Playing for Charlie (2008) Online

I was fortunate to see this at a Melbourne Film Fest screening today and was glad to see that the audience enjoyed it. It's obvious that a lot of love has gone in to its production. Some comments I heard on the way out were 'beautiful', 'emotional' and 'poetic'. I was disappointed not to feel the same way because I really wanted to be able to recommend this film unreservedly, for a number of reasons: its setting, in Melbourne's western suburbs (in many locations I knew from my own adolescence), is so rarely seen on our screens, despite what director Pene Patrick pointed out as its obvious poetry; and the characters in the film tackle small-scale, everyday problems, and are flawed. These things made me want to like the film, but Patrick's script and direction are so lacklustre that the experience for me was one of frustration and, at times, boredom.

It was great to have cast and crew on hand for a Q&A after the film. It certainly helped to clarify for me some of the film's problems. When Patrick was asked how she got such beautiful performances out of her actors, she said that she just got "beautiful actors" and the rest worked itself out. She also said that she chose to include rugby union in the film (rather than AFL) because she knew it better than AFL. Both of these comments suggested to me an element of laziness on her part as director. I often felt, watching the film, that the actors were floundering, left with little to do but deal with the most surface elements of their characters (particularly Jodie Rimmer as Paula). It also seemed strange that the main character seemed to have no relationship whatsoever with the vastly more accessible (in Melbourne, anyway) AFL code.

She also mentioned that the film's visual style was influenced by the stories of the Brothers Grimm (an explanation for which I could find no basis), that she got Lisa Gerrard to do the music because she was listening to Gerrard's music when she was writing and that she included the line from the Thomas Gray poem because she read it around the time she was writing. It added up to make her seem like a spoiled child who got everything she wanted in her film simply because she was thinking of it when she was writing.

Which raises the issue of the elephant in the room: the film's finance. Producer Franziska Wagenfeld pointed out before the film started that she was extremely grateful to the film's executive producer for helping finance the movie, but in the Q&A afterwards refused to be drawn on the issue of who had privately financed the movie. When I noticed in the credits that the executive producer happens to share the same surname as the writer/director, I got thinking...

Now, I readily admit I have no hard evidence of any relationship (familial or otherwise) between the exec producer and the director, but it certainly seemed to make sense in the context of everything that was said before and after the screening. It would certainly help to explain why Pene Patrick may have gotten away with things other directors might be taken to task on...

All this said, I really hope people enjoy the film as much as many in the audience seemed to. There are some good performances, particularly by Jared Daperis in the demanding lead, and Shane Connor as his coach, and Lisa Gerrard's score is lovely (though not entirely well-suited). It seems, however, that the film's (carefully guarded) origins may have served up an artistically compromised end product.

This film is riveting - a gem i uncovered at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Beautifully shot with very honest and engaging acting. I also thought the score was excellent and really added to the films atmosphere. But in the end i just really enjoyed the story - truly excellent. I hope it gets a theatrical release; it is Australian poetry at its cinematic best.

The main character, Tony Hobbs, is brilliantly played by Jared Daperis. I cared about this young boy and his dream, which is amazing and a credit to the film, because i hate football(all codes). But this isn't a sports film, even though it has sporting themes. It is a film about relationships and they are very convincing. The story is very simple but dramatic and it shows that there is a real meaning to life and i liked that this was addressed indirectly.

There was a man sitting near me, i'd say in his fifties, who was unashamedly crying in the most moving moments of the film. He and his female acquaintance stayed in their seats, reflective, at the end of the film. I asked them what they thought and the man said,"The best Australian film I've ever seen."

I have to agree

Melissa Ward

I really loved this unique, beautifully shot movie when I saw it at the Atlanta Film Festival last year and am so pleased to see that it is now in general release. The storyline - with its focus on a delicate family relationship is both inspiring and profound with sincere acting, I was particularly impressed with Jared Daperis, he surely has a fine career ahead of him. The cinematography was wonderful giving a different perspective of Australian scenery, also loved the amazing Lisa Gerrard soundtrack. Being an Australian "film buff" living in the US it was so enjoyable to feel "a touch from home" lets hope we see more movies of this caliber coming out of Australia.

I loved this film. The cinematography, the realism and the hope. Jared Daperis in the lead role as Tony Hobbs is fantastic. The acting generally and the casting is great. At last an Australian film that doesn't show us as clichés and stereo-types and treats struggling, working class people with dignity.

Scarf's great AFL kick was an hilarious moment and the sight of Tony Hobbs carrying a disposable nappy in his mouth is a great moment, the look on his face after he sees the gorgeous girl though is even greater.

The scene where the half-brothers venture into the eccentric world of 'Elsie', Scarf's landlady is pure Fellilni.

I saw this film at the Sydney Film Festival and from the comments overheard as the audience left the cinema , comments such as 'brilliant', 'wonderful', 'emotional' I think this could actually be the next great Australian film. It didn't surprise when I heard Dale and Simon say exactly that on their Radio 2UE movie review program on the Sunday night after the screening.

I hate football, all codes. This is not a sports film. This is a relationship film. A film about a boy who has to grow up very quickly and think of a way to pull his family through pretty bleak times and I found it very uplifting.