David O'ConnellSouth Solitary
July 15th 2010 06:06
It’s 1927 and a changing of the guard is taking place on the tiny island of South Solitary. Incoming lighthouse keeper Wadsworth (Barry Otto) has arrived with his niece Meredith (Miranda Otto) and a cute lamb in tow. The previous keeper it seems took his own life and with the troubled, nearly mute and not-so-rarely drunken Fleet (Marton Csokas) an unreliable assistant, someone with more seniority is necessary to fill the void. There is also a resident family on the island headed by Harry Stanley (Rohan Nicol), his wife (Essie Davis) and their three children.
After a reasonably promising set-up, writer-director Shirley Barrett’s first film in a decade becomes a deadening disappointment, weighted down with some of the most unsympathetic characters you are likely to encounter in any film. Ultimately this is what dooms it, though the fact that very little happens on South Solitary - especially in the second half of the film when the numbers are pared back to two - doesn’t exactly help its cause.
One by one we find reasons to despise these people, not feel empathy for them. Meredith is the saving grace perhaps, though even she’s a dull, naïve 35 year-old searching for true meaning in her life and hoping to find love. Her one genuine suitor apparently died during the war. Can she possible earn the interest of the psychologically wounded Fleet, who is perhaps concealing startling conversational skills and a withering intellect behind that glowering facade? Well maybe, if she can get past the fact that this self-hating loner, in reality, has the personality of a block of wood.
The rest of the inhabitants of the island aren’t any more attractive; in fact they’re a downright wretched lot. None more so than Wadsworth whose arrogant, irascible, staunchly by-the-book attitude beggars belief. There’s not even a thread of likeability to attach us to this man. His hateful treatment of Meredith alienates us from the start and things only go downhill from there.
Harry’s only daughter, who becomes Meredith’s only real friend in the early scenes, might have been cast as the cute and lovable rascal in an American version. Even that might have been more favourable for she turns into a thoroughly unpleasant little thing in quick smart time. Then there's Harry’s resentful, ice maiden of a wife, listening on with what might almost be interpreted as glee whilst poor Meredith proffers the tale of her missing womb, the reason she can’t bear children of her own. Then there’s Harry himself who seems like an affable larrikin at first but quickly transforms into that depressing cliché - the sleazy scumbucket whose only real motivation ultimately is to get inside poor vulnerable Meredith’s pants.
Of course it’s great to see the Otto's, both preeminent figures in the Australian film industry, on screen together, but it's a crying shame their combined talents have been wasted on such pedestrian, uninspiring material. It must have looked a lot more promising on paper, surely? Indeed, there seem to be endless possibilities here - ways to enliven this chamber piece with interactions that might have brought these characters to life.
Imagine the richness that might have been wrought from a study of a lonely niece who discovers her rigid uncle isn’t such a bad guy after all? In an alternate version he learns to mellow and become a more tolerant human being, tamed by the isolation and natural beauty of the island. Instead, Barrett has chosen an incomprehensible path, offering virtually no redeeming features for Wadsworth or any other character.
The other thing that amuses me about South Solitary is the seemingly deliberate misdirection in the way it’s being marketed. Pegged as a romantic drama is some circles, it’s alternately been labeled Australia’s new “romantic comedy” on the front of this month’s Inside Film magazine in what amounts to a ludicrous misrepresentation of the film. The central relationship barely qualifies as a friendship let alone something of a romantic nature. As for 'comedy', I must have slept through those bits. I think I smiled once during the entire screening. I’d hate to be hosting a party for this South Solitary lot, the night would be sure to end in disaster.
Elongated to an almost intolerable 120 minute running time and chewing its way through, reportedly, a $7 million budget, South Solitary (2010) proves to be the disappointment of the year so far on the local scene.
South Solitary opens across Australia on July 29.
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Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
I'm still just flummoxed by Barrett's screenplay and the direction she took with most of her characters.
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Thanks for the early warning Dave. The last australian art film I went to see was Beautiful Kate which I despised, I'll make sure I stay away from this one!
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Matt, you're certainly loyal to 'your boys' if nothing else!
I haven't taken enough notice of Csokas in the past to be honest but I see he's in The Tree which I'm seeing at MIFF in a couple of weeks, so hopefully that's not another dud!