Elizabeth Hunter controls all in her life - society, her staff, her children; but the once great beauty will now determine her most defiant act as she chooses her time to die.
Serious-minded, literate dramas are few and far between outside Oscar season, and until a tired third act, The Eye of the Storm just about manages to live up to its illustrious pedigree.
The movie proceeds at a measured and reverent pace, a little unfocused, but with intelligent performances from three heavyweight acting talents.
Six Degrees of Separation director Fred Schepisi strives effectively to mine the gold in Patrick White's social study. Top notch performances from the stellar cast help him nail the book's citric tone.
The Eye Of The Storm may be old-fashioned but it is also a satisfying exploration of the way we can hurt the ones we might have loved the most.
It's a chilly, cruel film about characters that are difficult to like or warm to, and it obviously means a great deal to a country that for so long rejected its greatest writer. The performances are excellent and it's photographed with great sensitivity by Ian Baker who has lit all but one of Schepisi's films since his debut with The Devil's Playground in 1976.
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