Skip to main content

Liquid Bridge (2003)



Published 2016 on Down Under Flix

 Director: Phillip Avalon
Stars: Ryan Kwanten, Simone Kessell, Jeremy Sims
Most of what I know about surfing I learned from watching Point Break. And given that surfing is maybe only the eleventh most interesting thing about that delightful film, it’s safe to assume I know very little about surfing. But director Phillip Avalon is well versed in the art and sport of surfing. Liquid Bridge is the former professional surfer turned filmmaker’s feature directing debut, though he’d accumulated a solid number of credits as producer, writer and actor over the years. Fittingly, Avalon’s first major project working in all three of those capacities was another surf-centric flick, 1977’s Summer City, co-starring Mel Gibson and John Jarratt. 
In Liquid Bridge, protagonist Nick (Ryan Kwanten) works at his father’s garage and dreams of being a professional surfer like his dad (Tony Bonner), whose pro career was cut tragically short by an accident. He joins his recently widowed friend Dane (Jarrod Dean) on the pro circuit, but when Dane dies of an overdose and drugs are found among their possessions, Nick is wrongly accused of smuggling and put on trial.
In publicity for the film, Avalon emphasized the project’s roots in his own surfing experiences. In an extra on the film’s local DVD release, he explains that he wanted Liquid Bridge “to keep true to surf culture”. Elsewhere, in an interview with If Magazine, he elaborates that “it was something very close to my heart. I was a professional surfer. Surfing is part of my life. I understood the genre and the culture.” That authenticity shines through in the film’s surfing sequences. There’s some genuine electricity in these scenes: Avalon knows how to shoot waves as they roar, plummet, sweep, curl, rush and do their elemental thing. Nature is a spectacular special effect that rivals a million dollars of CGI, and Avalon knows how to capture it. Consequently, within the context of the story, it’s easy to see why Nick is seduced by and yearns for the surf. 
Having said that, there’s a soap operatic quality to certain stretches of the film. In particular, some of the dramatic scenes play out like soap opera in terms of staging and composition, performance, and dialogue (the presence of Kwanten, then relatively fresh off his tenure on Home and Away, accentuates this). The film’s budgetary constraints also rear their head in these scenes, where the film switches from stunning vistas to more D.I.Y.-looking sets. However, the film has a few brushes with the ridiculous that work in its favour. For example, there’s a framing device showcasing the invention of surfing, a training montage culminating in a makeshift surfing simulation in prison, and the disposal of the antagonists at film’s end is endearingly broad. These moments add flavour and character to what could otherwise be a fairly rote Karate-Kid-meets-courtroom-drama-on-a-surfboard (which, now that I’ve put it into words, doesn’t sound remotely rote at all…).
Now’s as good a time as any to make a public confession: for six years I was a Home and Away addict and took great comfort in its sun-kissed emotional manipulation five nights a week. A number of the actors from the period I watched went on to international success, including Chris Hemsworth, Jason Clark, and Kwanten. I never pegged Hemsworth or Clark for the big time – thus I’d make a poor talent scout – but I figured Kwanten would go onto bigger things, as he later did in the HBO series True Blood (whilst continuing to star in smaller, interesting stuff locally like Red Hill and Mystery Road). He’s operating at a lower star wattage here, but is still good as the wrongfully accused, morally conflicted surf disciple. Meanwhile, Simone Kessell plays his French photographer girlfriend, and while the character is seemingly scientifically engineered to appeal to heterosexual males, she invests the role with purpose and weight.
Liquid Bridge is soapy and clichéd at times, but its surf scenes are impressive and it brushes against the ridiculous in exactly the right way.
Ben Kooyman

Popular posts from this blog

John Hargreaves double feature: Hoodwink (1981) and Sky Pirates (1986)

Published 2017 on Down Under Flix Discounting the film  Blackfellas , in which he plays a minor role as a racist policeman, I’m surprised it’s taken this long to cover any John Hargreaves films on Down Under Flix. A six time AFI Award nominee (including for  Hoodwink ) and triple winner, Hargreaves is one of the best leading men to emerge from the Australian New Wave, and I have particular regard for his work in  Don’s Party,   Long Weekend , and  The Odd Angry Shot . Hargreaves was a natural performer: gifted and charismatic, but not unnecessarily flashy; handsome, but not movie star handsome, and slightly crumpled like a creased jacket. He was a quintessential Australian everyman ala Jack Thompson and Bryan Brown, though he’s less familiar to young filmgoers today, partly due to his untimely passing in 1996 at age 50. This article looks at one of Hargreaves’ best films… and one of his other films… 
Read more

Lonely Hearts (1982)

Published 2017 on Down Under Flix Director:  Paul Cox Stars:  Norman Kaye, Wendy Hughes, Jon Finlayson, Julia Blake, Jonathan Hardy This review serves as a somewhat belated tribute to the late John Clarke, who passed away back in April (make that  very  belated…). As one of Australia’s sharpest, savviest satirists, Clarke’s reach and legacy were impressive, as noted in many of the more punctual tributes following his death ( this one is particularly good ). While not his most famous commodities, Clarke was no slouch on the film front, contributing memorable supporting turns in films like  Death in Brunswick  and Crackerjack  and co-writing two features with another late luminary, director Paul Cox, 1982’s  Lonely Hearts  and 1996’s  Lust and Revenge . 
Read more

Manganinnie (1980) and Blackfellas (1993)

Published 2017 on Down Under Flix Manganinnie Director:  John Honey Stars:  Mawuyul Yanthalawuy, Anna Ralph, Phillip Hinton, Elaine Mangan When Down Under Flix  surveyed readers on their Australian film viewing habits last year , 1980’s  Manganinnie  was the least seen film about Indigenous Australians (98%) and tied with 2003’s  Subterano  (also 98%) as the least seen film of the survey. But where sci-fi chiller  Subterano  arguably never made a dent in the first place,  Manganinnie  was the first production (of just two, alas) of the Tasmanian Film Corporation, was nominated for five AFI Awards including Best Film, Director, and Actress, and made a modest profit. However, the film has been somewhat forgotten, dwarfed in the popular consciousness by other releases of its era such as  My Brilliant Career ,  Mad Max , and  Breaker Morant , films that are outwardly more stylish and accessible. 
Read more