BUCKLEY'S CHANCE
***
Director: Tim Brown
Screenplay: Tim Brown and Willem Wennekers
Principal cast:
Bill Nighy
Milan Burch
Victoria Hill
Kelton Pell
Ben Wood
Anthony Gooley
Country: Canada/Australia
Classification: PG
Runtime: 95 mins.
Australian release date: 24 June 2021.
Buckley’s Chance is something of an oddity, in that it’s hard to judge the audience for which it is made. A Canadian/Australian co-pro, it is a family film, certainly, but there’s something quite old-fashioned about it, so it’s hard to imagine modern-day teens, or even tweens, finding it appealing, which only leaves families with little ones to fill seats. Yes, it has the ever-reliable Bill Nighy in a leading role but his presence probably won’t be enough to draw the crowds the filmmakers would be hoping for. It is reminiscent of Terry Bourke’s 1978 production of Little Boy Lost and feels like it could have been made then, too. The movie’s Canadian director and co-writer, Tim Brown, is unabashed about admitting that one of his primary motivations for making the film is that he wanted to visit Australia but is that a good enough reason? Indeed, it might have worked better if he’d set it in the Canadian wilderness and used a young wolf instead of a dingo as co-star, à la Alpha.
Nighy plays Spencer, the solitary owner of an outback station called ‘Buckley’s Chance’ in the far west of New South Wales (the film was shot near Broken Hill). Out of the blue, his daughter-in-law Gloria (Victoria Hill) arrives with his 12-year-old grandson Ridley (Milan Burch) in tow, neither of whom he has met before. It transpires that Spencer’s son left the station many years earlier, before moving to the USA where he started a new life, severing all contact with his father. Now, Gloria and Ridley have left their home in New York because they are grieving due to the recent death of Ridley’s dad and the lad is suffering; Gloria is hoping that a new environment on the other side of the world will help her son get over the loss of his father. Spencer reluctantly agrees to put them up and does his best to bond with Ridley but it’s not easy. On an overnight camping trip, the recalcitrant boy takes off into the bush and, before Spencer catches up with him, he finds an ensnared dingo, which he releases and bonds with. This act of kindness is repaid later on when Ridley becomes truly lost and he meets up with the dingo once more when he is on the run from a couple of bumbling baddies (Ben Wood and Anthony Gooley). As the search for the kid intensifies, his friendship with the dingo, who Ridley has called ‘Buckley’, becomes crucial to his survival in the unforgiving outback.
Buckley’s Chance is a good-looking film, thanks to the locations and Aussie cinematographer Ben Nott’s excellent camerawork (he also shot Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, among many others). Nighy does a convincing Australian accent (he’s mastered the art of speaking while barely opening his mouth, keeping the bushflies out) and authentically portrays Spencer’s gruff exterior crumbling as he becomes more attached to his new family. Kelton Pell is terrific as Spencer’s station manager Jules; he steals the show and gives the most genuine performance in the entire movie. Young Milan Burch is passably good but this is his first feature film role and he is still a little unsure of himself. Other supporting parts are all well-played.
It’s a shame that Buckley’s Chance has had its school holiday-timed release marred by the arrival of COVID-19’s Delta variant and many cities have been forced back into lockdown as a result. One suspects that it will now have Buckley’s chance of success at the cinema. On a brighter note, however, the real returns for this unassuming little film would probably have been on streaming channels anyway, where families can see it in the safety of their own homes.
Screenplay: Tim Brown and Willem Wennekers
Principal cast:
Bill Nighy
Milan Burch
Victoria Hill
Kelton Pell
Ben Wood
Anthony Gooley
Country: Canada/Australia
Classification: PG
Runtime: 95 mins.
Australian release date: 24 June 2021.
Buckley’s Chance is something of an oddity, in that it’s hard to judge the audience for which it is made. A Canadian/Australian co-pro, it is a family film, certainly, but there’s something quite old-fashioned about it, so it’s hard to imagine modern-day teens, or even tweens, finding it appealing, which only leaves families with little ones to fill seats. Yes, it has the ever-reliable Bill Nighy in a leading role but his presence probably won’t be enough to draw the crowds the filmmakers would be hoping for. It is reminiscent of Terry Bourke’s 1978 production of Little Boy Lost and feels like it could have been made then, too. The movie’s Canadian director and co-writer, Tim Brown, is unabashed about admitting that one of his primary motivations for making the film is that he wanted to visit Australia but is that a good enough reason? Indeed, it might have worked better if he’d set it in the Canadian wilderness and used a young wolf instead of a dingo as co-star, à la Alpha.
Nighy plays Spencer, the solitary owner of an outback station called ‘Buckley’s Chance’ in the far west of New South Wales (the film was shot near Broken Hill). Out of the blue, his daughter-in-law Gloria (Victoria Hill) arrives with his 12-year-old grandson Ridley (Milan Burch) in tow, neither of whom he has met before. It transpires that Spencer’s son left the station many years earlier, before moving to the USA where he started a new life, severing all contact with his father. Now, Gloria and Ridley have left their home in New York because they are grieving due to the recent death of Ridley’s dad and the lad is suffering; Gloria is hoping that a new environment on the other side of the world will help her son get over the loss of his father. Spencer reluctantly agrees to put them up and does his best to bond with Ridley but it’s not easy. On an overnight camping trip, the recalcitrant boy takes off into the bush and, before Spencer catches up with him, he finds an ensnared dingo, which he releases and bonds with. This act of kindness is repaid later on when Ridley becomes truly lost and he meets up with the dingo once more when he is on the run from a couple of bumbling baddies (Ben Wood and Anthony Gooley). As the search for the kid intensifies, his friendship with the dingo, who Ridley has called ‘Buckley’, becomes crucial to his survival in the unforgiving outback.
Buckley’s Chance is a good-looking film, thanks to the locations and Aussie cinematographer Ben Nott’s excellent camerawork (he also shot Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, among many others). Nighy does a convincing Australian accent (he’s mastered the art of speaking while barely opening his mouth, keeping the bushflies out) and authentically portrays Spencer’s gruff exterior crumbling as he becomes more attached to his new family. Kelton Pell is terrific as Spencer’s station manager Jules; he steals the show and gives the most genuine performance in the entire movie. Young Milan Burch is passably good but this is his first feature film role and he is still a little unsure of himself. Other supporting parts are all well-played.
It’s a shame that Buckley’s Chance has had its school holiday-timed release marred by the arrival of COVID-19’s Delta variant and many cities have been forced back into lockdown as a result. One suspects that it will now have Buckley’s chance of success at the cinema. On a brighter note, however, the real returns for this unassuming little film would probably have been on streaming channels anyway, where families can see it in the safety of their own homes.