The Combination (2009) Reviews

• This Combination works all right!

  ptb-82009-02-19

  I urge you to see THE COMBINATION on a big screen in a good cinema with great sound! That is how i saw it last night and I was astonished at almost every part of this very slick crime thriller set in the teen world of Arab/Lebanese Western Sydney. Directed by Aussie actor David Field and with a stellar performance by Firass Dirani THE COMBINATION is right on target to identify a serious racial topic alive and festering in Australia: the idiotic crime aspirations of teen gangsters who learn from irresponsible 'gangsta' movies and music and then act them out in real life thus assigning themselves and their families to funerals and social distress. What a sharp movie! Made on a low budget and with it's social target well in sight, THE COMBINATION identifies the numerous factors in this suburban crime scene, from alienation by racial prejudice, fighting for no reason other than to be seen to be 'tough', the vicious stupidity of street fights, the catastrophe of the legacy of TuPac Shakur and the American gangsta image, and just plain teen anger amped into crime by media imagery. Finally a film that really identifies the root cause of teen boys killing each other in the suburbs... and the effect it has on their mothers, brothers, and friends. THE COMBINATION is seriously good cinema and George Basha whose book and lead role along with David Fields' direction makes this and Aussie/Lebanese film of major standout importance.

• Honest ethnic drama

  Philby-32009-03-21

  This is a little Aussie movie that packs a punch. With a not particularly original storyline (older brother gets out of jail and tries to stop younger brother from going down the gangs - drugs – crime – jail path, a la "American History X"), the film puts the story in a Lebanese-Australian context. These Lebanese have a Christian background yet are still treated as aliens by the Anglos. Not surprisingly gangs form and are exploited by local criminals (the police, by the way, are pretty well on the sidelines). What gives the story its power is the mapping out of the relationship of the older brother, former pro boxer John (George Basha) with his errant sibling Charlie (Firasss Dirani), and the effect of external pressures on their bond. John also develops an emotional relationship with a beautiful Anglo girl, Sydney, (Clare Bowen) but this is mild compared for the feelings he has for his family. There is plenty of headline stuff here, knifings in the street, drive-by shootings, teenage drug-dealing (cocaine seems to be the drug of choice these days) set against TV footage of our very own race riots at Cronulla in 2005.The ending, however, is not quite the disaster one might have expected. One interesting question raised is: just what are Aussie values anyway? John as a migrant kid finds that his Lebanese relatives see him as an Australian, while fellow pupils see him as Lebanese. His Anglo girlfriend's father spouts the assimilationist line, but by the end Sydney seems to have gone over to the Lebanese side. Charlies' school is an ethnic battleground and relationships between the ethnic groups do not seem to be improving. John, however, shows every sign of climbing out of the mire and the film ends on a hopeful note. David Field, a veteran character actor who specializes in downtrodden ocker types, has as a first time director come up with the aid of George Basha's script with a colorful, noisy dramatic, and yet authentic, story. He is aided by some standout performances from his leads and from a goodly number of not well-known but talented and experienced actors in some of the key supporting roles roles,. Doris Younane as John and Charlies' widowed mum Mary, John Brumpton as Sydney's dad and Michael Denkha as the local crime boss are particularly good, and the cinema photography and editing are first rate, though as I saw it screened there was a peculiar flicker. The script is pretty crisp, but some of the characters could have done with a little more of their back story. How did Zeus the gang leader (the burly Ali Haidler, very convincing) get to be such a menace, for instance? What happened to John and Charlie's dad? There was also a surprising gap in the storyline when, about a third of the way through the gang is involved in the knifing of another student. They flee the scene but are arrested by the cops at gunpoint. In the next scene Charlie is free as if nothing has happened, and there is no further reference to the incident. Even so, this is a bright start to Aussie movies for 2009, and the kerfuffle over it being withdrawn from some cinemas will have given it some much-needed publicity. Compared with "Underbelly", for example, this is a very honest piece of work.

