Henry’s entrapment begins on a long bus trip from Queensland to West Australia, during which underling undercover cop Paul (Steve Mouzakis) chums up with him. Viewers are in the dark for the first few minutes, until Paul, at the end of the trip, hands Henry over to more senior cop Mark, posing as a mid-level criminal. From that moment, it’s clear to viewers - but not to Henry - a sting is under way.
Mark befriends Henry, according to the sting’s plan, although a few odd outbursts and behaviours from Henry shock Mark and hint that Henry’s on to him. Much of the action takes place in shadows. Fittingly, eerie lighting and weird sounds set the tone: things to hide, hard to know who can be trusted.
While reassuring Henry that he’ll be protected during a drug deal, Mark stipulates that Henry tells all his secrets. All of them. Nothing must discredit the organisation or cause their plans to unravel. By now, Henry’s been won over. He spills his secrets. The sting succeeds.
Director Thomas Wright takes us in and out of the police’s undercover briefings, with intriguing insights into the scale of such an operation, the intricate planning involved. The plotting, script and acting are brilliant.
Mark’s a dedicated, respected cop, with a tender co-parenting relationship with his son, who’s the same age as abducted Daniel Morcombe. It’s ingenious, and subtle, to have a healthy fun-loving child in the cast, bringing Daniel’s horrific plight into the foreground. No need for flashbacks. But Mark is also something of an enigma, tormented by frightening dreams. Are they hauntings or premonitions? He seems to be disconnected, a stranger, even to himself.
A traumatised policeman, a hounded criminal walking into a trap, a child… all are victims and all arouse different levels of sympathy. Clever filmmaking.
Highly recommended.
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