''Alexandra's Project'' is a 2003 Australian

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

written and directed by

Rolf de Heer Rolf de Heer (born 4 May 1951) is a Dutch Australian film director. De Heer was born in Heemskerk in the Netherlands but migrated to Sydney when he was eight years old.

and starring Gary Sweet and Helen Buday.

Plot

Upon returning home from work on his birthday, Steve, a middle class husband and father of two, finds the house dark and his family not home. He notices a chair, his television set, and a video tape obviously set out for his viewing. He turns the TV and VCR on, and begins to watch a tape made for him by his wife, Alexandra. The first clip shows his wife and children wishing him a happy birthday, but after the kids leave the room, Alexandra begins a striptease, and it appears to be nothing more than a birthday gift. As it progresses, however, it becomes clear that the tape is designed to humiliate and torture Steve for marital problems that Alexandra has been stewing about for years. As part of her 'show', Alexandra feigns breast cancer, has sex with their neighbour, and tells Steve that neither she nor their two children are ever coming home.

Cast

* Gary Sweet as Steve * Helen Buday as Alexandra * Bogdan Koca as Bill * Jack Christie as Sam * Samantha Knigge as Emma * Eileen Darley as Christine * Geoff Revell as Rodney * Philip Spruce as Taxi Driver * Nathan O'Keefe as Man at Door * Peter Greena as Chairman * Martha Lott as Female Worker * Cindy Elliott as Female Worker * Gemma Falk as Female Worker * Nicole Daniel as Female Worker * Duncan Graham as Male Worker * Michael Ienna as Male Worker

Production

De Heer originally wanted to make the film so he could use a single location and use up various fragments of ideas he had accumulated.

Release

The film's world premiere was 14 February 2003 as part of the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

and was released regularly as Cinema release on 8 May 2003 in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Reception

Box office

''Alexandra's Project'' took $844,494 at the box office in Australia.

Critical reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

the film has rating of 53% based on 19 reviews, with an average 5.56/10 rating. The Cultural Post gave it three out of five stars.

Accolades

Home media

''Alexandra's Project'' was released by Fandango Australia / Palace Films as a DVD in 2003.

References

External links

*
Alexandra's Project at the National Film and Sound Archive
* {{Rolf de Heer 2003 films Australian thriller films 2003 thriller films Films directed by Rolf de Heer Films set in abandoned houses Films set in South Australia 2000s English-language films Films scored by Graham Tardif English-language thriller films