There is much to love about 'A Month of Sundays'. What leaps out at this viewer within its first few minutes is the distinctive rhythm and flow of this quite unique Australian feature. It's not only the pacing; its the wonderfully quixotic score by Bryony Marks; the languid editing of veteran Ken Sallows; and the off beat wry dialogue exemplified by the early repartee between satirist supremo John Clarke's 'Phillip' and Anthony La Paglia's 'Frank'. The film never adheres to the expected trajectory of contemporary drama, preferring to lurch in one direction of social satire only to abandon that and veer into deeply personal territory and in so doing giving the flawed protagonist played beautifully here by La Paglia, his hero's journey.
'A Month of Sundays' would be worth recommending alone on the above mentioned observations, but then there's the national treasure that is Julia Blake. The legendary stage and screen actress has been a familiar face for decades; and I first fell in love with her in 1979 in a TV series called 'Twenty Good Years'. There has always been an elegance but a strength and power to Julia's performances and age has neither wearied her talent nor her beauty. An alumni of Paul Cox's films as well as many other film makers, Ms Blake gives a dignified and moving performance here; one that deserves an AACTA nomination if not the prize. The chemistry that La Paglia and Blake share is crucial to the success of the narrative, and the viewer buying the coincidences and conceit that the film is built around. I can see why some other reviewers have not been able to get on board with this most unusual but universal story.
It is refreshing to experience an exploration of grief and loss and the trauma of having faced those elements - for better and worse! La Paglia's Frank may or may not be destined to be one of life's losers. A modern day Willie Loman he may well be. This movie could be espousing the philosophy that it is not what happens to you in life; it's how you deal with it. The flawed but identifiable characters in 'A Month of Sundays' ring true and that is a huge part of the movie's success. That and casting such talented people with a smartly written and directed script by Matthew Saville. It's well worth the ride.
'A Month of Sundays' would be worth recommending alone on the above mentioned observations, but then there's the national treasure that is Julia Blake. The legendary stage and screen actress has been a familiar face for decades; and I first fell in love with her in 1979 in a TV series called 'Twenty Good Years'. There has always been an elegance but a strength and power to Julia's performances and age has neither wearied her talent nor her beauty. An alumni of Paul Cox's films as well as many other film makers, Ms Blake gives a dignified and moving performance here; one that deserves an AACTA nomination if not the prize. The chemistry that La Paglia and Blake share is crucial to the success of the narrative, and the viewer buying the coincidences and conceit that the film is built around. I can see why some other reviewers have not been able to get on board with this most unusual but universal story.
It is refreshing to experience an exploration of grief and loss and the trauma of having faced those elements - for better and worse! La Paglia's Frank may or may not be destined to be one of life's losers. A modern day Willie Loman he may well be. This movie could be espousing the philosophy that it is not what happens to you in life; it's how you deal with it. The flawed but identifiable characters in 'A Month of Sundays' ring true and that is a huge part of the movie's success. That and casting such talented people with a smartly written and directed script by Matthew Saville. It's well worth the ride.