Tulip

"Tulip" is on the "Australian All Shorts" video from "Tribe First Rites" showcasing the talents of first time directors.

I wish more scripts had such excellent dialogue.

I hope Rachel Griffiths has more stories to tell, she does it so well.

Neat little movie about a man, his wife, and a cow named Tulip. When the wife dies, neither Tulip nor the man are happy at all. Then, the man makes a discovery.

This is beautifully shot in lush Australian landscapes, filled with sounds of nature, especially one recurring sound of nature that leads to the man's discovery. A warm comedic gem.

I hope she can keep acting and directing. She's surely up to the task and could easily develop that visionary streak into a long career of unconventional and rare works of art. Her work has a rare kind of generosity and her timing is spot-on! Oy I'm kvell

Rachel Griffiths writes and directs this award winning short film. A heartwarming story about coping with grief and cherishing the memory of those we've loved and lost. Although, only 15 minutes long, Griffiths manages to capture so much emotion and truth onto film in the short space of time. Bud Tingwell gives a touching performance as Will, a widower struggling to cope with his wife's death. Will is confronted by the harsh reality of loneliness and helplessness as he proceeds to take care of Ruth's pet cow, Tulip. The film displays the grief and responsibility one feels for those they have loved and lost. Good cinematography, great direction, and superbly acted. It will bring tears to all those who have lost a loved one, and survived.

A man tries to come to terms with single life after many years of marriage. Some of his wife's friends look after his home for him – but his cow, Tulip, is mopey and refuses to be handled by anyone but the dead wife. However by making links to the past and keeping memories alive they both go on.

This is based on a true story apparently and as such it doesn't have a point – it's just a story. It is funny enough, but you can see the punchline coming. It is quite touching to see the impact the death has on husband and cow, but the way they deal with it is unhealthy. The film's `point' is one of not letting go of memories – this is true to a point, but here the character basically recreates hi dead wife to please his cow.

I saw another short in French (literally `Pieces of my wife') which went the other way – the man had to get away and lose everything or he would die too. Here the message is that the best way to cope with loss is to live with the ghosts of the dead. It makes this point with little conviction.

Despite this it is interesting and touching at times. As an old family story it is interesting but as a message or a story with a point – it is lacking and too wooly.