Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-20 22:32:35

charming, unique, funny

I love this movie.The characters were real even though they were unusual. I cared about them, I loved them. They were well developed even though they were representitive arch types. When the movie was over, I wished it weren't. To me it is a quirky work of genius, maybe even more so because of it's wonderful, gentle, directing, the perfect acting.

2012-05-20 10:21:48

excellent excellent

This review is from: The Rage in Placid Lake (DVD) This film is fantastic. Witty, intelligent, and refreshing. And Ben Lee is adorable

tokisamauri 2012-05-19 10:11:00

Great Aussie Cinema

As far as Australian cinema goes, there are occasional highs andmonumental lows. The Rage In Placid Lake, for me, represents one of themost outstanding offerings in recent years.In the way that the Rocky Horror Picture Show is better than the filmsit parodies, Placid Lake turns the tacky and outdated genre of 'teenmovie' into a refreshing anti-rebellion piece that sends its messagethrough excellent acting (Ben Lee & Rose Byrne) and well chosendialogue.If Rock Hudson and Doris Day experimented with hormones and hemp, TheRage in Placid Lake could be a possible outcome.

natalie goodwin 2012-05-19 04:13:40

Another not so funny film

This is so bad it's beyond belief...It's yet another bad Australiancomedy.how many are we going to make until we realise this type of filmhashad it's day. The characters have no depth and I can see why it bombed atthe box office. It's time for a change of scenery.

eplromeo8 2012-05-16 12:53:11

Rage in Placid Lake on Reel 13

Aha! After last week's debacle with American Wake, I was starting toworry that the Reel 13 Indies were going to be a series of belowaverage films that didn't receive more significant distribution for areason (i.e. they stunk). But HERE - here they have found a diamond inthe rough – that long lost indie gem that slipped through the cracksand failed to reach a wider audience. This, of course, leads me to twoquestions: 1) Who at Fox Searchlight or Focus Features went tosomebody's bar mitzvah instead of a screening of this film allowingFilm Movement to pick it up? and 2) Why in the hell didn't Reel 13debut with this film instead of American Wake? (Sidenote: Anotheroption would have been to air it on 2/2/08 when Reel 13 is showingRebel Without a Cause – this would have been a PERFECT companion piecefor that – why aren't they looking at content when pairing thesefilms???) The first thing you need to know about The Rage in PlacidLake is that it's an Australian film. The second thing you need to knowis that it stars that country's quirky rock/folk icon, Ben Lee (you mayhave noticed that I recently added one of his songs to the MySpace page– it's pretty good…). The film starts out with a five year-old PlacidLake being sent to school in a dress by his granola, new wave bisexualmother (Miranda Richardson) to challenge the other students'preconceived notions of sexuality or something like that. It's a veryclever idea and very efficient – with a few simple images, itestablishes Placid, his family and the series of problems he is likelyto have when he grows up into Ben Lee.The film is full of moments like this – visual, clever ideas thatoptimize screen time to push the story forward (There is a great dreamscene in which Placid plays his own therapist and they discuss his lifepredicament and action steps to resolve it – more films need to becreative like this when it comes to exposition). There are not manybelly laughs, per se, but the film is consistently amusing, ofteninspired and always irreverent. The script is really strong –structured without feeling manipulative and resisting the urge forsitcom-type "set-'em-up, slam it home" humor. There are a few minorcontrivances (Placid's corporate job interview is a bit too easy) andthere is a heavy reliance on voice-over, especially in the beginning (Iam particularly biased against the over usage of VO – that anddissolves – but I won't get into that here. We could be here all day…),but on the whole, the film works on many levels.Ben Lee is amiable and pleasant as the titular character. He has thecharm, if not the chops. If you're looking for chops, look no furtherthan Miranda Richardson as Sylvia Lake, reminding us why she was theBrit femme du jour of the early 90's when she received two Oscarnominations in a three year period (for Damage and Tom and Viv) beforeshe faded into occasional obscure roles on BBC TV movies. Hopefullythat won't be the same fate for Rose Byrne, who has the uniquedistinction of being the best thing in two very bad movies (Troy andWicker Park). Byrne gives her best performance to date as Placid'sgenius best friend, Gemma. Byrne can't hide her sexiness (she wasinnocuously sexy as both a spunky slave girl and a psychotic stalker inthe previously mentioned films), but she can (and does) layer it withintelligence, wit, (appropriate) pathos, and an emotional confusionthat, to some degree, stems from her inability to reconcile her smartswith her sexuality.The most memorable part of the film for me, though, involves theperformance of Christopher Stollery as Joel, Placid's supervisor at hiscorporate insurance job. This has as much to do with Stollery'simpeccable delivery and timing as it does the very concept behind therole itself. Joel becomes an unwitting, somewhat accidental surrogatefather/big-brother to Placid - almost like a corporate soothsayer,whose advice is generally as much a surprise to the giver as it is tothe recipient. This is a great, original narrative device invented bywriter/director Tony McNamara who uses it consistently and effectivelyto steer the story in one direction or another.As excited as I am that Reel 13 discovered and aired this film, I amsomewhat appalled that it didn't receive domestic theatricaldistribution. This isn't just a good little indie film – this is a goodfilm in general and had it been released in 2003, it would have stood agood chance of making a few top ten lists that year, including my own.I understand that Ben Lee was less of a sell-able commodity at the timeand that Australian films are not in high demand, but successes like MyBig Fat Greek Wedding, Bend it Like Beckham and Napoleon Dynamite provethat there is a market for more varied entertainment. We can only hopethat the next hidden gem like The Rage in Placid Lake gets the kind ofattention it deserves.

