Jason KingTHE KING IS DEAD!: A Review by Salty
July 5th 2012 20:23
:
ROLF DE HEER is back with an odd neighbourly film
Open inspection at the house-for-sale in the quiet, leafy neighbourhood... Max, science teacher, and Therese, tax accountant, decide that here is the house for them. Unsuspecting, they buy and move in, finding a nice family on one side and, well, "interesting" on the other. But interesting soon becomes loud, and loud soon becomes intolerable and when the intolerable becomes the violent, and the police are powerless to do anything, and the community lawyer suggests ear plugs, Max and Therese are forced to try and solve the problem of the neighbour from hell themselves...and end up with a corpse on their hands. But even that's not the worst of it, because the corpse from hell has friends...and even worse, enemies...
This film is made up of two parts - one - complete docco of what most house owners or renters have gone through - moving next to a complete bunch of assholes that you would prefer were taken by aliens and anal probed into oblivion but then the second half deals with the way people deal with it and I think it goes too far - I can't see any normal person going this far.
THE KING IS DEAD! stars Dan Wyllie (Underbelly, Animal Kingdom, Love My Way), Bojana Novakovic (Edge of Darkness, Not Suitable for Children, Satisfaction), Gary Waddell (The Proposition, Killing Time, Chopper), Luke Ford (Animal Kingdom, Black Balloon), Anthony Hayes (The Slap, Suburban Mayhem) and Lani John Tupu (Mission Impossible, Lantana)
ROLF DE HEER is writer, director and producer on this one and there is only one film of his that really sticks out that messed with my head when I was younger and freaked the shit out of me - and that was Bad Boy Bubby - I still get the chills about this film - it was just too weird for my younger fragile mind
After saying that though I truly loved Ten Canoes and The Tracker was superb.
Rolf has directed (and mostly also written and produced) thirteen feature films of almost as many different genres and generally low of budget, starting with Tail of a Tiger in 1984 and currently with The King Is Dead! in 2012. Bad Boy Bubby (1993) was selected for Competition at Venice, and won the Special Jury Prize and the Critics' Award. Both The Quiet Room (1996) and Dance Me To My Song (1998) were selected for Competition at Cannes. The Tracker (2002) was selected for Competition at Cannes, while Alexandra's Project (2003) was selected for Competition at Berlin. Ten Canoes (2006) was selected for Un Certain Regard at Cannes and won the Jury Prize.
The thing I truly loved about this film is the realness of it all - these people genuinely could have been me or my neighbours (on the nice side) and their reactions are so genuine and the thing that did it for me - I have been in their place so many times - it was a bit close to the bone I want a film about a psychotic nut case Satan's concubine flatmate at the moment because this is what I am dealing with on a regular basis - so much so I am moving out of Sydney to do something new and try and new adventure.
The acting is superb - Dan Wyllie and Bojana Novakovic were such a genuine couple - they had all the little intricacies of a long term couple down pat. Gary Waddell was even better - he must have been shitfaced and stoned the whole time - in fact he was not - he has actually commented below and assures me he wasn't which to me highlights just how good his performance was and Luke Ford steals the show for me. I have seen him do some great roles and in a couple of them he is clean cut and straight and narrow and in this one he is a mental nutcase off his head on ICE the whole time and it took a while to even work out it was him.
What saved and made the film was the turn of events halfway through the film. This is where it stepped out of its realism and went a little loopy but it was also the point where the film was going stale, they had been through the issues of "what do we do" so many times without making a decision I was getting frustrated and felt a little Groundhog Day but then it goes more comical and some craziness ensues. But I think this came a little too late in the film and I think a few people will be let down by it.
To be truly honest - I enjoyed this film but I do not think it is a cinema movie - it is more a brilliant tele movie without the added drama - something I would expect on the ABC but that being said I can see the ABC watchers loving it and think I might even suggest my parental units go and watch it. It is very very Australian also - not that is a bad thing but I cannot see it having any success overseas besides on some weird pay TV channel
Now - if you are a fan of the leads and/ or ROLF DE HEER then you can attend a special screening this Sunday at Cinema Paris. Details are:
Post Screening Q A & Photocall with Rolf de Heer and cast for THE KING IS DEAD!
WHAT: Special Q&A Screening and photocall
WHERE: Cinema Paris, Hoyts EQ
WHEN: Sunday 8 July, 6pm
WHO: With Director Rolf de Heer and cast members Dan Wyllie, Bojana Novakovic, Luke Ford, Gary Waddell, Lani Tupu & Jack Wetere along with invited VIPs
TICKETS: HERE
THE KING IS DEAD! opens exclusively for the public at Cinema Paris, The Entertainment Quarter Moore Park on July 12. I enjoyed it as something different that kept my attention and took me back to my life of neighbourly hell so for that alone the film gets a nice 7 out of 10 psycho neighbours.
This film is made up of two parts - one - complete docco of what most house owners or renters have gone through - moving next to a complete bunch of assholes that you would prefer were taken by aliens and anal probed into oblivion but then the second half deals with the way people deal with it and I think it goes too far - I can't see any normal person going this far.
