Overview
When you imagine the film that would unite Aussie powerhouse actors Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Jacki Weaver, you probably think gritty outback drama. You don't think violent neo-gothic Bildungsroman directed by renowned South Korean director Chan-Wook Park (Old Boy) and set in wealthy New England. But that's what you get with Stoker, a film that's bewitchingly stylish but anchored by an intense performance from Wasikowska.
Wasikowska plays India Stoker, a somewhat sheltered loner of a girl who is deeply sensitive to small sensations — but that's where her commonalities with Amelie end. On her 18th birthday, she learns that her loving father (Dermot Mulroney) has died in a car accident.
Besides being left with her less demonstrative mother, Evelyn (Kidman) in their big ol' house, India now has to deal with the arrival of her unknown and perturbing uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode). He is soon followed by his aunt Gwendolyn (Weaver), who appears to have an urgent message to impart to young India. Gwendolyn disappears and we have a movie, where Charlie obsessively draws closer to India while India tries to figure out who she really is.
See Stoker for its striking imagery (including one tracking shot you won't forget) and cool mood of creepiness.
Stoker is in cinemas on August 29, and thanks to Twentieth Century Fox, we have a Stoker prize pack to give away, containing a collector's poster signed by Mia Wasikowska and Chan-Wook Park and a Fox Searchlight DVD pack (including Black Swan, Ruby Sparks and Hitchcock). To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
