Benefited

I'm a big fan of small indie Aussie films, this is a film about domestic violence in Western Sydney, a very real and important problem. The film uses the very real stereotypical characters that exist, junkies etc. - which is Not a problem, I like seeing these types of characters in films. Unfortunately, as heartbreaking as the topic is the film has many flaws.

The Actor / Director Claire Mcgann who is the main character is NOT the strongest of actors, nothing special happening there, there could have been so many layers to a battered woman, but the performance was so wooden and two-dimensional.

She uses her extremely good looks and body to drive the film. Her sexuality alone takes over the film and it's hard to follow anything else as its just raw sexuality that she's exploiting and it worked, it got me following her story.

The writing and directing was also very poor, no real story or character arcs. All the actors were of a poor quality. Locations were great, production design was really good and the cinematography was actually quite decent. I enjoyed the music score as well as some of the songs. The Color grading was also very good.

The sound effects were terrible, and the sound design was just amateur.

Its a great effort for the budget. So well done overall but this is an amateur production at best with many postive elements.

Generally well photographed and acted, 'Benefited' occasionally struggles with a fragmented narrative which harms continuity, whilst some scenes seem contrived and unrealistic, serving only to bring the central character into the situations in which the drama unfolds (potentially a budget limitation).

Nevertheless, there's a range of very strong themes expressed, and the film manages to evoke sympathy for characters who seem emotionally ill-equipped to deal with their turbulent circumstances, the consequences of their poor decision-making compounding an already bleak existence and now even more depressing outlook.

The actors handle confronting material with focus and professionalism (leading lady McCann in particular shoulders a heavy load both in-front and behind the camera), the escalation of violence extremely difficult to watch but perhaps important to tell.

An ambiguous ending, tenuous connection between the plot threads, and some occasional technical lapses (lighting, sound and framing) fortunately don't diminish the overall impact of a desperately sad tale in which there seems little optimism or hope, a vicious cycle of abuse and more deeply entrenched suffering transcending each generation. Worth a look, but be prepared.