homecomingguardking 2012-05-16 00:14:05

Narcissistic nightmare

Because Spart Parts was not viewed to the entire end, here comes thefirst full-length movie of Film Movement to appear on this list, and Iwill say that to say the least, this film's appearance in Film Movementis weak. However, this wouldn't mean this is my first impression thanksto the short film "The Youth In Us", which did very well in my books.The Rage of Placid Lake deals with an Australian teenager who has gonethrough life as a person who never conformed to society, and has had abest friend in Gemma, who has the habit of eating "crayons". Cool, butin Placid's case, this means getting picked on at school all the time,and that is something I can relate to. Of course, having something torelate to doesn't necessarily mean that the score of the movie will beboasted.There were some quirks with the movie that I thought were pretty funny,and I actually liked the major characters towards the beginning.However, when Placid decides to try to change his lifestyle, everythinggoes downhill and, therefore, all welcomes are overstayed far tooquickly. This is because the plot's quip of sex goes beyond the bordersof being narcissistic, everyone that I liked in the beginning have nowturned into a complete and utter bitch, and the film's 89-minuteruntime borders on being almost unwatchable. This was outrageousconsidering that the beginning wasn't bad.What the film also does is add in the point that Gemma, not thebullies, were the reason why Placid decided to try a "normal" life,which means going to a life of using sex as a way to make the otherperson jealous. Hopefully, the rest of the Film Movement movies aren'tthis appalling. (October 20th & 23rd, 2011) Grade: F (2.3/10 Rating)

2012-05-12 06:05:48

Good buy

This movie is quite good. It puts a new spin on the whole teenage rebellion idea, and is quite funny in the process. I would suggest it highly to anyone who enjoys intelligent and satirical humor.

2012-05-11 10:01:53

Fluffy -- but it has Rose and Miranda

This is a goofy, lightweight Australian comedy about a teenaged genius named Placid Lake who forsakes his hippie upbringing after suffering continual physical abuse at the hands of school classmates. So, he dresses like George W. Bush and joins an insurance firm. Of course, things don't turn out quite as planned.I don't watch THE OFFICE (British or American versions) but I imagine the quirky comedy in those must be something like this. If it weren't for the brazenly sexual moments (sans nudity), this would make a television sitcom... or it might still make a television sitcom. The movie has dreams of being a profound message film but the result is so lacking in depth that it winds up half-hearted -- spinning mixed messages on the issues of parental expectations, conformity and non-conformity, and a not-so-mixed message on vengeance. So, pick your interpretation. Or better yet, don't bother. Just enjoy the pastel visuals (this was obviously not an American production), the charming actors and just-funning attitude. Two of my favorites are here. Britisher Miranda Richardson and Aussi Rose Byrne (looking like the prettiest girl-geek ever). Coincidently, when I first saw Rose (THE GODDESS OF 1967), I kept thinking of other actresses she reminded of -- Jessica Alba, Shannon Doherty, and Miranda Richardson. Too bad Miranda plays the boy's mother here.

