Worth: $14.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Joel Spira, Christopher Wagelin, Julia Sporre, Jacqueline Ramel
Intro:
… strikingly handsome …
Shame on Dry Land is a strikingly handsome film, with a suitably jarring, avant-garde soundtrack and a mysterious atmosphere, yet this thriller spends its first hour not really going anywhere…
It’s set in Malta, but its world is that of Swedish expats working in online gambling. Dimman (Joel Spira in a nuanced performance) arrives on the eve of his former friend and business partner’s wedding – he is uninvited and unwelcome, and the groom, Fredrik (Christopher Wagelin) is unimpressed. Dimman upended both of their lives with a fraudulent deed several years earlier, but he wants Fredrik’s forgiveness and friendship.
Dimman is also involved with the older, yacht-owning Kiki (an intriguing Jacqueline Ramel). Their relationship is hard to discern. Is there a real emotional connection or is this business? “Don’t forget who pulled you up from the bottom of the ocean,” Kiki says to Dimman, in a not-so-subtle reminder that he owes her.
The prodigal fraudster somehow gets involved with the upcoming nuptials, and also tails a financial inspector on Kiki’s request – complications arise, money is lost, and the drama and intrigue tantalise.
Action and emotions reach a dark crescendo – with sensational scenery and truly stunning cinematography adding to the thrills. These masterful scenes are followed by a rather twee coda, which may leave you feeling emotionally detached from what you’ve just seen, even if the film’s images continue to swim in your head.
