Catharsis in Jindabyne, but it might not be the catharsis you craved or expected
Added 3/13/2009
Jindabyne is an Australian film, yet it stars an Irish actor, Gabriel Byrne as Stewart, and Laura Linney as Claire. Based on a Short Story by Raymond Carver, "So Much Water So Close to Home" the screenplay is recast in New South Wales, Australia by Beatrix Christian; and filmed on location in Jindabyne, in Australia, a location that served the story well.
You have a vast desert, with alien rock formations near "so much water" and a river with an almost magical fishing hole. You have an immense power plant, powered by the dam, exerting such a strong magnetic field that even the cell phones are rendered useless. There is a clash between the newcomers and the indigenous people, with an equally powerful disruption of communication. There is a legend that a ghost city sits at the bottom of the reservoir, the original site of Jindabyne.
A lot happens in the film, but lots of story arcs are never concluded, lots of loose ends never tied. Just as the original site of Jindabyne lies submerged under the water from the dam project, populated by skeletons and the old timers who refused to leave; the new Jindabyne has its own skeletal population. Nearly every character has numerous skeletons in their closet, yet scarcely a few are ever explained. The trauma that bent the neighbor girl? Her mother's suicide? What caused the rift between Claire and Stewart's mother?
The central fact of the story is about a murder. An aborigine woman is on her way to sing at the Jindabyne Fair when she is accosted. The killer throws her into the river, and she ends up downriver where her corpse is found by Stewart and his fishing buddies. When they step over her body to continue fishing and only report it days later it is a catalyst for a whole host of unforeseen consequences. The town and the victim's people turn their anger on Stewart and his crew, and all are forced to face painful truths about themselves. Claire and Stewart's relationship is put to the test, and it very nearly unravels.
Laura Linney and Gabriel Byrne both give tremendous performances, supported by a great cast of locals and others. Laura in particular is relentless as Claire; she keeps pushing for reconciliation, in spite of a universally hostile reaction from both her neighbors and the victim's people. Her every action seems so wrong, in spite of her grim determination to make things right.
Gabriel shows off not only nuance and subtlety, but also paints with broader strokes moments of extreme emotions. Now a mechanic and a weekend fisherman, he recalls his glory days of racing, but those days are gone and his youth is fading. His only solace is beer and fishing. When Claire confronts him about his callous actions or lack thereof towards the dead woman he explodes in violent rage. Can he ever gain redemption?
All the unanswered questions hang over the story like a shroud of mist, evoking quite an eerie mood throughout. The identity of the killer, while known to the audience, haunts them with a foreboding feeling whenever he appears. Will he get caught? Will he kill again? What made him a killer?
If you want all the stories tied up in a neat bow at the end of the movie, then you might not like this film at all, but if you'll allow a film to ask, not answer questions, then you very well might like it a lot. There's catharsis in Jindabyne, but it might not be the catharsis you craved or expected.
The Savages (2007) .... Laura Linney was Wendy Savage
The Squid and the Whale (Special Edition) (2005) .... Laura Linney was Joan Berkman
Kinsey (2004) .... Laura Linney was Clara McMillen
P.S. (2004) .... Gabriel Byrne was Peter Harrington and Laura Linney was Louise Harrington
Mystic River (Widescreen Edition) (2003) .... Laura Linney was Annabeth Markum
You Can Count on Me (2000) .... Laura Linney was Samantha 'Sammy' Prescott
Stigmata (1999) .... Gabriel Byrne was Father Andrew Kiernan
The Usual Suspects (1995) .... Gabriel Byrne was Dean Keaton
Little Women (Collector's Edition) (1994) .... Gabriel Byrne was Friedrich Bhaer
Gothic (1986) .... Gabriel Byrne was Byron
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Lawrence Scores Again
Added 1/20/2009
By no count is Ray Lawrence's output prolific. But what he achieves is uniquely paced and conveys a meloncholic menace in the landscape that has been remarked upon by settlers at least since Marcus Clark's,Term of His Natural Life', midway through the C19th. This disturbing remake of Carver's, 'Too Much Water' has so much more to offer than the episode we saw in Altman's satisfying,'Shortcuts'. It's ambitions are wider and its best to leave comparisons alone. Old Jindabyne was the victim of a grand plan to the dam the Snowy River and create hydro-elctric power for the south east of Australia. It's submersion, its sacrifice to 'power and water'(the ranting we hear from the murder as he pants at the Aboriginal girls' car window)seems to have channeled a retributive stirrings through this guy, who one suspects would be old enough, just, to recall the original town. The moral stuff about the choices made by the fishers of trout and a woman, eclipse that of seeking the murderer. The two children play a reflective undertone to the greater narrative, strangely cogniscient of what is happening. The magnificent closing minutes take us to a smoking ceremony amongst First Australian relatives who are mourning the dead girl in the Snowy Mountains. The murderer stand at some distance in the trees. Just prior to the credit roll, we return to the opening scene. Mr Power and Water is at it again, waiting for some unsuspecting female to wind along the lonesome track. Paul Kelly, who, about the time of 'Short Cuts', wrote a wonderful version of this Carver story has made a most effective soundtrack. Very Australian. Very believable with wonderfully understated performances all round. Very recommendable.