2012-05-10 08:34:40

Offbeat Chemistry

Ben Lee, as he is known in his 6 CD releases, or Benny Lee as he is billed in this film, stars as Placid Lake, a kid brought up by quintessential new age parents who are overly permissive. To equip him with a different perspective, they send him to elementary school in a dress. Garry McDonald who played the Doctor in "Moulin Rouge" plays daddy Doug Lake, a bit controlled by his better half. Miranda Richardson plays his mother Sylvia who wants to study native life in Tuuvalu while also experimenting with same gender physical satisfaction. The two-time Oscar nominee Richardson plays the role vividly on a similar scale to her Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Widescreen Edition). Placid's best friend is Gemma Taylor, a brainiac who also doesn't fit in. Gemma is played by Rose Byrne who won the Best Actress Volpi Cup award in 2000 from the Venice International Film Festival for Goddess of 1967. She has also played in "Troy," "Wicker Park," and "Two Hands" with Heath Ledger. She & Lee generate an offbeat chemistry. Placid's rebellion leads him to pattern his dress and hair after American president George W. Bush. This leads him to being hired into an insurance firm and fast tracked with Jane played by Saskia Smith who likes to take pleasure breaks in the stationery closet. Placid fends off three attackers and persuades one dimwitted student to chain himself without clothes to Gemma's table leg by a dog collar in order to win her affections. Australian playwright Tony McNamara adapted the screenplay from his stage play "The Cafe Latte Kid." Film Movement has presented another unusual international film that is well worth seeing. Enjoy!

mandosalama 2012-05-09 15:58:17

It did "something" to my placid lake !

I was young when I watched this and it did "something" to my placidlake, maybe not a "Rage" but it certainly affected me while I was in asensitive stage of (Personality Forming)! The way Australians maketheir films is different from what America is raining on us everyday (Ilive in Egypt).. another Australian film seen the same year alsochanged me a little (Danny Deckchair 2003) I had no Hippie parents likethe main character but I was indeed pushed to be a "Suit", not the freespirit I wanted to be .. don't misunderstand this, I want to work hardbut with a margin of freedom to pursue Real Things other than money andmarriage. I would like to recommend this movie to young people who donot have a clue what they "are" or "want", But I also would do thiswith a warning! .. the Rose Byrne character - while not traditionallysexy - is what a lot of boys dream of. a smart beautiful girl, knowswhen to become strong adviser and when to be the kind (girl)friend. Andalso the scene when she spread her legs to "invite Placid in" issupposed to be innocent and comical .. as a teenager I did NOT see itinnocent at all :)Salama

2012-05-06 15:37:07

A Diamond in the Rough.

The Rage in Placid Lake is another gem to which my eyes were opened by the power of recommendation. It is that same recommendation that I now gladly distribute. You may or may not have ever heard of Australian Indie Rocker Ben Lee. I cannot say that I am familiar with his catalog of music, but I can say that he was very entertaining as Placid Lake, our young protagonist who struggles to see how, or even if, his pure-bred individuality fits into today's conformist society. Placid Lake is a rebel without a cause born of wildly outlandish parents who seem not to have their feet firmly planted anywhere near reality. His parents promote every activity for Placid to develop his own identity and to buck the system. After an accident, Placid wakes up in the hospital with a new-found drive to legitimize himself in the eyes of society; he wants to get a job selling insurance. The sharp contrast between his upbringing and his epiphany added cozy comic-relief to an intelligent story about the importance of "self." The role models in Placid's life were polar extremes. He has his pacifist parents, who spend a little too much time disrobed around the home, and he has his manager at work, who is lost in middle management and has seemingly lost his ability to produce emotion. The conversations that Placid has with his manager were my favorite aspect of the movie. Yes, his perspectives were narrow and extreme, but the points he made were poignant. I also enjoyed Placid's best friend, Gemma. Gemma is a beautiful and intelligent young lady who is pushed urgently by her father to stay on track to someday make incredible breakthroughs in modern science. I like how she was written into the story in a way that Placid was able to do soul searching on behalf of them both. She was a first-hand witness to his journey into corporate monotony, from which they both learned valuable lessons about the direction of their lives. Go ahead; see The Rage in Placid Lake. You won't be disappointed (well I hope not anyway!).

