MOVIE: ANIMAL KINGDOM

During this grittier than gravel Australian cop drama, I had to keep pinching myself. Am I dreaming, or are two impossible things happening; one, the police are efficiently doing their jobs (albeit sometimes corruptly); two, I am enjoying an Australian film. A lot. Sure, it’s not unprecedented – but sadly, the hit rate is not high. Centring around a Melbourne crime family and their inevitable demise, Underbelly comparisons are unavoidable. But where Underbelly is mewling kitten, Animal Kingdom is ferocious lion, jaws still dripping with the blood of its victims (and its competitors – it has already taken the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance). Blankfaced teen ‘J’ (James Frecheville) reunites with his infamous, bankrobbing uncles, Pope (Ben Mendelsohn), Barry (Joel Edgerton) and Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) after his creepily cheery grandmother ‘Smurf’ (Jacki Weaver) takes him in. Of course, he becomes the witless pawn in their downfall – and is forced to grapple with the laws of the jungle. Believable, nuanced, and played to perfection, this is an Aussie gem that will hopefully wake dozy audiences up across the country. (AB)