Alex Dimitriades is stunning as a nihilistic young Greek-Australian on a wild binge. This talented actor pretty much carries the film on his broad shoulders, having totally immersed himself into the antihero's persona.
Dimitriades leaves no stone unturned in responding to Director Ana Kokkinos' explicit direction. One may feel revelation or revulsion, but one cannot easily dismiss the impact of Kokkinos' graphic images and depictions. How one values this film will depend on personal taste. At the foreign film series in which I saw it, the audience was completely drawn into the drama, responding to subtle lines, and one could feel the deep involvement of all the viewers.
Jill Belcock's sharp editing and Nikki DiFalco's atmospheric production design certainly enhanced the proeedings. At times one felt one's sensibilities being assaulted under the sheer impact of the presentation.
The value of the film from a personal perspective is a quite realistic slice-of-life consideration of a quintessential "looser," and being able to identify (if not fully sympathize) with his alien plight. It is also an informative dramatization of a subculture which has become quite ingrown in its attitudes and customs. Its community has become so exclusive that its larger Australian setting becomes of secondary importance.
Dimitriades brilliantly depicts the contradictions and confusions of his character, depleted of creative energy by physical and emotional abuses. It is a performance of enormous courage and conviction, which becomes almost hypnotic as the film progresses. "Loosers" are not normally satisfying subjects for dramatizations, especially characters who fail to grow, and who in the end are little or no different from the way they were in the beginning.
It is therefore all the more commendable that Kokkinos' fine cast manages to involve the viewer in an endless series of unforgettable images and scenes, creating a powerful mosaic of lasting impact.
Dimitriades leaves no stone unturned in responding to Director Ana Kokkinos' explicit direction. One may feel revelation or revulsion, but one cannot easily dismiss the impact of Kokkinos' graphic images and depictions. How one values this film will depend on personal taste. At the foreign film series in which I saw it, the audience was completely drawn into the drama, responding to subtle lines, and one could feel the deep involvement of all the viewers.
Jill Belcock's sharp editing and Nikki DiFalco's atmospheric production design certainly enhanced the proeedings. At times one felt one's sensibilities being assaulted under the sheer impact of the presentation.
The value of the film from a personal perspective is a quite realistic slice-of-life consideration of a quintessential "looser," and being able to identify (if not fully sympathize) with his alien plight. It is also an informative dramatization of a subculture which has become quite ingrown in its attitudes and customs. Its community has become so exclusive that its larger Australian setting becomes of secondary importance.
Dimitriades brilliantly depicts the contradictions and confusions of his character, depleted of creative energy by physical and emotional abuses. It is a performance of enormous courage and conviction, which becomes almost hypnotic as the film progresses. "Loosers" are not normally satisfying subjects for dramatizations, especially characters who fail to grow, and who in the end are little or no different from the way they were in the beginning.
It is therefore all the more commendable that Kokkinos' fine cast manages to involve the viewer in an endless series of unforgettable images and scenes, creating a powerful mosaic of lasting impact.