GOLDSTONE : Tuesday 12th July 2016.

'GOLDSTONE' which I saw this week opened the Sydney Film Festival on 8th June and had its World Premier then, before going on general release in Australia last week. Directed and Written by Ivan Sen who also acted as Cinematographer, Editor and wrote the music score, this is the standalone sequel to his highly acclaimed and multi-award winning and nominated 2013 film 'Mystery Road' which also opened that years Sydney Film Festival. Here, Sen has written a taught, atmospheric and relevant story with the backdrop of a barren sun scorched dusty outback land that stretches for mile upon mile of vast nothingness that is further heightened by widescreen shots taken from afar, or from a birds eye view looking down.

This film sees Aaron Pedersen reprising his role as Indigenous Detective Jay Swan from 'Mystery Road', who drives half-drunk and semi-conscious into the Australian outback mining town of Goldstone (shot in the very remote, sparsely populated western Queensland) where he is promptly picked up by the only cop in this one horse town, Josh Waters (Alex Russell). Asking for a breath test Swan blows positive and is promptly handcuffed, thrown in the back of the Police car and given a 'room' and 'bed' for the night at the local Police Station to sober up and cool down. Whilst sleeping, Josh rifles through Swan's kit bag and comes across a Police issue Glock pistol and Swan's Police ID. The next day, Swan's 4WD is delivered by tow truck to the Police Station, and off he goes to find accommodation in a local caravan park (aka 'The Diggers Rest Motel'). Later, while sleeping, he is rudely awaken by two biker types outside his caravan peppering the side of his temporary home with bullets. Swan escapes unhurt, but it is not long before Josh is on the case asking questions and doing some digging of his own. Swan reveals what he is doing in Goldstone - sent on the search for a young missing Asian girl under authority from the Federal Police. Josh quickly dismisses the notion that anyone is missing, and that he should return post haste from whence he came.

With his accommodation shot up Josh moves Swan out to a remote cabin on the outskirts of town. Swan meanwhile goes about his investigations visiting the local Aboriginal community and meeting up with the local elder Jimmy (David Gulpilil) before coming across the fenced off boundary of the Furnace Creek Gold Mine with dire warnings to keep out. Siddling up to a rocky outcrop within the boundary area at dusk he spies an incoming light plane and witnesses Asian women getting on and off the aircraft. Returning to his parked car he is set upon by armed Security Guards, who promptly cart him off for an audience with local mine manager Johnny (David Wenham) who questions him and cautions him that it would be in his own best interests if he gets out of town, asks no more questions and doesn't look back.

By now the local Mayor, Maureen (Jacki Weaver) is asking questions and seeking a private meeting with Swan. Maureen has been married five times before we learn and came to Goldstone to escape the world and live her life as she wanted. She now oversees the community as a smiling assassin - turning a blind eye to the goings on below the surface while feathering her own nest off the back of the prospects the gold mine presents her on a personal level. She bakes Swan a welcoming apple pie, but tells him in no uncertain terms to stop his meddling in business that doesn't concern him.

None of this puts Swan off the scent and his quest for the missing girl. Seeing a link between the Asian girls flown in and his missing person investigation, as well as his meeting with Johnny and more recently with Maureen, he questions Josh as to whether he is on the take? Josh flatly denies this, but really who would know, but the question does make Josh look inwardly, and so he visits 'The Ranch' - the local bar & knocking shop where Asian girls are sold. He questions the four girls who were recently flown in. They remain silent, but Josh suspects there is more to this, and returns on  number of occasions under the guise as a 'customer' to question one girl, May (Michelle Lim Davidson) in particular who takes Josh into her confidence over successive visits.

In the meantime Jimmy is the lynchpin in the signing over of more Aboriginal land rights to Furnace Creek Mining Group to exploit the resources within the Goldstone catchment. The FCMG management are in attendance and talking up the benefits to the local gathered community by way of education, training, jobs, security and wealth but Jimmy can see right through this and leaves ashamed, just as the final papers are to be executed. Johnny and Maureen catch wind of this and meet in secret to discuss what can be done - Maureen threatens to dispense with Jimmy so that the next in line gains authority to sign the deed, but Johnny wants none of this. Maureen tasks local Land & Environment Officer Tommy (Tom E. Lewis) to attend to this.

When a local hermit contacts Swan unexpectedly by mobile phone and arranges a discreet meeting way out of town, a passport is handed over belonging to the missing girl that Swan is searching for. Protecting his anonymity initially, Swan tracks the loner down who leads him to where he found the passport. This sets off the final chain of events that culminates in a shoot out at the Furnace Creek mining village with Swan and Jay joining forces, donning bullet proof vests, and righting the wrongs perpetrated by Johnny and Maureen ultimately, with a few henchmen casualties along the way. Not everyone however, gets their comeuppance as Johnny flies off into the sunset having made a quick getaway with a stash of cash; Maureen has shredded all documentary evidence of her untoward nefarious activities and skipped town; but the ring of prostitution is broken; the missing girl is found although it didn't end well for her; and at the local Aboriginal community justice is served.

This modern day outback Aussie Western is well crafted and packs a punch. Addressing issues such as Aboriginal environmental land rights, corporate greed, corruption, politics, human trafficking, the sex trade and indigenous culture, underpinned with strong performances from the principle cast and the back drop of the vast emptiness of the barren, hostile yet beautiful Queensland outback this is worthy of your attention and commands the price of your ticket. Ivan Sen is proving on the quiet that he is a multi-tasking force to be reckoned with, and a talent to look out for.




-Steve, at Odeon Online-