When Todd takes Rory to meet his parents (Park and Brandt), it's clear where he gets it. Their conversations veer off in all kinds of riotous directions, usually with surreal results as they continually lose their train of thought and head off on tangents only to pick up the loose ends later. Todd is a mind-bogglingly fast-talker, and Rory gives him a run for his money. And to be honest, maybe Rory doesn't care. But when they start a relationship, the question of whether Todd is actually gay proves difficult to answer. Her free-association running commentary perfectly balances his rambling neuroses, and they soon begin to feel inseparable. Then he meets Rory (Findlay), an aspiring actress who has just lost her waitressing job. His friends (Drori and Scully) laugh, but his no-nonsense therapist (Thoms) gets it, gently prodding him to find himself. At its core, this is a warm, likeable film about self-discovery, or rather accepting a truth about yourself that you've known all along.Ĭripplingly obsessive, Todd (Sweeney) is so frightened of the idea of sex that he thinks he must be straight. Actor-filmmaker James Sweeney keeps the tone fizzy, allowing some serious edges to creep in between the funny-snarky lines. Tracie Thoms, Randall Park, Betsy Brandt, Joshua Diaz,īrendan Scannell, Ken Kirby, Grace Song, Hillary Anne MatthewsĬute and colourful, this breezy comedy explores the idea of a soulmate who isn't a romantic partner, and that maybe romance itself isn't as clear-cut as we think. With James Sweeney, Katie Findlay, Dana Drori, James Scully, Prd David Carrico, Ross Putman, James Sweeney For a prison break thriller, this film may seem rather low-key, but it carries a potent thematic kick. Annan cleverly keeps all of this present throughout the story, even if it remains mainly in the background. And the vile bigotry of guards and officials is palpable without ever being exaggerated. There are frequent references to the work of the ANC to challenge the government, and also to Mandela's very different kind of imprisonment on Robben Island. Since this is based on real events, the story has a proper sense of importance. And Winter adds scruffy charm as a fictionalised version of a fellow inmate. Hart provides gravitas as the cellblock's veteran leader. Even though Stephen is less defined by the script, Webber is also engaging. Radcliffe goes full-70s with long hair, bushy beard and huge specs, creating a solid character as a young man whose curiosity and honesty inform each decision. It also helps that Tim and Stephen are likeable idealists determined to do what they can to bring justice to a racist system of government. All of this is filmed without gimmicks, which makes it earthy and involving. Then as they begin testing their wooden keys and fine-tune their operation, unexpected hitches add to the suspense. The script carefully details their plans, including ingenious solutions to seemingly insurmountable obstacles. As political prisoners, Tim and Stephen don't believe their convictions are legal, so immediately begin plotting a breakout. The script gets straight to the point, opening with the leaflet bomb and trial. This requires Tim to create wooden copies of the keys their harsh guard (Page) carries around, so they can open the nine doors between them and freedom. Slowly a plan evolves to make their escape from the prison. In Pretoria Prison, they're held in a wing with other white prisoners of conscience, including long-icarcerated anti-apartheid activist Denis Goldberg (Hart) and French national Leonard (Winter). In 1978, Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee (Radcliffe and Webber) are convicted of distributing illegal literature using leaflet bombs. Shooting in Australia with an international cast, British director Francis Annan keeps the film authentically gritty. This provides some depth to the story, which is carefully staged to create tension from the detailed twists and turns of this outrageous escape. A straightforward prison-break thriller, this film has added interest because it's a true story about political activists locked up for fighting apartheid in late-1970s South Africa.
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