A Month Of Sundays

This Australian film written and directed by Matthew Saville (Felony, Noise) is a disarmingly sweet affair with its themes of grieving and loss, making it a worthwhile musing on a man trying to cope as he seems to stagger through life.

Anthony LaPaglia has always done strong emotion well — he was heartbreaking in Lantana — so he's the ideal actor to play real estate agent, Frank, who's not coping well with the loss of his marriage to Wendy (Justine Clarke) after she soars to fame in a TV medical drama. He's also emotionally distant from his teenage son and obviously needs somebody to connect with.

Enter Sarah — the ethereal Julia Blake (Innocence) — who by accident rings Frank's number thinking she's rung her son. An amusing conversation ensues — amusing because Frank talks to Sarah as if she's his mother, but we learn that the latter in fact has died recently. Frank gets a tangible comfort from interacting with this motherly figure and so a friendship begins as the two seem to give each other something the other is lacking.

Matthew Saville is a more than adequate director so the film looks great, and John Clarke is an added bonus as Frank's boss. What feels strange in the early scenes is the incredibly intrusive soundtrack by Bryony Marks who seems to be channelling Birdman for inspiration. It's a strange fit. The story itself covers some refreshing ground but some elements needed more development, especially with Justine Clarke's character.