Dope (2004)

Dope: Directed by James Harkness. With Miranda Bien-Lim, Alison Bramich, Maris J. Caune, Peter Chiverton. In the sinful city streets life can be tough on the human heart, and in Laura’s world now frequented by junkies, dealers, thugs and cops, she knows, just like the rest of them that losing your head can leave you for dead. A gun-shot reverberates through the city streets intertwining the destinies of all these lost souls;can they outrun it? Or will the truth about love hit them all? Laura is not finding it easy, especially when the nation is transfixed by LAW TV, the televised trial of two cops for viciously beating and shooting Trevor Lyons, a gifted and attractive soccer player; because as it turns out, Jack, her first lover, might just be involved. JIM a snitch paid with heroin is most certainly implicated. But it is RUSSELL, her unexpected new love who triggers the realization of her intense re-occurring dream; and her sexual awakening. Shot of Love; they’re all dying to get their hands on it.

“u0026quot;Dopeu0026quot; was the original title of the highly acclaimed Australian feature u0026quot;Shot of Loveu0026quot; released illegally under this name and prematurely as it had not yet received itu0026#39;s final cut. The themes of this brave piece are highly controversial and, more importantly, highly relevant, which will undoubtedly be more than some conservative Australian viewers are able to digest. Itu0026#39;s accurate portrayal of the homeless and the drug-dependent are eye-opening, exceptionally well performed and break all the tedious stereotypes that so often appear in both film and television. The narrative, is undoubtedly intriguing and complex, but is also highly intelligent and allows for insight into the complicated minds and lives of the intertwined characters. As for the racial conflict that takes place, few Australian films have approached the topic on such a domestic level, with such insight. Paralleling the love story between the multicultural lead characters Laura and Russell, we see the trial of an Indigenous Australian man unfairly accused of abusing a Caucasian female in the form of u0026quot;Law TVu0026quot;, a reality television show. Whilst there are indeed moments when Laura is quite open about her racial ignorance, it should not be perceived as literal, but rather as satirical which was obviously the writeru0026#39;s intent. These moments of honesty and clarity are a part of Laurau0026#39;s awakening, as is also evident in the beautifully shot intimate scenes. u0026quot;Shot of Loveu0026quot; is sexy and intelligent. The films intention is clear; we all have our vices, our drug of choice, and we all abuse. u0026quot;Shot of Loveu0026quot; contains some outstanding performances, vital messages and Writer/Director J.Harkness and his team should be applauded for achieving the almost impossible, succeeding in getting quality Australian film off the ground! A must see!”