Animal Kingdom

After losing his mother to a heroin overdose, 17 year old Joshua "Jay" Cody (Frecheville) is sent to live with his estranged relatives.  The family is led and pulled together by Jay's grandmother Janine "Smurf" (Weaver), who adores and smothers her boys.  Her three sons are criminals, all well-known by the police.  The oldest, Andrew "Pope" (Mendelsohn), does armed robberies with his best friend Barry "Baz" Brown (Edgerton).  Pope is hiding from the police and planning his next heist.  The second, Craig (Stapleton), is a paranoid drug dealer with a contact in the police.  And the youngest, Darren (Ford), who is just a few years older than Jay, is a pothead who goes along with whatever his brothers do.  They have a lawyer on call, Ezra White (Dan Wyllie), and try to stay one step ahead of the police.

When the police start targeting the family, the brothers pull Jay into their lives of crime, violence, and lies.  His girlfriend Nicky (Laura Wheelwright), and her family, keep him sane and safe... and a homicide detective, Senior Offier Nathan Leckie (Pearce), tries to save him.  As war erupts between the police and the Cody's, Jay has to choose a side, even though he doesn't trust either.


Gripping, gritty, and unflinching, this is the way to make a crime drama!  The story grabs you from the beginning, as you watch Jay's world fall apart when his mother dies.  Through his narration you learn about the family, and see how his youth is swiftly pulled away.  As the film progresses you can feel the tension building... waiting for it to explode on screen.  A strong story and direction from first time director, David Michod.

The cast is first rate, although I did not know of them until this film.  While the men dominate the screen, it is Jacki Weaver's Smurf that you watch in any scene.  She dominates, in an Oscar nominated performance for Best Supporting Actress, as the matriarch of the clan... with an almost incestuous love for her sons and grandson, and a shrewd personality.  She knows what needs to happen and is willing to do almost anything to get what she wants / needs.  Ben Mendelsohn is menacing as Pope... going from unbridled rage to just wanting to talk it out.  He makes you uneasy from the start.  Craig Cody is shirtless for most the film and constantly on the move.  Luke Ford and James Frecheville are good in their respective roles: going in opposite directions.  They are quiet characters, but you trust them more than the others.  Joel Edgerton's Baz seems like a decent guy who made some bad decisions, and Guy Pearce is earnest but a little sketchy.

If this film was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, it would probably take my vote...  An excellent film, my first Australian film.  I definitely recommend it!!

Animal Kingdom (2010) minutes
Rating: R for violence, drug content and pervasive language
Director: David Michod
Starring: Ben Mendelsohn as Andrew "Pope" Cody
Joel Edgerton as Barry "Baz" Brown
Guy Pearce as Senior Officer Nathan Leckie
Luke Ford as Darren Cody
Jacki Weaver as Janine "Smurf" Cody
Sullivan Stapleton as Craig Cody
James Frecheville as Joshua "Jay" Cody