There is a passage in the Bible where Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders of his day. Jesus had just sat down to teach his eager crowd when the leaders of his day appeared with a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. The law at this time stated that if a man and women were found in the act of adultery, both adulterer and adulteress were to be put to death. Here is this woman, before Jesus in the midst of the crowd, faced with impending doom. Instead of following what had been the norm at the time, Jesus kneels and begins to write in the sand with his finger. When the teachers began to question him, he responded with the famous line that so many of us know: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7, KJV) Slowly the leaders began to leave.
I often wonder how many of us relate to that woman standing in front of Jesus, the crowd, and those religious leaders, overwhelmed by shame and regret, to a depth where we can’t help but to feel a mixture of numbness and anxiety. Those little voices that monologue and tell us we truly are the worst thing we’ve ever done in the back of our minds. The very thing which we may be on trial for is either our identity or the best we’ll ever be. Or worse, we are a mixture of both. That is perhaps the worst feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. I went through a period where I literally cut myself off from people because my sense of shame was overpowering. It’s a long process to overcome.
Sometimes even when we move on there are still places that can draw us right back to the exact shame we’ve outrun or overcome. For his latest venture, Eric Bana plays a gentleman who knows that pain all too intimately. The Dry follows a detective (Bana) returning home after the death of a childhood friend. Following the funeral, he gets asked by the parents of the friend to look into the mysterious circumstances of the death. One narrative point that should be worth mentioning is the fact that Bana’s character has a troubled past with this town and people think he is a man who quite literally got away with murder. Throughout the film, we are following not only the present case at hand but also fleshing out Bana’s relationship with the town and the accusations against his character.
The dual narrative isn’t always the easiest thing to pull off. All credit to Harry Cripps and Robert Connolly for their adaptation of Jane Harper’s book of the same name. Both voices lay enough foundation for intrigue to draw audiences to the edge of their seat and keep them there for the duration of the film. The Dry presents a riveting character study with Bana. Bana equally brings the depth and emotion needed to make this movie compelling. Ideas on paper are one thing, but to effectively bring these concepts to life and make the audience care is an entirely different problem. Perhaps one of the strongest factors of this movie is the way in which the story beats are laid out.
The story is presented in both the present and past simultaneously. Both periods run parallel but there is a natural progression with the segments taking place in the past. Its landmarks, people, or ideas specifically trigger Bana's past, resulting in a natural evolution of the character that never feels like we’re dancing in one time period more than the other. This development of Bana’s character, and subsequently the town around him, brings a level of emotional weight that elevates the movie, once again resulting in a knockout performance from Bana.
Co-writer Connolly also pulls double duty as the film’s director. His direction of the film takes a simple story and creates an intense pacing you can’t help but be drawn to. Connolly not only revels in these high intensity moments but also its quieter ones. Some of The Dry’s best moments are tender character moments. Bana’s relationship with fellow child friend Genevieve O’Reilly is a terrific example of these wonderful character moments which Connolly is able to craft. Perhaps the best example comes from a dinner scene with Bana, his partner (Keir O’Donnell), and his wife (Miranda Tapsell). It’s these intimate moments that not only ground the film but allow the more intense moments to be more impactful.
Overall, The Dry is an impactful mystery that offers as many surprises as it does tender moments. In a mixture of the film’s script from Harry Cripps and Robert Connolly with Eric Bana’s lead performance, The Dry has a strong foundation to engage viewers and leave them entertained. It’s a spectacularly paced film that uses its non-linear storytelling to its advantage for a truly remarkable time. Though the setting of this movie might be bare, The Dry is anything but. Sink your teeth into this movie when it hits Blu-Ray, DVD and digital beginning January 18th, 2022.
Rorschach Rating:
Mental Health Moment:
“Everyone looked away and everyone still looks away” (Gretchen, played by Genevieve O’Reilly)
There is a point within the film where Bana and O’Reilly’s characters are having a drink and catching up. The conversation eventually fades to a dark period in their relationship. It’s this moment that eventually turns this small town against Bana’s character and drives a wedge between these two characters. It’s within this moment that O’Reilly says the above line.
She drives a valid point home. How often do we look away from those struggling in their mental health? How often do we turn a blind eye to not address these issues within our own lives and those around us? Mental health is an incredibly hard thing to talk about. From someone that has his own struggles with mental health, I understand the difficulty of conversation. My wife can absolutely attest to that statement about myself as well. It is important for us to be vocal, to be vulnerable and, above all else, to be knowledgeable. Looking away could cost someone their life.
BLU-RAY REVIEW: Blu-Rays, DVDs, or 4K copies of your favorite movies are starting to become increasingly scarce on their special features. Sometimes a movie might be good enough to own or at least to watch, much like The Dry, but does it justify the price tag of owning the physical copy? The Dry might be a well made and compelling film, but the Blu-Ray copy of the film is a little bit scarce. The Blu-Ray comes with six featurettes that last no longer than 4 minutes, covering everything from the challenges of turning the book to a movie, its shooting location and much more. While I came out with a greater respect for this movie through the special features, this is a weaker Blu-Ray. These features are meant to satisfy the cinephile within. Unless you fall into that camp, I would strongly recommend a digital copy of this movie over the physical. Rorshach Rating: 2/5
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Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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