Alexandra's Project is an Australian psychological drama/thriller
written, produced and directed by Rolf de Heer. We are introduced to a
suburban family. Dad is a mid-level executive, clearly a caring, nurturing
father of two children. He is given a surprise
cake at the office, and receives a major promotion later in the day. He is
on top of the world as he comes home to an expected surprise party. He is
surprised, but not with a party. The house, which his wife has improved with
locks, security shutters, etc, is dark. The furniture has been pushed aside,
all the lights have been removed from their sockets, and nobody is home. All
that remains is a video tape he is to watch.
He believed that his marriage was OK. His wife Alexandra feels
differently, and uses the occasion of his birthday to finally stand her
ground and communicate that fact. The rest of the film consists of Alexandra on the video tape, and his
reactions.
Nobody seems to be able to talk about this film without getting
emotional, whether they like it or hate it, and whether they think the
villain is Alexandra or her husband. Performances by Helen Buday and Gary Sweet are
brave and spot-on. The film is finely crafted, and, based on the
controversy, obviously has emotional impact.
I found it completely engaging. A
precious few films connect with me on a deep emotional level, and this was
one of them. This is
not a "feel good" movie, but it is a powerful one.
If you are not familiar with our grading system, you need to
read the
explanation, because the grading is not linear. For example, by
our definition, a
C is solid and a C+ is a VERY good movie. There are very few Bs
and As. Based on our descriptive system, this film is a:
