Tom White

There is a small percentage of homeless people who drop out of society completely by choice. This fact never seems real to those of us who have stable families, jobs and routines. Most often these people have an abiding antipathy for the values which society proclaims as worthwhile. Tom White is one of these people. This film is perhaps a little overly optimistic in its depiction of White's fate. I expect that bean counters would have had some role here. The plot is bleak enough without being too realistic. What the film does do is remind us of what a treasure we have in Colin Friels. I can't imagine too many actors who could have played such an anti-social part, but still made us care about what happens to him. Homelessness is an issue most Australians never have to face, and do not understand. I laud the producers of this film for this attempt to remove the lid on such an important issue.

I saw "Tom White" at its world premiere on Saturday July 31st, 2004; here in Melbourne.

"Tom White" tells the story of an ordinary guy whose life goes off the rails. When things fall apart at work, something snaps, and Tom sets out, leaving his home and family behind. What follows is almost a series of vignettes detailing Tom's run-ins with other people on the 'fringes of society', people in a world hidden in his city that he never really knew about.

I found this movie deeply thoughtful. Stepping away from the more lighthearted Australian comedy, this movie is a very thoughtful character study, looking into something for which most people have the capacity, but never really have the courage. Tom runs away from home, from his professional life in a desk job, and in doing so begins a new life, with a clean slate. He is no longer judged by his past, but by the person he is in that moment.

I watched this movie (set here in Melbourne) and found myself looking at landmarks I know in a totally different way when I passed them the next time: a day, a week later. This kind of film doesn't let go straight away, it has you thinking for quite awhile afterward too.

Recommended for audiences willing to take a chance with the relaxed pace and simply let the film wash over them. For me, the evaluation came at a later time: in the theatre I was swept away by the intriguing photography and the great performances by everyone, particularly Colin Friels (Tom White), Loene Carmen (Christine) and Jarryd Jinks (Jet). Dan Spielman and Bill Hunter gave stand-out performances also.

Three and a half from Five Stars.

'Tom White' is by no means an easy film or, strictly speaking, an enjoyable one. But you come away thinking about the issues it raises, digging as it does into layers of emotional truth and 'life in the margins' (albeit, admittedly, somewhat romanticized).

Tom (a superb performance by Colin Friels) is a man who designs home for a living and then chooses to make himself homeless. Outwardly, he has all the signs of a comfortable, successful life - new home, loving family, successful if stressed career. But his shaking hands show something different - especially when it soon becomes clear that not everything is as it appears at work. Male middle aged 'crisis' is a huge issue in Australia at the moment, and the cause of many unexpected suicides. Tom White chooses a different path and cuts all bonds with his up to now normal life. He has chosen the margins, where those he meets, in spite of their position, have enormous self-dignity - the rent-boy, the ex-junkie, the gentlemanly tramp, the 14 year-old graffiti artist. Tom goes on a journey of his own and plumbs the depths of society, yet he overcomes and discovers his own dignity and understanding of who he is.

As mentioned, it can be somewhat romanticized, and there is little in the way of the real squalor of homelessness, but nevertheless the film presents food for thought in an attempt to present a broader understanding of those who are or chose to live on the fringes rather than endure life without any real meaning.

"Tom White" has been given only a very limited release in Australia, and this coupled with its unrelenting grimness means it may not achieve the critical

success it deserves.

It's a very fine film, perhaps the best and most substantial Australian film for some time. It's refreshing to find an Australian film that's not cutely folksy or condescending to its characters, subject matter or audience.

The script falters occasionally but is generally tight and convincing. The

photography is stunningly beautiful. Direction and acting are also outstanding and deserve to collect several AFI Awards. Besides Friels' stunning starring role, Hunter and Blake merit special mention . Several other small roles offer varying delights in a film that's both episodic yet well structured in its depiction of the picaresque descent from middle class respectability of the eponymous hero.

"Tom White" is an edgy movie that goes in directions you don't expect. Although it is an Australian film, what happens to Tom White could take place in any modern city.

Tom, played by Colin Friels, is an architect with a wife and two children who has a typical suburban lifestyle - comfortable, but predictable. He feels trapped, and after problems at work, has a breakdown. He abandons family and job and enters another realm altogether, that of a homeless person, his life then becomes anything but comfortable and predictable.

The director of "Tom White", Alkinos Tsilimidos, said in an interview, "I think without risk, life can be pretty boring, so I approach making my films with risk. If it was safe territory, I mean, how boring would it be to turn up to work and know you're in safe territory?"

"Tom White" is not safe territory.

Tom is a flawed character; that he retains our sympathy is a credit to Colin Friels' screen chemistry. The experiences Tom has on the streets are risky - physically and morally. He is mugged, and for a while, he shares a house, and eventually a bed with a young gay man, although he isn't gay.

He moves onto an affair with a woman who works in a fairground played by Loene Carmen, the memorable star of "The Year My Voice Broke." She is trying to break from the drug scene but the affair ends brutally as do many of Tom's encounters on the streets.

Tom is invited into the world of derelict buildings and Salvation Army refuges when he joins up with Malcolm, something of a street philosopher played by Bill Hunter. Finally, Tom encounters a boy from a dysfunctional home; a relationship that could easily be misunderstood. However, he protects the boy and begins to realise how much he has let down his own family.

The scene where he meets his wife again is powerful, but unpredictable like everything else in the movie. Rachael Blake as Helen White communicates a lot with just a look; she is quite brilliant. In the end, although Tom has been affected by all the characters he met, we doubt that he has found the answers he sought because he hardly knew the questions to ask.

The film has a similar theme to "Kiss the Sky" starring William Petersen. Although that movie has a different setting, the main character abandons family and job to seek something within himself that he can hardly explain. Both films end on an ambiguous note.

"Tom White" received many awards and Colin Friels was justly praised for his role as Tom. Although some segments play better than others, it is a challenging and compelling movie.