No. 10. (2020) THE LIGHTHOUSE February 18th.

Film No 10 (2020)  February 18th.  12:10 PM  NEW FARM CINEMAS Brunswick St. New Farm, Brisbane . 

"How long have we been on this rock? Five weeks, two days? Help me to recollect". (Dafoe's Thomas needs reassurance from his fellow "Wickie" about the time span they have been together).

Looking for a grim, and I mean grim, costume drama (1890's) capturing a couple of actors of our time going head to head as they find a remedy for "cabin fever"? No, well don't bother with The Lighthouse.

If, on the other-hand, you love film that captures an atmosphere so suffocatingly dark (black and white) using a format to suit the era (16mm framing), then this rich play for the screen will be right up your alley. I personally didn't care for The Lighthouse, but then again I wasn't in the right frame of mind; that said, the critics are raving about it.

A pair of Thomas's (Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) make a lighthouse island their home for 5 weeks. Dafoe is the senior keeper and delegates the dreary, back-breaking work to Pattinson. Pattinson, grows wearier and more disgruntled by the minute. Their feuding escalates, their drinking of rough liquor increases. The film's tone disintegrates to parallel with the younger Thomas's unhinged thinking patterns involving sexual fantasies and a hateful sea-bird.  

Finally a storm cell hits around the time their 5 week shift is to end. Their relief crew can't reach the island. Something has to give. And so the undertone depicting homo eroticism to prove mascility, prevails in a wave, a wave the size of the wall of water crashing against the rocks under the lighthouse. Plenty of critics have heaped praise on this dark tale and I see why, it just wasn't my cup of seaweed! 7GUMS.