An Australian-based psychologically thriller with Nicholas Cage in the lead role, it is about a man on the outer trying to reclaim his past. Cage plays The Surfer. Estranged from his wife, who we never meet, and down on his luck, The Surfer is determined to buy the clifftop home where he grew up. He has put in a bid, but it isn’t high enough and the real estate agent selling the property tells him his only hope is to up the ante. But he is already stretched and getting additional finance to make this happen is highly unlikely. Still, he perseveres.
In the meantime, he is trying to introduce his teenage son to the delights of the location by taking him surfing on the beach below. He has even pulled the reluctant lad (Finn Little), who views his father as loser, out of school. With boards in hand and ready to take to the water, The Surfer and The Kid are stopped in their tracks by locals. The latter tell them in no uncertain terms that although this is a public beach they are not welcome. The Surfer trying to rationalise with them makes not one jot of difference.
While his son takes off, The Surfer hangs about and then hangs about some more, running foul of a range of people, young and old, surfers and even the police. With the sun beating down on him, he has visions and starts hallucinating, as he loses or gives up some of this clothing, his money, his phone and his car. He is living a nightmare, but he can’t bring himself to walk away. He wants to ride a wave, like he used to, but first he will have to run the gamut and win over the man who anoints those allowed into his circle.
I speak of Scally (Julian McMahon), whom the others look up to as a guru, and whom The Surfer also remembers from bygone days. Also with an axe to grind with Scally is an old man, The Bum (Nic Cassim), who lost his son and who accuses Scally of taking his dog. The idea for The Surfer came to writer Thomas Martin a few years ago. That is when he saw two surfers get into a vicious fight over the right to ride waves on a beach near Sydney. It got him interested in ‘localism’, extreme territorial behaviour, almost exclusively among males, which is rife in surfing communities around the world.
Apart from the more conventional narrative running through The Surfer, there is a surreal element to the screenplay. Cage is potent in the lead, headstrong and, one could reasonably argue, foolhardy as The Surfer, intent on turning around his misfortunes and reviving past happiness. But, he also must confront darkness and loss. He has a fight on his hands, but maintains he is up for it, even though it doesn’t look like it. Julian McMahon brings confidence and buoyancy to “the king of the waves”, Scally. Outwardly exuberant, he makes it clear that it is his way or else.
There is an air of desperation and destruction around Nic Cassim as the homeless old man, while “attitude” best sums up Finn Little as The Surfer’s son. Justin Rosniak is cast as a cop, who is in tight with the surfers and happy to read The Surfer the riot act. Miranda Tapsell plays a sympathetic photographer who The Surfer bumps into. Although, I felt some of the bit players tried to push their infected anger too hard, I remained intrigued by the premise. I stayed invested in whether The Surfer would pull through.
Even though the film is set in the open, there is a claustrophobic feel to it, which heightens the tension. Director Lorcan Finnegan continues to tighten the strings.
Score: 7 out of 10.
Alex First
Here are Greg King’s thoughts about the film:
Wake In Fright for the surf crowd? The Surfer is a study of toxic masculinity and madness, but unlike that seminal 1971 Australian classic, which was set against the backdrop of Australia’s harsh outback, The Surfer is set on a remote surf beach in Western Australia.
In many films surfing has been depicted as a metaphor for life, but here television writer Thomas Martin is using the situation and the tribalism of the surfers to explore something darker and more corrupt. Apparently, the surf gang and its actions has been loosely inspired by a real life surf gang in California. The film deals with childhood trauma, violence and obsession, and charts the emotional breakdown of Cage’s character. Deliberately not naming the character gives him a more everyman quality.
Irish director Lorcan Finnegan has certainly drawn inspiration from Wake In Fright for his nightmarish vision. His previous features, Vivarium and Nocebo, also dealt with murky nightmarish scenarios and disorientation, so he is well versed in the visual language to make the material more effective and unsettling. He imbues the film with a ’70s aesthetic, which extends to the retro look of the credits.
Cinematographer Radek Ladczuk has bathed the film in sun-drenched visuals and you can almost feel the heat. He uses visual effects and trick shots to heighten the tension and gives the film a claustrophobic feel, even though much of the drama takes place outdoors. There are many shots of local fauna that add little to the drama, but reinforce the notion that Australia’s outback contains lots of dangerous creatures.
The Surfer is the third film Cage has shot in Australia, following the graphic novel adaptation Ghost Rider and the futuristic sci-fi thriller Knowing. He delivers his usual intense performance as his character’s frustration and growing sense of impotence builds. We wait for him to go fully crazy … in typical Cage fashion. Julian McMahon brings menace, intimidation and an almost messianic quality to his performance as the charismatic leader of the self-styled Bay Boys’ surf gang. Costume designer Lien See Leong has dressed his character in a long flowing red robe, reflective of religion. Julian Rosniak makes his presence felt as a corrupt cop who harasses Cage’s character. Rounding out the cast are Rahel Romahn, Miranda Tapsell, Charlotte Maggi and Alexander Bertrand.
Score: 6 out of 10.
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
