For those of you who have been reading us for a while, you might remember that way back in the day, we did a two part feature on omnibus films, and basically it boils down to this: by their very nature, with numerous directors and actors taking part, it’s very rare for these kinds of movies to work as a whole. Some segments will be great, while others will miss the mark, but the ambition is always admirable. Which is why we’re keeping an eye on “The Turning,” a movie we nearly forgot about.
First announced in the spring of 2012, the movie brings together seventeen directors — Cate Blanchett, Mia Wasikowska, Justin Kurzel, David Wenham, Benedict Andrews, Jonathan auf der Heide, Tony Ayres, Shaun Gladwell, Rhys Graham, Ian Meadows, Yaron Lifschitz, Claire McCarthy, Ashlee Page and Stephen Page — in an adaptation of Tim Winton‘s novel which tells the multi-threaded tale that starts with the relationship between a young woman and her abusive husband, living in a trailer park and spreads out from there.
The picture is now complete, and the teaser trailer certainly points to something pretty evocative and moody, in what looks like a pretty cohesive set of shorts. Will this be the rare film that unifies a bunch of talent for one overarching vision? We’ll see, but with the cast being led by Hugo Weaving, Rose Byrne and Miranda Otto, gives us some hope.
“The Turning” premieres at the Melbourne International Film Festival next month, and we presume will hit the circuit stateside this fall. Watch below.
