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Southern comfort
Our
rating:
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In
a country where the cult of the first-time filmmaker still holds a lot
of sway, Sandra Sciberras makes an impressive debut with The Caterpillar
Wish. This atmospheric tale of loss and longing has a solid emotional
core, even if (as is often the case with first films) some aspects could
have been done better.
Working from her own script, Sciberras crafts an intriguing tale of a girl seeking to discover the secrets of her past as a way of moving forward; and in the process, provides an example for some adults who’ve lost the will to look ahead. If that sounds a bit melodramatic, it probably is; but Sciberras’ fluid directorial style elevates this above movie-of-the-week status.
The girl at
the centre of the film is Emily Woodbridge (Victoria Thaine). She lives
with her mother Susan (Susie Porter) in the small seaside town of Robe,
South Australia. Susan works as a barmaid (occasionally a topless barmaid)
at a local pub. Susan has consistently told Emily that her father was
a tourist who left town without knowing that Susan was pregnant. But a
series of events leads Emily to think that maybe that’s not true,
and that her real father might be a local. Her efforts to find the truth
ruffle quite a few feathers, including those of her estranged grandparents
(Bruce Myles and Elspeth Ballantyne). Emily’s boyfriend Joel (Khan
Chittenden) is the son of local cop Carl Roberts (Phillip Quast), and
their relationship doesn’t exactly sit well with him, or with his
wife Elizabeth (Wendy Hughes). Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s brother Stephen
(Robert Mammone), who’s something of a father-figure to Emily, is
having a difficult time coming to terms with a devastating loss. As Emily
investigates further, her actions affect the lives of all those around
her.
Sciberras
obviously has a real affection for her characters, and allows them (especially
Emily) room to grow as the film progresses. Her portrayal of the mother-daughter
dynamic seems pretty spot-on; as does another key relationship between
Susan and her parents. In these, Sciberras excels, both as a writer and
director.
The male characters however are less well-written, with a few of them straying into cliche territory. Sciberras also does herself a disservice by effectively telegraphing the key to the mystery in the first act, which makes some of the revelations later in the film far less dramatic than they could have been. And the ending seemed pretty weak to me, particularly given what had gone before. Rather than resolving strongly, the story almost peters out.
Shot mostly on location in Robe, Sciberras makes full use of the town’s
stunning natural features, with cinematographer Greig Fraser providing
some breathtaking images. Their task was perhaps made easier by the 
inspired
choice to shoot in the middle of winter, with the softer light adding
an almost dream-like quality to the action. Burkhard Dallwitz’s
largely understated score complements the already moody atmospherics nicely.
Victoria Thaine gives a strong performance in the central role. Her Emily is neatly balanced between youth and maturity, finding all the contradictions and uncertainty that brings. Susie Porter is in slightly unfamiliar territory as single mum Susan, but makes her entirely credible. Robert Mammone tries hard (with quite a deal of success) as Stephen, even if the character is somewhat under-written; and the same can be said for Philip Quast as Carl.
With the quality of Australian cinema generally on the rise, The Caterpillar Wish is a welcome new addition. This is an affecting and gentle film that relies heavily on the strength of its characters. Although there are elements that perhaps don’t ring entirely true, this is a promising debut from Sciberras, and I for one am looking forward to see what she does next.
David Edwards
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The Caterpillar Wish
Director:
Sandra Sciberras
Cast: Victoria Thaine, Susie Porter, Phillip Quast, Wendy
Hughes and Robert Mammone
Release: Nationally on 8 June 2006
Rated: M