Suburban Mayhem (2006)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Excellent but underrated film

The acting in this movie is really good.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Suburban Mayhem is just what the title promises, as nineteen year old single mom, Katrina, views the world as her oyster, taking from it anything she wants. Her dad wants her to get a job, as he is the one supporting her and her baby. She resents him to the point of having him killed so that she will inherit his house. Her brother is in jail for murder, and she wanders from man to man in casual sexual encounters, dressed in tight black leather mini-skirts and boots, while others watch her little one. The biggest problem is that I never cared what happened to Katrina, as she is a completely unlikeable human being, with no redeeming qualities, and very average looks. Emily Barclay does a fine job portraying the trailer trash vixen, but the music blasts throughout this unhappy social drama, and by the time it mercifully ended, I had a headache. The movie is loosely based on a true crime case which is well known in Australia. I would prefer to see a documentary, using the real life people involved. Erol Morris, are you listening?

Emily Barclay… wow. What an excellently untouchable and stormy performance of teasing manipulation, in what drives and sets the kinetically sensationalized story of crime, drugs, sex, revenge and murder in motion. This sexily gusty little Australian made feature uses an old formula, but the pictorial direction pumps it up with vigorously hard-hitting energy and flashy techniques smothered by a rollicking rock soundtrack featuring homegrown talent. Fashionably mechanical handling throughout, but effectively unapologetic nonetheless. However director Paul Goldman does a good job etching in an authentic atmosphere of the western suburbs. The story follows that of Katrina Skinner… a rebellious 19 year old mum that's into crime, sex, cars and likes to be the 'showpiece' of the town. When her brother is put away for murder, she sets up a plan to hopefully bail him out. However her father (movingly tailored performance by Robert Morgan) is worried, especially about her baby daughter as she goes about leaving others to look after the child (namely her staunch boyfriend played Michael Dorman), as she searches for a recklessly good time. Everyone wants to see her clean up, but she won't have anything to with it and begins to turn on those who she believes are in the way. The plot is done in a fragmented style where in between the story; it would cut to a documentary crew filming people who were somewhat involved with Katrina asking questions about her. It's character-based with its cutting script with it being very vague on motivation, but lingering within is an intense mean-streak and suitably dark and racy comedic elements. Spitefully quirky, but compelling largely due to the unswervingly strong performances.

Paul Goldman and Alice Bell's mockumentary "Suburban Mayhem" starts off with some measure of interest in its subjects' state of arrested development, but manages to fracture its focus into different pieces before it's through. The Aussie production does allude to its working class suburb's infant terrible syndrome, channeling the seminal "Romper Stomper" well enough by juggling murder, delinquency and a hefty pacing of sex, drugs and roll 'n' roll. However, setting the stage just doesn't cut it when the noxious characters woefully expose its wafer-thin plotting. Goldman's self-satisfied intentions are made clear enough and tacky dinner-table transgressions aside; the film's black comedy routine is merely discernible at best but it's just not particularly biting or droll. Katrina (Emily Barclay), its patricidal, chain-smoking femme fatale shoulders the film's best scenes despite the young character's tendency to regress into a badge for its director to smugly flash about as the latest and loudest provocateur of Australia's idyllic suburbia.

I just came back from a showing of this film where the director (Paul Goldman) and the female lead (Emily Barclay) introduced the film and participated in a Q&A from the audience. I would encourage you to see the film - the script is really engaging and the mock-documentary style used through parts of the film gives it a really interesting edge. But the main reason to see this is the amazing performance by Barclay. She commands the screen, you simply can't take your eyes off her. While you may not empathise with the character of Katrina, Barclay plays her with such strength and confidence and its great to see such a strong female character being written and being played so well. Keep your eye on Barclay and Bell's (writer) career - I think this is only the beginning!!