David O'ConnellLake Mungo
November 19th 2009 04:31
Here's further proof that minimal budgets are no hindrance to producing an effective, old-fashioned spookfest when in the right hands. Joel Anderson’s exceptional debut, Lake Mungo, manages to stretch the faux-documentary form out to some very interesting places, and though bearing similarities to both The Blair Witch Project and the upcoming Paranormal Activity, it's actually superior to both. There's a far more expansive foundation here on which the film's crafty little turns-of-the-screw are constructed!
The story begins in the Victorian town of Ararat in December 2005 when 16 year-old Alice Palmer (Talia Zucker) mysteriously disappears, feared drowned, during a family picnic at the local dam. A few days later, divers discover her body, and through interview testimony we learn of the impact of her passing on family and friends in the community at large.
It’s through these well-staged accounts that Anderson begins raising his niftily-constructed tale to life; the second half is especially impressive, littering the story with some legitimately surprising twists that shed new light on the increasingly involved mystery of Alice’s troubled last months.
Much of the film’s effectiveness is derived from the dabbling of son Matthew (Martin Sharpe) in amateur photography, his snaps and video footage seemingly providing proof of supernatural tampering; this follows in the wake of other strange occurrences, beginning just ten days after Alice’s death.
A radio psychic, Ray (Steve Jodrell), plays a vital part in proceedings too; contacted by Alice’s mother, June (Rosie Traynor), he becomes magnetised to the family's quest for authentication of this possible haunting which, in grief, they're all struggling to make sense of.
This isn’t an easy format to master, but for a debut feature, Anderson does a remarkable job of assembling the pieces of his puzzle into a cohesive whole. David Pledger as family figurehead Russell Palmer giving the strongest performance; there are nuances in his reactions that establish a convincing reality early on. Only a couple of peripheral characters could be accused of being weak links; there’s a strong uniformity across the board, and without it the film would have split apart at the seams.
On an aesthetic level, Anderson proves to be a master manipulator; with the aid of cinematographer John Brawley, he uses the eerie stillness of the environment for maximum effect, filling every conceivable space in his tightly-knit narrative with compelling minor details; with these he's able to invest mundane rooms and outdoor locations with a simmering, portentous energy that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Also effective are the eerie soundscapes of composer David Paterson which burrow beneath the surface to heighten the dread.
Some of the revelations of the second half are ingenious, offering scope to take the story in fresh, unpredictable directions. More than once, Anderson pulls the carpet out from under his audience's feet, leaving us guessing as to where he's going.
Lake Mungo is an impressive achievement by any standard: resourceful, creepy and genuinely unnerving, with at least one moment bound to have your heart skipping a beat. But beyond its veneer of supernatural phenomena lay darker, more substantial themes which give the film real backbone as something more than simply the tale of a haunting; this is also a tragic story about grief, the complicated dynamics of families and the secrets that can destroy them from within.
LAKE MUNGO will be released on DVD by Madman on December 2nd.
The trailer for the film can be found here.
The story begins in the Victorian town of Ararat in December 2005 when 16 year-old Alice Palmer (Talia Zucker) mysteriously disappears, feared drowned, during a family picnic at the local dam. A few days later, divers discover her body, and through interview testimony we learn of the impact of her passing on family and friends in the community at large.
It’s through these well-staged accounts that Anderson begins raising his niftily-constructed tale to life; the second half is especially impressive, littering the story with some legitimately surprising twists that shed new light on the increasingly involved mystery of Alice’s troubled last months.
Much of the film’s effectiveness is derived from the dabbling of son Matthew (Martin Sharpe) in amateur photography, his snaps and video footage seemingly providing proof of supernatural tampering; this follows in the wake of other strange occurrences, beginning just ten days after Alice’s death.
A radio psychic, Ray (Steve Jodrell), plays a vital part in proceedings too; contacted by Alice’s mother, June (Rosie Traynor), he becomes magnetised to the family's quest for authentication of this possible haunting which, in grief, they're all struggling to make sense of.
This isn’t an easy format to master, but for a debut feature, Anderson does a remarkable job of assembling the pieces of his puzzle into a cohesive whole. David Pledger as family figurehead Russell Palmer giving the strongest performance; there are nuances in his reactions that establish a convincing reality early on. Only a couple of peripheral characters could be accused of being weak links; there’s a strong uniformity across the board, and without it the film would have split apart at the seams.
David Pledger as Russell Palmer
On an aesthetic level, Anderson proves to be a master manipulator; with the aid of cinematographer John Brawley, he uses the eerie stillness of the environment for maximum effect, filling every conceivable space in his tightly-knit narrative with compelling minor details; with these he's able to invest mundane rooms and outdoor locations with a simmering, portentous energy that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Also effective are the eerie soundscapes of composer David Paterson which burrow beneath the surface to heighten the dread.
Some of the revelations of the second half are ingenious, offering scope to take the story in fresh, unpredictable directions. More than once, Anderson pulls the carpet out from under his audience's feet, leaving us guessing as to where he's going.
Lake Mungo is an impressive achievement by any standard: resourceful, creepy and genuinely unnerving, with at least one moment bound to have your heart skipping a beat. But beyond its veneer of supernatural phenomena lay darker, more substantial themes which give the film real backbone as something more than simply the tale of a haunting; this is also a tragic story about grief, the complicated dynamics of families and the secrets that can destroy them from within.
The Palmers: Mathew (Martin Sharpe), father Russell, and mother June (Rosie Traynor)
LAKE MUNGO will be released on DVD by Madman on December 2nd.
The trailer for the film can be found here.
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Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
yet another to add to the list I guess because Im a sucker for the fake doco style horror.
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic