From Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian:
“Australian cinema is littered with examples of directors who launched their feature film careers with a hell of a bang. It pains me not to include many others, among them John Heyer’s pioneering 1954 documentary The Back of Beyond, Craig Monahan’s The Interview, Rob Sitch’s The Castle, John Hillcoat’s Ghosts … of the Civil Dead and Justin Kurzel’s Snowtown.
But 10 is 10, and you have to draw the line somewhere. Here are the ones that made the cut. …
“Animal Kingdom (2010), director David Michôd
Writer and director David Michôd may have been a nervous wreck in the editing room of Animal Kingdom, but he emerged with one of the finest Australian films: a Scorsesian crime drama inspired by the Melbourne gangland crimes of the 80s and 90s.
In his tale of a close-knit criminal family pursued by dodgy rule-breaking cops (recently remade into an American TV show, Ben Mendelsohn has never been creepier – and that’s saying something. But it’s Jacki Weaver who stole the show, in an unforgettable Oscar-nominated performance as the family matriarch.”
Nash Edgerton’s “The Square” gets a mention as well. You might recall that David filmed a documentary on the making of “The Square” – “Inside the Square“
Thanks for the heads up @porchlightfilms