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 Australian films of the year. [1]

Release

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

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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.
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