Smash Palace Reviews

Former racing champ Al Shaw (Bruno Lawrence) returns to his native New Zealand to take over his father's old auto junk shop. Accompanying him is his pregnant European wife, Jacqui (Anna Jemison), who through the years grows tired of her husband and goes to live with his best friend, police officer Ray Foley (Keith Aberdein). The crazed Shaw attempts reconciliation by kidnapping his daughter and running off into the bush, forcing a widespread hunt for the missing child. Although the plot is fairly thin, the concentration is on the characters and on the growing tension between the married couple. The result is a pointed look into the formation and dissolution of a relationship where neither person is to blame. Lawrence is outstanding as the self-absorbed man whose personality undergoes massive changes in the course of the film.