"The mother of mischief is no bigger than a midge's wing. Or, to put it another way, it's mainly trivial causes that create many quarrels between humans. But not Mother Nature. She finds nothing trivial. So when a suburban couple go camping for the weekend at a remote beach, they discover that nature isn't in an accommodating mood. But then, neither are Peter and Marcia, who prove the opening proverb to be true. Every. Two. Minutes.
Why they're still together is a mystery. She had an abortion, he cheated on her. Both are fairly unlikeable, although at least Peter (John Hargreaves) has some skills. He can wire a plug, read a map, pitch a tent and bleed a radiator. Marcia, however, played by Briony Behets, needs a slap. He'll fix a car tyre, she'll moan how cold it is. He'll start a fire, she'll moan how bored she is. You even start to feel sorry for the guy, but then he chops down a tree, runs over a kangaroo, shoots a giant fish and flicks his fag ends all over the place. Marcia, meanwhile, is flicking her bean. For once she isn't moaning. It's more of a heavy sigh.
Colin Eggleston's Long Weekend is a marvelous achievement. With a chilling soundtrack and shocking symbolism, the tension builds cleverly until its, although predictable, extremely satisfying conclusion. The characters are refreshingly flawed, the conflict engrossing, and while the horrors are mostly left off-screen, it still manages to unsettle and thrill in equal measure - I'll never use insecticide again." DW
No comments:
Post a Comment