Paul Cox's last feature. It starts off powerfully with sculptor David Wenham discovering he's got terminal cancer. This all feels real like you'd expect it would from a director who went through the same thing - a series of casual appointments, doctors being reassuring and not making eye contact, trying to be positive. Jacqueline McKenzie is excellent as the ex wife looking to re-insert herself in Wenham's life.
Like so many Cox films he lets himself down as a writer by not servicing his set up well enough. Wenham has a daughter but she is bright and lovely and that's it. They don't do anything with her, or his friend Kym Gyngell, or the other patients in his ward, or most damagingly McKenzie, who has terrific potential.
Instead he spends most of his time with Wenham and his dream love interest, Shahana Goswami: a gorgeous, calm, loving marine biologist - the Perfect Person. Oh and she's spiritiual too. And she cares him, loves him, gets along with daughter... then he gets a transplant. Yay!
Really, Wenham should have died and McKenzie should've caused more trouble. A Woman's Tale works because Sheila Florance dies. Wenham gets a happy ending. I'm sympathetic to Cox wanting to do that but it lessens the film's impact.
Yet the piece has power. It's well directed, the actors are solid, it has this incredible personal connection.
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