I Love You Too

It's not everyday that we see an Australian romantic comedy on Singapore screens, so if you're game for a smaller film that takes a more heartfelt look at modern love and relationships, with lovable characters each with their own quirks, then look no further than I Love You Too, its title playing on the 4 words that the commitment phobic try to avoid all the time. For some, asking them to proclaim their love for another is sounding the death knell, with Freedom being kissed goodbye...

Peter Helliar's story is perhaps what made I Love You Too quite refreshing, focusing on various aspects of love instead of a sole romantic one, such as that between two siblings who have to fend for themselves for almost two decades when their parents perished in a car crash, a married couple facing a new entrant into their lives, the brotherly love between two best buddies, and that instant connection and bond shared between two strangers who start off on the wrong footing, but find in each other's company strength and the beginning of a genuine friendship. Such is this tale that we'll find nuggets of character aspects that will appeal to, and identify with.

Essentially it's the story of a break up between Jim (Brendan Cowell) and Alice (Yvonne Strahovski), two unlikely souls who meet in a bar and their one night stand had carried onto 3.5 years. With that kind of a relationship comes the expectations of progressing further, such as uttering that three word phrase, a long awaited proposal, and marriage. But to Jim, a man-child who refuses to grow up and works in what was once the largest miniature train in his father's co-owned theme park, having to commit means getting Alice a commitment ring at best. Disappointed, Alice breaks up their relationship on Jim's birthday, and so begins Jim's quest to try to woo her back.

The beauty of the story comes from the many friendships and relationships between the ensemble characters. There's Jim and his best buddy Blake (Peter Helliar) who more often than not plays his wingman when they hit the bars, and opens up that blokes like him can only hope to feed off the scraps that Jim passes of. Blake is the kind of tragic character who does a lot to get noticed, and like all best buddies know how to pull the other up when the chips are down, although sometimes leading to hilariously disastrous situations.

While that between Alice and Jim is supposedly set to be the strongest relationship on display here since this is almost primarily their story, the one that I enjoyed most was that between Jim and Charlie (Peter Dinklage), a vertically challenged man who got to know Jim when the latter broke into his car. Reading a letter Charlie made out to a "Francesca", Jim is adamant that Charlie assist him in being his Cyrano, pestering him to come up with the perfect letter to woo his lady love back. These two soon grow in their friendship, and in a tit-for-tat manner, Jim decides to return the favour by hand delivering Charlie's letter, which opens up a delightful yet bittersweet subplot that runs parallel to Jim's quest for love. Saying anything more will ruin the surprise package, but I suppose one will be hard pressed not to experience some heart-wrenching moments, especially when we see how Charlie, through no fault of his own, constantly become the butt of harsh comments, and him having a heart way larger than his physical stature.

Blessed with a wonderful soundtrack, I am growing to admire Peter Dinklage's performance, where he brings forth that quiet dignity of a character given receipt of the short end of the stick in life, and his Charlie's story arc turned out to be more engaging as you'll inevitably root for good things to happen in his gamble, versus the one that Jim has to win back, to which feminists out there will probably go up in arms over with how the finale was treated, treading very close to a combination of implausible coincidences and convenience. Still, I Love You Too is recommended, for its take on friendship, relationships, and how a network of family and friends help to provide some sanity check, as well as to pick you up when you fall down.

I saw this film on a flight from Darwin to Canberra so I'm assuming it was modified for the flight (I am pretty sure there was a lot of swearing removed). I was going to pull the plug after a few minutes of Peter Hellier. Normally I think he's funny, but not as a movie actor. It turned into a great and funny Aussie comedy once Charlie was introduced. I just wonder if they should have had Megan Gale's name in the opening credits. It would have added a little more mystery to leave it to the end. Otherwise I would go out and watch it again when it comes out on DVD so I can see the bits which were cut. At the beginning the main male character had me thinking he was a jerk, but after the reason for his reticence was explained it all made sense.

