This holds up better than I thought it would - time has been kind, in part because it's a time capsule now, we've grown up with the cast, I guess it reminds me of my youth. There's a pang at some things - Tom Long, so handsome, puffing away with cigarettes, and also knowing Emma Kate Croghan wouldn't direct another film despite being so talented with such a clear vision. The dialogue is bright and funny, the visuals have energy, Alice Garner was lovely (I think she gives the best performance in the movie), Claudia Karvan is doing a trial run for Secret Life of Us, the characters are all differentiated.
There is a lack of authenticity about some of it - the law office stuff bumped for me. I was too mean about Karvan's character who in hindsight is a lot more complex than I gave credit for at the time (I guess this means I've evolved!) The bonds of the female friendship especially feels very real.
I do think the film had a central problem - not having the boys and girls meet until the end. I get the concept, but it meant they were working in story satellites, apart from being loosely connected via Hugo Weaving (Long's client and Karvan's lover). Thing is, it didn't have to be that way... they could have met at the first New Years. There were plenty of blocks for characters getting together - Karvan being after Hugo Weaving, Long's character wanting a kid, Watt and Jeffries getting over disastrous breakups could keep them apart for a year, ditto the neuroticism of Felix Williamsons' and Garners' characters.
The acting is good - Aaron Jeffrey feels miscast, but he tries and has a good breakdown. There's a lot of money on display - extras, party scenes. The characters have money too - Jeffries has a house with a pool! I guess he got it from his parents.
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