Film Review - Alphabet Lane
Images courtesy of Screen Inc.
Written and directed by James Litchfield, Alphabet Lane is a hypnotic ode to isolation and the lengths that everyday Australians will go to just to feel normal again.
When Anna (Tilda Cobham-Harvey) and Jack (Nicholas Denton) move from Sydney to rural NSW for Jack’s new job, they find it hard to meet new people. When one of them makes up an imaginary friend they met on the way home, the lie’s delicate façade begins to crumble.
This is a cautionary tale reminiscent of Wake in Fright (1971), blended with the comedic hijinks of Weekend at Bernies(1989). While not a groundbreaking Australian classic, the film does a great job of creating a contemporary take on a film genre that seems permanently stuck in the 70’s. It reframes the 20th century Australian thriller style of films like Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and The Dressmaker (2015) to relevant modern life, giving the genre a breath of fresh air. The stunning depiction of rural NSW also sets it apart from most other Australian thrillers that take place in the outback, with long takes of wide fields, foggy hills and dusky skies that allow for a trance-inducing backdrop against the shifting tone of the film.
The narrative doesn’t trick the audience with a cheap twist, instead having a slow, suffocating squeeze that develops over the film’s runtime. The writing of the two protagonists is on point: they have realistic and relatable problems and lives, toeing the line between serious, surreal and hilarious very well. Jack’s awkward friendship with farmer Cory (Henry Nixon) in particular, showcases engaging dialogue that feels natural and real without being boring. Cobham-Harvey’s depiction of someone feeling suffocated by the people and places around her is beautifully portrayed.
Mark Bradshaw’s soundtrack stands out among the rest of the feature’s production. A haunting yet calming score, combining strings and humming to underline the film’s quieter moments, like a soft melody sung over an orchestra tuning up. Accompanied by the visuals, it gives an ambient dreamlike feeling to the film.
The film’s pacing is where all these beautiful cogs in the machine fall apart. It’s a good movie that’s slightly too long for a great short, or slightly too short for a great feature film. At an awkward 80 minutes, an extra 10 minutes would have been enough to develop the story further, or 10 minutes of cut footage could have kept the pacing tight and removed some of the more stagnant scenes.
While it falls into a few clichés here and there, Alphabet Lane stands strong as an interesting and original Aussie film amidst a sea of underwhelming outback true crime movies.
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Alphabet Lane is screening in select cinemas from Thursday April 23rd. For tickets and more info, click here.