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List Price: $19.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 28113
Released: October 2, 2007 |
| Our Price: $1.92 |
| Used Price: $0.88 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Stewart Kane, an Irishman living in the Australian town of Jindabyne, is on a fishing trip in isolated hill country with three other men when they discover the body of a murdered girl in the river. Rather than return to the town immediately, they continue fishing and report their gruesome find days later. Stewart's wife Claire is the last to find out. Deeply disturbed by her husband's action, her faith in her relationship with Stewart is shaken to the core. She wants to understand and tries to make things right. In her determination to help the victim's family Claire sets herself not only against her own family and friends but also those of the dead girl. Her marriage is taken to the brink and her peaceful life with Stewart and their young son hangs in the balance. The story of a murder and a marriage. A powerful and original film about the things that haunt us.
Description of Jindabyne:
With its subdued emotional tone and superbly subtle performances, Jindabyne is the kind of film you have to be in the right mood for. If you get onto its low-key but ultimately powerful wavelength, you'll find much to admire in this Australian adaptation of Raymond Carver's short story "So Much Water So Close to Home." The same story (available in the Carver collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Love) was previously adapted as a segment of Robert Altman's Short Cuts, but here it's been given a decidedly indigenous spin, focusing on the emotional fallout that occurs when four men discover the half-naked body of a 19-year-old Aboriginal woman while fishing in a remote river near their home town of Jindabyne, on the border of outback country in New South Wales. Stewart (Gabriel Byrne) was the one who discovered the body on a sunny Friday afternoon, but he and his buddies didn't report their discovery until two days later, resulting in a local news scandal and deep resentments from the Aboriginal locals. Worse yet, the incident dredges up a storm of emotions in Stewart's wife, Claire (Laura Linney), who's still recovering from a marital separation and post-partum depression following the birth of their young son. Simmering guilt, familial tensions, and strained friendships threaten to tear these residents of Jindabyne apart, and director Ray Lawrence (making only his third film since 1985's Bliss and 2001's underrated Lantana) does a remarkable job of exploring mysteries of human behavior that are slowly resolved as the drama unfolds. Jindabyne is not the kind of film one watches for light entertainment--its deliberate pacing and deep-rooted themes must be appreciated with careful attention--but it's a mature and richly observant study of people in crisis, whether they're aware of it or not, or even ready to admit it. --Jeff Shannon
Jindabyne Reviews:
'Exhibit A' on scapegoating 
2009-11-23 - "Jindabyne" is a 2006 Australian film about a crisis in the country town of the same name in New South Wales. Four guys on a fishing trip in the deep wilderness discover a body of a young woman in a creek, a woman who's part aboriginal; they unwisely decide to finish their fishing escapades before reporting the body 2 days later. When the press gets ahold of the story the men are publicly castigated for their clueless irresponsibility; their actions are also interpreted as racist by the local native population and the girl's family. Claire (Laura Linney), the wife of one of the men, Stewart (Gabriel Byrne), can't believe they didn't immediately report the body and becomes very suspicious of the incident, as well as alienated from her husband. Meanwhile the killer is on the loose.
"Jindabyne" combines elements of "Deliverance" (1972) and "Picnic at Hanging Rock" (1975). The similarities with the former are obvious, while it shares the latter's haunting ambiance and overall mysteriousness of the Australian wilderness (albeit Eastern Australia rather than Western).
While "Jindabyne" isn't the most captivating piece of celluloid and leaves some aspects unresolved, it did hold my attention and the story provokes numerous insights and questions. For instance, the killer is revealed in the opening shot. This isn't someone frothing at the mouth with evil, but rather an ordinary-looking electrician. One important scene late in the film shows him swatting a bee and we get the impression that he's willing to kill a human being with the exact same indifference. Why's this important? There are ordinary-looking people out there who have no qualms about snuffing out a person's life for their own selfish purposes if they think they can get away with it, just as there are people who would steal, molest or falsely testify without a second thought (take note of the scene where a boy almost gets molested at a secluded beach). We shouldn't assume everyone's like us. There are evil people who prey on others; we should be conscious of this and warn our youth. If the aboriginal girl had truly realized this she wouldn't have allowed herself to fall into the killer's grasp.
