Wish You Were Here

A Slow Build Character Drama From Australia, Not A Pulse Pounding Thriller As Billed
Note: Despite the enormous face of Theresa Palmer (a rising star after Warm Bodies) on the DVD cover, she plays a supporting role. The real female lead is Felicity Price and she's terrific. I guess she won't sell as many DVDs!

The sparse Australian film "Wish You Were Here" is a small movie that might easily be oversold. If you look at the accolades that it received in its native land, you'd think you were witnessing a truly monumental experience. At the Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards, this picked up Best Actor (Joel Edgerton), Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Starr), Best Film and Best Screenplay along with a slew of other nominations including both leading ladies Felicity Price (who co-wrote the screenplay with her husband and the film's director Keiran Darcy-Smith) and Theresa Palmer. The Australian Film Institute chimed in with wins for Screenplay and Supporting Actor. I don't mention these awards to encourage you to watch the film because it's the "best thing...
wish I was elsewhere
I first must explain that I am a Sydney resident and know the locations of this film well. As far as the acting and photography goes the film does quite well. As far as the plot and storyline goes it's all downhill. We are meant to believe that first of all this couple; she an AMES teacher and he, a boat builder can afford to live in a million dollar house overlooking star studded Tamarama beach (yes ... I know ... it is only semi-renovated). One presumes they are in their early to mid thirties and have two children whom they leave behind to go on a backpacking holiday through Cambodia. Whilst at a full, half whatever moon party on the beach (normally the realm of 20 somethings straight from College) they take ecstacy with dramatic consequences. She, by the way is around 4 to 5 months pregnant.
The film could have been (like most Australian films) edited down to about 50 minutes. If you leave out the domestic histrionics, around 40 minutes. The fast forward button can be used...
A movie where the plot & idea are better then the actual movie. Last 20 min are good, getting there is a struggle. I say B-
"Something happened the night of the party, after you went to sleep." Steph McKinney (Palmer) and her boyfriend Jeremy go on a vacation to Cambodia with her sister and her husband Dave (Edgerton). They are having a good time laying on the beach and relaxing. When they return home only three of them make the trip. Now all three are trying to figure out where Jeremy is and why he didn't come back. Only one person knows the truth. This is another perfect example of a movie where the idea is much more exciting then the actual movie. While the movie isn't that bad it is pretty slow moving up until the last 20 min. Until then the movie jumps around a bit and makes it a little hard to follow for the first half. The acting is very good but nothing really seemed to happen for most of the movie. Again, the last quarter is good but getting to that point is a little bit of a struggle. Overall, a movie that starts off very slow but worth sticking with to see the ending. I give it a B-.
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