Australia doesn't produce many rom/coms and while I Love You Too is just another romantic comedy on a wider spectrum, it is a refreshing little delight on a local level. The story is cute. The performances are great (Peter Dinklage is fantastic) and the gags hit the spot. I really really enjoyed this movie and think its the best of its kind since The Big Steal (which also featured Steve Bisley). Peter Hellier has written a smart little movie with a lot of heart. The little revelations throughout are really nice and the movie is well worth watching. The miniature railway setting is a nice touch too.... (Eltham Mini Railway... LOVE IT).

A question that will plague you for the rest of your (pardon the obvious here) life is: What is life all about? We seek out the answers in books, in academic theses, in movies, and yes, in life itself. As we walked out from the theatres after watching the preview of this movie, we were somewhat convinced that the past 109 minutes have presented us with a rather poignant portrayal of life.

Surprise, surprise - the movie wasn't manufactured from the Hollywood's ingenious machines and computers. This time round, it's the kind mates from Down Under who have managed to make a film that is emotionally engaging, as well as enjoyably entertaining.

Our protagonist is 30 plus year old Jim, who is unable to commit to Alice, his girlfriend of three years. Like every other girl, Alice wishes that her boyfriend would say the three magical words – you know which ones, don't you? One situation leads to another, and Alice considers leaving to take up a job in England. Elsewhere, Jim meets the vertically challenged Charlie who gives him a new insight into what love really means. In this somewhere there's also Jim's best friend Blake, his pregnant sister Marie and her rough edged husband Owen.

We acknowledge the fact that the synopsis doesn't really sound exciting, but think about it – how exciting is life itself for most of us? What triumphs for this movie is its nice blend of comedy and affecting drama. We hate to say this, but if this screenplay was taken up by a money raking Hollywood studio, or for that matter, a local TV production house, things would have turned out to be a dreary drab of a mess.

Maybe you can call it first time lucky, because here we have first time writer Peter Helliar penning the screenplay. It is also the directorial film debut of Daina Reid. They may not be familiar names with us in this part of the world, but trust us, there is really a lot of heart in this one.

While watching this well written movie, you'd be reflecting on the various aspects of life – love, friendship, kinship and the little episodes which play themselves out amidst these larger grand themes. Helliar have managed to capture the little moments in life which define the greater moments – from the quibbles in a restaurant, the wild parties in a club, to the efforts taken by a friend to cheer his pal up, and a simple desire to connect with someone through writing letters. These setups are written with a fresh touch of humour, which remind of life itseld. Reid has also done a decent job of directing her cast in the various situations, never at once making them caricatures which we are so used in Hollywood movies and TV productions.

The cast delivers fine performances here. Brendan Cowell plays Jim, a familiar man in his 30s who is emotionally diminutive. – not just because he works at a miniature railway. The Australian actor exudes an underachiever charm that is both charismatic and empathizing. Helliar takes on the role of Jim's best friend Blake, who may seem rough and tough on the surface, but has one of the best lines in the movie when he tells Jim what he really feels about their friendship. Yvonne Strahovski plays Alice, the girlfriend who has to make a really important decision about her own life. The sweet looking actress puts her appealing looks to good use here. Fellow Australian actors Birdie Carter and Travis McMahon also display their acting chops in the roles of the wife and husband who are experiencing some bumpy times while expecting their first child.

Watch out also for Peter Dinklage's unforgettable performance as Charlie, the American who changes Jim's life. The actor has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, which naturally makes him different from the rest. But that doesn't stop us from commending his moving performance – it's one of the best we have seen this year.

You end up feeling and caring for all the characters in the movie, and that's because you are living life.

I think Australian movies are fantastic. I loved this movie. It was Aussie and funny and my opinion is that anything Brendan Cowell is in is going to be good. People seem so used to these polished over American movies that we're fed that they forget we have a fantastic, under-appreciated film industry right here in Australia. And then they complain and say Aussie movies aren't funny because they're waiting for the canned laughter to show them when it's funny. Personally, I couldn't stop laughing! I loved the humour, I loved the random cameos (Angus Sampson was hilarious, as always), and Brendan Cowell was so ditzy and open that you couldn't help but laugh. Loved it!