15 Amore

Adrianna Forlicz

Part 1: Film Information
1999. Classification: M15+ Length: 92 Minutes 20 Seconds Film Gauge: 35mm
Adult Themes, Low Level Sex Scene

Principal Cast:
* Dorothy - Lisa Hensley
* Alfredo - Steve Bastoni
* Joseph - Domenic Galati
* Rachel - Tara Jakszewicz
* Madame Guttman - Gertraud Ingeborg
* Mercia - Rhiana Griffith
* Denis - Joel Pieterse
* Brendan - Nicholas Bryant
* Nancy Cakebread - Genevieve Clay
* Lt. Hood - Michael Harrop
* Corporal Sampson - Garth Russell
* Colonel Kelly - Barry O'Conner
* William - Peter Hayes

Principal Crew:
Writer Director - Maurice Murphy
Producers - Brooke Wilson & Maurice Murphy
Executive Producers - Margaret Murphy & Maurice Murphy
Director of Photography - John Brock
Production & Costume Design- Emma Hamilton Lawes
Music - Carlo Giacco
Editor - Dana Hughes
Casting - Ann Robinson, Liz Mulinar Casting
Consultants
* First Assistant Directors - Xanon Murphy, John Titley
* Script Advisors - Jim Burnett, Caroline Stanton
* Continuity - Vanessa Bates
* Art Director - Kate Walker
* Props Buyer - Julia Hishion
* Camera Operator - Robert Agganis
* 2nd Unit Cinematographer - Frank Biffone
* Costume Supervisor - Sandra Roals
* Costume Assistant - Diana Jones
* Make-Up - Tara Newhouse, Anita Lowe
* Sound Mixer - Julian Ellingworth
* Dialogue Editor - Jane Patterson

Production Company:
MTXM Movies

Distributors:
Australia: M.Murphy
US: Mainline Releasing

Release Dates:
Country Date
USA 27 September 1998 (Aspen Film Festival)
New Zealand 18 July 1999 (Auckland Film Festival)
Australia 19 October 2000
New Zealand 7 December 2000

Box Office Figures:
None Available.

Interviews with Filmmakers:
Harris, P. and B. Cropley. Film Buff's Forecast. Audio Interview with Maurice Murphy. 3RRR 102.7FM
http://www.allmedia.com.au/interviews.html
Urban Cinefile. Andrew L. Urban interviews Maurice Murphy. Audio, Visual and a Transcription.
http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=4160&s=VisionStream

Details of Newspaper Reviews:
Abbie, J. The West Australian.
"A touching look at World War II ...Outstanding performances from Lisa Hensley and Steve Bastoni ...irresistible."
Aspen Times (U.S.)
"Best movie I've seen in years."
Barber, L. The Weekend Australian.
"...an Australian success story."
Bartlett, C. Sunday Mail (AUS).
"...a nostalgic, rose-tinted look at more innocent times ...an affectionate memoir."
Byrnes, P. The Sydney Morning Herald.
"...charming, ...sweet, innocent."
Englund, V. Rave Magazine (AUS).
"...a beautiful film. ...a delicious gourmet feast. ...you won't be disappointed."
Fischmann, C. Time Off (AUS).
"15 Amore is a tender tale of love that is recounted through a child's sweetly skewed perspective."

Forbes, C. Sunday Herald-Sun.
"...delightful ...intelligent and sensitive filmmaking. ...deliciously shot ...the performances are superb."
James, S. The Advertiser (AUS).
"The performances are uniformly wonderful. ...an Australian fable ...great affection, perception, wit and a touch of nostalgia. Whatever you do, don't miss this little gem of joy."
Kornits, D. FilmInk Magazine (AUS).
"Beautifully shot ...15 Amore is a simple yet powerful portrait of an Australia almost forgotten."
Le Petit, P. 2000. The Sunday Telegraph, October 22.
Maddox, G. 2000. Sydney Morning Herald, October 17.
Marr, J. Sunday Mail (AUS).
"An excellent cast brings a delightful rural love story to life. ...A charmer."
Miles, T. NW Magazine (AUS).
"...affectionate ...a delight."
Mitchell, E. iF Magazine (AUS).
"...a film of arresting warmth and striking subtlety. ...beautifully evokes the romanticism of childhood memories... 15 Amore is a moving portrait of life ...a quietly impressive Australian gem."
Molitorisz, S. The Sydney Morning Herald.
"...a sweet, humble Aussie film ...an interesting, childlike take on 1940s Australia. ...a gentle offering..."
Paatsch, L. Sunday Herald-Sun.
"...extraordinary cinematography ...incredibly natural and unaffected acting..."
Partridge, D. Courier-Mail (AUS).
"...diverting and satisfying. ...highly enjoyable performances ...warm and funny..."
Paviour, A. Who Weekly Magazine.
"A labour of love ...arresting ...a blessing."
Ryan, T. The Sunday Age.
"15 Amore is full of a nostalgia for the past ...a compelling tale."
Scardilli, A. The Sun-Herald.
"...beautifully filmed... infused with a kind of gentle nostalgia... The cast delivers extremely likeable characters....very appealing"
Wellington Capital Times (N.Z.)
"Beautifully told, thoroughly enjoyable, warm and humorous."
Williams, E. 2000. "Advantage: viewer", review of 15 Amore. Weekend Australian, October 28-29: Arts Review 21.

