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3 Acts Of Murder (DVD)
Year:
Rating: M
Distributor: ABC
FILMINK rates DVDs and Blu-rays out of 5
Should art be held accountable if it inspires someone's violent acts? Questions of artistic (in this case, authorial) guilt and responsibility are examined in the compelling 3 Acts Of Murder.
During The Great Depression, Arthur Upfield (Robert Menzies) is toiling as a novelist and wrestling with memories of his service in The Great War. One day, "Snowy" Rowles (Luke Ford) breezes into town, looking for work, but really hoping for quick and easy money. Upfield befriends Snowy, who listens with great interest as he attempts to construct the perfect murder scenario for a novel. Unbeknownst to Upfield, Snowy begins turning Upfield's fiction into reality. The notoriety of the book's association with Snowy's crimes propels sales and makes Upfield's name. The author is anguished by a combination of excitement at his fame, an unwavering idolisation of Snowy, and an emerging sense of responsibility for Snowy's actions.
Menzies is utterly compelling as Upfield, his neuroses and twitchy insecurity always just under the surface. He is well supported by a strong cast and script by Ian Davies. Director Rowan Woods (The Boys, Little Fish) shoots in a lean, spare style that suits the material perfectly, providing another example of his considerable skills. Also included is a reasonably interesting making-of featurette.