ERSKINEVILLE KINGS
SYNOPSIS:
Barky (Marty Deniss) returns home to the Sydney suburb of Erskineville for his
father’s funeral, after escaping two years previously from his drunken abuse. He had
left behind his girlfriend Lanny (Marin Mimica), his friends and his brother Wace (Hugh
Jackman). Although his father is no longer alive, the grievances and baggage that Barky
and Wace harbour from their torn household are. Barky thought leaving was tough; what
about coming home?
"Hard hitting, yet surprisingly subtle, Alan White’s debut feature
Erskineville Kings is a moody film with undercurrent to burn. It is beautifully shot with
lingering glimpses of the street, the train station, the shop fronts, all setting the
scene of suburban Erskineville. The slow pace is a notable feature, with great pains taken
to show the external normality of life, and how it just goes on - superfically at least,
with little change. Characters walk in and out of frame and in some scenes, there's no
action, just a glimpse of a style of life. Much of the dialogue is stilted and awkward
– much like life's real dialogue in the suburbs. Emotions aren't talked about, but we
feel the seething beneath. Brought together by the death of their father, it's the story
about two brothers – their differences, and the pain they share. How they each deal
with the emotional baggage they carry. The weaknesses lie mostly in the script, which is
under-developed. Some of the characters’ complexities could have been brought to life
in richer detail. But what Erskineville Kings does well is show an authentic slice of real
life. This is where the guys go to the Kings Hotel for a drink and a game of darts. They
smoke a joint at a friend's place. They have a stubby and talk about nothing much. It's
not until they get into the toilet, that guts get spilt. In many ways, it is deceptive how
much information is divulged about the characters. From seemingly innocent conversations
about topics as diverse as circumcision and boxers and Y-fronts, the textures and colours
are woven. Hugh Jackman gets the dirt right under his nails. Jackman is superb as the
brother who takes on and wears his father's guilt like a chain around his neck. The entire
ensemble cast is excellent, with great naturalistic performances. Moody, melancholy and
powerful, Erskineville Kings is a stylised portrait of the Aussie whose emotions are
buried as deep as a dog's bone, but satisfying if discovered."
Louise Keller
"There are so many promising and valuable elements in Erskineville Kings it’s
a real pity that the film doesn’t quite match up to them as a whole. White’s eye
for cinematic language is astute, although sometimes he seems to have got off on the
novelty of making a 90 minute work instead of his usual 90 second tvcs. Shot for contrast,
his obliging cinematographer John Swaffield has used morning and afternoon sunlight
unremittingly, and frequently inserted architecture-against-blue-sky-with-power-lines
shots to build up our sense of Erskineville. And not bad, for all their vaguely contrived
feel. Excellent mood and feel with some heartfelt dialogue and the kind of naturalistic
performances that propelled films like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Erskineville
Kings only lacks one thing to make it great: more work on the script. Another few drafts
would have helped percolate some of its elements into a better, more satisfying emotional
brew. As it stands, it lacks a payoff for the audience, and despite enjoying it, I
can’t help feeling dissatisfied by it. But to be fair, Alan White has achieved what
he set out to do: portray the Australian male reluctance at genuine communication, using
the film itself as an example of it."
Andrew L. Urban
"The 'traditional' Australian male’s way of dealing with crisis (read: going
to the pub) is the centrepiece of Alan White’s powerful new film. But don’t make
the mistake of thinking the film is emotionally empty as a result. Years of tension,
resentment and recrimination between two brothers explode in a stuffy room on a hot
afternoon, leading to one of the most satisfying Australian films of the year. OK,
it’s been done before and the allusions to other films are many - Twelve Angry Men
and Dog Day Afternoon are two cited by the director himself - and it’s thematically
similar to Radiance. But to go this deeply into the Aussie male psyche in the late
1990’s is a new and worthwhile experience. Erskineville Kings is not an in-your-face
film - at least initially. The drama builds slowly over the course of one crucial day in
the characters' lives. This, of course, couldn’t be pulled off without talented cast;
and White has assembled a terrific one. The brothers, played by Marty Denniss and Hugh
Jackman, take most of the screen time. Both give mighty performances - Denniss as the more
sensitive Barky and Jackman (playing against type a little) as the gruff and stoic Wace.
The supporting cast includes Aaron Blabey, Joel Edgerton and Leah Vandenberg in the small
but significant role of Lanny. The film looks great, capturing precisely the depressed
mood of a decaying inner-city locale - and you can almost feel the heat as the characters
traipse the streets and play pool in a stuffy back room at the pub. This is a rewarding
and honest new Australian film - don’t stay away from this one."
David Edwards
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CRITICAL COUNT
Favourable: 2
Unfavourable: 1
Mixed: 1
Read Andrew L. Urban's interview with
HUGH JACKMAN & ALAN WHITE
ERSKINEVILLE KINGS(M15+)
(AUS)
CAST: Marty Deniss, Hugh Jackman, Aaron Blabey, Andrew Wholley, Joel Edgerton, Leah
Vandenberg, Marin Mimica
PRODUCERS: Alan White, Julio Caro
DIRECTOR: Alan White
SCRIPT: Anik Chooney
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Swaffield
EDITOR: Jane Moran
MUSIC: Don Miller Robinson
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Andrew Horne
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Palace
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: September 23, 1999 (Syd, Melb, Perth)
VIDEO RELEASE: February 8, 2000
VIDEO DISTRIBUTOR: Roadshow Home Entertainment
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