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First things first, The Dunes is not the kind of movie you can enjoy while folding laundry. Instead, it is a movie you have to focus on fully to appreciate it.
The Dunes is a feature-length film that is co-written and directed by Martin Copping, who also appears in the film. Copping plays a journalist from the Los Angeles Times named Nicholas Rice, and his character has an interesting backstory to tell. For instance, Nicholas has to return to his hometown of Dunes in Australia to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his tenant. He finds out the tenant and all of their belongings seem to have vanished without a trace. To make matters even more complicated is the fact that Nicholas is dealing with a head injury and is attempting to reconnect with his slowly deteriorating father. All the while, a strange person from his past emerges that risks everything for him.
Copping has won over many accolades, including the highly praised voice actor awards, where he picked up over thirty awards along its festival journey, along with its impressive indie distributor for expanding even more Indie Rights.
The Dunes has an essential theme which emphasizes the consequences that arise when a person chooses to neglect or fail to attend to their issues. How one gets there, which I will not get into here, is nothing short of mesmerizing and only becomes more intense when William Night, or Nighty, played by Tim Phillips from Animal Kingdom, steps in and essentially takes over the show. The last 30 minutes or so are exceptionally riveting, and you can rest assured that Copping pushes the envelope, so even though Nighty’s take over seems repetitive, it is not.
Nicholas, who is stunningly impressive as Copping’s beguiling piece of work, comes across as an intriguing soul whose story evolves in meticulous detail at various and in the correct order bits and pieces. It never does for Copping, but Phillips, who provides the most awe-inspiring performance, always has an aura of threat that transforms into many other emotions and endless possibilities here. Phillips’s work here could have so easily tipped the balance into caricature.
Among others, remarkable work has also been done by Beccy and Marsha Vassilevskaia as ‘Mrs. Night’ and Alexandra Davies.
The cast and crew of the film have truly outdone themselves.
Antonio Tranquilino’s original score certainly captures the drama and tension that the film builds on. The cinematography of the film captures the stunning Australian setting and the frequently understated conflict between the characters.
To some extent, The Dunes goes where you think it is going to go. However, Copping goes much deeper than that, leaving us breathless and astonished with his vision and the integrity to have the guts to do it all. The last few moments are breathtaking, and to say that The Dunes is fun to watch would be an understatement.
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