Ordinary, middle-aged, married guy Ray (David Roberts) has somehow gotten into an affair with beautiful young neighbor Carla (Claire van der Boom), who has a shady boyfriend, Smithy (Anthony Hayes). She's quite a femme, but is she fatale? If that sounds like a noir setup, it is. When Carla decides to lift Smithy's ill-gotten gains to fund the illicit couple's getaway.
The scheme eventually requires Ray's help and just a bit of arson.The strongest sides of "The Square," nominated for seven Australian Film Institute awards, are its "Tell-Tale Heart"-like twists. In for a penny, in for a pounding, and Ray's mental health is treated roughly as he's drawn in deeper and deeper.
But the angles don't meet in the key relationship between Ray and Carla. We're not sure what's between them: love, lust, both or neither. That may be the filmmaker's intent, but it lowers the stakes. As one might expect from stuntman-turned-director Nash Edgerton, the action is well-staged.
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