OC Screenwriters Association

They don’t make ‘em like they used to, especially when it comes to stylish, edgy film noir flicks that defined the Forties and have inspired more misses than hits as time slinks on. Perhaps the powers that be don’t trust the intelligence of today’s filmgoing audience and have to slap on the inevitable happy ending. Or perhaps it’s getting trickier to keep an audience on their toes. The fact that it’s been a long time since contemporary genre classics such as Chinatown, Body Heat and Blood Simple is not due to a lack of trying.

Aussie director Nash Edgerton and his brother, screenwriter and actor Joel, know that it takes more than a femme fatale, a vulnerable lovesick gent, cigarette smoke and bullets to get the job done. The Square is your basic story of boy meets girl, boy commits crime for girl and someone loses big time but is so cleverly maneuvered through a twisted road of dead ends and turnouts that it feels like nouveau film noir.

Raymond (David Roberts) is a successful contractor having a passionate affair with Carla (Claire van der Boom), a hairdresser who literally lives on the other side of the tracks--in this case, an allegedly shark-infested river. Both are married to other people; there’s no love lost between Ray and the seemingly perfect Martha (Lucy Bell) while Carla tiptoes in fear around Smithy (Anthony Hayes), a smalltime thug. They dream, as illicit lovers do, of one day running away to live happily ever after. When Carla discovers a duffel bag stuffed with cash and a bloody towel hidden in the ceiling tiles, knowing that Smithy won’t wave good-bye as she trots off into the sunset with his dough, she proposes a simple plan to Ray: they take the money, burn her house down to cover their tracks and fall off the face of the earth.

Ray wants to be with Carla, but not enough to commit a major felon. Carla hedges her bets and breaks off all contact with Ray, taking his refusal to accept her plan as a lack of commitment. Love, boredom and Carla’s lost dog lead Ray to her doorstep and he’s in. Ray meets with a professional arsonist, Billy (Joel Edgerton), and his timid girlfriend Lily (Hanna Mangan Lawrence) to settle the details. Billy demands a payment upfront, so Ray works out an under-the-table deal to award a fellow contractor a job on the luxury hotel he’s constructing in exchange for a kickback.

The plan is in motion, but due to an unforeseen complication, Ray contacts Billy at the last minute to call it off. Billy doesn’t get the message and follows through with tragic results. Ray and Carla have the money, but are wracked with guilt and fear of becoming discovered. They agree to go on as normal until the time is right. That plan is also doomed to fail when Ray receives the first blackmail note and finds himself plunged into a dark nightmarish existence. Was he too big of a fool for love?

The Square was shot entirely in Sydney, Australia and while there are the typical “it was a dark and stormy night” set-ups, the fact that many scenes are staged in daylight during Christmas holiday activities gives the film a sense of normalcy that director Edgerton skillfully blows away when least expected. The viewer never sees it coming and is left stunned. There are always several possible twists looming on the horizon; the one that hits is never obvious.

Roberts plays Ray with a permanent scowl, but he’s a classic everyman who made one life-changing decision that leads to a series of bad choices and therefore is relatable and sympathetic. Regardless of what he is facing, his love and devotion to Carla is never in question. As Carla, van der Boom’s role runs a bit more into the gray area. There’s always a nagging doubt if she is the personification of the classic film noir leading lady: heartless and mercenary. She’s skilled at pulling a swift double cross and her refusal to see Ray until he concedes to her will seems manipulative and selfish. She’s difficult for the audience to trust and it’s a head-scratcher as to why Ray can easily give up his hard-earned lifestyle for her. This leads to some inconsistencies in the character which may not have been intentional.

But typical black-and-white characters with simple agendas don’t quite cut it in The Square; almost everyone is capable of nefarious ulterior motives, and they could be any one of us in a similar situation. Considering that Nash’s previous directorial experience has been with shorts and music videos and the script was Joel’s first attempt at writing a feature film, The Square is an inspired genre success.

The theatrical release of The Square is preceded by “Spider,” a nine-minute dark comedic short that Nash wrote, directed and starred in which garnered much praise and awards during the 2007/2008 film festival circuit. Joel is also featured in a small role as a paramedic. “It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye,” their mum always said. It’s a perfect opening to The Square and broadcasts what the brothers Edgerton are capable of. Watch out!