Story lost in a forest

Monkey Puzzle (M) 2½ stars Limited release MONKEY Puzzle, the latest self-funded, wholly independent Australian feature to find limited release, is about five young people who spend an Easter long weekend in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, searching for the wollemi pine.

A scene from local drama Monkey Puzzle

Monkey Puzzle (M) 2½ stars Limited release MONKEY Puzzle, the latest self-funded, wholly independent Australian feature to find limited release, is about five young people who spend an Easter long weekend in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, searching for the wollemi pine.

Very well photographed by Justine Kerrigan, and made under obviously difficult conditions, Mark Forstman's film is nothing if not resourceful, but dramatically it leaves a lot to be desired.

Carl (Ben Geurens) fancies Pippa (Ella Scott Lynch) who fancies Dylan (Ryan Johnson), while Toni (Billie Rose Prichard) and Zac (Socratis Otto) just tag along morosely. The dynamic between these five, which should be the core of the film, is never very involving, despite commendable performances from all.

These are not characters you care much about, especially as they behave so irresponsibly, lighting fires that apparently stay lit overnight (it's a wonder the entire region wasn't engulfed in flames) and pressing on to their destination without a map or any idea of where they're heading. The film's a bit like that too: a confident effort that doesn't seem to know where it's going.