magikmike34 2012-05-05 22:20:44

America did love this Australian movie (at least i did)

i have been in love with Australian cinema for years. it all startedwith "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" & "Muriel'sWedding". it then continued with films like "Love & OtherCatastrophes", "Hotel De Love", "Cosi" & "Garage Days". (not sure ifthose were the Australian titles for all of these films or not.) theproblem is that America doesn't get a lot of Australian films to choosefrom. even American made independent films have a hard time making itto theatres. the overload of bad Hollywood films makes it hard foranything to make it to the screen. we have to either rent them on DVDor watch them on channels like IFC or Sundance, and now we have Logo. iknow Ben Lee is a household name in Australia, but in America he isstill relatively unknown. (which is just unfortunate for America.) irecently saw him in concert opening for Aimee Mann. he blew me away.once i got home i checked out his website and that's when i learnedabout "The Rage in Placid Lake". i rented it thinking that he wouldhave just enough charisma as an actor to make it entertaining. insteadhe blew me away again. i was also pleased to see Miranda Richardson inthis also. she is such an incredible actress. i would love to find outabout more great Australian films that i should see. so if anyone outthere can recommend some, please do. and as far as recommendations go,it said somewhere on here if you liked "The Rage In Placid Lake" thatyou should see "Kindergarten Cop". wow, i am not sure how thatconclusion was made. if you did see this and liked it, check out someof the titles i mentioned above instead. some similarly themed Americanfilms you might check out are "The United States of Leland", "GardenState", "The Battle of Shaker Heights" and yes even "NapoleonDynamite". and if you like good music check out Ben Lee in concert (iget to see him again soon, with Ben Folds & Rufus Wainwright) or gethis CD "Awake is the New Sleep".

haylz 2012-04-28 09:01:12

the rage rox

before i start, i'm just for warning you all that i am one of Ben lee'sbiggest fans, and so in a way, am pretty biased. but by the same token,this movie is amazing. it had everything that doomed it to fail - afirst time director, a first time leading actor AND a low budget. butif you didn't know better, you wouldn't have even guessed that afterwatching it. placid lake is a gem, there's no question there. and alaugh out loud comedy too, with lines like "she must have got hit by acar...women, huh?" when his best friend didn't turn up for a golf matchwhen he was trying to impress his boss. but it isn't the jokes thatmake it so good, but the thought provoking questions it raises. i won'tgo into it, because in the end those questions being raised and thoughtabout are individualist.placid lake (played by singer/songwriter Ben lee) is the only child ofhippie parents, who make him wear a dress for his first day of schooland who let the bullies hurt him for it. yes, they are unconventionalparents, but by the end of it, you won't be sitting there thinking"they are horrible people", surprisingly enough. and you also won't bethinking placid lake is the coolest guy ever, either, because putblankly, he isn't. but you get drawn to him and his struggle fornormality all the same, and want him to find it, even though it seemshopeless. and while he is struggling to fit in with life after school,you see his science-nut best friend Gemma Taylor (played by Rose Bryne)trying to cope with a life that has been planned out for her since shewas tiny.and if these things don't grab you, seeing Placid in a full body castwill.Overall, a great movie, and well recommended for everyone (well, justso long as they are old enough to cope with the strong sexual content).10 stars!

kcdl 2012-04-28 05:35:33

A light hearted quirky movie.

I really enjoyed this movie. I won't lie to you though it isn'tuber-brilliant, deep or ultra-funny. It is the sort movie you watchlate at night when your expectations are low. If you're looking for amovie that doesn't make you think too much this is it.That being said I did find it funny, if somewhat puerile at times. Icould relate to the main protagonist. The story moved along at a goodpace and didn't get bogged down. I really wanted to see how it wouldend up.I like that it didn't suffer from the usually Australian movie problemof "lets show you how uniquely Australian we can make this film" itjust let itself be. It showed a side of Australia that wasn't purelyrural or suburban.Also Rose Byrne is absolutely gorgeous. I think I want to marry her!

