Pawno

Pawno is an exceptionally special movie, it is tragic in many ways, but also has some exceptionally light-hearted and quite funny moments throughout. It represents a day or so in the lives of those who visit pawn shops. Whilst set in Footscray, quite deliberately, it could be a pawn shop in other parts of Melbourne, or the world. The Footscray backdrops allows a slight investigation to the multicultural melting pot of the suburb.

Really most notably, and for those who are unaware of the Aussie film industry, was crowd funded, exceptionally low budget. However, I don't think this is obviously. I have watched so many ridiculous movies, lacking heart, or character development that had multi- million budgets. This film was crowd funded. So if anything, I think it's important to note this piece of really quite incredible Australian cinema, was the vision of someone who went about to create something and they succeeded. Certainly worth taking the time to enjoy!

Minor, small-scale but really rather likable tragic-comic ensemble piece from Australia, "Pawno", as its title suggests, revolves around a day in the life of a pawnbroker's shop in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray, focusing not just on the two guys who work there but on their customers and neighbors as well. It's a little too lightweight to make a major impact but it's well written, (by Damian Hill who also plays the pawnbroker's assistant and who died tragically young a few months ago), and pleasingly acted by everyone. The director is Paul Ireland who, with more substantial material, could go far.

I watched some of it because I have been a pawnbroker for 35 years . However I was less than engrossed by the acting, the dialogue or the story line and gave up after about 20 minutes . I fail to see why it is considered cosmopolitan as most of the cast seemed well and truly Aussie . The shop it self looked pretty authentic with stock typical of around 2015 . But the movie just didn't have any life in it . No humour no drama and perhaps more importantly no explicit sex or gratuitous violence . Maybe there was a splendid heartwarming finale but sadly I wasn't interested enough to see it through .

I was incredibly surprised by both the content and human elements of this poignant movie. It's depiction of life on the street and within the surrounding community, has no equal in my eyes in Australian film.

The sensitive nature in which each complex character was handled was very intelligent and showed that marginalised people still have dreams and hopes. The movie humanised people who are ordinarily shunned by society. The content was very thought- provoking.

I haven't written a review for some time, but this film moved me to write this in the hope that more people might read it and watch this movie.

Beware, here is another Aussie movie that claims to be a reflection of a city and its inhabitants. Yes, these types are there if you go looking for them but, where are the rest of the folk that make up the heart of any city? Seems there's not one, no, not one somewhat 'balanced' character whom a wider audience might more easily identify with. Sandwiched between some of the most demeaning foul dialogue, we are expected to 'enjoy' the company of a cast of unbearable thugs and low-lifers - as they waste their lives on drugs, sex, theft, and beating someone senseless.

Producer/writer/actor, Damian Hill might have scored higher if he had developed his characters more finely. This may have given us more of an idea what was driving them or if he had simply given his audience some relief from the gutter talk, and grossly unlikable situations that makes up the lives of this bunch of non-event, lost souls. Even with a tacked on 'nice' ending - overall, this is just one more movie experience that some may want to follow up with a wrist-slitting party. Very little to enjoy here.