3. Romulus - Romulus, My Father (2007)
Dendy FilmsOne of the things that can fill a film buff with dread is when actors turn their hand to directing. As good as many actors are, they don't always have enough discipline and a good enough grasp of visual storytelling to do a project justice, resulting in talky, mopey pieces like We Don't Live Here Anymore. But as with everything in filmmaking, there are exceptions to this rule, and one such exception is the sadly all-too-little-seen Romulus, My Father. Directed by Richard Roxburgh (the Duke in Moulin Rouge!), Romulus, My Father is an all-Australian production based on the memoir of the same name by Raimond Gaita. It depicts the troubled early life of the author (Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Road), who emigrates to Australia from his native Romania after World War II with his father Romulus (Bana) and mother Christine (Franke Potente - Run, Lola, Run). The family soon begins to disintegrate as Christine moves in with another man and Romulus' mental health takes a turn for the worse - all of which leaves Raimond trying to hold things together. While it's not always the most cinematic offering, Roxburgh's directorial debut achieves a good balance of darkness and light, resulting in a poignant and ultimately uplifting piece. Bana has great chemistry with Smit-McPhee, carrying off the accent and managing to summon up huge quantities of frustration and heartache which eventually eat away at his calm exterior. If you enjoyed Colin Farrell's recent performance as the alcoholic father in Saving Mr. Banks, you'll find a lot to like in Bana's performance here, which is a more independently-spirited examination of a similar decline.