(David
Michôd/2010/Australia)
After his
mum overdoses and dies Jay finds refuge with his grandmother and
extended family who happen to be one of Melbourne’s most notorious
crime gangs. His passive engagement with the daily running’s of
this new family sees him find a sense of place and acceptance and
also exposes him to exploitation in particular by his uncle - the
older, just out of jail and slightly psychotic brother “Pope”.
Based around real events Animal Kingdom matter-of-factly portrays
these folk as they casually and pointedly operate and live outside of
the law. Jay slips further and further into the mire as pressure from
cops to go states witness builds and Pope slowly loses his grip and
slips further and further into paranoid aggression. Ben Mendelsohn is
intense and scary as Pope and James Frecheville plays the confused,
perennially unsure but cool Jay to a tee. Animal Kingdom is quietly
gripping to the very last second.
(3.5/5)
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