“Roxburgh is excellent as Greste … The script seems to be faithful to the story and this is where the film struggles … Here is a film crying for a good edit to increase the tension”
Con Nats
3.5 backgammon rolls
When Australian journalist Peter Greste filled a three week gig in Egypt during the 2013
coup he didn’t realise it would turn into a 10 month prison stay. More than 12 years later it
has finally been turned into a film.
Peter Greste (Richard Roxborough) worked for Al Jazeera when taking an assignment at the last minute. New President Assisi hated Al Jazeera and their Muslim ties, so Peter and his two crew are arrested for working for a terrorist organisation.
At first he is placed in solitary confinement where he is befriended by another activist who
tells him if he was leave there intact, he needed to make peace with his demons. This explains Greste flashbacks to an assignment with Kate Peyton, in a great cameo performance from Yael Stone. It gives Greste’s character and journey more depth. He is eventually reunited with his colleagues Mohamed Fahmy (Julian Maroun) and the backgammon master Rahel (Baher Mohamed). There is conflict between Greste and
Mohamed over their tactics and Rahel is comic, but these are support roles for Greste. There is an interesting and productive relationship with the warden, another backgammon lover.
This film has attracted some big -name players. Roxburgh is excellent as Greste and
captures his awkwardness. Yael Stone has come out of semi-retirement for this. Peter
Duncan (Rake) has adapted Greste’s book with a fine touch and Kriv Stenders (Red Dog)
directs.
The script seems to be faithful to the story and this is where the film struggles. The pace is
laborious. There is no reason to watch every long walk to the court room. Greste has three
scenes with the warden, but there is no reason to show the invitation, walk and wait for his
admin assistant to let him in. There is the involvement of the Latvian government which
seems to lead nowhere. Or did it? Here is a film crying for a good edit to increase the
tension.
As much of the story is in the public domain there’s no need to hide the ending. Greste
returns but the fate of journalism is as grim as ever. There are names of journalists killed
recently during the credits. Turkey has just expelled all foreign journos for no reason other
than reporting on protests. Many have been killed in Gaza. In the US, 60 Minutes is being
sued by Trump for editing the interview with Kamala Harris for $20 billion. MSNBC recently
settled a multi-million court case it would have won. In Australia journalists had their homes searched after revealing the illegal actions of soldiers and their rights to protect sources overturned by a politician since evicted from his party. There was no outcry.
It might not be the most entertaining project this cast and crew have worked on, but it is
certainly one of their most important.
3.5 Backgammon rolls
Con Nats, On The Screen
