6/10Here’s
a new slice of Aussie film noir. The subject matter of urban lawbreaking
certainly appeals to local film producers – let's face it,
there’s nothing like a bit of crime and nefarious dealings
in the suburbs to brighten your day. One of the best of these
essays in darkness was Noise to which this latest movie
has been compared. Then TV gave us Underbelly, which
sparked much interest in gang warfare on Melbourne streets, and
even made celebrities out of some of the villains – the
Ned Kelly syndrome.
The Square has a rather convoluted plot,
in which Raymond Yale (David Roberts) in trying to escape a loveless
marriage takes up with Carla (Claire van der Boom). She presents
him with the proceeds of her crooked husband Smithy’s (Anthony
Hayes) latest crime, hoping Ray will immediately grab the cash
and they can escape the drabness of their lives by running away
and starting again. Ray, under duress, agrees to hire Billy (Joel
Edgerton) to set fire and burn down Smithy’s house after
Carla has removed the stash of money thereby covering the fact
that Carla has snuck the loot.
Ray is also a foreman on a construction site for
tough-as-nails builder Gil Hubbard (Bill Hunter), who’s
blithely unaware that Ray gets kickbacks from one of the suppliers.
The arson doesn’t work out well and Ray becomes stickily
involved in a way he never intended. The wages of sin come back
to haunt him.
The storyline isn’t quite the easiest to follow,
and a couple of the whiskered hoods look so similar you have to
watch carefully or you might mistake who’s doing what. With
several twists along the way and a subplot becoming important,
this black crime thriller brings into focus once more the undercurrent
beneath the surface of life in the ‘burbs.
Trailer for The Square
The Square is by the Edgerton brothers,
with former stunt man Nash directing his first feature, and co-writer
Joel also appearing in the role of Billy. Nash Edgerton with his
stunt background manages the action well, such as the car crash
sequence. For their first off the rank feature it’s certainly
competent, and one can expect this team to be back again with
more exciting work.
Ray
as played by David Roberts (Fool’s Gold) is the
most sympathetic character, being dragged out of his depth by
some seriously bad decisions in life. Anthony Hayes (Suburban
Mayhem) and attractive Claire van der Boom (Katoomba)
are other notable members of the cast, while Bill Hunter (Bad
Eggs) does his short tempered old buzzard routine with the
usual aplomb. Scenes with Ray and Carla’s dogs offer an
ironic counterpoint motive to the main story. Production values
are good though the cinematography varies in quality.
A small concern is that most of the characters are
particularly unsavory and didn’t resonate with me. I simply
failed to get emotionally involved with this lot of dodgy dealers.
Making a comparison to the upcoming In Bruges, we quickly
relate to the two main characters there thanks to street-smart
dialogue and acting. The Square however lacks appealing
character development, rather concentrating on storyline which
is fair enough. It’s an action thriller after all.
While not up with Noise which was especially
well directed and ingeniously written, The Square is
a reasonable night’s entertainment especially for those
who enjoy a film noir view of grotty goings-on in the back blocks
of Sydney.
Ray
as played by David Roberts (Fool’s Gold) is the
most sympathetic character, being dragged out of his depth by
some seriously bad decisions in life. Anthony Hayes (Suburban
Mayhem) and attractive Claire van der Boom (Katoomba)
are other notable members of the cast, while Bill Hunter (Bad
Eggs) does his short tempered old buzzard routine with the
usual aplomb. Scenes with Ray and Carla’s dogs offer an
ironic counterpoint motive to the main story. Production values
are good though the cinematography varies in quality.