Chad Shiira 2012-04-22 18:35:29

Ben Lee in his first starring role...

Aussie singer-songwriter Ben Lee makes an auspicious acting debut inTony McNamara's "The Rage in Placid Lake", a satirical comedy-dramathat could easily be construed as Australia's answer to "FerrisBueller's Day-Off", or "Say Anything". Placid(Lee) has a benevolentanti-authoritarian streak that's akin to Bueller's, and hispartner-in-crime, Gemma(Rose Byrne), is beautiful and brainy like DianaCourt in the Cameron Crowe-directed classic(incidentally, Lee isengaged to Ione Skye), who hides her obvious feminine wiles behind apair of unflattering black, horn-rimmed glasses.In the opening scene, "The Rage in Placid Lake" establishes the pair asoutsiders, people who won't join the party; quite literally, since bothPlacid and Gemma would rather watch television in an adjoining roomthan drink and be merry like the other high school graduate revelers.Their friendship is put to the test when Placid undergoes ametamorphosis while immobilized in a full-body cast. His newfoundconformity with social norms(get a job) compels Gemma to make alife-affirming decision(have sex) as a way of keeping pace with herbest, and perhaps, only friend. By the film's end, the pair offringe-dwellers are happily headed towards a different sort ofsymbiotic relationship."The Rage in Placid Lake" has a lot to say about being raised byhippies. It sucks. Unlike Tim Hunter's "River's Edge", in which a sourformer-flower child asks her son(Keanu Reeves) if he stole her weed,Placid's parents are lovable potheads; just a pair of eccentricfree-spirits who'd encourage their only child to wear a dress toschool. This grave parental miscalculation of judgment undoubtedly isthe genesis of Placid's rage. Nobody cries in "The Rage in PlacidLake"; it's not that kind of movie, instead the filmmaker utilizesquirkiness instead of overripe melodrama. Placid is a very unhappy,young man. In an earlier scene, rather than shoot a gun, he shootsfilm, as a weapon against his parents Doug(Garry MacDonald) andSylvia(Miranda Richardson), and the students and faculty at his prepschool."The Rage in Placid Lake" should have received a wider release in theStates because this Australian import is a deceptively slack, buteffective(albeit roundabout)satire about school shootings and theiralienated trigger-men. It has none of the sanctimony that plagued thewell-meaning, but ultimately didactic domestic indie "American Gun"."The Rage in Placid Lake gives its audience room to breathe; themovie's oblique treatment of this international epidemic neveroverstates itself with pontificating speeches, or authorial gestures.This somewhat meandering, low-wattage dramedy is a "what if?" movie.What if the shooter survived and turned his life around?

2012-04-22 10:56:05

You've not seen funny if you haven't seen this movie.

Characters are believable, yet stretched to be perfectly bizarre. I sawthe film at an Indie Film Fest at a college where my mum works and thewhole room just kept laughing. I thought my sides were going to burst!This is definitely on my list of favorites now.... I just want to giveit a hug.Oh... you have to see the movie. You just have to. You will be laughingso hard throughout you won't be able to hear half of the lines and youwill have to see the whole thing over again. I think i might re-watchit tonight and then have a bunch of people over to watch it again.

Kelster 2012-04-15 13:24:53

little Aussie gem!

