SUBURBAN MAYHEM

Australia, 2006, 90 minutes, Colour.
Emily Barclay, Michael Dorman, Anthony Hayes, Steve Bastoni, Genevieve Lemmon, Robert Morgan, Laurence Breuls.
Directed by Paul Goldman.

Can there be blacker than black? In the case of Katrina, the anti-heroine of mayhem, the answer seems to be a ‘yes’. We are being offered the portrait of a psychopathic narcissist – and beyond.

This is one of those quirky Australian comedies only the quirks are completely amoral. No, immoral. Katrina is partly aware of the moral boundaries that she crosses but most of the time she is on a level and open playing field where there is only one rule: whatever Katrina wants, Katrina gets. (She is as unscrupulous as Nicole Kidman’s similar character in To Die For.)

The setting is an ordinary suburb of an ordinary city, in this case Newcastle. The people there are ordinary, especially in their dealings with one another. But, Katrina and her brother Daniel have been spoilt by their father (who has just been murdered as the film opens) and brought up by Aunty Diane whom they loathe. Daniel finds himself in jail and Katrina lives only to get him out – even though she has a boyfriend and a baby, praising herself as its mother, but a worse and more neglectful mother it would be hard to find.

Emily Barclay (from In My Father’s Den) brings Katrina to vivid and gobsmacking life. A strong cast do their best in creating characters whom Katrina victimises. The exception is Aunt Diane (Genevieve Lemon) who is a regular contributor to the television documentary being made about Katrina, giving her her fifteen minutes of notoriety.

This is black comedy that has the courage of its defiant convictions. And Katrina has the last word of the film and her documentary. She notes in a confidentially matter-of-fact tone that she expected more from the sale of her father’s house!

1. A black comedy? Australian tone, sense of humour? The Australian suburbs? The audience for this kind of satire? Australian? Worldwide?

2. The Newcastle settings, the homes and the streets, the neighbourhoods? The musical score?

3. The visual style of the film, hand-held camera, saturated colour? The interviews for the television program and the colour and visual style? Talking heads? Interviews?

4. The nature of mayhem - as exercised by Katrina?

5. The style of humour, verbal, ironic (and Katrina having no sense of irony)? The situations? The nature of the interviews, each of the characters being named and introduced? Their comments, the humorous side, the insights into Katrina?

6. The portrait of Katrina, nineteen years old? Her reaction to her father's death, the dress at the funeral, her behaviour in the chapel, the text message? Her lamenting at his coffin? With Busty
and Bailee? The television interviews, her comments, calm? Completely self-centred? The flashbacks and her life? As a little girl, the picture of her mother (and the multiplied images of her mother) coming to the door to ask for money for drugs? Her disappearance? Aunt Diane's comment that her grandmother and her mother were both mad? Her father looking after the two children? Aunt Diane and her coming in? Her being spoilt? Their being together, meanness? As teenagers, her devotion to
Daniel, making all the efforts for him (and later his reaction and indifference when she visited him in prison)? Her sexual activity, her pregnancy? The enigma of who the baby's father was? Her being a poor mother, despite her comments about her own skills? Being away, leaving the baby with Rusty or with Lilya? Her not having any money, getting it from her father, her father's threats to cut her off? Her not intending to do any work and her rationalisation about being a mother? The visits to the beauty parlour, the gossip? Her sympathy to Lilya, then using her to mind the baby? Lilya's father and his making the report to Social Care? The gossip about Andretti, her talking to Christine, making herself
out to be a similar mother, inventing the liaison? Her using Rusty, the sexual relationship with him, leaving the baby with him? Her father, his decision to take the baby? Rusty as helping? Her texting him as a traitor? Her using Kenny, despising him, taunting him, the promise of sex, in his sister's room, her turning up and ousting Katrina? Kenny and his agreement on the plan? Rusty actually killing Mr Skinner? The aftermath, his taking time to die, Katrina giving milk drink to Rusty, smoking calmly? The police arrival and their trying to pin something on Katrina? Her proving completely elusive? Aunt Diane and her comments about madness in the genes? Katrina's final comment about not getting enough money for the selling of the house?

7. Mr Skinner, a good man, his death, the grief, the people speaking at the chapel? Memories of his wife, her abandoning the family? His bringing up the children? His relationship with Diane and her being in the house? Coping and not coping? His response to Katrina, not giving her any more money, threatening her? Wanting to take the baby? His enjoying the baby? His murder?

8. Rusty, seeing him on the interviews, his carefree attitude? His comments about Katrina, about sex? His love for the baby and caring for it? Katrina taking his best car? The sex scenes, her domination of him? Her imposing on him, the plan - and the irony that he killed Mr Skinner? The cavalier attitude afterwards?

9. Danny, a mean young boy, with Kenny and the robbing of the store, the two hundred dollars, the taunts by the man at the counter? The sudden black humour of his being beheaded? Danny being sentenced to jail? Katrina's visit and his not being interested? Katrina's obsession about him, always talking about him, preparing the> room, the plans for his getting out?

10. Kenny, being slow, then Danny's friend? Hanging around Katrina? The promise of sex, the interruption? Coming to the house, in his sister's room, his sister's reaction? Kenny and his
dependence on Katrina - and his not doing the actual murder? His being arrested, the suspicions on him - and his imprisonment?

11. Andretti, his comments to the documentary, his relationship with his wife, Katrina and her lies about a relationship? His trying to nail Christine but the evidence proving elusive?

12. Lilya, at the beauty parlour, Katrina offering sympathy, Lilya minding the baby, Katrina's disappearance, her father's hostile reaction, his ringing Social Care?

13. Aunt Diane, her comments, the touches of humour, irony?

14. The portrait of a self-absorbed young woman, psychopathic and narcissistic, narcissistic logic? Belief in herself, manipulating people, believing that she was owed a living, entitlement from everyone - and finally winning out?