Films Online Presence:
Brandis, J. At War on the Home Front and This Story had to wait to be told. Post Newspapers.
http://www.postnewspapers.com.au/20001014/impressions/cinema.shtml
Britten, C. 15 Amore. Projections Film Club
http://www.projections.org.au/15_amore.html
2001. IMDB.
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0184178
Leonard, R Fr. 15 Amore The Catholic Leader
http://catholicleader.com.au/index.php?pgnum=7&movnum=32
MSN Entertainment.
http://entertainment.msn.com/Movies/Movie.aspx?m=154702
Murphy, J. and I. Redzovic. 2001. Untempered Childhood Memories. World Socialist Web Site
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/may2001/amor-m21.shtml
O'Brien, K. 2000. Australian Distributors Ignore Local Film Success. Transcript: ABC 7:30 Report.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/s206488.htm
Pearce, D. 15 Amore. Movieguide.
http://www.movieguide.com.au/15amoreR.htm
Pomeranz, M. 15 Amore. The Movie Show. SBS.
http://www.sbs.com.au/movieshow/reviews.php3?id=182
http://www.regalcinema.com.au/stories.php
Stratton, D. 2000. 15 Amore. Highbeam Research.
http://www.highbeam.com/library/doc0.asp?docid=1G1:61963370&refid=ink_overture_g10_pub
Thurling, J. 2000. 15 Amore. Moveguide.
http://www.movieguide.com.au/15amoreJT.htm
Urbancinefile.
http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=3801&s=Reviews

Collection of Information:
I began most of my research online, using search engines such as Google, Altavista, Yahoo and Ask Jeeves. A lot of the webpages that arose gave a very general synopsis and a cast list, or provided a link to purchase the video/DVD. Generally information for the Film's Online Presence was found this way. Practically all of my information for Newspaper reviews were found online on the directors own webpage (http://users.bigpond.net.au/mauriceamore), as it otherwise proved difficult to come across it elsewhere. For instance I also viewed Journals such as Encore, InsideFilm and Cinemapapers Magazines. But only Cinemapapers acknowledged 15 Amore in the industry during its production process, under InProduction. I was unable to locate any box office figures or reviews in these Magazines. Release dates were available on the Internet Movie Database (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0184178/releaseinfo).

