Beautiful Kate
There’s no doubt that Beautiful Kate is a stunning film. Beautifully shot, well cast and well acted, with a story-line that whilst predictable in some aspects, smacks you in the face with an unexpected left hook at the same time. But for everything it does right, the story itself is quite disturbing and has the ability to make you feel somewhat bad for being a voyeur on this very personal family secret.
The story takes part in the isolated Flinders Rangers in South Australia. The raw yet beautiful landscape mirrors the story perfectly. It is a story of raw honesty, that has beautiful moments disguising it’s real intent. This dysfunctional family has a dark secret Rachel Ward’s direction draws you in, like a child exploring a dark cave, you know there is something not right about the cave, but you want to go in anyway.
Without trying to give too much away, Ward certainly pushes boundaries with a story about the destructive nature of guilt and un-forgiveness, and how facing up to you past and discovering the truth really will set you free.
FILMGUIDE rating:
Reviewed by: Jonathan Read
Release date: June 30th, 2010
Stars: Ben Mendelsohn, Bryan Brown, Sophie Love
Length (Minutes): 97
Aspect Ratio: 1.78 : 1
Supported Audio: Dolby Digital Surround 5.1
Director: Ward, Rachel
Studio: Roadshow
