We don’t know what rock we’ve been sleeping under, but thankfully, we found out about the Aussie film Animal Kingdom, before it passed us by. Early reviews have been fantastic and especially glowing for Australian acting legend Jacki Weaver.
Here’s the scoop: The Cody family led by matriarch, Smurf (Jacki Werner), bring her innocent grandson, J into the family business—–armed robbery. But tensions are on the brink of exploding between the family, felons and renegade cops.
Ben Mendelsohn plays Pope, the oldest brother of the Cody clan, who tries unsuccessfully to come to terms with the fact that his partner and best friend, Barry ‘Baz’ Brown (Joel Edgerton), wants out of the game. Craig (Sullivan Stapleton), the middle brother with a hair trigger, deals and does cocaine while the youngest brother Darren (Luke Ford) fights with his conscience as he participates in the family business. All of them are adored, sustained and supported by Smurf, who seems to be pulling the strings.
Guy Pearce plays senior police officer Nathan Leckie, who, recognizing that J’s youth and inexperience might well prove to be the key to finally conquering the Codys, tries to lure him into the fold after the death of a close associate. In order to survive, J must determine how the game is played and choose his place in this cunning and brutal animal kingdom.
Check out the official website here and follow the film on Facebook here. Mark your calendar for the release date August 13th and enjoy the trailer below.
Tags: Academy Award, Australian film, cinema, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver, mobster
