Dope

Writer/Director J Harkness' labour-of-love since he began the script in 1994 (!), this almost 'DYI', Adelaide-shot drama was made for little cash yet never once looks cheap (kudos to since-late chief DOP Ron Hagen - the movie's dedicated to him). an ambitious plot line (that, at first, ingeniously seems to be about drug addiction - the original title was of course Dope - and then becomes a study of racism) revolves around a major and televised court case involving the police-bashing (and shooting) of an up-and-coming soccer player Trevor Lyons (Bruce Carter), and how it impacts on Laura (top-billed Anastasia Seis in a star making performance). she fears that old boyfriend (and now 'snitch') Jack (Travis McMahon) is involved, and as the Rodney King-like case continues she also commences a relationship with Russell (Nathan Dean Ramsay) - along the way finding love, discovering the meaning of her recurring dreams and setting into motion a surprise, scary and very satisfying last quarter. Proving the old adage about how it's better to see a good idea attempted than a dull one perfected, Harkness' vision here sometimes doesn't quite have the financial backing to bring it properly into focus - and yet Shot of Love still offers brave performances (by not-quite-unknowns all set to go places), fearless themes, considerable wit and some memorable eroticism. One of the best films made in SA in the last 10 years - with a bullet! Maddog

"Dope" was the original title of the highly acclaimed Australian feature "Shot of Love" released illegally under this name and prematurely as it had not yet received it's final cut. The themes of this brave piece are highly controversial and, more importantly, highly relevant, which will undoubtedly be more than some conservative Australian viewers are able to digest. It's accurate portrayal of the homeless and the drug-dependent are eye-opening, exceptionally well performed and break all the tedious stereotypes that so often appear in both film and television. The narrative, is undoubtedly intriguing and complex, but is also highly intelligent and allows for insight into the complicated minds and lives of the intertwined characters. As for the racial conflict that takes place, few Australian films have approached the topic on such a domestic level, with such insight. Paralleling the love story between the multicultural lead characters Laura and Russell, we see the trial of an Indigenous Australian man unfairly accused of abusing a Caucasian female in the form of "Law TV", a reality television show. Whilst there are indeed moments when Laura is quite open about her racial ignorance, it should not be perceived as literal, but rather as satirical which was obviously the writer's intent. These moments of honesty and clarity are a part of Laura's awakening, as is also evident in the beautifully shot intimate scenes. "Shot of Love" is sexy and intelligent. The films intention is clear; we all have our vices, our drug of choice, and we all abuse. "Shot of Love" contains some outstanding performances, vital messages and Writer/Director J.Harkness and his team should be applauded for achieving the almost impossible, succeeding in getting quality Australian film off the ground! A must see!

Shot of Love is brave, bold, imaginative and extremely heartfelt. (The title 'Dope' only applies to an inferior bootlegged version of the film, not approved by the director.)

Sadly, the film was obviously misunderstood during its theatrical release in Australia, where it seems the infamous cultural cringe the cinema tried desperately to outgrow in the Seventies is alive and well. There is so much pressure on Aussie films to be more like mainstream Hollywood films, to the point where they risk being disingenuous. Thankfully, Shot of Love should be treasured for deliberately refusing to conform to a conventional narrative structure and for daring to present an urban picture of South Australia, along with an important message and original world-view.

Shot of Love has been called surrealist because the film favours emotional logic over plot logic; this classification doesn't really apply, as the film isn't particularly dream-like. The symbolism of the film is closer to a biblical parable. Shot of Love is actually best understood as an uncompromising, uncensored outpouring of universally human emotions. Yes, racism is presented nakedly and fearlessly, as is drug addiction in various forms; however, the predominant emotions expressed, ever so eloquently and poetically, are kindness, tenderness, tolerance and, above all, love. This is what makes Shot of Love nothing short of revolutionary.

The performances, from a cast of mostly unknowns, are all outstanding. Photographed by the late Ron Hagen, best known for his exquisite work on Romper Stomper, Shot of Love is breathtaking to look at, especially in its detailed portrayal of Adelaide's city streets. The soundtrack is equally sophisticated and impressive, featuring some of Australia's finest songwriters, including Neil Finn and Stephen Cummings, who has a cameo role in the film. With song lyrics that effortlessly articulate the rich emotional lives of the main characters, it is a brilliantly subjective soundtrack that quite ingeniously marries with the Director's subjective camera style. The end result is that there is literally love in every frame of this film.

Despite some dark themes, the film's undeniable humanity is further revealed through unexpected humour. First time Writer/Driector, J.Harkness, has a real ear for dialogue, as well as a penchant for celebrating those smaller oddball moments and events that happen to everyone, yet rarely appear in movies. While Shot of Love has no pretence about ever aspiring to be social realism, it never fails to deliver human truths.

To its credit, Shot of Love doesn't try to wrap up all its intricate threads of raw drama and emotion into neat little bows. An open-text ending gives the film its gilt-edge. Once again, where there is consciously no narrative closure, there is emotional closure, to a devastating effect. Shot of Love is really a film about loss, for a generation of people who may have forgotten how to be kind to each other, and for a generation of people who may have forgotten how to love. Some of the misanthropic criticism the film has received probably only serves to prove how urgent and insightful the film's message really is.

Ground breaking, wildly entertaining, thoughtful and incredibly moving, Shot of Love deserves to be seen by a wide audience and belongs in the pantheon of great Australian films that stand for something more meaningful than simply trying to con or manipulate a few bucks out of cinema-goers. For its sincerity and its heart alone, Shot of Love stands as one of the great Australian films ever made.

There is nothing redeeming about this woeful film. It is contrived, racist, completely lacking subtlety, and the voice-over and acting by the female lead is cringe-worthy. The narrative makes no sense, a tangled web of attempted plot points and terrible character development. The worst possible flaw though is the attempt to portray a Aboriginal Vs White conflict. The film's lead female has such wildly racist, biased views and shares them so freely. It is offensive that these far out views are made to seem normal in society. It is such a partisan viewpoint shown in the film, so far flung from reality. The word 'Dope' is used in this film to represent drugs, but it is used so badly and sounds so contrived. Certainly not from 'the streets' where the film tries to set itself.

It is basically unwatchable...

All in all, an appalling effort at film-making. I hope some lessons were learned from this about how not to produce a film. I also hope it has not scared off investors from having faith in local filmmakers.