Wish You Were Here

One of my favorite films of last year finally land on American screens, woot woot.  This is the movie that I went completely gaga over at Sundance 2012. So when I was presented with the chance to review this DVD I obviously jumped at the opportunity.  How could I not want to see this movie again the pedigree is so good! Joel Edgarton (does he even make bad movies?) Theresa Palmer (woah shes absolutely beautiful) and much of the crew for Animal Kingdom (one of the best films of 2010 if not the best) makes a highly memorable film here…Was the second viewing as good as the first?

But first a synopsis:

Four friends lose themselves in a carefree South-East Asian holiday. Only three come back. Dave and Alice return home to their young family desperate for answers about Jeremy’s mysterious disappearance. When Alice’s sister Steph returns not long after, a nasty secret is revealed about the night her boyfriend went missing. But it is only the first of many. Who among them knows what happened on that fateful night when they were dancing under a full moon in Cambodia?

Yep, just as good the second time.  

As of right now since this was released here in the US this year I’m going to have to put in my top 5 of the year so far.  Wish You Were Here starts as a minor thriller but descends into a nightmare, powerfully concerned by social decay and the pressures of modern life.

The film is concentrated and the pacing is leisurely. It feels much longer than its meager ninety minute running time. This is because the secrets of the narrative are exposed gradually through the present day scenes and flashbacks to the past. The payoff is a tremendously moving one. Adding further excitement and discussion to the story are the more ambiguous touches that are never explained, only hinted at, like the nature of the character’s business. The film is also strengthened by a singular powerful performance. Joel Edgerton is perhaps the best he’s ever been, visibly traumatized with guilt and touches of paranoia too as he desperately tries to hold his family together.

My only complaint is 

WHY THE HELL IS THIS NOT ON BLURAY?  Seriously, step up your game there is amazing cinematography and sound.  There special features still leave a bunch to be desired because we only get some interviews and a making of features, boring….

Strongly recommended for everyone who’s into thriller/drama with horror touches. It uses enough plot elements which aren’t the most original, but the way the script blends all these elements into a coherent and well-paced story. A sense of permanent dread menaces the situations on-screen, but this is far from being a grim film. It balances out really well, as there are enough family subplots that lighten it up when the film becomes too tense.

Ratings are based on a 5-star scale

Overall:  5 Cambodian odd jobs out of

Review by Bro “B” – Ben

We received a copy of this blu-ray for our review. All opinions are our own

Wish You Were Here is available on Amazon.com.