Such a frustrating disappointment

Great Film overall

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Cut Snake is one of those rare films you find one night while searching through an endless list of films you have yet to see. You've looked over it numerously, thought about watching, even pressed played and quickly stopped... Why? I have no clue... Maybe because it's a little film with a cast and director i have no previous knowledge of... But Cut Snake is a good film... Just flawed with a sprinkle of Cliché undertones.Merv (Alex Russell, "Chronicle") has a good life going with his girlfriend Paula (Jessica De Gouw, "Underground") but with the unexpected arrival of James (Sullivan Stapleton, "Blindspot") a friend from his shadowy past, he is forced to revisit closed doors. From here we enter a character study of these two men and how they both interactive and somehow fit together. With Merv, we see quiet and fragile; but a temper hidden deep within. James, anger, sadness and neglect. Blake Ayshford and Tony Ayres ("The Slap") do a wonderful job of dissecting both men and yet showing how they fit together or most importantly what brought them together. But because we've already seen a movie like this before... (Brookeback Mountain) the emotional gravitas of this film falls flat. It feels as we are getting the same movie only with a slightly different plot and characters. Swapping the late Ledger for Russell, and Gyllenhaal for Stapleton; who unlike Gyllenhaal is a closeted homosexual but unsure why he resents his feelings. We even having the awe-struck girlfriend who is saddened by what she sees. But the real star of this film is Stapleton, who honestly carries the burden of coming home to find your love one has moved on. He affectedly shows us anger and yet humorously makes jokes about the situation with each step. Cut Snake is an entertaining film if your in the mood for another Brookeback Mountain.

Cut Snake is an intense film with very tense moments; even when the core of the story is about a homosexual relationship, it only shows what's absolutely necessary to convey the intensity of the emotions boiling in its characters, without resorting to excessive nudity, or scenes that are 'too sexual' or distasteful, the characters are very believable and well developed, the pacing is just right, and the acting is excellent, especially the part played by Sullivan Stapleton, he did an amazing job at bringing his character (Pommie) to life. This is an excellent film but definitely not for everybody, if you're planning on watching this film, do so with an open mind.

I am an Aussie and I like to support our Australian film industry and so I wanted to like this movie, but unfortunately it turned out to be disappointing.I agree with the points made by the two earlier reviews of "gazferg" and "mattory" In my view, some elements were fine, but other parts were so poor that they dragged the movie down to finish up with something that, in the end, was very poor.Sullivan Stapleton as "Pommie" is excellent; his menacing presence was quite gripping however the other two leads, Alex Russell and Jessica De Gouw did not quite deliver the performances required to make the movie work. Unfortunately, a few of the other bit part players were so poor they were farcical.The technical side of the filmmaking is quite solid.In the end the weaknesses of the script and direction, particularly as the film spirals to its ending, ruins the film, leaving this viewer extremely disappointed.

In many ways 'Cut Snake' is a wasted opportunity: it could have been a worthy social drama about how young men sent to prison cope with their prison history when they're out. Critical acclaim and award ceremonies would have followed. Instead, it's packed with macho violence, swearing and drag queens. So fewer filmsnob points, but probably more box office success.It's Australia (in the 1970s, judging from the outfits). Ex-con 'Sparra' (the personable Alex Russell) is going straight and working in a broom factory when an old mucker from prison, 'Pommie' (Sullivan Stapleton) turns up. Pommie quickly inveigles his way into the home of Sparra and fiancée Paula, despite the former's reluctance - it is clear there is some prison-based connection between the pair, a connection Pommie is determined will continue. Meanwhile, his violent tendencies come to the fore.Although it is fairly obvious early on what the connection is between Pommie and Sparra, this isn't explicitly stated until late in the film - meaning the viewer cannot be sure s/he fully understands Pommie and Sparra's motivations. But other aspects of the story rattle along at a fair old pace. As for the acting, Russell does well enough in portraying Sparra's confusion, but Stapleton seems so intent on channeling every one-note psycho who has ever featured on screen that by the time his big emotional scene rolls around it is hard to take him seriously. Still, caught as it is between the two genres of social drama and action thriller, 'Cut Snake' is an entertaining film and I would be happy to watch it again.