Rent To Have and to Hold (1996)
3.0 of 5 from 55 ratings
1h 39min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
From the acclaimed director of The Proposition comes a dark and brooding tale of obsession and betrayal. When Jack's wife dies mysteriously, he takes a trip to Melbourne. There he meets Kate - the very likeness of his dead wide - and, after romancing her, successfully persuades her to come and live with him in the jungle. Initially, their days are spent making love and being happy. But it isn't long before Jack's obsession with his dead wife takes over, and Kate soon fears that her life in paradise has become a hell on earth which she will never survive. Intense performances and an atmospheric soundtrack by Nick Cave make this an unforgettable thriller that will have you gripped until its final, devastating climax. - Actors:
- Tchéky Karyo, Rachel Griffiths, Steve Jacobs, Anni Finsterer, David Field, Larry Lavai, John Parinjo, Ura Eri, Dorothy Elserman, Jim Gosden, Mona Buie, Zea Warusam, Jackie DuBois-Stanton, Fiamma DeLacy, Robert Kunsa, Kelly Namu, Harrison Tabuai, Arama Tabuai, Jason Ross-Azikiwe
- Directors:
- John Hillcoat
- Writers:
- Gene Conkie, John Hillcoat
- Studio:
- Tartan
- Genres:
- Drama, Thrillers
- Countries:
- Australia
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Reviews (1) of To Have and to Hold
Peculiar - To Have and to Hold review by AER
This peculiar Australian film from the mid 1990s fails to get under the main characters' skin. However, with better characterisation and more sympathetic editing this could have been a compelling drama - thriller. Set in Papua New Guinea, Jack (TCHEKY KARYO - BAD BOYS) and his new wife Kay (RACHEL GRIFFITHS - MURIEL'S WEDDING) live in a rural community where they mix with the natives and a few rough ex-pats. Jack's former wife, Rose died under mysterious circumstances. After a few incidents see him begin to unspool it becomes apparent to her that Jack is playing out his marriage all over again with her in the Rose role. Things turn murderous when she realises that she is effectively his prisoner and there's no one who can help. The plot is as muddy as the river in the film and the actors splash around unconvincingly until the mystery of Rose's death becomes apparent and Jack finally flips.
An interesting back drop and location make this just about watchable, but mostly it's a botch best forgotten. Director John Hillcoat went on to make much better films after this like THE PROPOSITION and LAWLESS...
Turgid, muddled and badly scripted.
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