UNDER THE RADAR

Australia, 2004, 95 minutes, Colour.
Nathan Philips, Clayton Watson, Steady Eddie, Chloe Maxwell, Robert Menzies, Syd Brisbane.
Directed by Evan Clarry.

Under the Radar is a mixture of thriller and comedy – a kind of lowest common denominator Aussie flick. It focuses on a surfer who works in a home for the mentally impaired and takes two patients out – with all kinds of bizarre results including robbery and violence. The film is tongue-in-cheek with its irony.

The film was directed by Evan Clarry who made a rather similar kind of surfing lowest common denominator feature, Blurred (2003).

The main reason for seeing this film is seeing Nathan Philips. In 2005 he made a big impact in Wolf Creek. However, he had done some time in Neighbours, had appeared in the award-winning Australian Rules as well as the films Takeaway and One Perfect Day as well as the amusing Australian Dumb and Dumber film, You and Your Stupid Mate. These led to an international contract and his appearing with Samuel L. Jackson in Snakes on a Plane.

1.Australian comedy? Thriller? Combination? Quality – or lack?

2.The Australian countryside, beauty, the setting, the musical score?

3.The title and the references?

4.The tone: Adrian, his running, his being caught, the two thugs? Ched, the torture? His heart attack and dying?

5.The flashbacks, the institution, Adrian, his friend? Brandon and his life? Maxine and the interview? Brandon and his attitudes towards his job?

6.Brandon, the car, the incident, negligence – and his sentence? His doing social work?

7.The trip, Jo, the pickup?

8.The detour, seeing the number of the vehicle, the effect? Running?

9.Brandon, his being caught, the attack?

10.The criminals, the drugs, murderous, the deaths?

11.Mario and co, the plan, Jo, the violence, her boyfriend?

12.The plan, the fire, saving the diary?

13.The happy ending?