CRUSHED

Australia, 2015, 111 minutes, Colour.
Sarah Bishop, Les Hill, Roxane Wilson, Helmut Baitis, Aaron Glenane, Millie Spencer- Brown, Robert Preston, Jamie Irvine.
Directed by Megan Riakos.

Crushed is quite an ambiguous title for this film. The Vineyard settings, there is obviously a reference to the crushing of grapes. Then, a significant character is murdered, crushed against a wall. And then, the central character experiences a great deal of being crushed emotionally.

This is an Australian story, the story of Vineyards in north-western New South Wales in the Mudgee area. The film opens in Melbourne, focusing on Ellia, a young woman with business ambitions who has escaped from her family and the family business after a traumatising experience.

However, she receives the news that her father is dead and returns home for the funeral. What she discovers makes her involved in sorting out what actually happened, the alleged accidental death of her father turning into a murder. She is suspicious of her mother and of the foreman of the vineyard.

She is helped by her younger sister, trying to get over the memories of her dead brother. There is also a moody younger brother as well as a local policeman to whom she is attracted but who seems to be acting suspiciously and another worker at the vineyard. There is also a problem about chemicals being blown over neighbouring vineyards and one of the owners losing all his crops.

Enough ingredients to be intriguing – especially as audiences may not be anticipating who the murderer is.

The film keeps audience attention, well-written with its entry and interesting performances, including from Sarah Bishop as Ellia.

1. A murder mystery? A family saga? Vineyards and Wine production? Crops, fertilisers and poisons?

2. The opening, Melbourne, the city? The contrast with Mudgee, the wide open spaces, the Vineyards, the harvest, the process of picking the grapes, crushing them? The building and its engineering? The home? Police stations, hotels? Ordinary and authentic settings? The musical score?

3. The title, the variety of meanings, the father crushed to death, the crushing of the grapes, Ellia and her feeling crushed? Harriet and her crushing opposition?

4. Ellia, seen in Melbourne, sexual relationship, the call from her mother, her calling her father, wanting to set up the bar, her father’s financial support? The news of his death, flying to Mudgee, her reactions? The background of her alienation from the family, her twin brother, Adam, and their achievements? His death? The story about his death? The return, Harriet and her response, Zak and his response, the younger siblings? Their staying to work on the vineyard? David, foreman, the work, with the father, the relationship with the mother? Ivan, working, the sexual encounter with Ellia, his being blamed for construction? Lucas, the police, his mysterious new job – opening up suspicions? Jesse, with Mc Clintock, the talk, his death, Ellia finding the label? Mc Clintock, wanting to set fire to the vines? The story the dust storm, its overcoming his vineyard, his daughter with cancer? The police, the investigator, knowing everybody concerned? The cast list as suspects for the killings?

5. The story of the father, the vineyard in the family, his book for writing secrets? The news that he was crushed by the wall? The revelation that he was bashed? The arrest of his wife, suspicions, the difficulties of the relationship? The vineyard, the possibility for selling? The mother revealing that they were about to be divorced? Ellia alienated, the loss of her brother, but her father still supporting her?

6. The focus on her reactions, beginning to investigate, the interviews, the stances against her mother, the visits in prison? Suspicions of David, seeing him with her mother, the car, changing the tire, the approach with the wrench and her fear, he suggesting she phoned the police? Jesse, his ex-wife, family, with Mc Clintock, calming him down, working in the vineyard, wanting to talk with Ellia, her going to his house, shot, the label? Ellie going to the pub, flirting with Ivan, getting the money out of him, the relationship and her wanting quiet? Lucas, the relationship in the past, the sexual encounter, in the car, her fear, running into the fields, the chase? His being killed?

7. Ellia and Oscar, the younger brother, his moods, his relationship with his mother, worried that he had pushed his father? His facing Harriet, his having to make a decision? Against Harriet?

8. Ellia and Harriet, seeming love, support? Harriet driving her sister? Going to see her mother? The situation at the vineyard, Ellia and the documents, finding her signature? Ellia with the gun, bashing Ellia, tying her up, getting rid of Oscar from discovering Ellia, Ellia getting free, going to the fields, the chase, Zak with the gun, confronting Harriet, the truth, her motivations, resentment against their parents love of the twins, wanting the farm to prosper – and her slitting her throat?

9. Mc Clintock, the broader issues and family, the dust storm, genetic experimentations, poisons, the effect?

10. The final image of Ellia working hard with Zach, David and her mother?

11. A satisfying family drama with the Vineyard background and the mysterious murders and the solution?