Besser wird's nicht

I run a small cheese and yogurt making facility serving the dairy sheep farming community of upstate NY. We pasture our dairy shepherds' dry flocks on our farm. Communities like this are quite interconnected as depicted in the movie Rams.

The diseases bugs and parasites are no joke. In dry dry WA they didn't mention what happens when their feet are perpetually wet outdoors. And even in a good year, there's quite a lot of heartbreak because not all the lambs make it.

You can start to feel beset from all sides: the elements, contagious disease, other people, the government, and you yourself chief among them. You have your whole life invested in a way of life. All of these elements were pretty realistically portrayed in this movie.

Given the topic, I did not expect it to be a laugh riot, but the setting, the writing and the acting brought a gentle and refreshing perspective on what can seem like a slog when you are in the thick of it yourself.

Always a risk, reformulating an already impressive film, in this case from Icelandic into an English. Just about gets away with it, with Sam Neil herding it skilfully into the pen - the message and the meaning as sentimental as any but always worth the effort reflecting upon, to keep those green shoots fresh and the future firmly built on the lessons of the past.

I've seen both versions and in my opinion this Australian remake of the Icelandic original is superior. Though 20 minutes longer, it successfully wall - papers over the main points of criticism of the original. There's more humour, an explanation offered for the brothers' enmity (a valid criticism of the original) and a far more satisfactory ending, with much less ambiguity.

The Great Southern Region of Western Australia proves an excellent substitute for the admittedly stunning Icelandic rural locations and Sam Neill contributes a superlative, warmly amusing turn, as the pastoralist brother who just can't quite let go. It really is the stand-out performance of both films. Ewe shouldn't miss it.

Inspired by the sensational Icelandic picture of the same tale (where funnily enough, the sheep were credited as actors), Rams is a 2020 Australian screenplay of writer Jules Duncan, a former TV reporter with Channel 9 and GWN.

Starring Sam Neill, the film depicts the story of the striking illness that spreads through the local sheep flocks in Western Australia, causing chaos among the local farmers. Brothers Les and Colin are made to set aside their differences and help fight back against the governmental authorities, in order to protect their animals.

Most movie's featuring animals as their core narrative possess a heart-warming and comforting tone to accompany the delicate and at-times saddening rhythm that is seen on-screen. There is also a more communal film with productions outside the usual American / English billboards, giving the spectacle a more communal display and allowing you as the audience to immerse yourself in empathy of the characters, offering you to feel a part of the story, and connect with the personalities within.

Amassing over $4.3 million in a Box Office struck by COVID-19 preventing a strong cinematic turnover, Rams is a film with compassion, illustrating a devastating crisis in a wonderful, sincere way, its honest form bodes well with perfect dry humour to compliment its tinged sorrow.

I would usually make an overall summarisation in a few lines of what a surprising movie this was, but no one puts it better than Leigh Paatsch of the Herald Sun who said, "At times, it is as charming a (blackish) comedy as they come. At others, it is a strikingly well-observed drama."

Rams

A homespun tale of farming folk, this movies was really great from start to finish, Sam Neil was excellent, he dominated the screen with a physical presence as there was hardly any script to mention.

The whole cast was brilliant and there was a good deal of comedy throughout, but overall the whole thing was an emotional rollercoaster.

I'm not going to mention this was a remake of an Icelandic film but I'm sure others will see some significance in this but this would be merely an indulgence.

I giving this a solid 7 outta 10 for gentle Sunday night viewing.