The Tender Hook (2008)

Director:

Jonathan Ogilvie

Writer:

Jonathan Ogilvie (writer)

Release Date:

18 September 2008 (Australia)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

The story is about Iris' rise to the apex of a love/power triangle that includes her roguish English lover, McHeath and Art, an earnest young boxer. Within the flawed moral landscape, each character struggles to establish their sovereignty. |

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Love Triangle | Femme Fatale | Jazz Age | 1920s

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Rose Byrne	...	Iris
Hugo Weaving	...	McHeath
Matthew Le Nevez	...	Art
Pia Miranda	...	Daisy
Luke Carroll	...	Alby
John Batchelor	...	Ronnie
Tyler Coppin	...	Donnie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Don Bridges	...	Greyhound Eddie
Jarrah Cocks	...	Chaff Stick Pocker
Brendan Guerin	...	Mike Flynn
Kuni Hashimoto	...	Hackett
Andrew Nolte	...	Musician
Mark Rayner	...	Delaney

Directed by
Jonathan Ogilvie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jonathan Ogilvie		writer

Produced by
John Brousek	....	producer
John Cairns	....	executive producer
Michelle Harrison	....	producer
Mike Klein	....	executive producer
Bjorg Veland	....	executive producer
Sue Wild	....	line producer

Original Music by
Chris Abrahams

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Simpson

Film Editing by
Ken Sallows

Casting by
Gregory Apps

Production Design by
Pete Baxter

Art Direction by
Janie Parker

Set Decoration by
Marian Murray

Costume Design by
Cappi Ireland

Makeup Department
Kirsten Veysey	....	makeup supervisor
Nik Dorning	....	tattoo manufacture (uncredited)

Production Management
Mark 'Sharky' Johnson	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Manuel Caracciolo	....	third assistant director
Marshall Crosby	....	first assistant director
Julian Duggan	....	additional assistant director
Todd Embling	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Honi Keller	....	buyer
Honi Keller	....	set dresser
Hannah Knowlton	....	property master

Sound Department
Liam Egan	....	sound designer
Les Fiddess	....	foley artist
Sam Hayward	....	foley editor
Phil Judd	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Murtagh	....	lead dialogue editor
Martin Oswin	....	foley mixer
Alicia Slusarski	....	sound effects editor
Jenny T. Ward	....	adr supervisor

Special Effects by
Angelo Sahin	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Simon Alberry	....	CG visual effects
Simon Alberry	....	I/O supervisor
Sam Cole	....	on set visual effects supervisor: FUEL International
Brad Floyd	....	compositor
Andreas Wanda	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Zev Eleftheriou	....	stunt coordinator
Brendan Guerin	....	stunt performer
Siros Niaros	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Hansford	....	a cam dolly grip
Michelle Marchant	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Lilly Dawson	....	additional casting
Alex Christopoulos	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fiona MacKinnon	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Meri Blazevski	....	assistant editor
Rachel McKellar-Harding	....	rushes coordinator
Amanda Short	....	rushes colorist

Music Department
Kim Green	....	music licensing

Other crew
Jane Forbes	....	script supervisor
Michelle Hunt	....	title designer
Nathan Smith	....	digital liaison

Production Companies

• Film Finance

Distributors

• Icon Film Distribution (2008) (Australia) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Fresh Farm Films  trailers
• Melbourne Film Office  filmed with the assistance of
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility
• VisionsMCP  extras casting
• VisionsMCP  stand-ins

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Central City Studios, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Film Finance

understated small story with top end production

Ogilvie's big movie shows his exceptional craft in film making. The visuals alone are stunning, combined with top end editing, sets, and sound. The support players were almost better than the stars. the movie is flawed in other areas, a couple of slightly off performances noticeably from Hugo Weaving (what accent was he going for?) and Nevez (unconvinced of why we should care about him), and the story was so low key "small time crooks" that maybe the production values were just too good for it. Weaving was a little unconvincing as a tough guy although he could easily pull off scary. The violent scenes conflicted with him being a reasonably nice guy to his gf and taking sh!t from his underlings.

It's hard to know exactly why it didn't blow minds, but it certainly didn't blow. Some great lines and ideas going down in the script. Ogilvie shows class and control, craft and art, and I'd like to see where he goes next. Most definitely an art film rather than a big budget affair but with the look and feel it alludes to much more.