Cinematic Carlos - Seattle International Film Festival 2014

Last night started the 2nd year of my annual tradition (?) of screening several movies during the Seattle International Film Festival. I've known about for years, even a short stint in managing travel during the 2001 SIFF (that's even a longer story!) However, I had zero to little interest in it.

I had no good reason either way.

Last year, my dear friend, Cindy, invited me to be her movie buddy for SIFF. I accepted because I had no honestly good reason to refuse.

We ran around the city tracking down movies that we wanted to watch, others were forgettable but that's the point! Some of these films will hit the mainstream. Most do not. Through the movies, misadventures, and mischief, we had a blast.

So, it goes without saying, she invited me to repeat the feat. It continues to teach me:

• Despite how 'busy' you are - slow down and cherish the time with friends, family, and loved ones
• That as you grow older - invites should bear more weight than when you were younger. They are requesting your company - you should do your utmost to honor that and be flattered
• No matter what happens - keep digging

With that in mind, this year we did better on maximizing our fun, focusing our attention to the genres, locations, etc. We purchased the 6 film pass plus Closing Night Gala ticket.

Below is the review of our first movie screening, Mystery Road.


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Mystery Road is a thriller (with film noir overtones) and a western rolled into one. It’s a Colors meets Tombstone in Australia.

The examines race relations in modern-day Australia, in particular those between the indigenous Aboriginal population and those Australians of European descent. It does so through the eyes of Aboriginal detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pedersen), who returns after a period of 10 years away to the remote small Australian town in which his daughter Crystal (Tricia Whitton) and her mother - Swan's estranged wife, Mary (Tasma Walton) - live. Swan is immediately thrown into the investigation of the murder of a teenage Aboriginal girl, whose body has been discovered in the outskirts of the town.

 

He steps in and toward an understated yet determined path to find the little girl’s killer.

His investigations soon yield a great deal of uncomfortable information, including police corruption, sexual exploitation and the possible involvement in the crime of his ex-wife and daughter (as well as sundry other local residents).

The laconic detective has to contend with a complete lack of co-operation from his police colleagues and from the town's residents, who view any form of authority with suspicion and utter disdain.

Otherwise known as racism.

It all leads to a closing shoot-out sequence that is, for once, realistic and which is beautifully filmed. Indeed, one of the film's many strong points is its direction (by screenplay writer Ivan Sen). The cinematography (for which Sen is also responsible) is amazingly good - just about the best I have seen in any film.

The cast too are terrific, particularly Pedersen and Hugo Weaving (who plays Johnno, a possibly corrupt white police colleague of Swan's). The only aspect of the film about which I have reservations is the plot, which does not seem to me to hang together. I may have missed something but there appear to be unexplained gaps in parts of the story. Other than that, "Mystery Road", which starts slowly before gradually building up to its dramatic conclusion, is an almost faultless film - and is certainly one that is worth looking out for. 8/10.