MUSIC ART FASHION CULTURE
RATING SYSTEM:
I personally rate films on a three-star scale.
You get 1 star for making a film (dependent on context and content).
And 3 stars for being everything it needs to be.
You can only lose half a star or a whole one based on my personal feelings on creative choices or issues.
I am a generous reviewer and I believe any film has at least one thing you can take from it.
I went into MIFF wanting to be reassured that Australian cinema is, in fact, still worth seeing, with no prejudice intended against other world cinema, except maybe big Hollywood. I also wanted the film to be a genre or idea I was not experienced with. Looking through the vast and impressive itinerary, Body Blow stuck out like a sore thumb and I just had to give it a go.
I watched the trailer an hour before the session and, I will admit, I was nervous to see it in case I did not like it or struggled to write about it. But like The Fool, I went in open-minded and ready for whatever the big screen was going to show me, and I left with no regrets.
In this neon-soaked, dark-comedy erotic thriller, semi-closeted cop Aiden (Tim Pocock) is put on an undercover queer police operation in Sydney, headed by the tough and experienced lesbian Constable Steele (Sacha Horler). When Aiden perpetrates a sexual crime against a gay bartender and sex worker, Cody (Tom Rogers), and the incident is captured by security cameras, Aiden finds himself caught and blackmailed by Cody's drag queen mob boss, or “daddy”, Fat Frankie (Paul Capsis). A thrilling entanglement of corruption and power unravels as Aiden comes to terms with his own sexuality, hyper-masculinity, a wanking addiction and the violence that soaks the world around him.
Dean Francis, known for Drown (2015) and Road Train (2010), is an Australian writer and director who introduced the film and answered questions after the screening. His auteur approach to queer cinema holds both personal and historic importance in Australia's film landscape.
Francis shared an inspiration for Body Blow from when he was a teenager in Melbourne. The infamous police raid of the Tasty Nightclub occurred in 1994, where 463 law-abiding patrons of the LGBTQIA+ focused venue were inhumanely strip-searched, detained and cavity-searched by Victorian Police. This violent abuse of power ultimately led to nearly $6 million in payouts to the victims of the raid and became a defining moment in Australia's queer history, with further reform and an eventual Victorian Police apology in 2014.
For Dean, the police raid became a new big fear, and he spoke about the hyper-masculinity of corrupt police in his area showing off their guns, as well as the eroticism that was captured through cinema in his teenage years.
These historic and personal moments provide the backbone to the electric, alive and confronting Body Blow, which dives deep into complex abuses of power and desire.
Confronting, colourful and filled with incredible tonal shifts, the film's cinematography, lighting and sound design are well executed. Neon lights, rainbow lens flares and the vibrant contrast between monochromatic suburbia and saturated nightclubs provide a spectacle that only adds to the vibrancy and ever-changing humour and qualms of each character.
The dark comedy rides a near-perfect line of fun and fear, and the audience was often cheering, laughing or gasping at the eccentricity riddled throughout the entire film. The switch between tones of horrendous horror and hilarious humour helps Body Blow show off its themes of power and corruption, whilst providing acknowledgment to historic moments in Australian queer history and cinematic history too.
Whilst this film may be too much for some or not enough for others, it does not shy away from being an extravagant and eccentric viewing, with every creative choice ultimately benefiting the strong performances.
Tim Pocock (Dance Academy, 2010 to 2013) encapsulates a personal and flawed protagonist who, as an anti-hero, successfully provides a wide range of performance and an innate ability to switch between the demanding emotional intensity of the film and the ridiculous spectacle of other scenes or inserted moments.
Supported by Tom Rogers' equally fun and sad Cody, you can feel the charm, innocence and erotic desires bleed from the screen, and the performance encapsulates the genre extremely well. Sacha Horler (The Dressmaker, 2015) does an incredible job in her role as the Constable, and the power and corruption in her character excels and elevates every other bit of acting within the film.
Paul Capsis (Head On, 1998, a personal favourite of mine in Australian queer cinema) as Fat Frankie, the mob-boss drag queen, provides a role that is vibrant and funny whilst also being ruthlessly intimidating and sarcastic. These characters all collide to help create a world that feels so crazy and theatrical without being anything more than it needs to be. You can tell Francis worked in close proximity with each performance to really dig deep into strong characterisation.
Francis also introduced Pocock's performance as his “gaybut” (debut), with Pocock only coming out a few months prior to the film's release.
Both Francis and Pocock composed their own music for the film, and the fuzzy bounce of synths only further swallows the audience into the glitz, glamour and gore of the story. The editing is sharp and quick, providing an emphasis on performance, and the writing is witty with a plethora of innuendo. Practical effects highlight the strong 80s and 90s influence on Francis' work and often lead to further reaction from the audience.
It is also worth noting that the film lost its original distributor and, rather than minimising creative freedom and expression, the team found another solution and continued with their original intentions and independence.
The charm and influence of Body Blow comes from Francis' own appreciation for “Ozploitation films”, erotica and film noir. In a quick summary of Australian film history, “Ozploitation films” refer to an era of Australian filmmaking between the 1970s and 80s where the “R” rating was introduced and a vast majority of low-budget films focused on crude horror, shock, awe and spectacle rather than the more “polished” period pieces that mainstream Australia endorsed.
Films such as Wake in Fright (1971) and Mad Max (1979) are two extremely hyper-masculine examples of this era. These films are often deemed tacky and sometimes senseless, but by no means does that make them bad films, just something different for other audiences out there.
The sex appeal and tension of the film noir genre has often been an “unspoken” aspect of the genre, and the subversion is prominent in its earliest films many decades ago. But Body Blow is upfront and does not shy away from this approach.
After the screening, Francis spoke about how he wanted to see a film that was funny, dark, hot, with cops, and how funny or strange their dynamics can be. I think Body Blow does this exceptionally well.
This film is everything it needs to be and whether it's Body Blow or some other cinematic experience, I hope you all find a way to MIFF or the cinema over the coming days, weeks, months and years. Australian cinema is alive and well, and I encourage you to see this film with open eyes, ears and mind and be prepared to be shocked, excited, stressed and maybe even turned on.