As any local horror fan will attest, Aussie genre films are a dime a dozen in our seemingly production-scarce country. Aside from the freak box-office success of Greg McLean’s Wolf Creek and the occasional indie gem to get a theatrical (albeit extremely limited) release there continues to exist a perpetual lack of support on behalf of government funding bodies in assisting emerging young talent looking to tell their stories to a wider movie-going audience. The likelihood of a profitless big screen release has consequently been pushing the majority of local fright films directly into the home video market and writer/director Rupert Glasson’s debut feature Coffin Rock, while far from being a perfect movie, is just one of the latest casualties of Australia’s inadequate film advocacy. A shame, as Glasson and co undoubtedly display genuine ability, even if the final product ultimately does come off as another Fatal Attraction clone.
In the rural fishing village of Coffin Rock, middle-aged couple Robb (Robert Taylor) and Jess (Lisa Chappell) have been struggling in vain for several years to have a baby. Upon a visit to a city IVF clinic they're spotted by Irish 20-something Evan (Sam Parsonson, in a potentially career-making performance) who immediately takes a secret liking to Jess and later follows the couple home in order to pursue his growing obsession for her. After a bitter argument with Robb leads a drunken Jess to sleep with Evan and fall pregnant as a result she is immediately faced with the grueling decision of whether or not to reveal the truth behind the unborn baby’s paternity, despite her husband’s elated belief it must be his. But when Evan threatens to divulge the events behind that torrid night to the uninitiated he also exposes a side of himself that proves to be far more imposing - and menacing - than Jess could have ever imagined.
Functioning both as a raw domestic drama and later as a horror/thriller, Coffin Rock’s theatrical sensibilities lie somewhere within the realm of the believable and the fanciful. The carefully measured heartbreak of the initial first act as Robb and Jess struggle to accept the possibility that they may never conceive a child of their own and their ever-growing imperfection as a couple is consistently believable and beautifully understated through Glasson’s deftly written screenplay and the skilful performances of both Taylor and Chappell alike. However, as Evan’s post-affair threats toward Jess become more direct and premeditated and his propensity for violence intensifies, Glasson employs a far more familiar and somewhat banal suspense formula to the proceedings, serving only to largely undermine the sincerity of the prior drama. Evan quickly degenerates from being a heavily infatuated young man into a deeply disturbed force with obvious psychotic tendencies he has no hesitation in displaying, many of which are unintentionally hilarious (the fish blowjob scene being just one prime example) and often result in some of the film’s more fateful plot holes.
There are also some questionable moments of logic on behalf of Jess’ husband Robb in the final third, the majority of which relate to his complete naïveté in suspecting even the slightest wind of a marital betrayal until it’s too late. While none of these shortcomings make Coffin Rock unwatchable in the least they do detract from its preliminary foundations of established reality, begging the question why the film felt the need to conform to such a conventional and tiresome format.
Despite the its predictably revenge-oriented closing stages, Glasson’s film is well edited and handsomely shot on high definition, taking full advantage of the atmospherically chilly South Australian coastal locations it features so prominently. Through use of the slow build scenario he also manages to create a tangible sense of ambiance and mood that also helps hide some of the movie's more far-fetched aspects (a surviving a 50ft fall off a cliff anyone?). The supporting cast of local players, including Terry Camilleri and Jodie Dry, all give great performances and further lend the film its small-town authenticity, albeit occasionally stereotypical in depiction.
Wearing its influences brightly on its sleeve and proudly so, Coffin Rock is a serviceable Aussie genre flick and an entertaining one at that. And while it may betray some of its own internal reasoning from time to time and progressively stretch dramatic credibility, the all-round rock solid performances and attention to character will be enough to keep you watching well and up to its inevitably bloody conclusion. I'd happily have gone and seen this one in a theater with a full audience in attendance but I guess my DVD player will have to serve as a projector for the time being. Sucks, huh?
Dir: Rupert Glasson
Writer: Rupert Glasson
Cast: Robert Taylor, Lisa Chappell, Sam Parsonson
Country: Australia
Run Time: 88mins
Rating: MA15+
Sounds awsome.
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