Stories from Life by Brian McFarlane
The Travellers and Kangaroo Reviewed
In recent weeks, two new Australian films, Kangaroo and The Travellers, have quietly demanded our attention. Both are unpretentious, sensitive, and subtly crafted, blending comedy and poignancy in ways rarely seen in Australian cinema. They mark a clear departure from the usual fare like The Man from Snowy River or Mad Max.
Kangaroo: A Subtle Charmer by Kate Woods
Directed by Kate Woods, who primarily worked in television apart from her 2000 feature Looking for Alibrandi, Kangaroo offers a semi-biographical look at a man’s life and changing preoccupations. It is not a conventional biopic but rather, as the opening title states, “inspired” by a true story.
The film begins with two opening episodes introducing its characters. In the first, before the title appears, a young Indigenous girl named Charlie (played by Lily Whiteley) runs across a panoramic outback landscape, accompanied by bounding kangaroos.
The Travellers: Warmth and Subtlety
The Travellers features performances by Luke Bracey, Brian Brown, and Susie Porter, highlighting the film’s warmth and subtlety. Like Kangaroo, it focuses on understated storytelling and emotional depth.
"These films are unpretentious, sensitive, and subtly written and directed, each with elements of comedy and poignancy, and quietly rendered in a way that is not all that common or recognised in our films."
Both films stand out for their quiet complexity and character-driven narratives, offering a refreshing contrast to more mainstream Australian cinema.
Summary
Recent Australian films Kangaroo and The Travellers skillfully combine subtle storytelling with emotional depth, marking a distinctive shift from typical mainstream productions.
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