The Plains (film)

Last updated

The Plains
Directed byDavid Easteal
Screenplay byDavid Easteal
Produced by
  • David Easteal
Starring
  • Andrew Rakowski
  • David Easteal
Edited byDavid Easteal
Production
company
  • David Easteal Film
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

The Plains is a 2022 Australian docudrama film written and directed by David Easteal. It premiered at the 51st International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Contents

Premise

The Plains is filmed almost entirely from the backseat of a car showing the daily commute of a middle-aged lawyer, Andrew Rakowski. [1]

Cast

Production

David Easteal serves as writer, director, producer, editor and actor on the project. A Melbourne-based barrister and film maker, Easteal would give Rakowski a lift to and from work, their commute conversations served as the basis for the film, which were then scripted and filmed. Drone shots in Horsham, Victoria are also used as well as commuter traffic in Melbourne. [2]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The Plains holds an approval rating of 100% based from 12 reviews. [3]

Critical reception

Richard Kuipers in Variety described it as “thematically rich and quietly compelling”. [2] Ben Kenisberg in The New York Times said that “fans of structural film, Jeanne Dielman and Google Maps will find much to treasure. [4] Luke Buckmaster in The Guardian described it as a “tremendous achievement and, in a subtle way, an amazing work of art” and that it demonstrates that “drama can exist without the dramatic and that engaging narratives are everywhere around us, observable with the right eyes.” [5] He later included it as number one in his list of the top ten Austtalian films of the year. [1]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival in January 2022. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Balibo</i> (film) 2009 Australian film directed by Robert Connolly

Balibo is a 2009 Australian war film that follows the story of the Balibo Five, a group of journalists who were captured and killed while reporting on activities just prior to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor of 1975. The film is loosely based on the 2001 book Cover-Up by Jill Jolliffe, an Australian journalist who met the men before they were killed.

<i>The Cup</i> (2011 film) 2011 film by Simon Wincer

The Cup is a 2011 Australian biographical film directed by Simon Wincer. The film is about the 2002 Melbourne Cup race won by Damien Oliver. Starring Brendan Gleeson, Stephen Curry, Daniel MacPherson, Tom Burlinson and Bill Hunter, in his final film before his death.

<i>Any Questions for Ben?</i> 2012 Australian film

Any Questions for Ben? is a 2012 Australian comedy film created by Working Dog Productions, directed by Rob Sitch. It stars Josh Lawson, Rachael Taylor, Felicity Ward, Daniel Henshall, and Christian Clark. It was written by Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, and Rob Sitch.

<i>Tanna</i> (film) 2015 film by Bentley Dean, Martin Butler

Tanna is a 2015 Australian-Ni-Vanuatu film set on the island of Tanna in the South Pacific, depicting the true story of a couple who decided to marry for love, rather than obey their parents' wishes. Starring Marie Wawa and Mungau Dain, the film is based on an actual marriage dispute.

<i>A Month of Sundays</i> (2015 film) 2015 Australian film

A Month of Sundays is a 2015 film starring Anthony LaPaglia.

<i>Women Hes Undressed</i> 2015 Australian film

Women He's Undressed is a 2015 Australian documentary film about costume designer Orry-Kelly, three time winner of the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Directed by Gillian Armstrong, it stars Darren Gilshenan, Deborah Kennedy, David E. Woodley, and Lara Cox.

<i>Boys in the Trees</i> (film) 2016 film

Boys in the Trees is a 2016 Australian fantasy drama film directed by Nicholas Verso. It was screened in the Discovery section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. The plot follows two boys who reconnect over their memories and fears as they walk through the woods on Halloween night, 1997.

<i>Joe Cinques Consolation</i> (film) 2016 film

Joe Cinque's Consolation is a 2016 Australian drama film directed by Sotiris Dounoukos based on the book of the same name by Helen Garner. It concerns the increasingly fraught relationship between an engineer, Joe, and his narcissistic law student girlfriend Anu in Canberra in the mid 1990s. As Anu's mental state deteriorates, she conjures up a macabre plan to put an end to her suffering. The film was given a national cinema release in October 2016 and has received a generally positive response from critics.

