Rented this on DVD in Canada, was enticed by the numerous festival designations on the box. What I found was a surprisingly engaging independent film. As has been mentioned, the plot involves three young naval officers on a last night of leave at home before returning to duty in the Persian Gulf. There is the expected camaraderie, misadventure and a certain amount of conflict, but also a surprisingly rich palette of emotions and open-ended subplots. Slowly the details of an earlier incident at sea are revealed as we come to learn more about each of the sailors. The dialogue is complex, smart and realistic, and drives the film. You may want to turn on the captions, as the Aussie accents are thick and the lines sometimes tossed on top of each other in the style of Cassavetes and Altman. Defects include a certain lack of focus and an uncertainty as to how to end the story, characteristics shared with many independent films. However, there is an underlying intelligence and understanding of human character that raises it well above average and makes it worth seeking out. Writer/director Matthew Newton, who also plays one of the sailors, has made a worthy second effort.
Review of Three Blind Mice
