The Eye of the Storm
Elizabeth Hunter (Charlotte Rampling) is an imperious Sydney matriarch whose impending demise has her wayward adult children (Geoffrey Rush and a devastatingly good Judy Davis) scurry to her deathbed with a lifetime of hurts and resentments in tow.
London-based thesp, Sir Basil, (Rush) and Francophile Dorothy (Davis, as a down-at-heel princess divorced from a French nobleman) are desperately keen to claim an inheritance; a fact that piques their still formidable mother's perverse sense of mischief. Rampling lends proceedings the required gravitas while also capturing Elizabeth's casual cruelty and unapologetic narcissism.
Based on the acclaimed novel by Patrick White, Schepisi's grandly conceived and handsomely produced adaptation also features note-worthy performances from Helen Morse, John Gaden, Robyn Nevin, Colin Friels and Alexandra Schepisi.
"Fred Schepisi's first Australian feature since Evil Angels (1988) is a classy production with a distinctly European feel" ScreenDaily
