Sweet Country (2017, Australia, classified R16 (New Zealand), MA15+ (Australia), M18 (Singapore), R (United States), 15 (United Kingdom))
Run time 113 minutes, directed by Warwick Thornton, starring Sam Neill and Hamilton Morris
Overall rating: 16/20 (★★★★)
Sweet as or not? – Yeah, nah, but borderline sweet as.
Verdict: Meat pie Western pays homage to Australian culture, namely The Kelly Gang, but overuses cliches of the genre at times.
Watch or Skip? – Watch it when you get the chance to.
Review by J.M. Broad • July 23rd, 2020 (July 24th, 2020 NZT)
Kia ora folks, and welcome back to Sweet As?, the review site that reviews stuff with New Zealand panache from a uniquely NZ perspective, so you don’t have to, here with yet another film review over the space of a day or so, this time reviewing Sweet Country, a so-called ‘meat pie Western’ from across the Tasman.
Anyway, before we jump into this review, it is now time for the obligatory disclaimer. If you are not interested in this type of fare, or if you are not a fan of Westerns and/or their derivatives, please go to another corner of Sweet As? or leave this website altogether in order to go to another corner of the Internet.
If you are interested in reading this review, however, please feel free to continue from this point on.
Now, without further ado, let us delve into the review. Sweet Country starts with the expected production company logos and that of Screen Australia before seguing into a pot of a beverage on a campfire, then the opening credits, which I felt were quite drab, being merely white text on black and of course, riding on horseback, since this is a Western, after all – those of you who aren’t fans of the genre, stop watching now.
Moving onto the plot, it begins unassumingly on a quintessentially Aussie farm in the outback and does not immediately jump into the action per se, although it does jump into the expected ‘life in the outback’ action one would expect from a Western, which I found somewhat underwhelming and therefore could consider to be a let-down. In addition to this, numerous cliches from the genre, such as riding off into the horizon on horseback, are prominent in the film and I do feel that this adds to the film being a bit of a let-down.
It isn’t until thirty-eight minutes or so when there’s actual action that occurs, involving the demise of a key character and going on the run, which seems to be a recurring theme in films starring Sam Neill, at least the ones I’ve seen, as well as yet more Western cliches making an appearance. Anyway, we now move onto the acting, which comprises a somewhat star-studded cast from both sides of the Tasman, however it consists mainly of Australian acting talent with the odd New Zealander to liven things up, as well as the directing, which in this film, is taken up by award-winning director Warwick Thornton, who makes another foray into the meat pie Western genre.
In terms of the former, the acting portrays the story magnificently due to the fact that the star-studded cast show their acting prowess throughout and regarding the latter, director Warwick Thornton proves himself as an experienced director, particularly in this genre of film, of which he delivers a gritty tale during the inter-war years of relations between Europeans and indigenous Australians, as well as of outback life.
Finally, we move onto the visual effects, which, in a manner similar to that of 2004 film Kaikohe Demolition, are raw, but in Sweet Country, the visual effects are grittier and portray the story in a manner similar to the classic Western films, as well as the soundtrack, of which there is none altogether, adding to the immersion of the audience into the story, making us more engaged with the story and characters. Kudos to the director for this, as well as for giving us a gritty, raw and true-to-life historical drama for the majority of this one hundred and thirteen minute affair.
Last Word
Overall, I feel that Sweet Country is a gritty, engaging meat pie Western that pays homage to Australian culture, including through the featuring of the film The Story of the Kelly Gang, as well as the fact that the Arrernte language is a fundamental part of the film, for example. In addition to this, director Warwick Thornton shows his experience in a film that engages the audience and is gripping through the lack of a soundtrack, although I do feel that the plot is somewhat underwhelming until later on, which can be considered a bit of a let-down.
The Addendum
Ratings – Acting: 5/5, Soundtrack: N/A (the film does not employ the usage of one, except during the end credits), Visual Effects: 4/5, Plot: 2/5, Directing: 5/5
Overall rating: 16/20 (equates to 4 stars overall using Sweet As? star rating calculations criteria)
Sweet as or not? – This film could be considered sweet as due to the fact that it is a gritty, immersive tale that lacks a soundtrack and showcases the acting talent of this trans-Tasman affair, as well as the direction of Warwick Thornton, although it starts off in an underwhelming manner. Overall, this would be a yeah, nah, but borderline sweet as.
Watch or skip? – Watch it when you get the chance to. This is an accolade-worthy hidden gem that pays homage to Australian culture, although the plot starts off in an underwhelming manner.
How can I watch this film?
Sweet Country is available on various optical disc formats and possibly some streaming services. A number of television networks also air this film in a periodic manner.
Sweet As? 