Pawno

what a great movie I guess living in Footscray made it seem real with all the quirky characters. great acting from the whole cast and wonderful scrip, so honest the whole movie had a great feel about it I loved it at the movies, just bought the DVD and loved it more the second time, congratulations to all concerned

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!

Might have about of a personal bias as a local to Footscray (fun seeing Madden Square, Little Africa and lots of Barkly St) but this movie was really enjoyable. I liked the character development and balance between humour, some hope for the future and inevitable darkness. Think this is the first Damian Hill project that I have watched and felt a bit sad when I looked him up to see that he has passed away. I will definitely watch the other movies that he has been involved.

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 believe some of the reviews (there are only 7) on about this Australian Film have been a little unkind. I also live in the west and have been frequent visitor to Footscray for many many years. I have seen it evolve and change culturally after successive waves of immigrants make footscray their home. The film did show much of its current cultural diversity if not necessarily in the main protagonists. But it was just one story of the many that could be told about this western suburb only 10 mins from the City. And it was a fine story.