THE KING IS DEAD! stars Dan Wyllie (Underbelly, Animal Kingdom, Love My Way), Bojana Novakovic (Edge of Darkness, Not Suitable for Children, Satisfaction), Gary Waddell (The Proposition, Killing Time, Chopper), Luke Ford (Animal Kingdom, Black Balloon), Anthony Hayes (The Slap, Suburban Mayhem) and Lani John Tupu (Mission Impossible, Lantana)
ROLF DE HEER is writer, director and producer on this one and there is only one film of his that really sticks out that messed with my head when I was younger and freaked the shit out of me - and that was Bad Boy Bubby - I still get the chills about this film - it was just too weird for my younger fragile mind
After saying that though I truly loved Ten Canoes and The Tracker was superb.
Rolf has directed (and mostly also written and produced) thirteen feature films of almost as many different genres and generally low of budget, starting with Tail of a Tiger in 1984 and currently with The King Is Dead! in 2012. Bad Boy Bubby (1993) was selected for Competition at Venice, and won the Special Jury Prize and the Critics' Award. Both The Quiet Room (1996) and Dance Me To My Song (1998) were selected for Competition at Cannes. The Tracker (2002) was selected for Competition at Cannes, while Alexandra's Project (2003) was selected for Competition at Berlin. Ten Canoes (2006) was selected for Un Certain Regard at Cannes and won the Jury Prize.
The thing I truly loved about this film is the realness of it all - these people genuinely could have been me or my neighbours (on the nice side) and their reactions are so genuine and the thing that did it for me - I have been in their place so many times - it was a bit close to the bone
I want a film about a psychotic nut case Satan's concubine flatmate at the moment because this is what I am dealing with on a regular basis - so much so I am moving out of Sydney to do something new and try and new adventure. 
The acting is superb - Dan Wyllie and Bojana Novakovic were such a genuine couple - they had all the little intricacies of a long term couple down pat. Gary Waddell was even better - he must have been shitfaced and stoned the whole time - in fact he was not - he has actually commented below and assures me he wasn't which to me highlights just how good his performance was
and Luke Ford steals the show for me. I have seen him do some great roles and in a couple of them he is clean cut and straight and narrow and in this one he is a mental nutcase off his head on ICE the whole time and it took a while to even work out it was him.
What saved and made the film was the turn of events halfway through the film. This is where it stepped out of its realism and went a little loopy but it was also the point where the film was going stale, they had been through the issues of "what do we do" so many times without making a decision I was getting frustrated and felt a little Groundhog Day but then it goes more comical and some craziness ensues. But I think this came a little too late in the film and I think a few people will be let down by it.
To be truly honest - I enjoyed this film but I do not think it is a cinema movie - it is more a brilliant tele movie without the added drama - something I would expect on the ABC but that being said I can see the ABC watchers loving it and think I might even suggest my parental units go and watch it. It is very very Australian also - not that is a bad thing but I cannot see it having any success overseas besides on some weird pay TV channel
Now - if you are a fan of the leads and/ or ROLF DE HEER then you can attend a special screening this Sunday at Cinema Paris. Details are:
Post Screening Q A & Photocall with Rolf de Heer and cast for THE KING IS DEAD!
WHAT: Special Q&A Screening and photocall
WHERE: Cinema Paris, Hoyts EQ
WHEN: Sunday 8 July, 6pm
WHO: With Director Rolf de Heer and cast members Dan Wyllie, Bojana Novakovic, Luke Ford, Gary Waddell, Lani Tupu & Jack Wetere along with invited VIPs
TICKETS: HERE
THE KING IS DEAD! opens exclusively for the public at Cinema Paris, The Entertainment Quarter Moore Park on July 12. I enjoyed it as something different that kept my attention and took me back to my life of neighbourly hell so for that alone the film gets a nice 7 out of 10 psycho neighbours.
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Comment by gazza52
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
It is a very nice honour having you read the article Gary - loved the film and the performances were incredible. However I would have killed you also if you were my flatmate
Good to hear Rolf is anti drugs but it just goes to show how he can still represent them so well with a dislike for them.
All the best with the film and apologies if I caused any form of hurt by my comments - LOVED the performance.
Comment by Anonymous
He also talked before the film about how everyone sees a film differently. As we do on one point. I found Max and Therese totally unbelievable as a couple. It didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the film itself, I just found it a distraction.
I believed them in the scenes with the Maoris where they were acting out fear (especially the H20 science teacher bit), but that only made the rest of their performance as a couple stand out as a bit pedestrian. It may be as you say, in that they were playing the role of the over-familiar couple, but it didn't work for me. They just didn't come across as a couple.
That may have been deliberate. The disconnectedness of couples is a theme of Rolf's and he may have wanted them to come across exactly like that.
The premise is brilliant: The neighbours from hell. Ten different films could be made just taking the neighbours from hell as the premise or logline. I enjoyed it (especially the opening and the ending) but just found everything in between a bit pedestrian.
John Berchmanns
Comment by Linh
Celluloid Fun
So awesome that Gary Waddell not only read your review but also commented on it!
Well done, keep up the great work.
Cheers!
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Thanks os much for sharing the story from the screening - I wanna see him singing the song now!
And could not agree more - best premise for a film - or a TV show - on neighbours and/ or flatmates from hell - could go on for ever there are so many stories from people
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
I did a book review once and the author wrote to me - that was pretty cool as he also turned out to be the producer of the Narnia films and we kept in touch on email briefly but at a young age he died suddenly so never got to speak to him again.
I am aiming on Zac Efron and/ or Leonardi DiCaprio to write to me hahahaha
Take Care!