Displaying items by tag: Jessica de Gouw

YOU, ALWAYS

Australia, 2025, 93 minutes, Colour.

Adrian Grennier, Jessica De Gouw, Desmond Chiam, Aria Burton, Yasmin Kassim.

Directed by Christine Luby.

A romantic title. And, this is one of the many romances made by the Stephen Jaggi company, based in Queensland, Queensland locations, especially the Queensland coast and islands.

Something of a formula in many of the films, starting in the United States, the central female character, an occasion to move to Australia, misunderstandings, falling in love… But, in this case, the American character is male, already in Australia, no American sequences.

Adrian Grennier, having a working holiday in Australia, plays an American Australian, Ethan, who served in the American forces but who spent teenage years and high School in Australia and has now returned, inheriting a house left to him by his father. He works in marine rescue. His associate in marine rescue is a local doctor, played by Jessica De Gouw. Both are divorced, have known each other since teenage years, supported each other in divorces, he rather opting out of life, she with great hopes, and a special bond between her daughter and her longtime friend.

The title indicates how the film will end. But, of course, it is what happens in between. Jen is prone to read romantic novels (the samples from the screenplay written in very basic prose, not the greatest literature). And, then she encounters the author himself, up from Sydney looking for a local colour for his next novel. His played by Desmond Chiam, with some charm, Jen has various encounters with him, falling in love, romantic interludes including snorkelling in the Barrier Reef, some jealousies arising! Ethan rescues a young woman and she invites him out to a meal – leading to some highly embarrassing moments and misinterpretations of relationships.

It all works out more or less as expected, the plans for the move to Sydney and a new life, the author rather taking control of the marriage preparations (and then disappearing from the film completely). There are some cheerful minor characters, by and large comfortable life in North Queensland and, of course, the beaches, the mountains, the perfect setting for this kind of romance.

THE SURVIVORS

Australia, 2025, 6X 50, colour.

Charlie Vickers, Yerin Hat, Robyn Malcolm, Damian Garvey, Eloise Rothfield, Miriama Smith, Johnny Carr, Martin Sacks, Jessica De Gouw, Thom Green, Benedict Hardie, Catherine McClements, Don Hany, Julian Weeks, Jaime Ureta, Ian Bliss.

Directed by Cherie Nolan, Ben C. Lucas.

The survivors is a television series based on a novel by Jane Harper, a well-respected Australian novelist, with film versions of her two films, The Dry and its sequel and the Dried 2.

This reviewer had read The Survivors. The screenplay is well-written, bringing all the characters to life, all the main episodes and interactions from the novel are on the screen. The casting is excellent, and satisfying for readers of the novel.

The setting is the Tasmanian Coast photographed spectacularly, a motif throughout the film, especially storms and high waves and danger. The focus is on the town, where everybody knows each other, experiencing a tragedy 15 years earlier, a rescue boat overturned as it sought to help a stranded teenager on the cliffs. At the same time, a 14-year-old girl had also disappeared, her body never recovered.

The rescued young man, Ciaran, returns home to his parents, his severe mother, an excellent performance by Robyn Malcolm, and his father moving into dementia, also an excellent performance from Damian Garvey. Ciaran is played by Charlie Vickers. He is married to a wife of Korean origin who had also grown up in the town.

There is resentment towards Ciaran who has been absent for 15 years. There is also the family, mother and sister, of the girl who disappeared – and a strong performance from Catherine McCammon’s as the mother. The members of this cast include the local restaurant owner who son what was died in the accident, his resentful grandson, another brother, a lecturer visiting, and a young woman working in the restaurant who was investigating the story of the girl who disappeared. Early in the piece she is murdered – and the film works well as a murder mystery, a success of range of suspicious characters, the establishment of alibis, a dramatic revelation of the murder at the end.

Well worth watching in itself – and satisfying for fans of Jane Harper’s work.

