No.310 : Walk on Water (2004)

Walk On Water at the IMDb

Off to Israel now for this superior mystery drama.

The film starts with a small boy looking at the man sitting behind him on a ferry crossing. All seems normal until the man stabs the boy’s father with a syringe and leaves him for dead. We learn that the man is Eyal, a Mossad agent who looks a lot like Steve Carrell, and the dead man was a Hammas leader.

Eyal heads home but finds that his wife has killed herself, and although a bit upset, he doesn’t show it too much and resolves to get back to work. His bosses are less keen and, with Eyal refusing to see a therapist, they refuse to let him go on a sensitive mission. To keep him occupied, they give him a mission to befriend a German tourist and his sister who is working on a kibbutz. The Israelis have intelligence that a Nazi war criminal may still be kicking about and they hope that his grand kids can lead Eyal to his target and to 'Get him before God does'.

Things go well at first with visits to the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. The German, Axel, tries to recreate Jesus’ miracle of walking on water but tells Eyal such a divine act needs to be earned. The sister, Pia, takes a shine to Eyal, and the three enjoy a night in Tel Aviv before Eyal leaves early when they go to a gay night club. Eyal isn’t too keen on gays or Germans - or Arabs for that matter. The relationship goes frosty when Eyal takes against Axel’s Arab boyfriend and about him being ripped off over the purchase of a Del Boy Jacket.

The three split up with no news of the aged Nazi but a last surveillance tape suggests he may attend Axel’s father’s 70th birthday party. Eyal heads to Berlin and has his preconceptions challenged as it is quite nice, as are the people, apart from the skinheads he beats up when they attack some drag queens. He manages to salvage some of his cover and secures an invite to the big party. Will the surprise guest show up and will Eyal work through his many issues?

This was an excellent film that I enjoyed throughout. It was a well worn path, with the world weary and prejudiced agent slowly seeing the other side of the coin, but it was so well done and with engaging characters it was impossible not to buy in.

It was clear that Eyal was on a path to redemption and the notion of all Germans being bad, which was drummed into him as a child, slowly evaporated as we got to know the free spirits of Axel and Pia. They were actually too nice - she’s picking fruit and he’s teaching asylum seekers to dance - they could have made one fart a lot so it wasn’t so clear cut!

The locations around Israel were excellent and beautifully shot. You’d want to go if it wasn’t for all the Mossad agents creeping about and the bombings that are reported throughout. The cast were all excellent with Lior Ashkenazi a standout as Michael Scott, sorry, the agent with baggage.

The birthday party was good fun and I liked the epilogue too - it wasn’t a big surprise but welcome all the same.

Overall an excellent and worthwhile film about tolerance, forgiveness and of course redemption. Well worth looking up.

Best Bit : Skinheads v Drag Queens ‘W’ rating 21/23

No.229 : Wake in Fright (1971)

Wake in Fright at the IMDb

Also known by the less ‘W’ friendly name ‘Outback’ this Australian film from 1971 (same as me!) is an unsettling experience which is hard to recommend but equally an affecting and memorable experience.

The film opens with a young teacher dismissing his class for the Christmas holidays. He’s clearly keen to get away but manages to grab one beer before catching the train to the nearest city, ‘The Yabba’. Our hero, John, has one night to spend in The Yabba before catching a flight to Sydney to meet up with his girlfriend, whom we only ever see in an idealised beach flashback.

John checks into cheap lodgings and pays his $4 rent in advance as well as a $1 deposit on the key - he’ll be grateful for that later! As the internet has yet to be invented John ventures out to a local bar where he meets several of the colourful locals, all of whom are suspicious of anyone who doesn’t like a drink. A tentative connection to the local police chief earns him several beers and soon he is as roaring drunk as the rest of the patrons.

He gets shown the local gambling den which involves hoards of men betting on how two spun coins will fall. Reluctant at first John enjoys some early luck and has soon made a fat pile of cash which he takes back to his room in triumph. As all gamblers know however, it’s never enough and he ponders over how one more successful bet could buy him out his hated teaching job in the outback.