<i>Dirt Music</i> (film) Film based on an Australian novel

Dirt Music is a 2019 romantic drama film directed by Gregor Jordan, based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Tim Winton. It stars Garrett Hedlund, Kelly Macdonald, and David Wenham.

<i>Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story</i> 2017 Australian documentary film

Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story is an Australian environmental documentary produced by Second Nature Films, co-written and directed by the team of Mick McIntyre and Kate McIntyre Clere. The documentary centres around the relationship that Australians share with kangaroos. The documentary includes experts on different sides of the issue, and features interviews with Tim Flannery and Terri Irwin, owner of the Australia Zoo. The film opened in Australia on 5 February 2017 and in 2018 Kangaroo opened in limited release in the United States on 19 January.

Slam is a 2018 Australian drama film written and directed by Partho Sen-Gupta.

<i>2040</i> (film) 2019 film directed by Damon Gameau

2040 is a 2019 Australian documentary film directed by and starring Damon Gameau. The film looks at the effects of climate change over the next 20 years and what technologies that exist today can reverse the effects.

<i>Koko: A Red Dog Story</i> 2019 film directed by Aaron McCann and Dominic Pearce

Koko: A Red Dog Story is a 2019 Australian family documentary film directed by Aaron McCann and Dominic Pearce, written by Aaron McCann and Dominic Pearce, and starring Jason Isaacs, Felix Williamson and Sarah Woods. It is a spin-off to the 2011 film Red Dog, detailing the life of Koko, who was cast as Red Dog in the original film.

<i>Streamline</i> (film) 2021 Australian drama film

Streamline is a 2021 Australian sports drama film written and directed by Tyson Wade Johnston. It marks his directorial debut. It was released on 19 August 2021 at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), and in theaters on 2 September 2021, by Umbrella Entertainment.

The Furnace is a 2020 Australian adventure drama film written and directed by Roderick MacKay. Set in the Western Australian outback during the goldrushes of the 1890s, the film's characters include "Afghan" cameleers, a white gold thief, and local Aboriginal people. It was nominated for several AACTA Awards.

Petrol is a 2022 Australian drama film directed by Alena Lodkina, starring Nathalie Morris and Hannah Lynch.

Wyrmwood: Apocalypse is a 2021 Australian action-horror film directed by Kiah Roache-Turner and starring Luke McKenzie, Shantae Barnes-Cowan, Jake Ryan, Bianca Bradey and Jay Gallagher. It is a sequel to 2014's Wyrmwood.

Blaze is a 2022 Australian drama film co-written and directed by Del Kathryn Barton and produced by Causeway Films. The film premiered in New York in the International Narrative Competition at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and was released in a limited theatrical release in Australia on August 27, 2022 and in the US in January 2023. The film was met with critical acclaim, with praise for the performance of its 13 year-old lead Julia Savage.

Chasing Asylum is a 2016 documentary film directed and produced by Eva Orner. It examines Australia's treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.

Sucker is a 2015 Australian comedy film directed by Ben Chessell, starring John Luc, Timothy Spall and Lily Sullivan.

References

  1. 1 2 Buckmaster, Luke (December 14, 2023). "From dystopian drama to heart-rending documentary: the 10 best Australian films of 2023". The Guardian. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Kuipers, Richard (January 31, 2022). "'The Plains' Review: Viewers Become Backseat Car Passengers in an Engaging Docudrama Hybrid". Variety. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Plains". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ↑ Kenisberg, Ben (April 12, 2023). "'The Plains' Review: Road to Somewhere". NYTimes. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  5. ↑ Buckmaster, Luke (June 9, 2022). "The Plains review – a three-hour film set almost entirely in a car – and it is extraordinary". The Guardian. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  6. ↑ Young, Neil (January 26, 2022). "The Plains': Rotterdam Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.