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AndrewT-2
Reviews
Look Both Ways (2005)
A joyful film about death
I saw this new Australian film several days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. A joyful film about death sounds like impossible but this one does it, brilliantly. The acting is just right - not showy, doesn't get in the way of the storytelling, understated but terrific. The lead actress is wonderful, just perfect for the part - awkward, uncertain, and very funny. Some of the actors who appear in several scenes have no lines, or only a handful, but this just underscores the quiet intensity of the script.
It reminded me of some of Altman's best stuff, separate story threads that wind in and out of each other, sometimes intimately intertwined and sometimes very briefly touching. Can't think of any other movie it compares to very closely, State and Main would be the nearest I can think of, although this is less of a comedy and more a thinking and feeling film.
I've no idea if or when it's going to get released elsewhere, but catch it if you can.
Somersault (2004)
A triumph of the filmmaker's art
This is a beautiful lyrical film, quite atypical for recent Australian fare (ie it's good). They've bravely foregone the obvious and stereotypical locations such as beach, outback or suburbia, and set it in Australia's high country, the Snowy Mountains. The bleak but beautiful landscapes reminded me of some Russian films.
The lead actress plays a girl on the cusp of womanhood to perfection, she swings from adolescent to adult to child in a heartbeat. The lead actor was if anything better, although less immediately eye-catching. His portrayal of a young man too afraid to acknowledge his feelings to himself is superb.
Unreservedly recommended.