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LIKE MINDS
***1/2 out of *****
Reviewed by Jarrod Baker Screening in the 2007 World Cinema Showcase
Back to KP's WSC Coverage  Genres
Crime
Drama
Thriller
2006
Written and directed by
Gregory Read
Cast
Toni Collette … Sally Rowe
Eddie Redmayne … Alex Forbes
Tom Sturridge … Nigel
Patrick Malahide … Dr Forbes
Richard Roxburgh … Inspector Martin McKenzie Cinema has long been fascinated with the spectre of the psychopathic killer. Bates, Lecter, Bateman, Voorhees, Krueger – the list goes on. Less frequent, however, are films that focus on the formative years of the psychopath – the years where he (or she, but it's usually a he) learned and perfected his unsavoury trade, and perhaps developed a taste for blood. Often as not, movie psychos just are, without any more than a cursory exploration of why that might be. Like Minds, on the other hand, focuses on a psychopath's early work, with a pair of teenage protagonists whose unhealthy friendship leads to involvement in a number of deaths. Students at an exclusive private school in England, Alex (Eddie Redmayne) and Nigel (Tom Sturridge) are intelligent outcasts whose downward spiral of violence begins when the two are  thrust together as reluctant roommates. Their shared story ends as the film begins, with Nigel dead and Alex charged with his murder. But did he do it? Inspector Martin McKenzie (Richard Roxburgh) thinks so, but can't prove it, so calls in forensic psychologist Sally Rowe (Toni Collette) to find out. As she interrogates Alex, we are shown his sordid tale in flashback, from his initial meeting with Nigel to the pair's shocking final encounter. Like Minds is Australian director Gregory Read's first dramatic feature, having made several documentaries prior to this film. In fact, Read originally conceived of Like Minds as a documentary before being convinced that a dramatic treatment would be a better fit with the material. Considerable research clearly went into the psychological makeup of the protagonists, and there are many references to psychological theory and to real-life murderers, helping to make the film all the more convincing. Ultimately, however, the root cause of the psychopathic behaviour in Like Minds is no more obvious than in a range of other psycho movies – beyond the odd hint of parental distance or abuse, you're no closer at the end of the film to understanding what really makes a killer tick than you were at the beginning. Despite this, however, Like Minds is still a thrilling and enjoyable film, with effectively creepy performances from the two young leads. Just don't go along expecting the next great Australian picture – despite the presence of Collette and Roxburgh in the cast, and the fact that much of it was shot in Adelaide, the movie shows barely a hint of its Aussie roots. Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts) Wellington screenings at the Paramount Theatre
Tue 3 Apr 2007 - 1:30 pm
Christchurch screenings at Rialto Cinemas
Fri 20 Apr 2007 - 11:30 am
Sat 21 Apr 2007 - 6:15 pm
Wed 25 Apr 2007 - 4:00 pm
Dunedin screenings at the Regent Theatre
Tue 1 May 2007 - 6:15 pm
Fri 4 May 2007 - 11:15 am |
