Review of Unfinished Sky (2007) by David F — 22 May 2008

If â??Unfinished Skyâ?? was a person, it would be diagnosed with multiple split personality disorders. It has more of these than most recent comedies have laughs.

A bewildering combo of soppy romance and melodrama, sub-par thriller and horror, and not-so-subtle political commentary, the film throws countless ingredients into the mix but ends up with a whole lot of nothing.

Which is a shame, because it begins beautifully. Australian outback farmer John Woldring (the eternally-charismatic William McInnes) lives a solitary existence until he encounters Tahmeena (Monic Hendrickx), an Afghani woman who has just been assaulted. So far, so absorbing. Pity about the next hour. Against his will John harbours Tahmeena, and despite the lingual and cultural barriers separating them, they â?¦ well you can guess the rest. But how long can they elude her attackers?

Scenes of mawkish sentimentality alternate with passages of surprisingly bloody violence, directed by Peter Duncan with the heaviest of hands. Itâ??s hard to believe people like John and Tahmeena would behave the way they do here; when she sings â??Heartbreak Hotelâ?? in perfect English after 15 minutes, youâ??re laughing at her, not with her. I realise films are inherently manipulative, but several actions taken by both characters deserve an accompanying subtitle: â??Blatant Audience Manipulationâ??. I propose this be added to the DVD, with the font bold and underlined to complement Duncanâ??s approach.

Despite these objections, itâ??s impossible to hate â??Unfinished Skyâ??. The sincerity of the actors is a plus, as is the terrific opening, which powerfully evokes Johnâ??s routine without dialogue. Thereâ??s also the most creative use of a kettle in recent film history. This may seem like faint praise, but when a film ainâ??t workinâ?? for ya, studying the kitchenware can be quite rewarding.