Angel of Mine

What a fantastic movie. You know the synopsis by now and you have heard complaints of slow paced first half. Ignore that because the pay off is worth it. I am not going to give you a clue just trust me. The one point I will make is that in the wrong hands and with the wrong cast this could have backfired but this is in perfect tune with incredible performances by all. I mean stunning, award winning level. Not just Noomi Rapace but Yvonne Strahovski too. I suspect they helped each other tremendously because their interactions are so believable to watch. If you are deciding to watch it just do it, it is a little gem.

Haunted by her tragic past and fighting a bitter custody battle with her ex husband Lizzie is losing her grip on reality. At her son's friend's birthday party Lizzie sees a girl named Lola and somehow recognises in her the baby she lost many years ago. Convinced against all logic that Lola is her own daughter miraculously brought back to life, Lizzi starts following the girl around. As her obsession intensifies, how far can she go before a new tragedy befalls all involved?

ANGEL OF MINE is one of those films that benefits from walking in blind and just taking it all in at face value. Based on the French drama film L'EMPRIENTE the English version is much further into thriller territory than the original, building up an almost unbearable tension.

These are tour de force performances for the stars Noomi Rapace (Lizzi) and Yvonne Strahovski (Claire, Lola's mother) as the first spirals out of control and the second is consumed by suspicion and fear. Their dynamic easily warrants a second viewing.

The plot may read as a standard thriller, but this is not the case at all. With its nuanced performances, pacing and intelligent script the film keeps its cards close to its chest. The ending will not disappoint.

Moving location from Paris to Melbourne, Australia is an interesting choice, as Melbourne can be as moody at times and as stunningly beautiful.

ANGEL OF MINE is great to see with a large, focused audience, where you get all the gasps and laughs which makes it a perfect movie experience.

While being a remake ANGEL OF MINE stands on its own as a much more tense version. It is a thought provoking and well acted piece of entertainment.

Noomi Rapace truly is the best female actress of our time, she just shines in every single thing she does ever since I saw her first jaw dropping performance in the awesome Girl With The Dragon Tattoo I have followed all of her films and she just makes even the weakest plot or story shine, stir the pot with the excellent Luke Evans and bring it to the boil and we have an excellent cinematic nourishment for the senses.

Although this story-line has been done before, the acting and direction just makes this film a cut above the rest and although you kinda know 10 minutes in what is going to happen it still does not prepare you for the gut wrenching denouement.

A wonderful, independent film produced in Australia that takes viewers on a powerful, emotional rollercoaster. Rapace's performance was marvellous - she delivered a moving portrayal of a grieving mother struck by anxiety and depression. I loved the fact that all of the supporting actors were equally astute and were able to deliver consistent performances to add suspense, intrigue and a welcomed sense of confusion throughout the film.

All in all, if you want to get away from the action-hero centred blockbusters currently blotting our screens and immerse yourself in a dramatic production, Angel of Mine is the film to watch.

With a movie like this, there is only one of two things that can be real. Saying you knew all along is therefor invalid. You're not a genius for figuring it out or worse pretending to knew all along. Whatever you guessed and there will be guessing, this is made with quite the attention to detail and the actors really give it their all - on the brink of madness.

It is tough to like anyone in particular, apart from the kids. Kids mostly are pure and can not be held to any morality standard. You can feel the pain of the adults, no matter what your perspective is ... how far would you go and who should stop you? And who would you be in that equation? A lot of interesting questions raised ... mostly for effect and suspense of course