JACK IRISH: BAD DEBTS

Australia, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Guy Pearce, Marta Dusseldorp, Aaron Pedersen, Roy Billing, Damien Richardson, Shane Jacobson, Colin Friels, Steve Bisley, Emma Booth, Michael Carman, Terry Norris, John Flaus, Anthony Hayes, Heather Mitchell, Colin Hay, Nicholas Bell, Judi Farr, Marshall Napier.
Directed by Jeffrey Walker.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation made two telemovies with Guy Pearce as Peter Temple’s character, Jack Irish.

Peter Temple is a prominent award-winning Australian novelist, specialising in crime – but also highly critical of Victorian police and politics.

Guy Pearce is effective as Jack Irish, a lawyer down on his luck, a debt collector, after the murder of his wife. He becomes involved in a case when a former client phones him and is later found murdered. This leads to a trail of corruption in the police and politics, a cover-up of a murder of an environmental campaigner.

The film makes Melbourne itself a character, focusing on the wide range of locations in the city, the city centre, the older poorer suburbs, the more affluent suburbs.

The film has a strong supporting cast, Marta Dusseldorp who appeared in the Black Jack films with Colin Friels, Aaron Pedersen. Many of the cast have cameos, especially Colin Friels, Steve Bisley, Anthony Hayes.

Jack Irish serves as a kind of private eye in this exploration of crime, not being an expert member of the police force, muddling through at times, but effectively exposing scandals in the public interest.

1. Peter Temple, his novels, the adaptation for the screen, characters, Melbourne, crime, police, politics?

2. The film as a telemovie, its companion film, Black Tide? Guy Pearce in the central role? The Australian casting? The writing, atmosphere?

3. The use of the city, the cityscapes, the sequences from the air? The older suburbs and their dinginess, the newer suburbs and their wealth, the countryside?

4. The perspective on crime, white collar crime, the consequences? The role of the police, government?

5. Jack, his practice of the law, his enemies, his love for his wife, the home and their renovations, the man accusing him, killing his wife? The consequences? His grief? His decision to leave the law, the debt collecting? Mc Killop’s death, his change? Seeing him in action, reactions?

6. The message from Mc Killop to meet him, his being away, listening on the phone, the murder, his concern, the visit to his wife, the discussions with the brother-in-law, the involvement?

7. Harry and Cam, the subplot about racing, the horses, Harry and his debts, Jack helping them out, their friends? The horse, going to the country to see it, the buying of the horse, the scheme, the betting, the racing sequences? Cam, his help with Jack and with Linda, putting them in his house, the threats, his being bashed, the final rescue?

8. Lucy and the performance of Marta Dusseldorp, her job, research, articles? Her interest in the case? With Jack, strong stances, the visits, the investigation, the sexual relationship, the different attitudes between them? The dangers, clashing with Jack, misjudging him, the rescue? The work journalists?

9. The company, the deals, the environmental interests, the hit-and-run killing, the arrest, the court case, Mc Killop going to jail, Jack Irish failing him, his getting out after ten years?

10. The visit to the minister, his role, his house, his hints, his being drowned?

11. The role of the police, the different personalities, security?

12. The social concerns, the speeches, the development, the centre, the priest?

13. The artist, his mother, the homosexuality, going to Perth, his return, meeting the priest, his being killed, the bodies in the country house, Jack finding them?

14. The current minister, his summons, his staff, the heavy, Tony, the threats?

15. Tony, his brutality, the dark glasses, his presence, the killings, the confrontation with Cam, the brutality?

16. Jack, Mrs Vane, her husband’s involvement, his conscience, the proof of the truth? The revelation? The arrests of the police, the minister?

17. A satisfying character study, investigation, expose of crime?