Looking for Grace

One of the classic tropes of Australian film is the random and ever-present potential for destruction that is represented cinematically by the vastness and untamed beauty of our unique landscapes. It is sometimes shown, for example, as mystical power (eg: Picnic at Hanging Rock), dystopian violence (The Rover), terror (Wolf Creek), images of deadly bushfires or road-kill scattered over lonely country roads. Looking for Grace builds on this tradition and explores random destruction in a novel way by taking a simple plot line and splitting into separate narratives that converge with deadly force.

Five stories unfold in parallel as sign-posted chapters, each telling the same story but from a different viewpoint. The narrative arc turns on rebellious 16 year-old Grace who empties her father's safe and hops on a coach for a heavy metal concert a few days from home. While chance plays a part, meeting a boy, losing her virginity, and being robbed is a predictable tale for many run-aways. What is not predictable is how the four other stories overlap hers. The unfaithful father seems more concerned about the cash than his daughter and the over-controlling mother is pathetically funny keeping up appearances in the midst of a missing person investigation. The doddery old private detective hired to find Grace (and the money) worries about the whiteness of his false teeth and says the most obvious things in funny ways. And there is the seemingly disconnected story about the road-train driver who bookends the film and ties five random tales into a single Aussie yarn.

The cinematography is superb and it carries the film. From lovingly long panoramic landscapes, to backlit gum trees, golden sunrises, the sharp detail of a furtive glance in shallow depth of field, the camera-work is beautifully crafted and quintessentially Australian. Acting is excellent although based more on good casting than fine performance – there is little room for character development in a film cut five ways. It is also deliberately slow in parts; rather than looking like parents in crisis we see dad's clumsy preoccupation with his own guilt, mum's growing anxiety about her marriage and looking good in gym wear, and Grace just takes her time like any teenager. Minor reservations aside, this is an engaging tale told in the finest Aussie tradition.

Being a fan of previous works from Sue Brooks and Alison Tilson I attended the Melbourne premiere of Looking For Grace with a solid expectation of enjoying their uniquely real approach to story telling. I was not disappointed. The film skillfully took me on a journey to explore the wonderful Western Australian landscape and unravel each characters story...their whereabouts,actions and emotions leading up to and during the time of Grace's disappearance. I was challenged to fit each of these life stories together - a bit like a jigsaw puzzle - but they all fitted perfectly - in the end. I really enjoyed this unfolding real life drama with great acting, laughs and very painful surprises.

As I sat there at the Melbourne premier of Looking for Grace, I sat in confusion for the first 25 minutes as I struggled to see what kind of movie was being played out. The film did gradually slow into a good pace, but the first 25-35 minutes were unbearable. The camera-work and visual aspects of the film were all very well done, mostly due to the location of Western Australia. The interweaving stories worked well however there wasn't much detail or substance to much of it, to make it more easy to follow. But in some parts it was hard to say that it wasn't a missed opportunity. The acting wasn't great, especially for serious scenes, this very much so affected the tone as a serious scene was set up but came across as comedic. Odessa Young was passable. Her performance didn't excel in any scene and for a film with her name making up half the title, you expect that. To conclude, the film did get the story on track with the help of a very surprising moment near the end which was very well set up. But other than that, it came across as dull and confusing. 5/10

Sue Brooks films are always refreshing, stylish, and unmistakably Australian. Looking for Grace does justice to Brooks fine understanding of the complexities of the human condition and the struggles and subsequent lessons encountered within family life. This is a bold and insightful film, paced in Brooks unique style. I found this film immensely satisfying despite the fact that the interweaving of the characters personal stories confused me a little at times this technique did not detract from the films overall intrigue. The all Australian cast was well chosen and the cinematography captured the desolate emptiness of the desert landscape and added strength to the metaphor of distance within this small family's relationships. This is a great film!

Another disappointment for me, from the local film industry for 2016. After an awe-inspiring 2015, I guess the next year could never live up to it, but so far there doesn't seem to have been either a runaway hit nor an impressive Australian movie to cheer for. 'Looking For Grace' is sadly looking for a purpose, as it seems to be very caught up in its conceit, but not really making any great insights or character development during its healthy 100 minute duration.

I've enjoyed some of Sue Brooks' earlier work; especially 'Road to Nihill' but this one just fell flat and felt overdone and without credulity. Why Radha Mitchell's lead character was allowed to cultivate such an over the top accent; escapes me. It made her seem a caricature and the serious storyline reduced to whimsy or light comedy. Lkewise thespian for many decades,Richard Roxburgh was painfully broad and faux comedic, where a more grounded and considered performance would have worked so much better. As with 'The Daughter' (another disappointing and forced dramatic work), Odessa Young really saves this movie too. With a naturalistic style and interesting presence, the actress really gives 'Looking for Grace' its saving grace, as the protagonist to this very choppy and muddy narrative. At the other end of the age spectrum, veteran Terry Norris brings real warmth and character to the film; but again the plot inserts him but doesn't really explain how he is there and how he is able to help the main characters. Ultimately, the plot and the film really don't hang together, and combined with some woeful over- acting, it is hard to get too excited about this movie.

Per capita, Australia must have more skilled cinematographers than any country in the world, and 'Looking for Grace' thankfully has a terrific eye in Katie Milwright who gives the film a terrific sense of place and scope. I only wish that the screenplay had provided everybody something more coherent and meaningful to work with.