Matthew Saville’s light drama, A Month of Sundays, gives star, Anthony La Paglia a chance to shine at what he does best: underplayed intensity.
Both written and directed by Saville, this is an enormously enjoyable film, with gentle characterisation, thoughtful but not taxing themes, and sharp comedy, especially in the hands of the inimitable John Clarke.
The story revolves around La Paglia’s Frank Mollard: a mediocre real estate agent, with typical middle-aged man issues. It’s almost a benign Glengarry Glen Ross. Saville uses the real estate theme as a textual liet-motif in Frank’s inner monologues, thereby adding texture to scenes which might otherwise be merely utilitarian.
Shining as Sarah is the always luminous and reliable Julia Blake -“solid, tudor-style inner suburban”- and Donal Forde, as her son Damien, resists any urge to caricature, delivering a masterclass in underplaying.
The film is populated by some quality Adelaide actors and some quality Adelaide real-estate.
Bargain-buying at this price. Reviewer says “see”!
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Rating out of 10: 8
A Month of Sundays opens in cinemas on 28 April 2016.
This review was first published on 21 October 2015 as Adelaide Film Festival Review: A Month of Sundays.
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