Three Blind Mice (Matthew Newton, 2008) wr. Matthew Newton, ed. Gracie Otto; Toby Schmitz, Matthew Newton, Ewen Leslie, Gracie Otto, Marcus Graham, Alex Dimitriades, Pia Miranda, Barry Otto, Heather Mitchell, Jacki Weaver, Charles Tingwell; Sydney Film Festival, 8 June 2008
I hope 2012 is a good new year for Matthew Newton, tho he was in court in the first month of it. I caught his Three Blind Mice (2008) on broadcast 30 December 2011, causing me to think about what I've seen of his career. The word that springs to mind, imo, is 'brilliant'—tho it seems possible that he might have heard ppl saying that too often for his own good. Anyway, for what it's worth, I thought he was good in Alibrandi and Stupid Man and The Bet, which I thought was a little unnoticed gem, and I'm really sorry I haven't been able to see Right Here Right Now, which seems to have disappeared almost literally without trace, as it was his first written/directed (and acted in) film. And so to Mice, his second. I'm glad he got the chance; I wonder if he'll get a third. Hope so.
This is the second film actor Matthew Newton has directed ... and it's a pretty good one, seemingly influenced by John Cassavetes and especially that actor-director's film Husbands, which was also about three blokes having a night on the town. Though the HD hand-held camerawork is unnecessarily shaky at times, the power of the acting, which is seemingly improvised, shines through, and Newton gets the very best out of his collaborators while giving a riveting performance himself. David Stratton, At the Movies, ABC TV.
Garry Gillard | New: 22 October, 2012 | Now: 29 June, 2020