I won a free ticket to see this movie (thanks Nova 96.9!!) and hadn'treallyheard much about it.... to be honest I thought it would be pretty boring,but, a free movie is a free movie....To my surprise right from the beginning this movie made me laugh out loudand won me over pretty quickly!The cast was great.... Ben Lee was brilliant as Placid....I definitely recommend this movie, it's definitely a a little Aussiegem!

data3 2012-04-14 22:03:47

Real surprising treat of an Aussie film

I went into this film knowing very little apart from that the maincharacterhad an unusual name, and it had Ben Lee and Rose Byrne in it. I came outtheother end knowing quite a bit more, and feeling very positive about thewhole experience!This is not your typical Australian film, for example, it doesn't resorttohaving characters with really strong 'Ocker' accents, and not everyone iswearing stubbies and a singlet. It represents, i think, the more realAustralia than is normally shown, and it does it so with quirky, originalcharacters.Placid's (Ben Lee) journey in this film is interesting and funny to watch,as we see a young man searching for more stability to his life, whileGemma(Rose Byrne) tries to show him that stability isn't what heneeds.All in all, I enjoyed this film immensely and I know that certain sceneswill be sticking in my head for a long time yet. Excellent work bynewcomerBen Lee, and the expected great work by Rose Byrne and Garry Mcdonald helpthis film to stand head and shoulders above a lot of the fare coming outofAustralia these days. Top Effort.(Note to those who like useless trivia/details - watch out for Ben'sgirlfriend Claire Danes' cameo around half way through the film. Blink,andyou'll nearly miss it!)

davehib 2012-04-11 06:19:31

badly written, terribly acted.

I didn't think it was possible that Ben Lee could act worse than he cansing, but I stand corrected. Although it's not entirely his fault thatthis movie is an embarrassment to the Australian film industry -equally to blame is whichever thirteen year old who wrote the script.Appalling. Even Gary Mcdonald can't make his lines work, and he is anamazing actor. Rose Byrne is her usual plank of wood self. Pretty, doe-eyed, and vacant. The dialogue between the two main characters issimilar to the dialogue between characters in Dawsons Creek, tryingvery hard to be clever, but coming off sounding very try- hard. Ben Leein particular blurts out his lines with a self- satisfied look on hisface throughout the whole movie. I was not a bully in my high schooldays, but I would have been if Ben was there. I would definitely havepushed him down the stairs on more than one occasion. I was hoping hischaracter would die a horrible death, and that rose Byrne's characterwould go into a coma permanently.

2012-04-11 01:18:06

To Conform or Not To Conform, that is the question

What a gorgeous little film from Australia. It's so fabulous when a film starts with a particular quirky style and carries that style all the way to the end. When a character has a different outlook on life and the film doesn't degrade into standard melodrama. Ah I just love good films like this one.The film follows Placid Lake's life from a young boy to a grown man trying to make a living. Placid has many difficulties in life, a band of boys that beat him up daily at school. A pair of parents that are 100% completely stuck in the 60's and into themselves. His saving grace is a gorgeous intelligent and brave female friend, Gemma played by Rose Byrne (Damages television series). This film reminded me of several other films, but only in passing. Oddly, The Wild Thornberries (The Wild Thornberrys Movie) was one of them, mostly because of the quirky parents and a narrator that is intelligent but odd. And for reasons I don't totally understand, this felt a bit like Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist (Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist [UMD for PSP]) - it's probably the relationship between Placid and Gemma was very similar to Nick and Nora. The music in Placid Lake was excellent, but not nearly as outstanding as Nick and Nora.The performances were outstanding. Every character was believeable and well acted. Even minor characters like Jenny, the tightly wound corporate climber, and Anton, the equally tightly wound corporate climber; were well played. The sound was very well recorded, dialog was crystal clear, and music supported the film nicely. There were not many special sound effects. Editing was tight and very well paced. The hour and a half film felt exactly the right length. Production was good, each setting felt very real.For a first time directing, this is a marvelously well done film. The film is not rated, but would likely be PG-13 (elsewhere in the world it has 13/14/15 year ratings. There is no nudity. Some slightly strong language. There are some sensual situations, Jenny and Placid end up in the stationery room together, and Placid and Gemma discuss sex. There is no violence, although Placid does get beaten up every day at school (it's shown artistically and not in some mean spirited fashion).What a fantastic little movie that sort of came out of nowhere. It's fantastic that Film Movements picked this up. Sorry that it didn't get much wider distribution, it's a wonderful film.Presented as a part of the Film Movement series of independent films from around the world. This brand always means the film will not be mainstream. It will likely be somewhat edgy or pushing the envelope somewhat. Frequently the films are by first time directors. And they are very rarely American films. It's a fantastic film series worth checking out.