Part 2: Critical Review of Film and its Literature

Synopsis and Commentary:
15 Amore is a film set during World War Two in Australia that takes place solely on a country farm homestead. It is based upon experiences and events from the director's life as a boy, leading up to the day that the war ends. It circulates around a family of four, a mother, Dorothy (Lisa Hensley), and her three young children, Mercia (Rhiana Griffith), Denis (Joel Pieterse) and Brendan (Nicholas Bryant). Their father, William (Peter Hayes), has been at war for the past five years fighting the Japanese in New Guinea. He had volunteered to go into the war even when Dorothy was pregnant with the youngest child Brendan, and so because of this the children can barely remember their father. Despite this, they have never lacked a father figure. Living with them on the homestead are two Italian Prisoners of War, Alfredo (Steve Bastoni) and Joseph (Domenic Galati). Alfredo becomes a surrogate "Papa" to Brendan and to the other children, and both the men provide joy, warmth and help to the family during this period of fighting. The family later sponsors two German refugees, Madam Guttman (Gertraud Ingeborg) and her daughter Rachel (Tara Jakszewicz). The two women work extra hard for their keep, meanwhile they both struggle with different cultural identities. Madam Guttman wishes to remain true to her German background and this is ultimately what causes a rift between her and her daughter later on. While Rachel wishes to become as Australian as possible, speaking English, playing tennis, wearing Australian clothes and basically becomes a sister to the children.
15 Amore traverses through the everyday events of everyone living at the homestead. It reflects a rewarding experience of the merging of three different cultures, and shines a comedic light upon particular events that occur because of this. Yet it also manages to hold its audience in suspense during the more dramatic moments, that though may not be big budget action sequences, could be considered even more powerful in moments like when Alfredo falls sick because of a tick and has to get it removed by Dorothy, or when Brendan has a cart filled with wood driven over him. It is the strong connection that the audience has attained during the film with the characters that make it a powerful sequence.
The film is set up from the beginning as warm and inviting, with lots of close up shots of animals and insects, and in general aspects of their days work, always amongst beautiful scenery on a bright and sunny day. It is viewed against a sound scape of beautiful music from opera to Italian, and each character is portrayed in such a way, either during comedic or warm moments that you can not help but like each one of them in the end and to feel for them. Like from the curiosity of the children about sex to Madam Guttman being overly horrified when she has spiders fall in her hair.
The title of the film symbolises the good side of life, yet it also is the cause that spoils this good life. 15 Amore translated is Fifteen Love, referring to the score in a game of tennis, a game played often throughout the film. Yet love is really the key word. There is the love between Dorothy and Alfredo that can never really happen because they are both married. Then there is the innocent love between Rachel and Joseph that ultimately, because of Madam Guttman's dislike for her daughter being with an Italian, leads her to accusing both of the Italian men of hurting one of the women to the Australian soldiers. At first the claim isn't taken too seriously as Rachel denies anything bad and gives a glowing appraisal of both the men, but when Madam Guttman says it was actually Mercia whom was harmed, things get confused, turned around and blown out of proportion. This occurs on a day of extreme happiness when the war has ended, and then reaches a profound and devastating climax affecting everyone. The film ends on a sedate note, with Rachel, Madam Guttman, Alfredo and Joseph all leaving the homestead and parting ways. Dorothy's husband William returns to the family, an uncomfortable experience for all concerned, as Dorothy is still in love with Alfredo, and the children react to him as their father and hold no emotions for William.

Critical Uptake:
15 Amore was received extremely well at a variety of festivals, and this can be observed by the awards that it has won both overseas and in Australia:

September 1998
Aspen Film Festival USA
Most Popular Film
November 1998
Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) Awards - NSW/ACT
Gold (shared) - John Brock, Feature Production, Cinema Section
1999
Noosa Film Festival AUS
Audience Award
November 2000
Marco Island Film Festival, Florida USA
Best Foreign Feature

Its popularity was also observed in the praising reviews it received from many critics, generally about great performances, how warm the film was, and that it is an Australian gem, due to its nostalgic way of life and light-hearted comedy that has appealed to both critics and audiences alike. No negative reviews (if any) could be found. Unfortunately once released in Australia it has been forgotten by most, video libraries do not stock it despite having won awards and praise, and it has had no recognition in journals or books. Although in the month of its release it was nominated for four AFI awards, for Best Actor in a leading role (Steve Bastoni), Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Original Music Score, and Best Achievement in Costume Design. Unfortunately it did not win any of the categories.

Circumstances of Production and Release:
The concept of 15 Amore was originally told at dinner parties by Maurice Murphy as a story. Later, a production friend of his bet him that he could not write the story of 15 Amore in three weeks. He lost, but because of this bet it was the beginning of a script. Due to this film not being a first time direction of his he was unable to apply for funding from a government body. Therefore he had to make his film independently and asked the bank for a loan, and friends and family for money. He collected a sum of $450,000 which became the budget for his film. The film was intended to be filmed in Melbourne, but due to being unable to gain funds from the government there to fly cast and crew over, it resulted in being shot over three weeks in Wallalong House, Hinton, Sydney. Murphy then tried for nearly three years to secure an Australian release for the film, much to his surprise no one was interested in distributing the film despite the acclaimed overseas awards that 15 Amore had won. Especially considering that at the time it was the first Australian film to win an USA film festival. He was determined not to give up and so he then approached an Australian bank which gave him $1 million to distribute the film himself. This he now believes is a plus for him because as his own distributor he gets to keep all the profits for himself. His first deal was with Barry Loane at Adelaide's independent Trak Cinema,
"I like the film and that doesn't necessarily mean that the public is going to like the film, but they did, and it's just actually finished 4.5 months, which is probably the longest-running Australian film of this year."
Maurice was also able to negotiate a contract with Dendy Cinemas.