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WORKS FOR ME
Added 1/1/2009
If you possibly can, try to see this film before you read much in the way of reviews or other commentary that might give away too much of the story. I was lucky enough to do this, and now after seeing a selection of opinions I feel fairly certain that I had the chance to get the best out of it.
By this I imply no criticism whatsoever of any reviews that I have since read. Favourable and unfavourable alike, they have provided me with many helpful insights. However what they make me think is that the extent to which you are likely to enjoy this film, and the rating you are liable to give it, are going to depend on your temperament much more than on your rational faculties, ordinary day-to-day standards, education or even moral values. Just let it take you by surprise if you still can. For my part, I'm not sure that it is like anything I ever saw before.
The filming and camera work seem to get plaudits from nearly everyone, so let me join in that chorus. The scenery is simply gorgeous, and the close-up filming of the actors is adroitly and perceptively handled. The effect of mystery and of uncertainty regarding what it is all going to be about is quite extraordinarily well suggested in the opening sequences. After the sinister first episode it all moves slowly for a while, and the air of menace is retained without being reinforced explicitly. That, I would say, is largely to the credit of the camera crew. They never seem to miss a chance, as for example when there is a brief appearance (never explained or followed up) of a dubious-looking stranger approaching the little boy on the beach. Effective in the extreme - it made me catch my breath, although it is a long time since my children were that age and I had to worry about that sort of thing. I might even say that one of the few criticisms I have of Jindabyne concerns this side of things, the side that nearly everyone agrees to be outstandingly good. There are a great many themes and issues (too many for some critics) in the film, and I felt on a couple of occasions that the camera angles were seeming to suggest `meaningfulness' and `significance' when in fact nothing much came of it. It could be that I was missing something, of course.
The `story', insofar as there is one, is a kind of `moral maze'. It is inviting us at every stage to sit in judgment on the characters. The startpoint is an unbelievably crass piece of disrespectful insensitivity by the four male leads. From there on it is nothing so simple as just people's reactions, (and of course their own), because we have to discover and take into account where the main actors are coming from in their lives up to that point. We are also made to endure some wince-making exhibitions of people's inability to communicate, and I for one was left wondering whether that might have been the main unifying thread of the narrative. The various subplots are woven together very well, I thought, and not badly acted either, but the general impression is rather like the impact of the music of Delius - much more atmosphere than structure. I love Delius myself, and I loved this film. However I can perfectly well understand the point of view of those who like neither, so not knowing which category you come into I can't say whether this film is likely to be your kind of thing. It is nothing if not original, and as I said already I don't recall anything really like it. One touch was completely superb, and I should be surprised if anyone at all disagrees - after wringing out our capacity for judgments and moral assessments, the film ends by abruptly reminding us that what we have been agonising over is in fact a rather minor misdemeanour in comparison with the major atrocity that nobody has seemingly been able to spare a thought for.
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Another Dead End Movie
Added 12/27/2008
After suffering for more than 2 hours thru an extremely slow and often muddled and boring movie I at least expected some kind of closure.
It seems to be the trend nowadays to leave the viewer guessing. The bad white people AGAIN are made out to be the villains and getting punished for not reporting a murder victim immediately (although they are out in the boonies and it is made clear that the cell phones do not have reception in the area). Haunted by the press and local opinion, not to speak of family problems and being spit on and vandalized by the local aborigines tribe, who "NATURALLY" have every right to do so!! At least I didn't see any police presence for these acts of violence. In the meantime the murderer sits in his truck waiting for his next victim - END OF STORY! Are you tired of all that political correct mush yet?? If yes,
don't waste time or money on this one. 2 stars for decent acting.
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"Less is More"
Added 8/1/2008
A quite superb job from all the actors here. Oh, the subtlety. Byrne and Linney are fantastic. The atmospheric nuances of the cinematography are perfectly synchronized for effect. An ARTIST'S movie.
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