In a Savage Land

1999, 1080hd

Johnny's comments:

In A Savage Land is a 1999 drama about two married anthropologists Phillip (Martin Donovan) and Evelyn (Maya Stange) who get funding to go to research in the Trobriand Islands, a part of New Guinea as World War II is breaking out. Helped by local ex-pats Gerry (Andrew S. Gilbert) and local tribespeople they get deep into the local culture. Then arrives pearl trader Mick Carpenter (Rufus Sewell) who is friendly with the tribal leaders and he catches the eye of Evelyn. Then a series of events such as Mick taking Evelyn to see a remote tribe followed by Mick being hexed, attacked, pissed on and then eventually dying from the assault by the tribeswomen leads to Mick and Evelyn becoming closer after Evelyn goes through a long mourning process. Then the war comes to New Guinea and things become complicated. OK but languid drama and it's hard to get excited about anthropology but it's not too bad. Plus the real anthropology ends up being on the white folk. The love story takes a while to get going and as far a sweeping epics go, it's a bit weak and it's hard to not wonder why Evelyn was interested in Phillip as he seems like a bit of a wet blanket.

Maya Stange film clip (collages below)

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To Have and to Hold

1996, vhs quality

Rachel Griffiths film clip (see capture far below)

Johnny's comments:

To Have & To Hold is a 1996 drama where Jack (French actor Tchéky Karyo), who lives in Papua New Guinea is mourning the death of his wife Rose (Anni Finsterer). Two years later in Melbourne, he spies romance novelist Kate (Rachel Griffiths) at a book signing and is immediately smitten with her and she with him. After a whirlwind romance, Kate follows Jack to Papua New Guinea and it becomes clear quickly that Jack has many demons and they are about to be unleashed. Jack's friend Luther (Robert Kunsa) has escaped from prison after losing an eye and is in hiding locally with the local police after him. Then old friends bartender Sal (Steve Jacobs) and lapsed missionary Stevie (David Field) arrive back in town and Jack is none too happy to see them. Jack starts spending copious amounts of time in his video editing bay watching old videos of Rose (when he's not doing a lot of old school video piracy!) including one where Rose drunkenly shit-talks about Jack which suggests she was having an affair with Sal. Jack shuts himself off from the world and gets more and more shitfaced which troubles Kate. She tries to get him to open up more but this results in him giving her Rose's old dress which is remarkably similar to what he saw Kate in when he first saw her. At first it brings them closer but not in the way she wants. Jack treats her as if she's Rose and their relationship becomes more primal and violent with him even taking her passport. Then Luther, who Rose has been friendly towards, gives her evidence which could finally bring everything to the boil.

Depressing, sweaty domestic drama where a man's memory of his wife clouds the actual reality of the situation. The concept is flimsy, not helped by Kate been dazzled by going to an 'exotic' location and acting more like she's researching for her next novel than actually being in love with Jack. Jack almost instantly reverts to mourning state as he arrives in Papua New Guinea, locking himself in his editing bay, drinking himself to oblivion based on one inconclusive video and his own wretched thoughts. Kate seems lost and out-of-place, a prop in Jack's mental disintegration and with not much else to do, she encourages his delusions which makes things worse for the both of them. Then it becomes clear that Jack doesn't love Kate, just idea that she reminds him of Rose which is weird that Jack only jells with Kate when she reminds him of Rose. A late scene suggests that his love is even more base, not actually for Rose but the idea of her. As a twisted love story, the relationship is hard-to-watch. Tchéky Karyo is quite good as Jack but his character becomes so repugnant it becomes near impossible to watch by the end, especially the scene where he confronts Sal. Griffiths is alright but isn't given all that much to do beyond react to Jack and become sickly. Director John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road, Lawless, Triple 9, Ghosts... Of The Civil Dead) lays it on thick and as with all his movies, ugly violence is inevitable. It's strange that To Have & To Hold has all but being forgotten given it's credentials but the movie is so unlikeable that it's not hard to see why.

Very brief nudity from Rachel Griffiths in this movie, so brief that you can see it all in a few caps below and it's either too quick to get a proper look or from too far away. There's another shot a few minutes later where Rachel drops the sheet she's wearing and you maybe able to see her nipple but it's insanely dark. A HD release might be more conclusive.

Loved all the old time video bootlegging going on in the movie and the movie contains this frankly ridiculous shot of a video store heavily promoting John Hillcoat's little seen directorial debut although it does have a cult following, this would been 5-8 years after it was released. Also a reminder to me that I still haven't watched Ghosts... Of The Civil Dead.