Burning Man REVIEWED BY ANTHONY KAUFMAN


Burning Man, a combustible Australian drama, begins explosively, with an eye-opening car crash — complete with flying vegetables and seafood — and a quickly edited jigsaw puzzle of a first act. Skipping around in time, from sex acts to yelling on cellphones, the film propels along hurriedly, forcing the viewer to piece short scenes and rela- tionships together in a way that falls just short of incomprehension. Eventually, the rapid-fire pace slows to reveal a more conventional, though still compelling story about disease, survival and grief. The film’s ultimately bleak subject matter will


likely limit wider theatrical exposure, but strong performances and a kinetic storytelling style establish Jonathan Teplitzky as a director to watch. UK actor Matthew Goode appears in just about


every scene as Tom, a sexy chef with a fiery temper and an intense stare. In a performance that should garner plenty of attention during Australia’s awards season, Goode delivers on a wide expanse of emotions, from fury to tenderness to over- whelming sadness. The actor’s magnetic presence helps carry the picture, particularly as it veers towards more melodramatic terrain. As Tom’s wife, Sarah, Serbian-born Australian


actress Bojana Novakovic holds her own against Goode’s buoyant personality, also traversing a


SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS


Aus. 2011. 109mins Director/screenplay Jonathan Teplitzky Production companies Archer Street, Meerkat Films International sales Filmbox Producer Andy Paterson, Jonathan Teplitzky Executive producers Daria Jovicic, Cedric Jeanson, Sam Tromans Cinematography Garry Phillips Production design Steven Jones-Evans Editor Martin Connor Music Lisa Gerrard Main cast Matthew Goode, Bojana Novakovic, Essie Davis, Kerry Fox, Rachel Griffiths, Jack Heanly


diverse emotional terrain. Scenes flash forward and back in time, with Novakovic credibly exuding seductiveness in one moment and enormous suf- fering in the next. But as the film unfolds, and the source of Tom’s


bad-boy actions become increasingly clear, Burn- ing Man loses its initial urgency. And yet, the more straightforwardly played — and edited — sequences of the couple’s increasing tensions come across with an emotional honestly. For the most part, Teplitzky avoids sentimental


traps, often defusing scenes of high-tension with slightly off-colour jokes or awkward laughter. Sur- prisingly, for example, an impromptu stand-up


routine, involving Tom’s eight-year-old son (a fine Jack Heanly) and a joke about a man with five penises, yields a considerable amount of pathos. In this way, Burning Man gives new heat to the dis- ease genre. But the film cannot entirely transcend its material: the film’s concluding moments, in particular, indulge in a heavy-handiness that much of the rest of the film eschews smartly. Also a commercials and music video director,


Teplitzky uses his technical proficiency to strong effect, keeping the visuals popping and also letting the actors do their work in a largely still frame dur- »ing the film’s quieter moments.


See profile, p15


A M E R I C A N F I L M I N S T I T U T E


This year, AFI FEST is celebrating its 25th edition and Pedro Almodóvar as Guest Artistic Director.


NOVEMBER 3–10, 2011


ree tickets will be available for all films, but priority access, reserved gala seating and other benefits can be secured by purchasing a tax-deductible AFI FEST Patron Package. A limited number of Patron Packages are on sale now!


Visit AFI.com for information about AFI’s mission and membership and AFI FEST’s programming and ticket packages. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.


September 13, 2011 Screen International at the Toronto Film Festival 7 n


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