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| “…beautifully understated…” By Julian Wood Everyone, whether they are “grown up” or not, is fascinated by the lives of their parents, especially perhaps the parts that our parents chose not to share with us. It’s as if there is some myth of our origin lurking in those half-understood childhood glimpses, the door ajar, the mysterious business beyond... This beautifully understated film from early-career Kiwi director Brad McGann plays with these themes in a haunting way. Celia (exciting newcomer Emily Barclay) is a thoughtful teenager living in a small town whose father-hunger is assuaged by a friendship with Paul (rising star Mathew Macfadyen, who was so brilliant in the UK TV series The Way We Were), a taciturn war journalist who has returned to sort out his recently deceased father’s affairs. He bumps into Celia and, though initially distant with her, they form a bond based on their writerly-curiosity about the world. Others, including Paul’s sister-in-law Penny (Miranda Otto, right on cue as usual), don’t really get Paul and Celia’s intergenerational friendship. The film has a sting in the tail but it isn’t really as a thriller that it scores its main success. This is one of those films, like the recent and equally praiseworthy Somersault, which works on the unfussy authenticity of the characters. The more we see them on screen the more we believe in them, and the more we are drawn to their utterly human dilemmas. This is a serious and thoughtful film but never a laboured or preachy one. It is what it is, and it’s good too. For further information please contact: Elizabeth Trotman, Hoyts Distribution DDI: +(64)
9 306 7525 Kathleen Drumm, NZ Film Commission DDI: +
(64) 4 382 7685
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