[Minor SPOILERS follow as I attempt to intrepret the film]
As I understand it, the four men found the body sometime late in the afternoon on Friday and didn't report it immediately because there was no cell phone reception so far back in the sticks. They waited until Sunday to make the call. In the meantime they tied the body to a tree to keep it from being swept downstream and went about their fishing business. This provokes numerous questions: I realize one of them sprained his ankle but why didn't they send one or two back immediately to report the body? Was it too late? Were they concerned about a killer on the loose in the area? How were they able to block out the presence of the dead body to enjoy their fishing trip? If it was a white teenager would they have reacted in the same callous manner?
The story gives evidence that they were fishoholics excited about their adventure and simply weren't prepared to handle the burden and responsibility of a mysterious dead body. Hence, they temporarily blocked out the corpse and continued their endeavors. Later, in the big fight scene with Claire, Stewart admits, with all the rage that only guilt can cook up, that it did FEEL GOOD to be fishing for awhile, free from the shackles of his every-day mundane existence in "civilization." But how could it? Maybe because many men have the ability to BE IN THE MOMENT, to focus on their main goal and, basically, forget, for a while, the circumstances surrounding them.
This, I think, director Ray Lawrence portrays effectively in the fishing scene. The day is glorious, the landscape is beautiful and the music is pleasant. The scene is a soothing interlude between moments of tension; it's like momentary heaven on earth. So much so, I found myself smiling, along with Stewart and the other guys. And then, I remembered the dead body, and so did they!
Many say the movie is about making a stupid decision and the requisite consequences, as well as repentance, forgivenness and compassion. True, but the movie is also about the differences between the way man and woman view and deal with reality. I doubt most women would be able to ignore the presence of a corpse enough to enjoy a fishing holiday in the wilderness, which explains why Claire becomes so appalled at the guys' actions. No wonder she looks at her husband as if she doesn't even really know him; their marriage was already strained and this understandably rips it apart (to say nothing of the weirdo mother-in-law -- she'd give anyone the heebie-jeebies!).
Another scene that depicts this difference is when Stewart comes home from the fishing trip in the middle of the night. Feeling guilty and confused, he needs to make love to Claire, to touch her and give her pleasure in order to regain a bit of his humanity. Talking about it is not an option for him, there are simply no words. It's evidently a way for Stewart to "skip" the whole event, to deny his own responsablity, to pretend he's not concerned by it.
Yet, I think the film is about scapegoating more than anything else. A beautiful young girl is dead and it's almost impossible to discern who did it, so the community's collective pain is hurled at the four doofuses who trivialized her in death in order to preserve their paradisical holiday. Also, the film obviously compares the men's cavalier disregard with the heartless indifference of the killer himself. Which isn't to say they're anywhere close to being as bad as the murderer, not at all, but they do share one of the key traits that enables him to do what he does.
As far as implications of the bee sting go, there are many: (1) It represents the girl taking some small revenge now that she was (according to the aborigines) one with nature. (2) It showed nature beginning to assert its dominance over this man who professes a psychological link of some kind with artificial power (electricity), which he also represents, and the way he uses nature to abet his crimes (i.e. hiding in the rocks and disposing of his victims in the stream). (3) It simply shows that his cycle of predation and murder is an eroding one, in that the longer he keeps doing it the more things will happen that are beyond his control, and will eventually lead to his discovery. (4) It signifies how a murderer can kill a person with no remorse or anything, just like killing an insect. And (5) It shows how the killer's still alive since he can feel and react to the bee whereas the girl's dead and gone as her body is unable to feel or react to the insects transgressing her corpse (as depicted in an earlier scene).
FINAL SAY: Maybe the film's not worthy of such a long write-up since it's not the most engrossing flick out there, but I wanted to illustrate how provocative "Jindabyne" is. There's a lot to this film and there's much more I'd like to address (like the other topics the film brings up, such as aging, mid-life crisis, friendship, the horror of living in a fallen world and the religious beliefs we embrace to handle it) but this critique is overkill as it is. Suffice to say, this is a film for thinking people and those who prefer arty brooding flicks. If you appreciated the mysterious vibe of "Picnic at Hanging Rock" you'll probably like this one. I think it's better.
The film was shot in and around Jindabyne, which is a couple hours drive south of Canberra by the Snowy Mountains; needless to say, the locations are a highlight.
The runtime is 123 minutes.