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  RedSouls2010-08-02

  It's obvious the producers and director of the film were inspired by American History X, Boyz In the Hood, and other American movies which deal with multiculturalism, racism, and family. Unfortunately, inspiration alone does not meet the requirements when trying to produce a quality film. This film is a shining example of directors trying too hard to implement ideas from other movies into their films without building character structure, emotional investment, and atmosphere. The result of which is this film. The movie had so much more potential. The movie stars George Basha and Firass Dirani with supporting performances from Doris Younane and Clare Brown. The inexperience of the cast is made more obvious with each scene by director, David Field and this is not more obvious than in the melodramatic final scenes. The story revolves around Basha who plays John Markos, a Lebanese-Australian who has just been released from prison (we never know the reason or how long he has been in jail). On Johns return home, his mother, Mary, played by Doris Younane, greets him with open arms and is glad her son is home. He is also welcomed into his home by younger brother, Charlie, played by Firass Dirani (some Australians might remember him from the latest edition to the Underbelly series), who seems to have acquired some new friends since his brothers absence. The lack of a strong male presence in the household (their father died – don't know how, or when) seems to have had a dramatic effect on Charlie and John tries to steer his younger brother away from his new friends, guiding him, sometimes with brute force (not much of an example) towards a better future. Charlie has become more like his older brother and tries to make easy money because he doesn't want to work for a lousy three hundred dollars a week to clean toilets, especially if the owner of the place is Aboriginal. So, Charlie starts dealing drugs and is introduced to drug king pin Ibo, played by Michael Denkha who hires Charlie and his friend to run drugs for him. While this is going on, John tries to get his life in order by getting a job at the local gym and forming a relationship with Sydney, played by the beautiful Clare Brown. In spite of his older brother's best efforts, Charlie continues his path of self destruction. The rest of the movie deals with the consequences of being involved in gang activity and the growing relationship between John and Clare. The producer does not lack passion but rather direction and suffers from lack of subtlety. The writing is amateurish and this is can be seen in the outcome of the film, making the central performance of the piece somewhat insignificant and lacklustre. 2 stars of out 5.

• High hopes.

  Mozjoukine2009-03-04

  THE COMBINATION is the first Australian film to be shown in it's country of origin this year and it's already become a news story - not for it's quality but because there have been incidents between what we are told are Lebanese gang members and theatre staff. It would be nice if the film were to prove something substantial. What it is however is a passable gang warfare subject, made without undue sensationalism (it is particularly timid with sex) and preaching anti violence. The inclusion of recent race riot TV actuality tells us they want to be taken seriously. The film takes a predictable multicultural line with old Australia dismissed as football, beer and meat pies, as against the leather lounges and sumptuous Arab meals with music to which hard man writer-star Basha introduces so blonde object of his affections Bowen, who comes from a family where scotch on the rocks seems to be the main food item. The Lebanese gang has one Asian kid, though he does back off when it's time to face off with the so mean (white) drug pushers. Basha gets a job in a gym run by stand up aborigines. The white kids spit and mug solitary members of the other gang. The dynamic of school yard gangs is better, though we can't but wonder when the kids get to do any study, even though younger brother Dirani does once make it as far as the library. One note performances are strong and the Western Sydney setting is effective and still unfamiliar. Particularly choice are the pusher's neighbors urging Basha to blow the low life away in the film's most inventive scene. It would be nice to say this independently financed item was a break away from the blandness of funded filming here. However it is formula and lacks the dynamism of US films that covered this area - the work of Phil Karlson or young Scorsese and particularly American HISTORY X which appears to have inspired plot elements. Those involved attack with a determination that it would be nice to see rewarded with worthwhile careers but they have the dis-spiriting history of Astralian production against them.

• Terrible flick

  dba90002009-06-11

  This is a horrible film made to glorify Lebanese gangsters as hero's. Not to mention the acting is just stupid most of the time. Most of this film contains young Lebanese men purporting that their way of life is somehow more meaningful then those who obey laws and regulation of a country. Before a film showing Lebanese youth as hardcore gangsters, I think the creator should consider perhaps making a film based on a Australian-Lebanese people in a love story, its a better start to a Australian film industry in the eyes of the rest of the world. My advice is to rent a Bollywood musical instead, you'll feel better about life at the end of it.