Fair Game (1986)

Time for an Australian film, Fair Game - which of course is not the same as the legendary fiasco from 1995 with William Baldwin and that chick, whatshername, or that new one starring Sean Penn and that other woman I can't remember the name of. They all look the same anyway, women. Add a moustache or hat and it's easier to keep 'em apart. Anyway, Fair Game edited into that doc on Australian exploitation-films, Not Quite Hollywood, but that short clip doesn't say much about the movie itself, because it's actually not a bad movie. It's a damn fine movie I would say, even if it has a boob-scene that looks very exploitative when it's screened, but kinda fits in good to the rest of the movie without truly being exploitation.

Cassandra Delaney is Jessica, a smart farmer girl who (I think) owns a safe-heaven for animals. One day on the road she bumps into three rednecks who almost forces her off the road. She complains to the law, but no one cares, and soon the rednecks is out for revenge - just for fun. So they kill her animals and sexually abuse her (including putting her undressed in front of one of their trucks, driving like crazies at the same time). When they're finished with her they leave her... and now she's ready for her revenge! And it's gonna be brutal!

Every Aussie movie seem to have car chases and this one sure has a lot of car-related stunts, from the insane beginning - which has some very cool climbing-on-top-of-vehicles-stunts - to the violent driving later, often with one of the characters - who must have been a stuntman also - doing the most dangerous stuff on top and around the car. Lotsa cool stuff. But this is mostly a fantastic and very simple story about a woman who just won't give up. Cassandra Delaney is great. This is the first time I've seen her, but she rules the screen every time she's in frame - and she's visible most of the movie, in one state or another.

The three rednecks are three very distinctive characters, and all of them are extremely annoying and unsympathetic. There's no try to explain their behaviour, and I'm just thankful for that. Because this is a revenge-movie and there's not need to forgive any characters or in any way feel form them. They deserves what's coming. What's even more interesting with Fair Game it feels more like an adventure than action, or survival-horror - but in bright sunlight instead. It's a fresh take on the old story and it's odd that it's not more famous than it is.

Maybe because it's set in the Australian wilderness and the female character is so strong and good? I think especially a male audience, and we all know that the majority of men out there are assholes, just don't like a movie where we only root for the woman. I mean, even in I Spit on Your Grave they have a weak sensitive character, a male victim, that we actually feel for somehow (not all of course, but the character is there for a reason - so the male audience won't feel so bad). Forget that in Fair Game. Here you have three ugly motherfuckers and one great lady.

A surprise for me, a really good movie. Recommended to each and everyone who feels for some "ozploitation".