Catharsis in Jindabyne, but it might not be the catharsis you craved or expected
2009-03-13 - Jindabyne is an Australian film, yet it stars an Irish actor, Gabriel Byrne as Stewart, and Laura Linney as Claire. Based on a Short Story by Raymond Carver, "So Much Water So Close to Home" the screenplay is recast in New South Wales, Australia by Beatrix Christian; and filmed on location in Jindabyne, in Australia, a location that served the story well.
You have a vast desert, with alien rock formations near "so much water" and a river with an almost magical fishing hole. You have an immense power plant, powered by the dam, exerting such a strong magnetic field that even the cell phones are rendered useless. There is a clash between the newcomers and the indigenous people, with an equally powerful disruption of communication. There is a legend that a ghost city sits at the bottom of the reservoir, the original site of Jindabyne.
A lot happens in the film, but lots of story arcs are never concluded, lots of loose ends never tied. Just as the original site of Jindabyne lies submerged under the water from the dam project, populated by skeletons and the old timers who refused to leave; the new Jindabyne has its own skeletal population. Nearly every character has numerous skeletons in their closet, yet scarcely a few are ever explained. The trauma that bent the neighbor girl? Her mother's suicide? What caused the rift between Claire and Stewart's mother?
The central fact of the story is about a murder. An aborigine woman is on her way to sing at the Jindabyne Fair when she is accosted. The killer throws her into the river, and she ends up downriver where her corpse is found by Stewart and his fishing buddies. When they step over her body to continue fishing and only report it days later it is a catalyst for a whole host of unforeseen consequences. The town and the victim's people turn their anger on Stewart and his crew, and all are forced to face painful truths about themselves. Claire and Stewart's relationship is put to the test, and it very nearly unravels.
Laura Linney and Gabriel Byrne both give tremendous performances, supported by a great cast of locals and others. Laura in particular is relentless as Claire; she keeps pushing for reconciliation, in spite of a universally hostile reaction from both her neighbors and the victim's people. Her every action seems so wrong, in spite of her grim determination to make things right.
Gabriel shows off not only nuance and subtlety, but also paints with broader strokes moments of extreme emotions. Now a mechanic and a weekend fisherman, he recalls his glory days of racing, but those days are gone and his youth is fading. His only solace is beer and fishing. When Claire confronts him about his callous actions or lack thereof towards the dead woman he explodes in violent rage. Can he ever gain redemption?
All the unanswered questions hang over the story like a shroud of mist, evoking quite an eerie mood throughout. The identity of the killer, while known to the audience, haunts them with a foreboding feeling whenever he appears. Will he get caught? Will he kill again? What made him a killer?
If you want all the stories tied up in a neat bow at the end of the movie, then you might not like this film at all, but if you'll allow a film to ask, not answer questions, then you very well might like it a lot. There's catharsis in Jindabyne, but it might not be the catharsis you craved or expected.
The Savages (2007) .... Laura Linney was Wendy Savage
The Squid and the Whale (Special Edition) (2005) .... Laura Linney was Joan Berkman
Kinsey (2004) .... Laura Linney was Clara McMillen
P.S. (2004) .... Gabriel Byrne was Peter Harrington and Laura Linney was Louise Harrington
Mystic River (Widescreen Edition) (2003) .... Laura Linney was Annabeth Markum
You Can Count on Me (2000) .... Laura Linney was Samantha 'Sammy' Prescott
Stigmata (1999) .... Gabriel Byrne was Father Andrew Kiernan
The Usual Suspects (1995) .... Gabriel Byrne was Dean Keaton
Little Women (Collector's Edition) (1994) .... Gabriel Byrne was Friedrich Bhaer
Gothic (1986) .... Gabriel Byrne was Byron
Lawrence Scores Again
2009-01-20 - By no count is Ray Lawrence's output prolific. But what he achieves is uniquely paced and conveys a meloncholic menace in the landscape that has been remarked upon by settlers at least since Marcus Clark's,Term of His Natural Life', midway through the C19th. This disturbing remake of Carver's, 'Too Much Water' has so much more to offer than the episode we saw in Altman's satisfying,'Shortcuts'. It's ambitions are wider and its best to leave comparisons alone. Old Jindabyne was the victim of a grand plan to the dam the Snowy River and create hydro-elctric power for the south east of Australia. It's submersion, its sacrifice to 'power and water'(the ranting we hear from the murder as he pants at the Aboriginal girls' car window)seems to have channeled a retributive stirrings through this guy, who one suspects would be old enough, just, to recall the original town. The moral stuff about the choices made by the fishers of trout and a woman, eclipse that of seeking the murderer. The two children play a reflective undertone to the greater narrative, strangely cogniscient of what is happening. The magnificent closing minutes take us to a smoking ceremony amongst First Australian relatives who are mourning the dead girl in the Snowy Mountains. The murderer stand at some distance in the trees. Just prior to the credit roll, we return to the opening scene. Mr Power and Water is at it again, waiting for some unsuspecting female to wind along the lonesome track. Paul Kelly, who, about the time of 'Short Cuts', wrote a wonderful version of this Carver story has made a most effective soundtrack. Very Australian. Very believable with wonderfully understated performances all round. Very recommendable.
