proven to be a festival favorite in Australia, and Cineclick Asia has picked it up for international distribution.
Setting the action in 1990, Rowland harks back to a time before the nation, or at least its government, seemed to lose any sense of compassion for the Third World refugees seeking sanctuary on its shores. It starts on a cheery note as a group of Cambodians and Iraqis wade ashore after being dropped off by Indonesian people-smugglers on a deserted stretch of coastline in Western Australia.
Their joy soon turns to despair as the boat chugs off. They crest the sand dunes to discover, instead of the promised bus stop to Perth, an abundance of what is referred to by locals as "bugger-all."
They splinter into two groups: Iraqis heading one way into nothingness, Cambodians the other. The Cambodians are quickly picked up by police after they stop at an isolated pub to ask directions, though a fateful trip to the outhouse means one, Arun (Kenneth Moraleda), escapes the roundup. Meanwhile, a bunch of laconic army reservists on border patrol have been dispatched to investigate a suspicious fishing boat in the area.
They pick up Arun's tracks but soon discover three sets of footprints: A couple of only slightly strained plot contrivances have thrown the Cambodian together with one of the Iraqis, a structural engineer named Youssif (Rodney Afif), and Ramelan (Srisacd Sacdpraseuth), the Indonesian boat owner's ne'er-do-well nephew.
The ill-matched trio unites around a single water bottle and shared survival instincts, though the two refugees wonder how much they can trust a man who sadly informs them that his mother died before he was born. Arun's sketchy map gives no sense of the unpopulated vastness that surrounds them and sends them off on an elliptical odyssey that sorely tests their uneasy alliance.
Underpinning the naive slapstick and droll verbal clashes is a deep seam of humanism that makes its point about tolerance of difference gently. Heated debate about national identity and the ethics of detention have no place in this comic fable, and neither do cultural stereotypes.
Discord is rooted in the need for survival in a strange and hostile environment. Even the army trackers seem motivated by a desire to save the skins of the bumbling trespassers.
Moraleda is particularly effective as the politely resolute Arun, dogged in his determination to reach Perth and the father he has never met. Afif gets great comic mileage out of a centerpiece scene involving a cobbled-together Jeep.
Indian composer Trilok Gurtu contributes a dramatic percussive score, while cinematographer Geoff Burton does a terrific job conveying the enormity of the brutally beautiful West Australian landscapes.
LUCKY MILES
Cineclick Asia
Short of Easy
Credits:
Director/co-producer: Michael James Rowland
Screenwriters: Helen Barnes, Michael James Rowland
Producers: Jo Dyer, Lesley Dyer
Executive producer: Michael Bourchier
Director of photography: Geoff Burton
Production designer: Pete Baxter
Music: Trilok Gurtu
Costume designer: Ruth de la Lande
Editor: Henry Dangar
Cast:
Arun: Kenneth Moraleda
Youssif: Rodney Afif
Ramelan: Srisacd Sacdpraseuth
O'Shane: Glenn Shea
Greg: Don Hany
Tom: Sean Mununggurr
Muluk: Sawung Jabo
Abdu: Arif Hidayat
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 7/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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