Noted Australian-born theatre maker Benedict Andrews has made the jump to film, with his first feature, Una, premiering at the Telluride Film Festival over the weekend.
Adapted from David Harrower’s play, Blackbird, Una sees the titular young woman (Rooney Mara) attempt to reconnect with Ray (Ben Mendelsohn), the older man with whom she had an affair at the age of 13. Una is convinced that the pair are soulmates, while Ray, who now uses a different name, has built a new life for himself and wants to put his crime behind him after serving four years in prison. Andrews had previously mounted a German-language production of the play in Berlin.
Although Harrower’s play is a two-hander, the film understandably expands the story’s milieu, bringing in Riz Ahmed as Ray’s friend and co-worker, and Natasha Little as his wife, who has no inkling of his sordid past.
Critical response has been strong, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it “very much a potent piece of cinema”, although The Guardian was markedly less enthusiastic, saying that it “…fails to engage”.
Una is expected in Australian cinemas in early 2017.