Rachel Ward's Beautiful Kate

Beautiful Kate
Australia, 1hr 41min‎‎‎
Written and directed by Rachel Ward

This has been pretty much universally praised by the critics, while other commentators have characterised it as just another depressing Australian flick about suicide and despair. This latter response may arise from the casting of Ben Mendelsohn (Ned) and Bryan Brown (Bruce, Ned's father), with their strong associations with suburban angst and urban nastiness. Have no fear, despite being very angsty and very nasty, they are both excellent, giving arguably their best performances to date, and ably transcend the 'Oh not them again' factor. All the performances are exceptional, with a special mention for newcomer Sophie Lowe as Ned's twin sister Kate (the beautiful).

It's certainly a bleak and unforgiving movie in parts, but we found it to be quite a redemptive tale - an age-old one really, involving a 'prodigal' son's return, and dark family secrets finally brought into the open.

Director Rachel Ward based it on the by American Newton Thornburg's 1982 novel of the same name, transposing it from 70s Idaho to a remote outback community in South Australia's Flinders Ranges. Its form is a (mostly) well-constructed and dramatically successful dual narrative, with the contemporary-ish story (son returns after 20 years to visit dying and despised father) interwoven with flashbacks to the 1970s and 80s (the childhood and adolescence of the four siblings, two of whom are now dead).

It's the flashbacks (and the poster, UK version shown) that have evoked the Bill Henson comparisons, particularly the 'Dam Scene', and this was calculated. Ward, speaking to Andrew L. Urban (Urban Cinefile) has said "My aesthetic for the flashback narrative is inspired by Bill Henson’s work. Like Beautiful Kate he inhabits a world of teenage alienation and sexuality. A world lit by pole lights, car headlights or torches. I like the way he reveals only small poetic fragments, fragments of alabaster skin, of silhouetted breasts, of bruised lips, the glint of a tear. He too treads that fine line between beauty/romance and desolation/realism. There are a number of fairly explicit sexual scenes throughout. While I do not intend to enter Larry Clarke territory, I hope not be prudish. This film is sexually provocative.”

Like Samson and Delilah, this film deals with things that many families would prefer not to think about, and it will be confronting to many, but Ward and her team have created a fine movie about things that matter. Go see.

Sydney: Kosky's Poppea

Barrie Kosky's Poppea

Based on L'incoronazione di Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi, libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, based on historical incidents described in the Annals of Tacitus. (First performance: Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice, 1642)
and the songs of Cole Albert Porter

Sydney Opera House, Playhouse Theatre
until 22 August

You know you're at a Kosky piece when there's a blood-smeared nude man on stage most of the time and you barely notice him. The Baroness's sublime reinterpretation of Monteverdi's last opera was a sensation at the Vienna Schauspielhaus where it originated, and at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival, programmed by that other Australian arts wunderkind, composer Jonathan Mills. Now it has finally arrived in Sydney, at the Playhouse, SOH for a 2-week run.

We loved this. We are fans of Kosky from way back. But still, you try to be objective.

A minimal set and 4-person orchestra pit is all there in the way of evocation of place. Six performers sing the roles. And what performers! Much has been written of Melita Jurisic (Poppea)'s stage presence. She is mesmerising, with a throaty tenor purr that evokes a debauched pre-war Berlin, molassses-rich with visceral and obsessive love. The others are all equally fine, moving easily between (presumably) Busenello's words transposed to German, and some of Cole Porter's best-known songs. Sounds ghastly? It works, surprisingly, because these actor/singers could carry anything off. It's worth it just for 'De-Lovely' - it's in the second half, which really is worth staying for, we promise.

In the pit, three cellists weave a seductive path through Monteverdi and Porter, while the Baroness von Kosky herself punishes the ivories. This is piano as storyteller - cartoon-like, often, in true burlesque spirit. Sometimes all shrill arpeggios, sometimes discordant breaking glass, sometimes pounding and thunderous, it's hard to subtract the director's bravura turn from the whole. There were times I found the piano insistent and relentless, at other times delicate and moody... on the whole I think he pulls it off rather well. It's brave, and there's no hiding behind the actors here.

This is one of the best things to hit the Sydney stage this year - tix are only about $40, so go see if you can.

A la prochâine