Animal Kingdom: Ben Mendelsohn’s Overlooked Performance

Nick and I hosted February’s movie group and chose to show Animal Kingdom, an Australian film by David Michod in his first effort as both writer and director. He has crafted a dark and moody thriller with a pace that is deliberately slower than most films of its kind. The film really benefits from the slowed down pacing and allows the characters to fully develop and you really appreciate the amazing performances from the entire cast. Jacki Weaver is outstanding as the matriarch of this crime family and her performance has already garnered her a lot of recognition and awards during the 2010-11 award season. However, I’d like to call out an equally strong performance by Ben Mendelsohn as the eldest brother “Pope”.

Mendelsohn delivers an extremely chilling performance. His character is pure evil. He internalizes his hatred. He is quiet, calculating, and demented and his rage is barely concealed below the surface of his frighteningly blank face. He speaks with eerie quietness that is very unnerving. Physically, he is the smallest of his brothers but his appearance is deceiving as you soon realize that it is often the weak looking ones that will do anything to compensate. He is cunning and unpredictable and his actions are almost always lethal.

Mendelsohn has two standout scenes that come to my mind. The first is between Pope and the youngest brother Darren. The scene takes place in the family kitchen after Pope has re-emerged from hiding. He is interested in quickly re-establishing his place as the “king” of the clan. Pope quietly and unrelentingly accuses Darren of being gay. By questioning Darren’s sexuality Pope is making Darren feel less of a man and Pope uses this strategy to let Darren know who is in charge and that this is simply how it’s going to be in the future.

The second scene takes place late at night while Air Supply’s music video “All Out of Love” plays. The song plays long enough to establish a mood for the scene but slowly the camera pans over to Pope sitting quietly on the couch. At that point, upon seeing Pope’s blank face, the mood of the scene shifts into something menacing. Pope’s next actions are very creepy as his eyes turn to his nephew’s unconscious girlfriend.

In a film full of excellent performances, Ben Mendelsohn is as an example of the adage that less is more. His subtle and subdued performance conveys a current of troubled emotions running deep inside. It is his performance that anchors the ominous and frightening tone of the film.