Tender Hook, The

Aroview: Noted for its production design and cinematography, this film captures the visual mood of 1920s Sydney to enfold a melodrama of corruption, infidelity, racism and power.

A porcelain femme fatale, a quietly ruthless boxing promoter, and his decent-hearted protege form the three sides of a love triangle that crosses and double-crosses its way towards a violent endgame. Clever devices abound: characters interact with archival footage and artefacts of obsolete film stock, anachronistic Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen songs are crooned in jazz clubs. A brave and modern film, this is not your average gangster flick.