Animal Kingdom Gets Lost in the Wild

It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment the "indie" aesthetic went from rebellious, innovative and fresh to an obvious, conventional choice. Gritty, handheld camera work interspersed with moments of slow-motion introspection - it's becoming the Sundance staple.

Perhaps I'm a cynic, but am I the only one who don't lay in my bed, stare at the ceiling and listen to gentle acoustic guitar plays when I'm pissed off?

Animal Kingdom, the debut feature from Australian screenwriter David Michod, tackles the heavy drama of a crime family from a unique perspective, a teenage nephew, "J" (newcomer James Frecheville) whose mother recently passed away from drug overdose. It sounds compelling, but the familiar appearance will have you exhaling a sigh of, "here we go again."

It's not to say that Kingdom doesn't occasionally rise above its heavy-handed presentation; the story picks up when J joins in on his family's illicit behavior. Actor Joel Edgerton (the upcoming The Thing) plays the ringleader Barry, who orchestrates J's uncles Craig (Sulliven Stapleton) and Darren (Luke Ford) in series of bank robberies. Meanwhile, J's oldest uncle Pope (Ben Mendelsohn) is in hiding, while the family's matriarch Janine (Jacki Weaver) just smiles and turns the other cheek.

Who wouldn't want to join in on the fun?!

Like any good crime drama, sh*t ends up going down (but...in Melbourne). Most of Kingdom's twists and turns are played out through J's perspective - a mostly silent, forlorn and painstakingly passive perspective. I know, he's a high schooler fending off his drug-addicted, self-destructive family, but if the main character doesn't seem interested in anything, why should I?

What the movie lacks in sharp writing and directing it gains through many of the performances. Mendelsohn's Pope is a tidal wave of anger and paranoia, a much needed injection of energy whenever Kingdom slows down to glacier-like pace. Halfway through the film, we're surprised with Guy Pearce, who plays the compassionate cop looking to bust the family for a series of murders. What could have been mere stunt casting (hey look, an Australian actor I've heard of!) is a role livened up by Pearce.

Looking like you give a damn goes a long way.

Animal Kingdom twists, turns and shocks along the way, but to no avail. Without a character to grasp on to or a moment of insight into the underbelly of society, the movie is just kind of...there.

Don't you already know that crime doesn't pay?