Careless Love (John Duigan, 2012) wr. John Duigan; Nammi Le, Peter O'Brien, Andrew Hazzard, David Field; drama
John Duigan’s latest film is surprisingly unremarkable. There’s nothing much wrong with it as such. It’s just rather predictable, undramatic, unengaging. The juve lead makes no impression. Peter O’Brien and David Field do what they can with their one-dimensional roles. The ‘American’ wife has one of the least convincing accents I’ve ever heard in a feature. And the lead actress appears untroubled by events in the story. Duigan himself appears, in quite a large, unpleasant part, and his sister also, in a tiny one. Unfortunately for this film, the memory of Sleeping Beauty (Julia Leigh, 2011) remains strong, and will eclipse that of this.
Beautifully photographed by Kathryn Milliss, the film explores the dangerous world of contemporary prostitution with grim realism; this is an environment where not only violent clients but also, sometimes, cops can be a threat. Duigan himself appears as Linh's university lecturer. David Stratton, At the Movies.
John Duigan's magic cinematic touch is as vibrant as ever, his sensitivity and relevance driving great stories that resonate with us and guiding wonderful performances. It's a joy to see his latest film reconfirming all these attributes. Careless Love weaves together various strands and elements that develop like a fascinating tapestry of relationships and circumstances that provoke and challenge the viewer. Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile.
Garry Gillard | New: 10 December, 2012 | Now: 26 January, 2020