Last Dance

A greying Holocaust survivor, Ulah (Julia Blake), is kidnapped by a fiery Islamist (Firass Dirani) in the wake of a terrorist act against a Melbourne synagogue, and held captive in her apartment. Palestinian and Jew, trapped together in the one location, deadlocked in a tango of mutual loathing – apt indeed. Veteran film editor and TV director David Pulbrook nursed this nifty idea for years before getting it on screen and the possibilities are tantalising. Will Ulah’s nosy neighbour (Alan Hopgood) guess what’s going on? Will the jihadist and his hostage find common ground after all? – but this two-hander is claustrophobic and dramatically inert. Performances are splendid, especially from the octogenarian Blake, and a couple of twists are in the offing, but the dance is solemn and weary when it should be quixotic and light on its feet.