MIFF 2024 Film Review - The Organist
Images courtesy of Common State.
Based on the title, it would be understandable if you assumed this film was about a musician who plays a large instrument featuring multiple keyboards and pipes.
No, The Organist (2024), directed by Andy Burkitt, is about the kind that are inside your body.
The story follows Graham (Jack Braddy), who provides “ethically sourced, locally grown organs” from people drowning in debt to dying patients who are wealthy enough to buy their way out of the organ donor system. A job is a job in this economy, and Graham thrives in his role until he discovers that the company he works for actually delivers premium dining experiences for cannibals. He teams up with Riley (Luke Fisher), a universal donor plagued by his karmic imbalance, to ensure organs are distributed justly to those in need and to escape the one true evil- the HR department.
This dark comedy gleams with pride for Melbourne. Trams ding past, Young & Jackson stands tall, and plans for the evening are demolished by replacement buses on the Lilydale line. Each of these minute details form Burkitt’s love letter to our city, perhaps an attempt to take the edge off the macabre themes of the film.
Burkitt loves zoomed-in shots. The viewer’s focus is often directed towards trivial things, such as writing on a mug, hands, or a sign in the background. He’s always giving the audience a hint about what to look at before introducing the scene, hence the lack of long panning shots.
The dynamic between Braddy and Fisher can only be likened to two lads playing handball with dynamite- they're having a great time, but you're also very concerned about where this is going. Their scenes together are both hilarious and stressful. Every moment shines.
Lena Moon, who plays Tracey from HR, steals every scene she is in. She adopts this scary baby voice with eerie Prep teacher-esque mannerisms that disturb the viewer. A comedic genius. You love to hate her.
I’m tempted to call this a modern Macbeth. As a former VCE English teacher, the quote "I am in blood / Stepped in so far that should I wade no more, / Returning were as tedious as go o'er" came to mind a lot. Burkitt questions how easily humanity can be lost given the right (or wrong) circumstances. Oddly, my takeaway from the film is that it is our connection with others that keeps us grounded. Burkitt just has a morbid way of putting it.
That takes guts.
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The Organist is screening as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, running in cinemas and online August 8th-25th.
For more info, click here.