The Film in Relation to Subsequent or Prior Works:
Maurice Murphy originally worked in television directing many shows of the comedy genre such as "Doctor in the House" (1969), "The Aunty Jack Show" (1972), and "The Tea Ladies (1978), just to name a few. He has also directed three other films, Fatty Finn (1980), Doctors and Nurses (1981), and Wet and Wild Summer! (1992), which were also in the comedy genre. So it is of no surprise that 15 Amore is very light hearted and comedic in nature, although it is a more serious work than anything else that Murphy has done before which is the surprise.
Another surprise is the cinematography which was extremely beautiful and added to the charm of the film and it was even nominated for an AFI award. The Director of Photography was John Brock, and the surprise lies in his filmography history. Notable works of his include Mad Max 2 (1981) and Mad Max 3 (1985) as assistant camera and additional focus puller. His first and only film before 15 Amore as a DOP is very similar to the aforementioned films, Mad Bomber in Love (1992). These films do not seem like stepping stones to the creation of 15 Amore, and yet his work has helped create an unforgettable piece. Interestingly enough both Murphy and Brock had a six year lapse before working on 15 Amore.
Lisa Hensley who played Dorothy has worked on similar Australian and period pieces but also in comedies, and this is what brings her fresh and natural appearance on screen in this setting. Such similar works of hers are The Good Wife (1987), Greenkeeping (1992), Dating the Enemy (1996), and Paradise Road (1997).
Steve Bastoni, who played Alfredo and was nominated for an AFI award as best actor has been in a variety of television series and films that are very different from one another, and don't hold any particular link to his performance in 15 Amore. Recent notable titles of his are He Died with a Felafel In his Hand (2001), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and Enter the Matrix (2003).

General Position of Australian Film:
15 Amore is a beautiful film that has unfortunately been lost in the web of big budget productions. Critics today would still give the film the same praises that it deserves, but its current place on market horizons is basically non-existent. Australian audiences are generally unaware of such a film, especially because it is unavailable for hire and only for purchase online. This is a pure example showing how influenced Australian cinemas are by American films which come first even to the large budget Australian films. It is therefore hard to find room for the small independent films that deserve the credit and the viewing but exactly because they are small and independent they are ignored. There is a stereotype surrounding such Australian films that they will be "cheesy" and bad quality, and so they hold no value to many Australian audiences, no matter how patriotic they may be of their country. That is why 15 Amore has been more successful overseas, gaining a distributor over there immediately, possibly because they are open to something fresh from the mass of special effects and well-known stars. It will most likely be some time before Australian films hold more importance to its audiences, and will be accepted on the same level as American films.

Genre:
15 Amore belongs to a variety of different genres, from comedy to romance, war, drama and it is also a period piece. It is this diversity that makes it so appealing to many people, and makes it a stronger production due to its different levels. Light-hearted natural comedy is experienced all through-out the film during realistic sequences and events, which makes 15 Amore stand out because it is not your typical comedy. Romance is another genre, the would-be romance between Dorothy and Alfredo, and the romance between Rachel and Joseph. Romance almost naturally has to occur in such a film, where the family is relatively isolated from other people and they share a lot of good times together, despite the war that is going on. It also adds to the comedy, for example when Rachel and Dorothy are playing a game of tennis together, and Alfredo is scoring for Dorothy and Joseph for Rachel, they continuously bicker over the score favouring the one they love. The genres War and Period Piece come hand in hand, yet the war is unnoticeable during their day to day events. The viewer is reminded of it when the two soldiers arrive to count the POWs and refugees, but even then there is no major harm to the family because of the war. It isn't until peace occurs that the soldiers cause upset for the family. As a period piece this is visible due to their lack of technology, their clothing, the children's innocence and of course the war. As 15 Amore is very family oriented and deals with their daily life, and also includes the different genres it is therefore considered a drama. It gradually builds up these day to day events to a large climax at the end, and then the whole mood of the film changes after that.