Strangerland

Strangerland is hotly anticipated at the Sydney Film Festival (SFF), marking as it does the first time Nicole Kidman has participated in Australian independent cinema since 1989’s Dead Calm. Does it measure up?

Caroline (Nicole Kidman) and Matthew Parker (Joseph Fiennes) and their two children attempt a new life in Nathgari, a remote town situated in the harsh Australian desert. One day their children go missing while a massive dust storm engulfs the town. As local detective David (Hugo Weaving) investigates, tensions and suspicions rise.

Directed by Kim Farrant, Strangerland is a dark, nihilistic drama (read: not great fun). The film is soaked in atmosphere, like the setting is in dust and is beautifully shot. The landscape plays a character here and is nicely utilised, especially in conjunction with Aboriginal beliefs. The film begins engagingly, slowly setting up events with effectiveness. Unfortunately the pace halts grindingly by halfway. Farrant seems uninterested in plot and more on coping mechanisms. Thus, direction feels lost in unclear focus.

The portrayals are rich, with Kidman bringing welcome plainness in look and, later, raw emotion. Fiennes is solid, clinical yet fuelled by anger. Weaving is expectantly good as the flawed detective whose relationships compromise proceedings. Meyne Wyatt’s Burtie is also an appealingly sympathetic character.

Despite the talent and care, the film is too vague in focus to be considered great.