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The Dictator

A disappointing, often repulsive and mean-spirited mess of a film with seemingly only one real criterion on its agenda: to shock and offend.

The Woman In Black

Packed with atmosphere, this old-fashioned but deftly told ghost story delivers ample chills and thrills.

Careless Love

Sidestepping a more extreme take on prostitution, this is a quietly impressive portrait of a young woman caught in a tragic situation.

Empire Of Silver

Its backdrop is a rich and fascinating one, but the film is let down by a screenplay and direction that fails to register on a personal level.

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33 Postcards (Film)

by Julian Wood | October 31, 2011 19:10 | Edited October 31, 2011 19:12

A powerful, well-crafted local film with affecting performances.

33 Postcards is a well-crafted little film boasting a couple of Aussie star names. It's particularly good to see Guy Pearce lending his Hollywood polish and considerable talents to a local project. Pearce is a real actor, and not just a set of cheekbones, and his turn here as a wronged man trying to put good back into the world is truly affecting.

 

The plot concerns a young woman called Mei Mei (a wonderfully fresh performance by relative newcomer Zhu Lin), who has come to Australia from Beijing as part of a music tour. She grew up in an orphanage, and was partly sponsored there by an Australian man called Dean Randall (Pearce). What Mei Mei doesn't realise is that Dean is being detained by the justice system, and was sponsoring her from prison. All they have had between them is a series of postcards. Entering into the plot is the starchy but well meaning social worker, Barbara (Claudia Karvan looking all buttoned-down and business-like). Unable to see Dean, Mei Mei comes to befriend garage worker Carl (Lincoln Lewis), and young love starts to bloom. Carl's associates, however, also have criminal connections, and soon things start to get a bit tense. Dean finally persuades Barbara to help him to help Mei Mei from behind his prison walls.

 

Director Pauline Chan has been away from the big screen for a while. She has been successful as an actress in a number of films and mini-series (Paradise Road, Bangkok Hilton), but should be much more celebrated than she is as an Australian female director of real talent. Her debut 1994 film, Traps, was wrongly ignored, and deserved much better treatment. Hopefully this simple, powerful little film will get Pauline Chan the reception that she deserves.