Stories from Life • Brian McFarlane
The Travellers and Kangaroo Reviewed
Two recent Australian films, Kangaroo and The Travellers, have quietly demanded—and deserved—attention for their unpretentious, sensitive storytelling. Both blend comedy and poignancy through subtle writing and direction, standing apart from more well-known titles like The Man from Snowy River or Mad Max.
Kangaroo: A Semi-Biographical Tale
Directed by Kate Woods, who has mainly worked in television apart from her 2000 feature Looking for Alibrandi, Kangaroo is a charming film inspired by a true story. It is a semi-biographical account exploring a man's life, his preoccupations, and how dramatically they can change over time, distinct from a traditional biopic.
The film opens with two episodes introducing the main characters. Before the title appears, a young Indigenous girl named Charlie (Lily Whiteley) is shown running across a vast outback landscape, with kangaroos bounding alongside.
The Travellers: Warmth and Subtlety
The Travellers features performances by Luke Bracey, Brian Brown, and Susie Porter, delivering warmth and subtlety. Like Kangaroo, it is quietly rendered with a focus on nuanced storytelling.
“Inspired by a true story,” the film explores themes with sensitivity and depth uncommon in Australian cinema.
Both films represent a fresh, understated approach to Australian filmmaking, combining humor and emotion without grandiosity.
Author’s summary: These films quietly enrich Australian cinema with their heartfelt, unpretentious storytelling, highlighting lives and landscapes rarely portrayed with such subtlety.