rdoyle29 Bruno Lawrence owns and operates the titular auto wrecking yard, and races cars when he gets the chance. He took over the business when his father died, planning on selling it right away, but has grown to love it and won't sell. His wife hates it, and hates the fact that Lawrence spends all his time with his cars and his young daughter and none with her. Her displeasure drives her into the arms of Bruno's best friend, and when she leaves, taking his daughter with her, Bruno cracks and kidnaps her. Roger Donaldson's third feature is more of a character drama than his earlier films, though it has a somewhat action based climax. It's a generally intriguing film where nobody is completely right or wrong, and it goes in eccentric directions.

showtrmp This is one of those intuitive, risky movies that a viewer will either take to his heart, or reject completely. It is almost impossible to explain to friends how compelling it is--describing the plot, which involves psychological domestic violence and the kidnapping of a child, certainly doesn't make it seem appealing. Yet this film has a sensual, primal power that is always on the verge of exploding; if you connect to the movie in any way, you won't be able to take your eyes off it. It is set in a remote corner of New Zealand, which is endemic to the storyline--the seething sense of unease and frustration seems to bubble up from under the rocks. It has contaminated the marriage of Al and Jacqui--he's a native, a man's man who releases his energy in racing cars; she's a delicate, exquisite French woman who feels abandoned and frustrated in this harsh setting--she didn't know when she married Al what she was getting into. As their eight-year-old child Georgie, Greer Robson gives one of the best child performances I have ever seen on screen--her reactions to every situation are slightly off and goofy (like a real child), yet you never catch her trying to be adorable. In one of the most effective scenes, Al and Jacqui are arguing violently, and Georgie escapes through a window and huddles in Al's truck with the family dog; her haunted face tells us more than we would learn if the camera stayed on Al and Jacqui. (It returns a moment later, to find the two of them ending the argument with a round of angry sex--certainly the worst decision they could make, and one I don't think I've ever seen depicted on the screen before.) Jacqui leaves Al, and keeps him from seeing Georgie, which drives him a little mad; he kidnaps the child at gunpoint (again, her expression is searing) and shatters everyone's lives. Lawrence is amazing in the role; a lesser (or more Methody) actor would probably make the audience (especially women) hate him, yet you can't--you see how he just can't be apart from Georgie. The end, which I will not reveal, is somehow perfect for this story, although it doesn't resolve a thing; the final shot is one more closeup of Georgie's face, and we know she has already been jerked (cruelly) into adulthood before the age of nine. As Pauline Kael noted, "The rage of fathers deprived of their children--a situation few men experienced in the past--is no doubt a key madness of our age."

moonspinner55 Married couple in New Zealand with a young child separate, but he can't let go. Art-house stunner delivers some amazingly raw and complicated emotions in its early stages, but then gets confused and falls off. This isn't the fault of the actors however, particularly Bruno Lawrence in what should've been a star-making performance. Maybe it's the fact that his character is so morose and troubled (at one point, with the family piled in the car, he pauses on the railroad tracks) that Lawrence wasn't given much credit, and the film failed to find an audience here in the States. Some light relief from all the crazy behavior might've helped, yet the picture has a prickly, compelling edge, and that's surely something the audience can latch onto. Sadly, this melodramatic roller-coaster of emotions does peter out, though for the first hour it showcases a gripping study of human lives. **1/2 from ****

mattkratz I saw this movie while on vacation in New Zealand and loved it. Lawrence gives a terrific portrayal of a man whose life is thrown into chaos when his obsession with building a race car and paying more attention to his new car junkyard leads his wife to an affair with his best friend. He then kidnaps their daughter and heads for the woods. If you can find this movie anywhere, rent it. You won't regret it. The final scene to this film is especially memorable. I will not reveal it-you will have to see it to find out. You will never forget it, that's for sure. ***1/2 out of ****