Review: ANIMAL KINGDOM

The Australian crime drama ANIMAL KINGDOM is an absorbing and clear-eyed look at the lives and deaths of the Codys, a family of criminals led by their Ma Barker-like mom in contemporary Melbourne. While it follows some crime drama conventions there are no large-scale action scenes, Hollywood shine, or flashy visuals in this new film from writer-director David Michod. What there is in this taut drama is plenty of gritty realism and attention to detail resulting in a complex and gripping film. ANIMAL KINGDOM is told through the eyes and narration of young Joshua Cody (James Frecheville), whom everyone calls “J.” His mother has sheltered him from her psychotic family, but when she overdoses on heroin, he has little choice but to move in with his grandmother Smurf Cody. Soon J finds himself in the middle of the petty crime world of his four uncles, the animals of the title, who comprise an armed robbery ring under watch by the cops who have the goods on their leader Pope, who’s gone into hiding. When police murder one of the brothers, Pope returns and demands revenge. Joshua, who’s aware his uncles are crooks but isn’t involved yet in their crimes, is passively swept into the plot and becomes the main focus of the investigating officer (Guy Pearce) who figures that J might turn informant.

Winner of the world cinema jury prize at Sundance, ANIMAL KINGDOM is a lean, deliberate chiller about one teen’s journey from observer to predator. Calm and sober, Josh isn’t thrilled about reuniting with the criminal element of his family, but he’s not one to be unfaithful. Uncle Pope (Ben Mendelsohn, lean and menacing) might explode at any moment. Uncle Craig (Sullivan Stapleton) is strung out on coke and chronically derailed. Uncle Darren (Luke Ford) is the dim kid brother. Smurf (an unforgettably sinister Jacki Weaver), whose relationship with her sons has icky sexual overtones (she never hesitates to kiss them like lovers), transforms from kittenish to ferociously protective when the cops start closing in. There is some violence but Michod takes an extremely low-key approach. Death occurs quickly, suddenly, never graphic but always shocking as the fate of the Cody boys plays out like Greek tragedy. It is neither an upbeat film nor a conventional one, but ANIMAL KINGDOM is tightly wound and perfectly paced  -  and far more engaging than most Hollywood thrillers.

4 1/2 of 5 Stars

Opens today at the Tivoli