Siam Sunset (1999)
Director: John Polson
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
This memorably quirky first feature by actor Polson both benefits and suffers from wild shifts in tone. It embraces everything, from dry humour through surreal weirdness to slapstick violence and warm romance. Widowed by a freak accident involving a skyborne fridge freezer, industrial chemist Roache takes a break from paint mixing to enjoy a bingo prize trip to the outback. Grieving, vulnerable and accident prone, he finds himself on a jalopy with a rude owner-driver and a bunch of crazies. Stranded by a breakdown at a remote roadhouse, his one consolation is sparky optimist Cormack, who's on the run from an unhinged, drug-dealing boyfriend with a wad of his ill-gotten gains. Throughout the film, the chemist experiments with paint mixes, searching for the 'Siam Sunset' which reminds him of his dead wife's hair colour. Polson's approach has a similarly experimental feel, as he flings together diverse genres. More consistent in their tonal range are the ravishing desert compositions and the ambitious orchestral score from respected Oz composer Paul Grabowski.Author: NF
Cast & crew
Director: John Polson
Producer: Al Clark
Cast: Linus Roache, Danielle Cormack, Ian Bliss, Roy Billing, Alan Brough, Rebecca Hobbs, Terry Kenwrick full cast
Duration: 92 mins
Most popular on this site
Features
To the letter
Forty years later, Costa-Gavras's Z still brims with fury.
Mind over matter
David Cronenberg reflects on a most bizarre body: his own corpus of work.
Fool's gold
Can an Oscar win lead to a cursed career? Here are five stories of postaward professional meltdowns.
We are the championed
Terrorists and teens abound in this year's "Film Comment Selects."
A history of violence
Matteo Garrone's kaleidoscopic Gomorrah wallops you with Italy's crime crisis.
True romantic
James Gray exchanges urban amorality for amour in Two Lovers.
Playing in the dark
MoMA salutes pianist Stuart Oderman's 50 years as the one-man sound of silents.
Junk bonds
Cast and crew recall the making of the classic NYC drug drama The Panic in Needle Park.



What do you think?
Post your review now