South Solitary

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07/24/2020 Sweet and underrated here See more 03/24/2013 Critic can't see what's interesting.Critic fails to appreciate the pace or atmosphere of the film. Critic writes patronising dross to demean the film. These inabilities leave me shaking my head in disbelief; who could possibly find this edifying? Margaret I'll let off this time for her sartorial taste and her skill in accessorising. So away from negativities to what's great; the bleakness of the location, which is actually incredibly beautiful, is no match for the desolation of the social scene, which is killingly mean and harsh. There isn't any story element beyond the grossest [person in disgrace sentenced to stay on remote island] that I can remember elsewhere. Truly disquieting relations between characters. A lot of tension and increasing suspense. Riveting acting, though with Barry Otto there's always an element of satire that it's funny he gets away with. Maybe it's a built in thing that can't be shed, like Kevin Costner's Kevincostnerness that he can never shed [contrast with Daniel D-L the chameleon]. This is the sort of Au film I love, along with others like In the Winter Dark, The Tale of Ruby Rose and Perfect Strangers. Not because there's some category called 'Art', to which they are consigned by lovers of the trite and true[ly tedious] standard Hollywood thing, but because they're NEW, intriguing, set in wonderful places and overwhelmingly dominated by natural primeval ambience. See more 09/02/2012 Never ceases to surprise me that different people like different things - I can't believe that there is not universal approval of this film and yet audience rating here is 25%. South Solitary is a beautifully crafted study; broken people fixing each other. The script is tight almost clipped, acting wonderfully underplayed, photography perfect - considering their idea of foreplay, its amazing to think something so sensitive and beautiful could have come from Oz. See more 01/24/2012 Excellent actress Miranda Otto but a claustrophobic movie I won't watch again See more 07/22/2011 Another beautiful Australian movie. Am becoming quite a fan - some very nice movies have come out of here! Moody, leisurely paced, and wonderfully filmed, named after an actual island in Oz, it portrays the loneliness of the place and the people who inhabit it. Simple story, well told, reminds me again why I love cinema! See more 06/26/2011 Charming, subtle, and endearing, South Solitary is one of those little Australian films that delights in telling a good story. Set in the 1920's, Miranda Otto plays Meredith Appleton, a young unmarried woman who arrives on an isolated island with her uncle, who has taken up the post of the new lighthouse keeper. She finds the island populated with a host of rather idiosyncratic adults and headstrong children. Shirley Barrett writes and directs this, and it is filled with the gentle, wry humour of her previous effort, Love Serenade. She is mistress of her story, and lets it unfold slowly - we gradually come to learn of Meredith's unfortunately lewd past that has led her here, and the various histories of those on this small island, including Martin Csokas' war-damaged lighthouse keeper, Jack. Whilst not a great deal happens extrovertly, there is a wealth of emotions roiling beneath the surface of our characters. Barrett peels them out deftly in subtly nuanced scenes, often using the inclement weather as precognitive metaphor. The script is beautifully moderated, as a series of events strip Meredith of her comforts and leave her to the mercy of a broken, socially inarticulate man. Miranda Otto is delightful as Meredith, always presenting outward positivity even when nursing inner hurt. Martin Csokas' dour, moody keeper, Jack, is a wonderfully sustained performance, and ultimately sympathetic. Barry Otto surprisingly plays against type as Meredith's stern, regimental uncle. And Essie Davis is curt and sharply insinuating. Barrett handles the narrative with precision, and peppers the film with lovely comic visual cues. Even when things become serious, there is a tenderness and glowing optimism to proceedings, helped immeasurably by Meredithâ(TM)s bolstering character. The film is also stunningly shot by Anna Howard with its lowering grey skies, moody seas, and solemn landscape. Mary Finisterre's score is also exactly right, being alternately cheering or laden with gentle emotion. This is the sort of film that is hard to pull off without becoming mawkish or cheesy, and yet Barrett easily achieves a whimsical charm and yet a resonant drama. It also leaves us with hope. One of the most wonderful Australian films to have been made in the last few years. See more Read all reviews

South Solitary

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