No. 4. (2021) THE DRY January 9th.

 

Film No. 4 (2021)  January 9th.  3:45 PM.  Cinema 2  LUNA SX Fremantle.

"Luke lied. You Lied. Be at the funeral." (The words on a card Aaron received from Luke's parents days before their son, daughter-in-law and grandson's funeral).

Jane Harper's gripping novel of the same name comes to screen at last. Harper's writing has such a visceral effect on her readers, we feel the heat and dust of remote Australia through her rich, descriptive prose. I for one enjoy her stories of this land I know so well.

So how does a film version of this popular story stand up? Extremely well from where I was sitting. Director Robert Connolly has captured parched Australia perfectly and while some of the storylines are condensed to suit the 2 hour running time, The Dry is a highly gripping, entertaining film. Connolly and co-writer Harry Cripps have mastered the difficult task of adapting an iconic novel seamlessly here.

Eric Bana could not be more suited to the Aaron Falk role. Handsome, quietly astute federal cop Falk is forced from high-rise Melbourne back to the small town of Kiewarra for the funeral of his boyhood mate, Luke. The story surrounding Luke and his family's slaughter is shrouded in dust and doubt. A parallel story depicting the death of Luke's friend Ellie (BeBe Bettencourt) surfaces as a distraction as Aaron decides he needs to stick around to uncover some truths. The Ellie mystery plays in flashback through the eyes of Aaron, it is a highlight of The Dry.

Genevieve O'Reilly wears the important Gretchen role like a pair of soft leather R.M. William's boots. O'Reilly matches Bana's charisma with ease, so important to the film's backstory. There is not a cast member out of place here. High praise for a character driven drama with over 25 players.

As legendary screen writer William Goldman said, "Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what's going to work. It's all down to luck and getting the right mix of people". The Dry works, and for me it nearly matches the pleasure I got from Harper's novel, even though I was aware of the twist in the tale.  10GUMS.