Summary
A black and white portrayal of live in Sydney’s beachside suburbs wears its influences on its sleeves.
Steve Jaggi’s name has appeared as a producer on so many Australian indie features in the last few years, including Rip Tide and Zelos, and this film marks his return to directing. The documentarian turns his directorial eye to his first narrative feature, a fiercely indie outing with a semi-improvisational script.
The Canadian ex-pat writer/director has discovered something that all Sydneysiders are born knowing: owning property in the harbour city is reserved for an increasingly small group. Twenty-somethings Ellie (Anna Lawrence) and Taylor (Rosie Lourde) are leaving beyond their means in a beachside suburb, but don’t seem to have the wherewithal to take the next steps towards success.
The loose structure is indicative of Jaggi’s documentary background, as well as his stated influences of John Cassavetes, Ken Loach, and Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Larry David. Scenes are set around conversations at restaurants, parties, hookups, musical numbers, dance practice, different parties, and other restaurants. Overlapping dialogue and disconnected moments are Jaggi’s stylistic choice here, but it may not be the right one for this story.
There’s definitely a demographic for whom this random series of events will connect. Yet it’s hard to feel anything for two people who are consistently terrible human beings to everyone around them. One of the women is shocked to find her male friend is religious, going so far as to compare religiosity with joining the KKK. Yet we all kind of know pretentious cafe dwellers like this: one of the characters is “casually” reading Slovenian continental philosopher Slavoj Zizek. ‘Nuff said.
Jaggi has chosen regular collaborator (and Rip Tide director) Rhiannon Bannenberg as the cinematographer on this picture. Shooting entirely in black and white, Bannenberg also keeps the camera loose. It might just be us, but the darkened monochrome made it occasionally difficult to discern the difference between Lawrence and Lourde in ensemble scenes.
The name of the film, by the way, comes from a dish that one of the character’s is served. The dish is attempting to be fine dining, but causes the recipient to throw up. While the film CHOCOLATE OYSTER won’t cause as visceral a reaction, it may want to master omelettes before attempting a soufflé.
2018 | Australia | DIRECTOR: Steve Jaggi | WRITERS: Steve Jaggi | CAST: Anna Lawrence, Rosie Lourde, Aaron Glenane | DISTRIBUTOR: Sydney Film Festival, Indievillage (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 76 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 10 June 2018 (SFF)
