Review of Mad Bastards (2010) by Esther S — 30 Aug 2012
A really disappointing entry into the current indigenous resurgence in Australian cinema with this meandering, one eyed and overly convoluted film that really had the potential to be something magnificent.
It's not to say that it's not entertaining - it is. But it just meanders along and with a sense of "in the know" film making, there were moments I felt distanced by the proceedings because I was watching scenes of conversations about topics I knew nothing about.
The source of it's problems come from the editing - with sequences in Western Australia joined to sequences in the Northern Territory so seamlessly that, unless you are actually from there, you're going to get confused as to where the hell you are in the film.
(That happened to me). Yes it has a great moral and contemporary ethical core to the film - the effects of alcohol on Indigenous Australlians - and it tackles it head on - but we've seen it before in EVERY SINGLE Aboriginal based film in current day outside of BRAN NUE DAE.
It's not done badly at all - but this sincerely, could've been so so much more...
This review of Mad Bastards (2010) was written by Esther S on 30 Aug 2012.
Mad Bastards has generally received positive reviews.
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