While She Was Out

R4 DVD

All Interactive

Web: http://www.allinteractive.com.au

“While She Was Out” is a suspense driven thriller with superb cinematography, intense and visceral explosions of violence and offers more than first meets the eye. The first section of the film is an uncomfortable exploration of a woman unhappy with her lot in life. She has two adorable children but an abusive and violent husband and is unable to deal with the demands of the life he requires of her. Basinger plays the role of Della superbly and brings an edge of bitterness mixed with sadness which is quite believable. The slow long film shots of the streets around the “gated community” in which she lives and the deliberately bright colours used on the Christmas decorations and lights offer a juxtaposition to the mess the house is in which to highlight the emotional struggle going on inside of her.

After another potentially violent argument Della heads off to the mall to pick up some wrapping paper to prepare the presents for her children. It is during these first scenes that subtle events occur that make the viewer wonder if all is as it seems. She buys a Tea and even when she tells the woman her name is spelt with two ll’s, she writes her name on the cup with one. The charger is missing from her phone and her credit card has been cancelled. Do these events mean anything or are they simply these to enhance the mood of edginess we feel. The way in which Della is filmed emphasizes her loneliness and alienation, she wanders in the Christmas crowd at the local Mall and yet seems isolated from it, she meets an old friend and yet seems somehow out of whack with the rich crowd which her lifestyle demands she associates.

She has trouble finding a parking spot and so parks in a more isolated location. Furious that a car is taking up two spots, she leaves a rude note on the owner’s car. When she returns the owners of the car pull in behind her and a confrontation unfolds. A gang of unruly thugs egg each other on as they abuse and degrade her. When a parking officer intervenes they shoot him in the head and this is the beginning of what is essentially a hunt. The shooting of the officer is impressively presented and comes as quite a shock, it moves the whole film up a notch and it the beginning of the violence “set pieces” which occur throughout the film. Rather than using constant violence, “While She Was Out” uses sporadic explosions of violence which have far more effect. Coupled with the relentless tension created by the cat and mouse game between the gang and Della this proves extremely suspenseful.

Della escapes in her car but crashes into a building site in an “edge of your seat” scene where a metal pipe only just misses her head. She hides in the building site and when confronted by the group, smacks their leader (Lukas Haas) in the shoulder with a metal spanner (breaking his collar bone) and again escapes. However in the melee one of the group is trampled and dies and so the gang, fuelled with revenge, hunt her through the surrounding forest.

Only armed with a tool box she is pursued by the gang of thugs but turns her bitterness and anger against them one by one. It is impressive what a woman can do with the tools she has on hand ! The hunt is visceral and suspenseful and the confrontations brutal, the climax is powerful as she turns the gang’s leader emotional manipulation and sexuality against him and escapes to return home. Now empowered, she takes one final step to freedom.

“While She was Out” is striking film. It is beautifully filmed and creates a sense of dread and suspense before anything out of the ordinary has even occurred. Kim Basinger is impressive as Bella and the performances all round are convincing. The interactions between the gang members and male macho and bravado are all too real.

On one level this could be seen simply as a “revenge film” but I think that misses the many textures within the filmmaking which adds a further dimension to the story and makes it really worth seeing.