Two Hands
The Aussie crime film that made stars of Heath Ledger and Rose Byrne, Two Hands follows a young guy named Jimmy (Ledger) who finds himself neck-deep in trouble after losing $10,000 belonging to a local gangster named Pando (Bryan Brown). Now, Jimmy must pay Pando back by the end of the week, or disappear forever like his older brother. Meanwhile, a young country girl named Alex (Byrne) finds herself caught up in Jimmy's troubles. A smash hit at the time of its release, Two Hands is Australia's answer to Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Available on Kanopy (requires an eligible library membership)
Animal Kingdom
Feeling like a Greek tragedy set in Melbourne's criminal underworld, Animal Kingdom is a masterful film about a crime family (led by the astonishing Jacki Weaver) that begins to fall apart during an increasingly violent war with the police. Orphaned 17-year-old Joshua (James Frecheville) joins the family right around this tumultuous time, and must find a way to navigate both the family and a nosy detective (Guy Pearce) while steering clear of his dangerous uncle, Andrew (Ben Mendelsohn).
Available on Kanopy (requires an eligible library membership)
Lion
A tear-jerker of the highest order, this Australian-made instant classic tells the true story of a young Indian man named Saroo (Dev Patel) who fell asleep on a train as a very young child and was unable to find his way back home. Living on the streets of Calcutta for years, thousands of kilometres from home, the boy is eventually adopted by an Australian couple (played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham) who raise the child in their home country. Unable to shake the mother and brother he was separated from, a college-aged Saroo is determined to find his family once again, despite having only a vague memory of his former home. Incredibly powerful, Lion's ending is absolutely guaranteed to turn you into a blubbering mess.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
Following the death of his father, Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) is left to look after his mentally-challenged brother (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his morbidly-obese mother (Darlene Cates). Though his future looks pretty grim, Gilbert's outlook on life begins to change when he meets and falls for a young woman (Juliette Lewis) who's new in town. Though he's been incredible in countless films, Leonardo DiCaprio has never been better than in What's Eating Gilbert Grape – it's the kind of astounding performance that will be studied in acting schools for decades to come. Depp also does a terrific job in a subtle and understated performance. A must-see.
