IDIOT BOX

SYNOPSIS:
Tragi-comedy about two unemployed suburban youths who, bored and frustrated, lounge and fool around until they get the bright idea that their boredom would be alleviated with a little bank robbery.

Review by Andrew L. Urban:
Nothing that David Caesar has done (especially his feature film, Greenkeeping) will prepare you for this: billed as ‘action comedy’ about two young no-hoper guys bored titless, Idiot Box is actually a Tarantino-esque, but Australian as all getout, tragi-comedy in which David speaks his (until now stifled) cinematic language of choice. Bravura use of sound and music, camera angles that make-you-look-you-dirty-chook, lighting without fear, and a total belief in the script all help drive the film with energy and pathos in equal measure. For music, David went with You Am I, The Mark of Cain, Magic Dirt, Snout, Crow, etc. Showcased at Toronto’s film fest in the Discovery slot (August 1996), Idiot Box has what it takes to lurch its audiences on a wild joyride with a couple of bums who - despite themselves - endear themselves to us. We care for all the characters, and that’s thanks to David as well as his outstanding cast. But above all, a great script and the vision to realise it. Bullseye.