As you will probably guess things don’t go well and after chasing his losses John is left flat broke, without money or his airline ticket. Given his penurious state John has to rely on the charity of the local barflies and is soon drinking heavily in their remote shacks. Donald Pleasance does a great turn as a dipsomaniac doctor and the posh mum from ‘Just Good friends’ is free with her charms as one of the men’s bored and slutty daughter.

As the party progresses John gets more and more ‘native’ and is soon knee deep in blood as the drunken men go on a late night kangaroo hunt. Can John pull back from the brink or is he lost forever in a downward spiral of beer and kangaroo meat? Will his last dollar and gifted gun be his redemption or a fast track to the afterlife?

I really liked this film despite my copy being somewhat ropey. Seemingly the film was lost and only recently restored - looks like I saw a ‘before’ version! This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as the bleached out colours perfectly depicted the heat and grime in every scene.

The film is probably uncomfortable viewing for Australians as, to a man, they are seen as drunken bullies and thugs. After shooting up the local kangaroo population they then set about destroying the only pub in miles - sacrilege! I’m sure a lot of commentary is intended towards the Australian male psyche and drinking culture, but in truth they are a horrible lot and I was only sorry the kangaroos didn’t take a couple of them with them.

You will probably have heard that the kangaroo killings were brutal and indeed they were. To be fair though, the scene was only about five minutes long and in mitigation they did eat what they killed. That said the man wrestling a kangaroo to death is uncomfortable viewing in anyone’s book, despite the disclaimer at the end that all kills were carried out by professional hunters during a sanctioned cull.

The twist towards the end was well done with the finale maybe a wee bit predictable but none the worse for that. Hopefully the teacher doesn’t have to complete a ‘What I did on my holidays’ essay too!

All in all this has to be essential viewing for anyone with an interest in cinema and although not enjoyable as such, it is definitely one that will live with you long after the last kangaroo burger has been digested.

Best Bit : Donald gets a bit fresh
‘W’ Score 21/23

No.46 : White Mischief (1987)

White Mischief at the IMDb

Greta Scacchi, or The Lovely Greta Scacchi to give her her full name, stars in this true story of infidelity and murder in 1940’s Kenya.

The film opens during the blitz in London as Greta tells Hugh Grant that’s she’s leaving his love for the money of Joss Ackland and the safety of Africa. Joss, although wealthy, is facing harder times and his lack of skill on the horses and his free spending new wife are unlikely to help matters.

In Kenya the time is spent wife and clothes swapping, a swinging circuit that Greta soon joins. She quickly falls for the dashing Charles Dance and despite warnings from Joss the pair carry on their scandalous affair. When Greta and Charles announce their plans to be together they get Joss’ blessing, but when Dance is gunned down by a mystery assassin Joss is in the frame.

After a trial Joss is acquitted, but the mystery of the murderer remains and, as his money problems mount, Greta has to weigh her options.


This is a great period film that I always enjoy, not least for Greta’s spirited performance. The African plains are beautifully shot and the evocations of the colonial era are great. The secondary cast is filled with familiar faces and it’s no surprise when Joss’ cattle all die seeing as he employed Rab C. Nesbitt as his farmer.

The mystery element is somewhat slight as we are in no doubt that Joss was the culprit despite some ambiguity employed during the murder. The fact we see him feigning drunkenness prior to the murder somewhat undoes the later revelation about the socks.

Greta gives a career best showing as the free spirited and needy Diana with her passions free for all to see. Towards the end it’s hard to figure her feelings for Joss and new suitor ,John Hurt, but this is a deliberate showing of her character’s uncertainty.

With great settings, acting and music you’ll do well to find a better portrayal of colonial Africa during the war, and seeing as Greta loses her clothes on a regular basis it’s hard to find fault.

Best Bit : Greta’s swimsuit malfunction

‘W’ Score 21/23