PIMPED

Australia, 2018, 80 minutes, Colour.
Ella Scott Lynch, Benedict Samuel, Lewis Fitz-Gerald?, Heather Mitchell, Robin Goldsworthy.
Directed by David Barker.

Audiences know what to expect when they see a title like Pimped. And, in the early part of the film, expectations are fulfilled. However, along with the partying, the sex, the drugs, there is the introduction of a touch of non-realism which could alert an audience to question what they are seeing.

This is a brief film. It has a strong younger cast, especially Ella Scott Lynch in a dual role, Sarah and her sister, Rachel, Benedict Samuel as the enigmatic young man who pimps, loose, with Robin Goldsworthy as one of his targets. And, for the older generation, Lewis Fitz-Gerald? and Heather Mitchell turn up as Goldsworthy’s parents.

Writer (with Lou Mentor)-director, David Barker, leads his audience on. The opening sequences might be considered as routine in terms of young people partying. But he also introduces the character of Sarah, a quiet woman, egged on by her sister, Rachel. And then the tone changes. While we have seen Lewis preen himself and rehearse his spiel to ingratiate himself with targets, we see Sarah and Lewis in a kind of mutual seduction.

At this point, a review needs to stop in terms of plot development – which is never quite as might be anticipated. But it can be said that the plot development is quite melodramatic, a shift from sex to violence – and further violent and unexpected twists.

This also means that the film is a psychological exploration of Sarah, the inconsistencies in her character, the inconsistency in her behaviour, and the presence of her sister as a kind of alter ego, sometimes pimping, sometimes acting as a conscience. Quite a lot to intrigue here.

As the audience continues to question their understanding of Sarah and her character and behaviour, the film moves to yet another dramatic twist, giving the audience food for thought for further trying to fathom and to interpret what they have seen.

Which means that Pimped finishes as being somewhat better than expected.

1. The title? Expectations?

2. The Australian setting, the city, homes, interiors? The countryside, roads and forests? The musical score?

3. The plot, the opening and the erotic? Lewis and the pimping? The twist in the plot, the violence and death? The change of tone, interactions between Sarah and Lewis, the burial? The arrival of the parents, interactions, murder? The consequences? And the final twists?

4. Sarah and the continued presence of Rachel? Appearing and disappearing? Her alter ego? Her seducer, pimping her? Her sister and concern? Her conscience? Audience response to this break in realism?

5. Audience response throughout the film, questioning the reality of what was happening, character behaviour, development, consistencies and inconsistencies?

6. The final revelation, Sarah’s imagination, her life with her husband and child, ordinary, reading the stories? Yet creating in mind the complete story, a melodrama, behaviour, sexuality, violence? The contrast with the scenes at home with her husband, meal, washing up and drying up, the knife, reading the story to her child… A future?

7. The opening, the party, the young people, dancing, sexuality, the lyrics of the song, couples going upstairs? Lewis, his clothes, manner, style, with Kenneth, the drugs, the twosome upstairs? His observing?

8. Lewis Is a character (and in hindsight as created by Sarah’s imagination)? At the party, financial deals, the drugs, pimping for Kenneth? About golf, the minigolf, letting Kenneth win? His talking to the mirror, his rehearsing his spiel? Going to the bar, using it for Sarah, the drink? His way with words, the touch of rhetoric, philosophical about time travel and identity? Seducing Sarah? Her willingly going with him? At the house, the foreplay, Kenneth suddenly with her – and Lewis downstairs watching?

9. Sarah, her alter ego, the conversations between the two, her reading the book, waking, shower, underwear, dress, going to the bar, attitude of seduction, yet some hesitations, the encounter with Lewis, the drinking, going with him, the sexual play, the discovery of Kenneth, her killing him with the golf club? The aftermath? Her disgust at seeing Lewis watching her? Cat and mouse in the house?

10. Lewis watching, the interactions, the knife, the decision about burying Kenneth, wrapping him, carrying him, in the car, the shovel, the country and the roads, the burial?

11. The return, uncertainty as to what would happen? The arrival of the parents, Michael and his building the house, strong-minded, Sophia and her complaints, superior? Sarah rising to the occasion, the clothes, creating an alternate scenario, Lewis going along with, the bewilderment of the parents? The story of the shovel as being a proper drama? His suddenly stabbing Sophia, her death? Michael shower, the confrontation with Lewis, choking him, Sarah giving him the fork, the death?

12. The effect on Sarah, Lewis saying she was more like him? Getting the noose, hanging him, the confrontation, kicking the chair?

13. Rachel and her observations, conscience, Sarah’s response?

14. And the revelation of the reality, the story in Sarah’s imagination?