It’s rarely disappointing when you see actors you normally enjoy seeing in big budget blockbusters given the opportunity to act without the limitations of a green screen or not even being in the same room as the person they are acting against. That’s why I had the feeling I would really get into the film, “After the Deluge.” After all, how would you go wrong with a cast that includes David Wenham (“The Lord of the Rings”, “Van Helsing”), Hugo Weaving (“The Lord of the Rings”, “The Matrix”) and Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under” - I know, it’s not a blockbuster, but the series has gotten a lot of well-deserve critical acclaim.) Originally filmed for Australian television, “After the Deluge” is at its heart, a tale of a dysfunctional family. And while you can turn the television channels or peruse the video stores and easily find any number of bad movies on the subject, this one is a worthwhile watch. Wenham, Weaving and Samuel Johnson play three brothers who find themselves dealing with their father’s decent into the darkness of Alzheimer’s.

Growing up, the boys had to deal with his overbearing character somewhat cold-hearted demeanor, and seeing him turn into a feeble old man causes them to reflect and react to events in their lives. The movie deftly and creatively balances the movie with both the disjointed lives of the brothers have lived and the disjointed memories their father experiences.

As I expected the performances by Wenham and Weaving are superlative, but I was surprised by Johnson, whose work I’m not familiar with. As the youngest of the brothers, he delivers a riveting performance and through his character adds a lot of dimension to the story. Griffiths, who I love to watch in “Six Feet Under”, Weaving’s girlfriend who has had to deal with his past as a washed-up rock star. He is used to the attention of younger women, and finds it difficult to keep the more solid and mature relationship that Griffith provides.

“After the Deluge” is yet another fine film that comes to us from BFS Home Entertainment. This is not to say it is a perfect film, as it occasionally strays into the territory normally inhabited by soap operas, but the performances carry us through those few scenes and keep the movie afloat. BFS, has become one of my favorite DVD studios of late, for releasing movies that might not otherwise be seen by American audiences. They are unfortunately often short on extra features, such as in this one which only offers cast profiles, but the high quality of the films alone often makes the DVDs a worthwhile purchase.

Directed by: Brendan Maher
Starring: David Wenham, Hugo Weaving, Samuel Johnson, Aden Young, Ray Barrett, Rachel Griffiths
Extras: Cast Profiles
Studio: BFS Entertainment
Release Date: 10/19/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give After the Deluge a B-.