I wish I could write this is an amazing film because I am a huge fan of Blue-Tongue Films, the production house run in part by rising star Joel Edgerton and his older brother, director and stuntman Nash. From the fantastic feature The Square to their music videos for Bob Dylan to their clever and violent short films, Spider in particular, they have shined, and I believe they will have a significant impact on independent Australian film moving forward. Wish You Were Here, however, is a bit of a misfire, although a noble one with many qualities. The film focuses on Dave (Joel) and Alice (co-writer Felicity Price), a charming couple with two children and expecting a third. With Alice's mischievous sister (Teresa Palmer) and her new love interest, Jeremy, the couple go on a trip to Southeast Asia which spirals out of control over the course of one misguided, ecstasy fueled night of celebration from which only three return. Presented out of chronological order, the film aims to be both a mystery--where is the absent Jeremy, and is he still alive?--and a tense domestic drama (it is revealed the wild night included a sexual encounter between Dave and his wife's sister). The two aims never form a satisfying whole as they should. The mystery elements in particular are unconvincing: Jeremy is a thin and rather unsympathetic character in whom we the audience are not invested, and the ultimate resolution to his vanishing, while an intense image in and of itself, is also rote, failing to raise any lingering questions and instead inspiring a reaction to the tune of, "Oh, I see. Ouch. Not too surprising, though, considering the circumstances, to be honest." (The marital strife is more complicated and intriguing.) Superb performances, atmospheric visuals, and a general air of unease help, but the overall experience is still never as disturbing, engaging, or fresh as it should be.

C+

At first, I thought it was about:




'cause it's a 2012 song, or an older one: