To me, this movie is perfection.
That was an excellent one.
A lot of fun.
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
View MoreThe brothers Jacobson have a relaxed, happy-go-lucky disposition that is ensnarled into a grim entanglement with only sparse, uncomfortable laughter as an inadequate pressure release. The seemingly frugal production - two main roles, one location - fronts what is really a very clever and handsome piece of cinema. The narrative and the visuals are synchronised in a subtle, unrelenting, slow boil. At first it is bicycles and country roads - something of the innocence of youth. At its conclusion it is, well, unfair to say it switches genre. Rather it seduces you into witnessing what traditionally would belong in other more hardcore genres. Fully sick, bro.
View MoreBrothers Jeff (Clayton Jacobson) and Terry (Shane Jacobson) have come up with a plan for the perfect murder; they've meticulously organized a sequence of events so that when the body is discovered, it is seen as obviously a suicide. Jeff has even ensured that they won't leave any DNA evidence behind, making sure that they have protective clothing, gloves and shoe covers. But when the intended victim arrives, nothing goes quite to plan....This kind of deeply dark humour either strikes the viewer as wonderfully imaginative and smart and funny, or as producing a "huh?" kind of reaction; fortunately this viewer at least felt the former rather than the latter. The film was directed by Clayton and produced by both real-life brothers, so in addition to the dark humour the comparisons to the Coen Brothers are bound to come up; but these two put a whole new spin on the idea that things never quite go to plan, no matter how meticulous you've been in trying to foresee every contingent. A few violent scenes, nothing more gory than you might see on television today, but a warning to the squeamish on that front; otherwise, just enjoy!
View MoreShane Jacobson emerged as a seriously reliable performer in film and musical comedy in the last decade here in Australia. Through Kenny, the port-a-loo entrepreneur, the chubby chap that many of us Aussies had enjoyed on the musical stage was brought to broader knowledge. I may have misunderstood the attractions of 'stars' - not just that their role will be convincing, more that their presence says 'This must be OK or I wouldn't have signed up."It's somewhat like that with 'Brothers' Nest', but more so. Shane and his real life big brother Clayton have the relationship in this family muck-up story that cannot be acted - it just has to be innate and honed over decades of brotherly rivalry to work this well. The setting, in a western Victorian farmhouse, shot mostly at dusk, overnight and dawn looks the real deal it is.The story is about family relationships - intense, marginal, commonly held and individual, stemming from not so happy families, divorces, new unions, strengths but mostly weaknesses. It isn't pretty, and if your family isn't like this, you'll probably be thankful, but it really does have a lot to say.It's a small cast, and the two bothers plus Kim Gyngell as their step father leave little space for the others, but all click satisfyingly. They are all believable in their roles.The billing was 'black comedy' but I'd allocate this to the thriller category. Few laughs, personally or in our cinema, and virtually none out loud. But it seriously held my attention.Give it a go - it's good.
View MoreAfter seeing Shane Jacobson's first film 'Kenny' I went into this expecting something similar, a light humored comedy. This is far cry from his earlier work, and although the movie does have its funny moments, it is also quite dark. Definitely worth seeing.
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