WORKS FOR ME 
2009-01-01 - If you possibly can, try to see this film before you read much in the way of reviews or other commentary that might give away too much of the story. I was lucky enough to do this, and now after seeing a selection of opinions I feel fairly certain that I had the chance to get the best out of it.
By this I imply no criticism whatsoever of any reviews that I have since read. Favourable and unfavourable alike, they have provided me with many helpful insights. However what they make me think is that the extent to which you are likely to enjoy this film, and the rating you are liable to give it, are going to depend on your temperament much more than on your rational faculties, ordinary day-to-day standards, education or even moral values. Just let it take you by surprise if you still can. For my part, I'm not sure that it is like anything I ever saw before.
The filming and camera work seem to get plaudits from nearly everyone, so let me join in that chorus. The scenery is simply gorgeous, and the close-up filming of the actors is adroitly and perceptively handled. The effect of mystery and of uncertainty regarding what it is all going to be about is quite extraordinarily well suggested in the opening sequences. After the sinister first episode it all moves slowly for a while, and the air of menace is retained without being reinforced explicitly. That, I would say, is largely to the credit of the camera crew. They never seem to miss a chance, as for example when there is a brief appearance (never explained or followed up) of a dubious-looking stranger approaching the little boy on the beach. Effective in the extreme - it made me catch my breath, although it is a long time since my children were that age and I had to worry about that sort of thing. I might even say that one of the few criticisms I have of Jindabyne concerns this side of things, the side that nearly everyone agrees to be outstandingly good. There are a great many themes and issues (too many for some critics) in the film, and I felt on a couple of occasions that the camera angles were seeming to suggest `meaningfulness' and `significance' when in fact nothing much came of it. It could be that I was missing something, of course.
The `story', insofar as there is one, is a kind of `moral maze'. It is inviting us at every stage to sit in judgment on the characters. The startpoint is an unbelievably crass piece of disrespectful insensitivity by the four male leads. From there on it is nothing so simple as just people's reactions, (and of course their own), because we have to discover and take into account where the main actors are coming from in their lives up to that point. We are also made to endure some wince-making exhibitions of people's inability to communicate, and I for one was left wondering whether that might have been the main unifying thread of the narrative. The various subplots are woven together very well, I thought, and not badly acted either, but the general impression is rather like the impact of the music of Delius - much more atmosphere than structure. I love Delius myself, and I loved this film. However I can perfectly well understand the point of view of those who like neither, so not knowing which category you come into I can't say whether this film is likely to be your kind of thing. It is nothing if not original, and as I said already I don't recall anything really like it. One touch was completely superb, and I should be surprised if anyone at all disagrees - after wringing out our capacity for judgments and moral assessments, the film ends by abruptly reminding us that what we have been agonising over is in fact a rather minor misdemeanour in comparison with the major atrocity that nobody has seemingly been able to spare a thought for.
Another Dead End Movie 
2008-12-27 - After suffering for more than 2 hours thru an extremely slow and often muddled and boring movie I at least expected some kind of closure.
It seems to be the trend nowadays to leave the viewer guessing. The bad white people AGAIN are made out to be the villains and getting punished for not reporting a murder victim immediately (although they are out in the boonies and it is made clear that the cell phones do not have reception in the area). Haunted by the press and local opinion, not to speak of family problems and being spit on and vandalized by the local aborigines tribe, who "NATURALLY" have every right to do so!! At least I didn't see any police presence for these acts of violence. In the meantime the murderer sits in his truck waiting for his next victim - END OF STORY! Are you tired of all that political correct mush yet?? If yes,
don't waste time or money on this one. 2 stars for decent acting.
