Displaying items by tag: Callan Mulvey

THE RUN   

Digital Release, June 17th

Australia, 2025, 107 minutes, Colour.

Callan Mulvey, Charlotte Maggi, Felix Cameron, Taylor Wiese, Tim Phillips, Joe Romeo, Nicholas Hope.

Directed by Stephen de Villiers.

Futuristic drama – except, that it is the near future, setting is 2036, only a decade to go.

This is an Australian drama, filmed in the South Australian countryside. There has been a pandemic, leading to a post-pandemic somewhat apocalyptic atmosphere in the countryside. And, it is noted that there have been practically no births registered in the previous three years. The country towns have been abandoned by the government, not worth the effort and costs to support them. There are some vehicles on the road. And there are many suspicious characters.

In this context, there is a central character, Mac (Callan Mulvey) grieving the death of his daughter, his wife seriously ill. He drives, makes different contacts, meeting up with some strange characters, and it emerging that he is a courier transporting goods to rendezvous points. His bosses have a hold over him, threatening his sick wife, sending images of her to his phone. He is trapped. He seems resigned and has little hope.

We are introduced to a number of drivers, especially three brothers, one in control, one a laughing reckless criminal, the other morose, not speaking.

Then, a surprise character, Aliah, obviously fleeing. But, this becomes a surprise to Mac and to the audience – she has a baby. The three brothers are in pursuit – questions about relationships, but also about exploitation, young women trafficked, producing babies, the trafficking of the babies.

Alia is played, a very strong performance by Charlotte Maggi given the anxiety, care and protection of the baby, his continued crying, as the risk of her being discovered.

She teams up with Mac, chases, dangers, a teenager with a shotgun protecting his property, Tom (Felix Cameron), heightening the tension, seemingly impossible situations to escape from, but some changes of heart, Mac risking his life to save Alia and the baby, and some indications of hope that there are islands off the mainland, ferries to take the refugee to some safety.

Australia and apocalyptic atmosphere, the ugly side of human nature, not without hope.

1. 2036, 10 years into the future, the pandemic, deaths, the effect in society, isolating country towns, the few births registered, the trafficking in women and babies? Couriers for the crime bosses?
2. The Australian countryside, the roads, the voyage, the coast, the sea? The abandoned towns? The old warehouses, stores? The vehicles on the road?
3. The atmosphere, the musical score, the plausibility of the situation?
4. The character of Mac, driving, his vehicle, difficulties, career, the bosses, deadlines, the restrictions of his life, the bosses and their hold over him? The flashbacks to his daughter, happy memories, her death, the toy in the car? No future except the driving?
5. The various drivers, their vehicles, the introduction to the three brothers, the leader, his manner and control, the silent brother, the reckless brother? Their interactions, the issue of the girl, the baby, revelations of the past, the relationship, the birth, the young girls, pregnancies, the trafficking of the girls, the babies?
6. The old man and burning him?
7. Aliah, audience surprise at seeing her with the baby, her care for the baby, the baby continually crying? In the vehicles, getting out, trying to escape, the pursuit, the different trucks, hiding? The encounter with Mac, his being taciturn, her determination?
8. Travelling with Mac, his protection, his advice about how to treat the babies, the breathing, the air, binding their arms? The relationship between the two, developing?
9. Mac, his decisions, to protect the baby, to protect Aliah, the confrontations, the weapons, hiding, the baby in the drawer, the warehouse, the attacks, the brothers, the violence? The fight with the leader, the silent brother, speaking, letting Aliah go?
10. The encounter with Tom, young, on the property, the gun, teaming with Mac, to protect the baby, to rescue Aliah, with the gun, the confrontation with the reckless brother, and his protection?
11. Aliah, sometimes running away, the note, returning, the protection from Mac, the confrontation with the father of the baby, Aliah getting the gun, her shooting him?
12. Mac, wounded, with Tom, taking Aliah and the baby to the wharf, the ship to the island, the future…?

FORGIVE US ALL 

New Zealand, 2025, 93 minutes, Colour.

Lily Sullivan, Callan Mulvey, Richard Roxburgh, Lance Giles, Bree Peters.

Directed by Jordanna Stott.

The title has a very grim tone, indicating sins that need to be forgiven.

This is a New Zealand film with some quite magnificent scenery from the South Island. It is a first effort by the by the director and actor, Lance Giles. It was crowd funded.

The beginning has a drama, a family, husband and wife, daughter, father-in-law, and a sad death. It looks to be a story of survival.

Then comes the zombie theme, the post-apocalyptic world infected, cannibalistic zombies. The main drama concerns two men who have escaped the camp, have some kind of cure, on a mission – and being pursued by the relentless guards.

The main part of the drama consists of a journey to the outpost, the mission of help, the widow accompanying one of those fleeing but the continued pursuit, the howling of the zombies, the final arriving at the mission destination – but some grim aspects of the drama.

(The film was not well reviewed and if one looks at the blogging comments on the IMDb, they tend to be quite merciless on the film and the filmmakers, a lot of trotting rather than reviewing.)

1. The title, the grim tone? For what sins?
2. The resemblance to the Western genre? A New Zealand film? South Island mountainous locations? The remote homes, the countryside, the dark forest? The musical score?
3. The virus, the plague, the infections, the living dead? The visualising of the living dead, the attacks, screeching and howling, attacking the dead and devouring them?
4. The opening, measured, the measured pace of the film rather than rapid action? The introduction to Rory, isolated, her daughter, infected and attacking? The passing of four years?
5. Rory, her relationship with Otto, her dead husband, helping the infected, infected himself, the attack, his daughter, her death? Surviving, isolated? Otto, isolated, strong-minded, work?
6. The situation, futuristic, in the house, the surveillance equipment? Electricity? The story of the prison, the population confined in the camps? Two brothers, Runners, the officials from the prison, the pursuits? The brother escaping wounded? The other brother, using his hat as bait, confronted, taunted by Logan? Killed?
7. Rory, at the river, finding Noah, his injuries, her suspicions? Putting him on the horse, bringing him to the stable? The story of his son, going to the encampment, stealing the medication? His desperation, his injuries?
8. The tension between Otto and Rory, the family relationship? Her looking after Noah? Otto and the discovery? Suspicions? The story?
9. Logan, his assistants, their ideology, cruelty? The confrontation with Otto, his defying them, Rory and Noah on the horse, the escape, the shootout, Otto’s death?
10. The pursuit through the forest, Logan and the fight with Noah, no less determination, Logan’s cruelty, his death?
11. The living dead, emerging in the night, the forest, confronting Rory, her desperation? Her standing still and defying the living dead? Noah and Rory having the scent on them which repelled the living dead? Her escape?
12. Daylight, seeing the house, her own condition, going to the house, the grandmother at the door, suspicious, Rory standing back, leaving the bag with the medication, the grandmother taking it inside?
13. The end, Rory at the river, with the gun, previous thoughts of suicide, no motivation for living? The experience with the infected? Would she kill herself or make the decision to live?