Un peu de nous deux

The first time I saw this film I liked it for it's ability to reach such a wide audience. Male, female, gay, straight, young and old. With superior acting and a quiet, simple tone, it's stellar on so many levels. I like this movie more each time I see it. I usually hate when character's speak to the audience but this is one of the few occasions where it works well. One of Crowe's best performances. It was great to see a gay character that wasn't stereotypical in any way... just a guy but a guy that isn't afraid to be sensitive or tough without being wishy washy or macho. A great dead-on performance of an everyman who just happens to like men. Supporting cast is great. All performances feel natural. Directing is straightforward and the editing is lyrical. If you're heterosexual, don't be put off. The themes here are universal. A great slice of cinema no matter what your sexuality.

The approach taken to this gay-themed light-drama is so low-keyed and matter-of-fact, it makes the whole idea of homosexuality seem rather staid. And that's a nice change of pace, although it's not exactly invigorating for the picture! Young gay Australian plumber lives with his widower dad; they both want a serious commitment with a special someone, and both find the path to romance rather rocky, but dad is fully committed to seeing that his "poof" son finds a partner who won't break his heart. It's based on a play, with the two leads occasionally speaking into the camera--yet this is an idea that isn't intrusive or unpleasant. Just the opposite: the film is so good-hearted that it borders on bland. The most surprising thing you can say about it is not the (discreet) man-on-man make-out scenes, but rather the fact it's Russell Crowe acting in them. Crowe, young but not green, is very affable in this movie, shy and sweet and tender, however it's raffish Jack Thompson as his papa who steals the scenes. **1/2 from ****

A very surprisingly wonderful film. I can't believe a film like this was so popular in Australia in 1994. I'm also annoyed that films like this don't get more exposure in the US. I liked it very much and Russell Crowe's performance was really touching. He really projected a sincerity that is rare in film, and even more rare in gay themed cinema. I also liked the father's character and the "reasoning" he presented - too bad all parents can't think that way. I thought the actors speaking to the audience worked, flowed very naturally, and was not overdone. With so much junk coming out of Hollywood, nice indie films like this are a welcome reprieve.

Saw this again for the first time for almost a decade, on the Sundance Channel during their Pride Festival. The character-to-camera (audience) device seems a lot stagier now than it did when I first saw it, but overall it doesn't mar any of the film's inherent bittersweet attraction.

I've always been a sucker for good father/son relationship movies, and this ranks up there with the best, and not because of the twist: Harry's (Jack Thompson) almost too-willing acceptance of his son's gayness. What makes it ultimately work is the true love, respect and affection that they have for one another, a bond that is sorely tested in the film's third.

Thompson is funny and engaging in a kind of role that he's not usually known for, (for that, see the excellent BREAKER MORANT.) And as for Russell...I saw this for the first time only weeks after seeing ROMPER STOMPER, and not only was it a startling contrast, but a sure-fire sign that this boyo was a talent to watch even in the early stages (now proven a thousand times over.)

And here's another refreshing difference: nobody's in OTT drag, (you can rent TO WONG FOO for that), nobody gets AIDS, OD's, commits suicide or otherwise meets the Grim Reaper most tragically, as gay characters are wont to do in most big-budget Hollyweird "gay-friendly" dramas.

David Stevens writing remains true to the joys of "Australiana" (a new word that I love, thanks to an earlier reviewer here), which means that some less-experienced viewers may find Harry's extremely tolerable demeanor and the turn from comedy to tragedy off-putting. (For other references to similar scenarios, see MURIEL'S WEDDING, SWEETIE and of course, MOULIN ROUGE.)

But for me, it's a rare-look back at the kind of risk-taking that Russell may never again explore in his career. More than worth the cost of a rental or your time, if you can catch it.

I love this movie because it really adds another face to Russell Crowe's versatility. Everybody remembers him for Gladiator, L.A. Confidential and possibly Romper Stopmer, well, here he's an affectionate gay plumber with an eye for a boy at the bar. Within the first ten minutes you'll also be over run with Aussie-isms such as "two ticks" and "Yonks". When I first thought of the plot, I was thinking, "Gee, this could be jazzed up a bit," but then I figured the simple unpolluted nature of the characters doesn't really require much more of a rollercoaster plot. After seeing this movie, I feel compelled to go to my local australian bar to find hopeless romance in a that boy across the counter. I recommend Breaking Up and Proof, if you liked this.