The human experience
is often a haunted procession of memory and regret. While the sins
of the past are never truly forgotten, the vigor of youth is a powerful
ingredient in forming the future self. Steven J. Mihaljevich's (The
Misguided) debut feature film, The Xrossing is both of a
marriage of past and present and a somber provocation that decries ingrained
racism and a never-ending cycle of violence. Featuring a plethora of memorable
performances, pristine West Australia visuals, and an unforgettable story about
the power of forgiveness and the futility of revenge, this is a film that
deserves attention.
Three teenage friends are coming of age on the streets of Perth City, each of
them approaching their incoming adulthood on different paths beset with
violence, cruelty, love, and compassion. In the wake of a friend's
murder, the three boys begin a path of retribution that leads to unexpected
friendship and uncontrollable violence. Mihaljevich and Carl Maiorana's script
has a lived, organic quality that keeps the focus razor sharp. This is in
an independent, intimate story about the lives of people on the fringes of
society, the ones in the shadows falling between cracks. The dialogue has
a lyrical, tragic undertone that centers on cultural racism and its place
within Australia culture. Contrasting American flamboyancy with a quiet,
hopeful neo-fable, Mihaljevich populates his broken wonderland with a rogue's
gallery of interesting personas.
Kelton Pell steals the limelight as Bobby, an aboriginal man who becomes the target of hate as the suspected killer. His scenes are absolutely raw and heartbreaking, with Pell summating a lifetime of discrimination and superstition with a mere glance. His scenes with Luke Morgan's Chris are the lynchpin, creating a sense of awe that signals the coming darkness. Mihaljevich supports as Phoenix, a local crime boss who is in the orbit of the central trio. Taking a different path from his performance in The Misguided, Phoenix is a product of economic devastation and culturally instilled anger. If the horrors of the past are the fuel, his Phoenix is the present-day dynamite, unable to control what is coming until it is far, far too late.
Shane Pigott's ethereal camerawork maintains Mihaljevich's ambiance of a whispered disaster, bridging neo-noir sensibilities with modern notions of change and progress. The result is a bravura debut crafted by a cast and crew who clearly share a love for the medium. There are many cautionary tales about the dangers of hatred. Many cardboard cutout Oscar contenders often pontificate at arm's length about coming together and making positive changes. Here, Mihaljevich puts these niceties in the woods of Western Australia and buries them with some of the most genuinely sincere performances of the last decade.
Now available for
digital streaming, The Xrossing is a film that could have been a frothing
condemnation about failures of the system and youth in distress. Instead,
Mihaljevich presents a lowkey urban tragedy whose characters are so real, they
can’t help but to inspire empathy. This is a patient, challenging effort
that signals not only is its creator someone who understands the deep
fundamentals of bereavement, he is also someone who has a lot more to share
with the world.
--Kyle Jonathan