Beautiful and engrossing, Goldstone is classic noir set against the dusty backdrop of the Australian Outback. A selection at the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), the thriller features a strong cast of characters and intense bursts of violence, even if its plot is ultimately less sophisticated than you’d hope.
Aaron Pedersen and Alex Russell star as police officers with different motivations in the Ivan Sen film, with more internationally recognized actors Jacki Weaver and David Wenham filling out the supporting cast. While both Weaver and Wenham are underutilized, Pedersen and Russell deliver solid performances. Pederson is especially strong.
Goldstone thrives off the rustic setting–the movie takes place less in whatever town there may be and more in the sprawling, sunburned deserts and canyons that spread in every direction–and gorgeous cinematography that highlight the beauty, as desolate as it may be, of the Outback. The setting is its own character and arguably the film’s most interesting one–Sen uses it to his full advantage.
Where Goldstone falls short is its plot–while it’s sufficient, Sen doesn’t throw a lot of curveballs (or boomerangs). There’s very little mystery to what is going on or who is involved; Sen could have helped himself with more intrigue and a few twists or turns.
Nonetheless, Goldstone is an expertly made, well crafted thriller that thrives on Pedersen’s performance and the film’s beautiful photography.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.