Burning Man (2011)

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Unconventional and confronting, Jonathan Teplitzky's 2011 Australian film Burning Man is one of those rare movies that possess a disquieting power over the viewer that brings them in and just as easily crushes them as it does charm them. That this power has been so rarely experienced by viewers with this film by fact they've either bypassed or simply not known about this stunning drama is a mighty shame, as fans of uncompromising film-making are missing out on one extraordinary ride.Jonathan Teplitzky announced himself as a filmmaker to watch with his 2003 Aus crime caper Getting' Square and while it took him the many years in between to deliver Burning Man, it was both worth the wait and an incredibly leap in ambition in a pure delivery sense with Burning Man far removed from Getting' Square's rough charms in almost every sense of filmmaking craft.Told in a non-linear fashion, Teplitzky's tale unfolds in an at first off-putting fashion that unravels slowly but surely to create something more powerful than a more conventional example could've ever achieved. It's done by an assured hand, the film looks gorgeous (highlighted by a stunningly realized car crash) thanks to DOP Garry Phillips, is scored movingly by Lisa Gerrard who rose to fame from her work on Gladiator and features a cast of performers who deliver all at once, career best turns. It's an Australian production that puts many of its counterparts to shame and was duly recognized by both critics and local awards ceremonies but never truly resonated with local audiences which is a real shame and most likely did so due to its touchy subject matters.To say Burning Man is an easy watch would be wrong, it's a no holds barred look at grief, illness and love, staples of cinema that are common but never delved into the way in which they are here. It's a tricky subject to get right but Teplitzky and his actors handle it with aplomb thanks to considered humour and a beating heart.The heart and soul of Burning Man is exemplified by Brit Matthew Goode in the lead role of Tom. So good as a support in both Watchman and A Single Man, Goode shines here as the grieving chef Tom. His world class turn in paramount to Burning Man's successes and finds able support in the never better Bojana Novakovic and Essie Davis. Both the rawness and frankness of these performances are elements you rarely find in motion pictures today, both Australian and afar off.Unforgettable despite some minor flaws, Burning Man is quite frankly one of Australia's finest ever dramatic motion pictures that manages to be both heartfelt and affecting and never once played to cheap emotional touches, and the less known about the stories nuances the better. A grand achievement for all involved and a film worthy of your time, Burning Man is the underrated classic sought by all those who appreciate cinema at its most poignant and original.4 ½ lucky lobsters out of 5

"Burning Man" is one movie which can be tagged under Art-house. Stories about grieving men ain't that novel nowadays, yet Burning Man slaps at the very thought of giving us yet another clichéd piece, this one with all its brilliance is indeed refreshing a watch for the story it deals with.The drama which unfolds in reverse chronological order - just like in "memento" - goes deep into the lives of the characters, all shown so roughly with incoherent fragments from the story that we feel like watching digged out incidents from the protagonist's memory. It did irk me at first, and i really had to be patient to get the hang of it. Its awfully slow at times that you would start hating it or, the worse, might stop watching it just like my cousin :D - I hate to stall in between. After I finished watching the movie, was amazed by the simplicity of the plot, which was fed to the viewer in a rather unconventional but powerful manner.The pain the characters go through was brilliantly acted and shot. With some absorbing performances - my first Mathew Goode movie and am already a fan - amazing locale and soulful background score, this drama easily gets into my top Art-House Movies list - stressing on the term "Art house", for it might not be enjoyable outing for all. A good watch for serious movie buffs. 7/10

Could not stop watching this drama. Recommend as a must see to all!! Matthew Goode and Bojana Novakovic at their best. Incidental view of this non-linear narrative while flying back to Australia on Qantas. Fairly close to home for me personally, but showing the common emotion of grief up close and very intimately personal. I give this a higher score than Descendants, addressing similar issues. Hope this is available in other countries, and should be high on the recommended viewing list for friends (perhaps not families) of people dealing with terminal disease. It's not the typical suffering of a cancer victim that is portrayed here, it's the distress of the carer, a very busy chef, and his son. And of course Bojana is a jewel in the crown!

Red Dog had a good run at Cinemas all around Australia. Fine family movie. Eye of the storm , at selected Cinemas. Aimed at older folk. Burning Man, had to go to Sydney to see this one. Going on the age of the main characters, I am presuming that it aimed at the 30 plus age group. So I am in this group. But I must admit that it was Bojana Novakovic that attracted me to the film. And my wife likes Matthew Goode, so we were both looking forward to it. But right from the opening scenes, it was like watching another ABC mini-series. Male masturbation scenes seem to be flavour of the month, replacing the obligatory Urinal scene.I guess it is a buzz for the ladies, but Red Dog managed to get by without one. The whole storyline is just so negative. There was nothing pleasant about this movie. We left the theater lamenting on what could have been. Especially with such an excellent Australian lineup (and Kerry). And I was not looking forward to the 150 klm trip home.