Paul Cox's run of art house successes enabled him to get $1.5 million and an imported star (Isabelle Huppert) for this but response wasn't that strong. It's not one of his better films although there's plenty of good things - it looks gorgeous, has a pleasant mood, Robert Menzies makes an impressive star debut.
I agree with co writer Bob Ellis that the basic set up is silly - Huppert is visiting friend Norman Kaye when she has her accident and sticks around in Australia to get better. If she was having lots of operations or had a job out in Australia, signed a contract or something , I'd get it, but she doesn't seem to work.. It's the sort of irritating, easy to fix script problem that marked many Cox movies.
Huppert has star factor but she's a debit to the movie, I feel - she doesn't seem engaged, whether it's being friends with Normal Kaye (why are they friends?), or going blind, or falling for Robert Menzies. I kept thinking "Wendy Hughes would've been better in this". I understand the useful ness of having an imported star, I just wish they'd gotten one whose presence made more sense and who was more connected to the story. French movie stars don't have a great track record in Australian films.
Other Cox movies have intriguing subplots that are typically under exploited. Not this one. Norman Kaye and his wide are dully. There's an extended scene where they watch some old ducks including Maurie Fields sing songs. I did like the satire of the community meeting. That felt very real and funny.
I liked the scene where Menzies revealed Huppert was his first girlfriend. That was touching. Really the film should've been about him - a blind man falling in love for the first time. That has stakes. Huppert doesn't seem to care. She's required to go nude of course just a little.
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