A Quirky Little Film - and forget the nudity, Mar 13 2005

The actors actually aren't bad, but are presenting much as real life characters would. You will not find the 'dream world' of cinema in this film. However, knowledgeable viewers will pick up a host of allusions to the great's and not-so-great's of literature and film. The part of the film concerning the character "Anais" that gently spoofs the somewhat overwrought writing style of author Anais Nin is particularly good.

The production values on the film vary greatly, ranging from some truly beautiful shots that capture the stark grandeur of the locaton, to totally washed out frames that look like they were filmed on someone's ancient 'Super-8". The sound track and sound quality also varies widely, partly, I suspect, from filming on Maslin Beach with limited sound editing capability. In fact, the whole film has a film student project feel to it, myself and my partner at times speculated that the script writers and cast were drawn from the various departments of the local university (let's see -we've covered the Drama students, English Lit, Classics, Music, Art.... who's left) and the film was financed by donations left in a jar at the university pub.

Lastly, let's talk about the nudity. It's pervasive, and after about 10 minutes virtually unnoticeable. Indeed, much like naturist locales in general, it's a non-issue. Viewers seeking titllation won't get much. Indeed, a major complaint of some reviewers seems to be that the film makers had the sublime gall to film actors of all ages and body types in the nude - which of course is taboo in the youth and beauty obsessed North American approach to film.

Try Maslin Beach. it isn't for everyone, but then, what is?

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