I saw this without watching the trailer or reading anything bah it.

Eric Bana and a mystery movie set in the dry Australian outbacks were suffice to pull me in.

The film moves at a slow pace but it never gets boring.

Picnic at Hanging Rock, Flashbacks of a Fool, Chinatown, etc came to my mind while viewing this.

The Dry engages throughout, though turns everything on its head after some time.

Bana solid in the lead role, his character takes leaps though and seems certain of them. Can only assume he'll let it be known in the end, as he takes the bag with him. It shouldn't really have ended there though, as it fails to fully resonate. Unusual to have consistent flashbacks with half those in the flashbacks dead and one of those depicted as the villain all the way. A tad PC, it is however one of the best film's of the year and worthwhile.

I do not know the book this is based on - so I can't compare how faithful it is to the book. It does seem to take certain characters and manages to put them in the film though - I can imagine that the hotel owner is in the book too ... and what a fine casting they did on him - and all the other people too of course. Eric Banas father in this ... I could see him as his real father (judging from the last names it does not seem to be the case though).

So great actors and a really good story to say the least. It may start off quite dry ... and it does take its sweet time. But it uses the time to introduce us to the people involved and makes us second guess every move, every word and everyone we see ... is there more to him or her? Very likely ... a town/village full of lies ... lies to protect oneself or a loved one ... secrets that haunt almost everyone. Secrets that seem laughable, but could hurt someones reputation ... and other sins (not just from the father(s)) ... a really well done, dry movie, with a powerhouse performance by Eric Bana, but also anyone else that is on screen at any given time!