PARTISAN (2015)

Alexander who, raised to see the world through Gregori’s eyes, is starting to think for himself. –IMDB

As you can see, the IMDB description wasn’t very informative. But I went to see it anyway. The story is essentially about a young boy (Alexander) who is brought up in a strange community of women, cared for, and controlled, by a charismatic assassin (Gregori, played by Vincent Cassell). Gregori trains Alexander (along with a number of other boys) in assassination, in return for shelter and food. As Alexander grows older, he begins to see what is happening for himself and doubts the integrity of Gregori.

Despite being an Australian movie it has a very European feel. In fact, until the credits, I had no inkling that it was an Australian movie. There is much about the movie to like. The mood is unsettling. The cinematography is good. The acting on the part of Jeremy Chabriel is amazing given what, I believe, is his first movie role. Unfortunately, despite all the good, PARTISAN just doesn’t make it. It is incredibly slow and boring with a weak narrative that is unengaging. Without doubt, this director is worth watching as his filmmaking develops. And PARTISAN shows there is probably great things to come.