Cactus
Director: Jasmine Yuen Carrucan
Rated: M
Now screening


Good Australian films effectively use its unique expanses. 'Mad Max' placed the Aussie desert on the world map, with its' gritty battles amongst the arid plains enthralling audiences. Set in the back of beyond, 'Cactus' wrings plenty of atmosphere from the dusty landscape. The lonely vistas successfully bring an unseen foreboding in an otherwise muddled film by playing with the character's minds.

Eli Jones (David Lyons) is a professional gambler in serious trouble. Kidnapped by professional bounty-hunter John Kelly (Travis McMahon), Eli has an unwanted date with some heavy customers. Driving through rough terrain, both men begin a game of deadly brinkmanship. The arrival of rugged copper Roscoe (Bryan Brown) and trucker Thommo (Shane Jacobson) into their lives shows who really has the upper hand in the harsh sandy environment.

Director Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan brings a female perspective to male macho posturing. Increasing the film's intensity, the characters all take a chance with fate with varying results, showing the line between good and bad is very thin, as both abductor and captive could have been easily reversed given different circumstances. Trying to gain each other's measures and developing grudging respect, John and Eli form a strange double act with money's addictive allure binding them. Both actors give solid performances despite their underwritten roles with Bryan Brown standing out as a crusty lawman.

'Cactus's main problem is its' plot inconsistencies. The narrative suffers from an episodic nature leaving too many unanswered questions. Whilst the main story is fascinating, the script seems reluctant to fully connect with its characters. The lack of a good soundtrack and sparse dialogue reveals budgetary restrictions, which undermines the energy of all involved. It's frustrating that while lesser films obtain financing with ease, others struggle to do justice to its concept. Florian Emmerich's marvellous cinematography provides much needed power showing that CGI has nothing over a country's natural settings.

Not quite reaching its potential, 'Cactus' nevertheless is interesting, so more work on the screenplay and a bigger budget could have perhaps made this a better rounded experience. Overall this is a tight little thriller that tries its best to make a lot out of very little.

Patrick Moore