The Decadent and Depraved

source: The Decadent and Depraved

The title and description made me bite. The first act hooked me. The second act is when the struggle started. A bit of good tension in a few scenes but not enought to overcome the bad dialogue,the preachiness, and the plot holes. And the pacing made it just short of drudgery, but finally, the "climactic" shootout. My young son and I have more exciting and realistic shootouts using cap guns and a bottle of ketchup. When the shooting stopped I didn't hang around to see if the "christ" character swung from a rope or not, I didn't care, I was off the hook and free, so I just swam away.

....and you can tell. The actors so needed somebody to bring their performances into focus. The script so needed a surgeon with a scalpel. Do see the Proposition. Clearly, those involved in this did.

I have rarely seen many badly made Aussie movies and this is no exception. It is well filmed but the story is so lame and has been done to death a million times before so brings nothing new to the table and is so full of cliches and over the top music that it did give me a fair few laughs so it does fulfill its comedy remit although not by design methinks! By the end credits I think the director was aiming at a dark comedy spoof of some sort - so odd is this film it is quite hard to classify it in any way! I would also add that the acting is some of the most over the top gruff and gritty, shouty, shouty I have ever seen - not all of it very good either! All in all a half decent nights entertainment but does not get more than an average 5/10 from me!

This is a great, really gritty Australian film. Supposedly Western Australia's biggest independent film ever.The Decadent and Depraved" follows the journey of Murphy (former "McLeod's Daughters" star, Ben Mortley), a convicted murderer with a bounty on his head. He has surrendered himself to His Majesty's Army to ensure the safety of his family and is being transported by Captain Jack Dalton (played by A Country Practice star, Michael Muntz) to be hanged for his crime. Both men must survive the harsh and unforgiving terrain of the West Australian outback whilst fending off attacks from the many corrupt yet powerful men who desperately want to claim the bounty. It is continually violent and disturbing. But good acting and performances keep the viewer engaged. There is a side issue message about the evil of the colonisation of Australia by the White man which is rather apt for today's climate. A really enjoyable and promising first feature from Axel August and Jordon Pierce-Wright. Recommended.

It's enjoyable, the concept is great and it's aussie, what more can you ask for?

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The Decadent and Depraved