haylz before i start, i'm just for warning you all that i am one of Ben lee's biggest fans, and so in a way, am pretty biased. but by the same token, this movie is amazing. it had everything that doomed it to fail - a first time director, a first time leading actor AND a low budget. but if you didn't know better, you wouldn't have even guessed that after watching it. placid lake is a gem, there's no question there. and a laugh out loud comedy too, with lines like "she must have got hit by a car...women, huh?" when his best friend didn't turn up for a golf match when he was trying to impress his boss. but it isn't the jokes that make it so good, but the thought provoking questions it raises. i won't go into it, because in the end those questions being raised and thought about are individualist.placid lake (played by singer/songwriter Ben lee) is the only child of hippie parents, who make him wear a dress for his first day of school and who let the bullies hurt him for it. yes, they are unconventional parents, but by the end of it, you won't be sitting there thinking "they are horrible people", surprisingly enough. and you also won't be thinking placid lake is the coolest guy ever, either, because put blankly, he isn't. but you get drawn to him and his struggle for normality all the same, and want him to find it, even though it seems hopeless. and while he is struggling to fit in with life after school, you see his science-nut best friend Gemma Taylor (played by Rose Bryne) trying to cope with a life that has been planned out for her since she was tiny.and if these things don't grab you, seeing Placid in a full body cast will.Overall, a great movie, and well recommended for everyone (well, just so long as they are old enough to cope with the strong sexual content).10 stars!

informationgoddess29 Coming of age film - two best friends have to decide what to do with their lives and what they are willing to compromise. Do you live your life for yourself or your parents dreams? After an altercation with some bullies, Placid decides being an individual isn't worth the hassle. He shocks his hippy dippy idealistic parents and his best friend when he ceases raging against the machine and goes to work the man in a mundane 9-5 job. Things are wrapped up predictably and neatly, but the character's journey raises empathy and there are many amusing moments. The director resists going over the top and keeps the humor and message understated yet strong.

greeny-10 With all due respects, I have seen funny, and this isn't it. EVERY movie made about teens coming of age has the theme that you have to find your own identity in this harsh cruel world. "The Rage in Placid Lake" seems to think it's discovered something brand new in making this startling discovery. Here's the spoiler I promised you. Placid Lake discovers he should just be himself and then he gets the nerdy girl in the end. There, I've just saved ninety minutes of your life, which can now be spent watching one of the much better movies that this one pays homage to. (start with "The Graduate", then "Rebel Without A Cause", "Ghostworld", "The Bank") This got a lot of good reviews when it was released, and lots of good reviews on this site, and picked up a plethora of nominations for the AFI awards, so it's obviously strikes a chord with a lot of people. But for those who want to a movie with real characters, a sub text buried beneath the surface (hence the name sub text) rather than pasted irritatingly over the top, any connection to the real world and decent jokes, don't bother. Rent "Ned" or "You Can't Stop The Murders". They're both funny and unpretentious and didn't muster an AFI nomination between them.

Trevar Alan Chilver I can't believe I didn't hear about this film when it was released. I must have missed The Movie Show that particular week. I saw the DVD on the shelf of my local video shop, while it was in the New Releases section. I saw the cover, loved the word-play in the title, and, thinking it was American, I told myself I would get it out when it gets moved to the weekly section.I saw it, in the weekly section, some time later, and I read the blurb on the back and thought, 'that sounds really interesting, I'll get it out someday'. Then last week, I picked it up again, and noticed the Australian Film Finance Corporation named on the back. I was in. I hired it, took it home, and loved every minute.From the first scene, 'The Rage in Placid Lake' sets itself up to be taken only semi-seriously. The parents of Placid Lake, our hero, are, as his name would suggest, extreme New Agers. We first meet Placid at primary school, where his mother drops him off in a dress, admonishing him to challenge the other children's pre-conceived notions of sexuality. Between flashbacks to his childhood, the film follows Placid's transition from school to work, which is fraught with stresses. Having failed to achieve happiness following his parents' advice, Placid takes a new tack: he gets his hair cut like George W. Bush, buys a suit, and lands a job with an insurance company. All of which is most distressing to his best friend Gemma, and his parents, who go to great lengths to shake him out of this Capitalist madness.Writer and Director Tony McNamara has worked primarily in theatre, and has also written for television, including Southern Star's magnificent 'The Secret Life of Us'. His background in the theatre, however, lends this film a very intimate and human touch. He had originally thought of this story as a play, but rightly judged it to be more suited to film, and made adjustments accordingly. The result is a film that stands out as something fresh, something that takes old ideas and stereotypes, and employs them to great effect.While the characters in this film can be described as caricatures, Placid's journey into adulthood—his discovery of himself and of his relationships—resonates with such humanity that the suspension of disbelief is no effort. The pathos with which the characters are written boldly emphasises McNamara's assertion that we must be true to ourselves.The most remarkable aspect of this film, however, remains the sad fact that so few people have seen it or even heard about it. It is an example of the magnificent films being produced in this country, and highlights the miserable plight of Australian filmmakers, overshadowed by the monstrous marketing ploys of their American counterparts. 'The Rage in Placid Lake' may not quite be as noteworthy in the history of Australian film as 'Jedda' or 'Mad Max' or 'Romper Stomper', but it makes a profound statement about humanity that sits somewhat uncomfortably in a world of Free Trade Agreements and 'Wars on Terror'. What's more, it makes that statement beautifully.