Balibo, 2009

So, probably one of the more confronting films I've seen in a while. For several reasons, mainly because it pulls no punches in it's portrayal of the Indonesian army and the devastation is unleashed throughout East Timor, and also because it highlights the ignorance of the average Australian towards this story and its impact on our politics, our national identity, our media, and, really, our very humanity.

While I was aware of the store of the Balibo Five, I knew very little about Roger East, the AAP journalist who went to East Timor to investigate their deaths. His story is deeply connected to theirs, and I was impressed at just how the filmmakers here tied the tragedies togeter. We get a sense of East's dedication, and of the ethics and, sadly, naivete, of the five missing men. These dual plots are cleverly interwoven, and although we aware of the outcomes, the filmmakers here have made their film suspenseful, and revelatory.

It's very hard going, and rarely a light moment. What I found most engaging, and somewhat a break from the heaviness of it all, was those moments where I found myself watching Anthony LaPaglia acting. I know they say you can tell good acting when you don't notice a man acting, or whatever, but strangely, I was so enthralled by LaPaglia that I sat there are watched him, trying to figure out just how he does it.

Like his performance in Lantana, in which his work is probably some of the most amazing ever put on the Australian movie screen, here he is mindblowing in his honesty, his emotion, his heart. He really is an incredible performer.

So, yeah -- watch it, learn something. I did -- mainly not to be so ignorant of our political history and the lives effected by bungled decisions and misinformation. SOmeone has to learn, because apparently the government won't.