AFTER THE RAIN

Australia, 2000, 90 minutes, Colour.
PaulinaPorizkova?, Robert Taylor, Rupert Cox, Celia Ireland, Jerome Ehlers.
Directed by Mark Lamprell.

After the Rain is a detective telemovie from Australia. It was written by actor the Jerome Ehlers who appears briefly as an international gangster.
It uses the voiceover narrative by the brother of the chief detective, Alex Rupert Cox). He is a journalist, inexperienced, looking up to his older brother, Jack (Robert Taylor), who was his guardian after their father killed himself. The screenplay works a great deal on this theme of siblings and sibling rivalry.
The film also opens with a killing which turns out to be an execution. The film shows a great deal of police detection work. It also shows the work of the journalists, working on hunches, looking for evidence, clashing with the police.

At the centre of the film is the writer, Ellen, played by Paulina Porizkova. She is in a relationship with Jack. Alex, who has encountered her by accident at the airport, is also attracted. However, he has an admiring assistant, Sally (Alexandra Davies).

Audiences may well suspect Ellen and they will be partly right. However, after some other killings and fights, there is a build-up to tension, Jack having to make a decision about whether Alex or Ellen should live.

Not a great film, but interesting and entertaining while it is there. It was directed by Mark Lamprell who directed a few films, including My Mother Frank and Goddess in 2012.

1. An interesting telemovie? Sydney settings? Police work? Journalism?


2. The city settings, police offices, newspaper offices, flats and homes? Parks, tunnels, restaurants, hotels? The musical score?

3. Title, the rain in the film, at the climax, Alex’s explanation about clarity after the rain?

4. The use of the voiceover, Alex and his perspective? towards work, towards his brother, towards Ellen.

5. Alex at the Airport, the encounter with Ellen, later meeting her, as a journalist, with his boss, with Sally, the murder and the investigation?

6. The murder, the credits sequence, the jogger, the killing? Burning the fingerprints? Organized crime and suspicions? Jack and his reticence? Alex and his questions, believing Jack? Sally and her further questions, the article?

7. Jack, his character, his work and the police, in the corruption case, innocent? His knowing the criminals? His relationship with Ellen, introducing her, the meals, the friendship? His work, Stevie and her footwork? His fears for Alex, trying to protect him, warning him? The past relationship, their father’s death, his being the guardian? The continued clashes with Alex, saying that Alex wanted to be like him? Compromising situations, the tape in evidence, meeting with the criminal? The possibility that he had committed the crime? His going off by himself, worrying?

8. Alex, younger, the encounters with Jack, the dangers, his brashness? The attraction towards Ellen, his working with Sally, going out, staring and Ellen? His following the clues, the box of evidence, the empty cassette box? His being bashed? Going to Ellen, her tending him, his finding the gun, her computer, the documents? Phoning Jack? Going to see him, disbelief?

9. The photographer, comic relief, the roses and photos in the restaurant, photographing Ellen? Alex bribing the waiter?

10. The criminals, arrogance, coming to Australia, killing the associate? The irony of his coming to Australia, the interview with his mother – Alex and Jack, his visit to her, his having cancer, but his having the tape? The meetings with Jack, threats, the henchmen, the bashings, the fights and the deaths?

11. Ellen, audience suspicions, her phone calls, the meeting with her alleged agent, three months with Jack, her charm, her coming to the hotel, the irony of her being Interpol? Jack wanting to save her, her being killed?

12. The murder of the editor? Alex and Sally examining the box? Missing evidence?

13. The gathering at the hotel, the bosses, associates, Jack, Alex arriving, Ellen arriving? The death of the boss, the shooting? The contriving that Jack had killed Ellen? Alex’s arrival, his getting out of the room, the guns and the fingerprints? Jack free?

14. Walking away from the hotel, his reflections on what it happened?