Main Cast: Belinda McClory, John Brumpton, Frank Magree, Peter Docker, Anthea David
Release Year: 1998
Country: AU
Run Time: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
A honest police detective begins to crack under the strain of the cynicism and lawlessness surrounding her in the Australian crime drama Redball. The film opens with a sequence that's an apt metaphor for what follows -- two cops on the beat in Melbourne discover a body floating in the Yarra river and call in detectives to handle the matter. The plainclothes cops, however, prefer not to be bothered, and figure if they wait long enough, the body will float into another precinct's jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Jane Wilson (Belinda McClory), known to her friends as "JJ," is assigned with her partner Robbie Walsh (John Brumpton) to investigate a string of especially grisly child killings committed by an unknown lunatic the police have nicknamed Mr. Creep. While JJ has always been an idealist who tries to play fair and by the book, she's grown disgusted with the corruption and abuse of power that goes on around her, ranging from simple laziness in procedural matters to brutal violence and rape committed by her fellow officers. When evidence begins to suggest Mr. Creep may be a member of the police department, some of JJ's colleagues fear she's become worn to an emotional frazzle and may just break, bringing down not only herself but every member of the force who's not on the straight and narrow in the process. A violent and downbeat drama, Redball was shot on digital video and transferred to film for theatrical release, with its low-budget look enhancing the emotional grit of the story. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Cast
Belinda McClory - Jane JJ Wilson
John Brumpton - Robbie Walsh
Frank Magree - Chris Hill
Peter Docker - James Fry
Anthea David - Toni Johnston
Neil Pigot - David Wright; Damien Richardson - Richard Dixakos; James Young - Max Malleson; Robert Morgan - Mike Brown; Paulene Terry-Beitz - Dr. Rose Edwards; Daniel Wyllie - Ronny Spinks; Chris Hatzis - Allesandro Di Leon
Credit
Daniel Scharf - Associate Producer, Philip L. Parslow - Casting, Lisa Collins - Costume Designer, Cindy Clarkson - Editor, Philip L. Parslow - Producer, Frank Lipson - Sound/Sound Designer, Jock Healy - Sound/Sound Designer, Glenn Newnham - Sound/Sound Designer