1. The novels by Jane Harper, the variety of settings, from The Dry to the Tasmanian Coast? Film versions? Television series? Australian characters, locations, imagery, language, relationships, crime?
2. The Tasmanian settings, the town, the coast, the beaches, the majestic cliffs, the caves? Homes, streets, restaurants? The sports club? The countryside to Tasmania? Hobart, the city, the prison? The musical score?
3. The adaptation of the novel, the key elements of plot, character? A successful presentation and interpretation of the novel? The satisfying casting? Performances?
4. The town, a melancholy history, everybody knowing each other? The background of 15 years earlier, the young men and their friendship, the parents, Brian has the sports coach, his sons, pride, captain and the boat, friendship with Toby, Julian and his running the cafe? Trish, her daughters, Olivia and the relationship with Keiran, Gabby, 14, her friendship with Mia? Keiran and his friendship with Sean and Ash? The series presenting each character distinctively, effect of cinema portraits for the interactions?
5. The episode, Keiran and the cave, the sudden storm, Toby and Finn in the boat, coming to his rescue, the boat overturning, their deaths? The effect on the families, the memories? Keiran being blamed for calling them to rescue him, resentme nts, especially his mother, his father urging him to go to Sydney?
6. The setup of the situation in the present, Liam, Toby’s son and his continued resentments against Keiran, staying with Verity, taking Keiran’s place in the family? His relationship with Julian? Ash, the relationship with Liv, his drug dealing? Friendship with Sean? Trish, by herself, her memories of Gabby, wanting her still alive, the issue of the backpack, throwing them into the sea to sew if the tide would bring them in, hopes for recovery of Gabby’s body? Trish and her moving to Melbourne, her return?
7. Keiran, married to Mia, their meeting in Sydney, the birth of Audrey? Keiran returning after so many years, people’s reactions and blame? The ambiguous behaviour of his mother? Her love of the baby? Brian, the setting in of dementia? Tensions within the house?
8. Brontë, photos, working at the restaurant, her project, investigating the past, specially Gabby’s disappearance, discussions with Mia? Drugs from Ash? Interviews with the various members of the town, her project, her body being found on the shore?
9. The screenplay, the variety of suspects for her murder, the buildup for each one, then the alibis, questioning motivations? Not giving so much attention to the actual killer, emerging more towards the end, in the final revelation and motivations?
10. The focus on Brian, the past, teacher, trainer, scenes of training the children? Love for Verity, her continued care? The dementia, on the beach, the lift home by Julian, the DNA from Bronte, his arrest, to Hobart, the accusations, his bewilderment? Keiran and his understanding of what really had happened? Verity, her continued support, the visit to Brian before he went to prison? The bail hearing and his return?
11. The character of Verity, tough-minded, her devotion to Finn, the accident, her resentment towards Keiran, making life hard, his father urging him to leave? His return, the difficulties, with each parent, interactions with Mia and his love for her, the relationship with liv, the final revelation that she was at the cave, that she called the boat, that he shielded her from any blame? The gradual revelation of this truth? Mia, upset, suspicious of the relationship, her behaviour?
12. The suspicions on Ash, the phone, live having taken Bronte’s phone, giving it in, Ash and the relationship, the phone offering him his alibi?
13. The author, his reputation, sacked from the University, writing the history of the town, Bronte’s admiration, sharing the photos with him? Mia, coming to see him, her admiration, his help, giving her the material, his pass and her reaction? The photos of his stalking? Interrogated by the police? Ash and his resentment because of the buying of the house, Ash in the garden, the author changing it, the men going into the shed to find the paint, the fight?
14. The buildup to the Memorial, the football match, the dedication of the club, the speeches by Julian and Verity, Trish coming with Liv and Mia, everybody present?
15. The police, and Verity, her single-mindedness, suspicions, behaviour, defending Bronte’s memory, the coming of her parents, the sadness, the evidence? Her assistant and his more sympathetic approach? The range of interrogations and questions, charges, evidence? Chris, the local policeman, earnest, the discussions, interviews, evidence, looking at the photos and surveillance clips? George, policeman of the time, the gradual revelation that he concealed the evidence of Bronte’s backpack and throwing it in the sea, talking with Verity, Trish and her upset – and her accosting him and Julian in the middle of the ceremony?
16. The further investigations, Bronte’s photo, her initials on the cave wall, indication of her presence? Keiran, going to the cave with the photo, wanting Ash to come but not able, going with Sean, the examination of the cave, the initial scratched out, Keiran’s gradual realisation, Sean and his behaviour, the struggle with Keiran, the digging up of the camera and the computer, the soil comparisons, focusing on Ash’s garden, the conclusion about Sean, the police going, his being arrested? Verity and Mia, concerned about Keiran, his eventually coming out? The arrest and interrogation of Sean?
17. The finale, Bronte’s parents, Trish with Liv, Ash and Liv, Mia and Keiran, Verity and Brian, walking along the shore, and the toast to Bronte?
18. A satisfying drama of relationships, a satisfying murder mystery and solution?

THE UNION

Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, J.K.Simmons, Mike Colter, Alice Lee, Jessica De Gouw, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jackie Earle Haley, Stephen Campbell Moore, Lorraine Bracco, Dana Delaney.

Directed by Julian Farino.

The Union is a secret organisation, very secret, which runs all kinds of international operations – and opening one in Trieste a which fails, the death of several agents.

This is a kind of popular espionage film with some comic touches that has been popular, especially since the 1960s with tongue-in-cheek heroes, paralleling James Bond.

This time it is Mark Wahlberg, an ordinary worker, with very few ambitions and horizons, called on by a former girlfriend, one of the heads of The Union, played by Halle Berry. As a bonus, the boss is played by JK Simmons who is later accused of being a mole.

All is drugged and abducted, wakes in London, goes through all kinds of rigorous training, psychological evaluation, new identity, and, probably most improbably, set out to do all kinds of actions, retrieving money, going to option beatings, in great danger.

Looking at the cast list, there is quite a long list of prominent actors from the past as well as in the present, meaning that the range of supporting characters is always interesting.

Clearly building up to a confrontation a climax, a Revelation of the true mole, kinds of action – and, just as it thinks he is free, the head of the Union comes up with another mission.

The cast and the action keep the audience entertained even though, in retrospect, it is just one another of those undercover espionage action romps.

1. The title, the secret union? Undercover? International? American espionage? Threats and expose?
2. The opening in Trieste, the action, betrayals? Deaths? The London scene, action? The contrast with the ordinariness of New Jersey? The musical score?
3. Roxanne, her role, her relationship with Nick, his death in Trieste? Tom Brennan? The situation, the threat of exposure, suspicions? Who worked for 25 years?
4. Mike, Mark Wahlberg role, his work, ordinary life, day by day, the past, the past with Roxanne? Not likely action film hero?
5. The action sequences, and upkeep audiences interested? The various plots, suspects, the plans?
6. The mission, the abduction of Mike, the hotel, London, Tom Brennan and the explanations?
7. The issue, the information, the option, the representatives from various national interests? The range of spy bidders?
8. Mike, the training, new identity, psychological training?
9. The crisis, the ambush, the money lost, the role of the Koreans?
10. Strategies, undercover, sabotage?
11. Juliet Quinn, collaboration, her role, tactics?
12. Nick, reappearance, alive, tactics, motivation? The relationship with Roxanne? His envy, anger? Involvement? Ruth and his motivations?
13. Mike, tantrums, collaboration, the briefcase, the chases, the fights?
14. The final, the confrontation with the deputy director, Tom Brennan vindicated?
15. The future, Mike and his role in the Union?