Cactus (2008 film)

Cactus
Cactus
	Film poster
Directed by	Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan
Written by	Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan
Produced by	Paul Sullivan
Starring	Travis McMahon; David Lyons; Bryan Brown; Shane Jacobson
Cinematography	Florian Emmerich
Edited by	Mark Perry
Music by	Nerida Tyson-Chew
Production; company	Open Space Films
Distributed by	Hoyts Distribution
Release date	1 May 2008;
Running time	85 minutes
Country	Australia
Budget	A$1,200,000

Cactus is a 2008 Australian mystery-thriller film, it is the directing debut for Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan.^[1]

Synopsis

Cactus is a road movie centred on a kidnapping.

Plot

The movie begins with John Kelly pulling Eli Jones (David Lyons) from his city residence, drugging him and driving across regional Australia for three days. On the journey, John and Eli begin to interact and talk, as well as having a run-in with a rogue cop and encountering "Thommo", a trucker.

Cast

Travis McMahon as John Kelly
David Lyons as Eli Jones
Bryan Brown as Rosco (the 'outback Cop')
Shane Jacobson as Thommo
Zoe Tuckwell-Smith as Sammy
Daniel Krige as Mal
Celia Ireland as Vesna
Seymon Eckert as Katie
John Martin as Petrol Attendant
Steve Rodgers as Spuddo (voice)
Wayne Walker as Ute Driver
Cheyenne as Charlie Sparkles
Craig Bartlett as Radio Operator
Robert Whiteside as Bar Patron
Russell Hunt as Bar Patron
Robert Shearim as Bar Patron
Elspeth Baird as Gardening woman

Production

The directing debut of Jasmine Yuen Carrucan was shot in New South Wales in the cities of Bathurst, Broken Hill, Cobar, Sydney and Wilcannia.^[2] Bryan Brown worked on it as executive producer.^[3]

Style

The film uses many of the classic road movie motifs such as break downs, fuel stops and long stretches of empty road,^[4] with a cinematography that is conventionally modern.

Release

The film premiered on 1 May 2008 in Australia.^[5] It was part of the Brooklyn International Film Festival in June 2008 and the Munich Film Festival on 28 June 2008.^[6]

Cultural references

Ford vs Holden rivalry^[7]

References

^ "Meet the Contenders – the feature films in the running for the L'Oréal Paris 2008 'Best Film' AFI Award". Australian Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 September 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
^ "London Australia Film Festival: CACTUS". Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
^ Andrew L Urban, "BROWN, BRYAN & MCMAHON, TRAVIS", Urban Cinefile. Retrieved 11 November 2012
^ Knight, Anneli (1 May 2009). "Australia's best road movies". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
^ "Cactus | New Town Films". Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
^ * OFFOFFOFF film festival BROOKLYN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
^ Gibbs, Liam. "Cactus (2008)". Two Flat Whites. Retrieved 13 April 2010.

External links

Cactus at IMDb

[1] "Meet the Contenders – the feature films in the running for the L'Oréal Paris 2008 'Best Film' AFI Award". Australian Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 September 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2010.

[2] "London Australia Film Festival: CACTUS". Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.

[3] Andrew L Urban, "BROWN, BRYAN & MCMAHON, TRAVIS", Urban Cinefile. Retrieved 11 November 2012

[4] Knight, Anneli (1 May 2009). "Australia's best road movies". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2010.

[5] "Cactus | New Town Films". Archived from the original on 22 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.

[6] * OFFOFFOFF film festival BROOKLYN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

[7] Gibbs, Liam. "Cactus (2008)". Two Flat Whites. Retrieved 13 April 2010.

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