Gee it’s nice to see a clever Australian film. One that has finely drawn characters, tight dialogue and beautiful production design. A film that creeps into your thoughts for days on end and leaves you feeling slightly haunted. Somersault managed it in 2004 and Little Fish did it in 2005. This year Beautiful Kate takes up the mantle.

First time feature film director Rachel Ward brings us the story of struggling author Ned Kendall (Ben Mendelsohn), who brings his sexy, bolshy, actress girlfriend Toni (Maeve Dermody) home to the outback to visit his seriously ill father Bruce (Bryan Brown). Amid the dust and disarray we also find Ned’s rock-solid sister Sally (Rachel Griffiths), who it dutifully caring for their cantankerous father.

The trip home is a painful journey for Ned as he deals with his father and the life that he fled from over 20 years ago. Against his will the haunting memories of his long lost brother and sister, Cliff and Kate, bubble to the surface and the mystery begins to unravel.

Rachel Ward is quoted as saying “some filmmakers want to make their audiences laugh, some want to scare them. Some want to thrill them. I want to move them.” She should be quietly proud of herself, as she’s achieved her goal with her first feature, which is no mean feat.

Beautiful Kate's strength is that it is a complex film with enormous unrest. It is more than a simple family drama or a mystery - at the heart is also a forbidden love story. Without giving too much away, it’s pretty darn edgy content that goes far beyond the simple Romeo and Juliet style love story. While it is a provocative tale, Ward handles the somewhat uncomfortable material with great care and subtlety, and the result is ultimately more powerful because of her gentle approach.

The production team have done a remarkable job of representing rural Australia. They’ve moved away from clichéd shots of kangaroos bounding across paddocks (Baz, we're looking at you), and have instead painted the unforgiving environment of the Flinders Ranges with finer brush stokes. Director of photography Andrew Commis does an amazing job of drawing the dust and heat and quiet beauty of central Australia into his lens.
 
The stunning cinematography is complemented by a lilting musical score from Tex Perkins. It’s the perfect fit for the rust-hued visuals.

While the production design is exemplary, the film’s greatest strength is its cast. Bryan Brown and Ben Mendelsohn are both utterly brilliant as the abrasive father and conflicted son, Rachel Griffiths is beautifully understated as the long-suffering daughter Sally and both Maeve Dermody and Sophie Lowe bring a youthful energy to their respective roles of Toni and Kate. It’s wonderful to watch the different generations of Australian actors bring out the best in each other on screen.

Beautiful Kate is an unsettling film, but a truly excellent one. It will renew your faith in the Australian film industry. Don’t miss it.

Beautiful Kate opens in cinemas around Australia tomorrow (Thursday, August 6).
You can view the Beautiful Kate movie trailer here on TheVine.