Walking on Water

Director Tony Ayres makes his cinematic debut with this dark and surprisingly funny character-driven film. The subject matter is refreshingly different, looking at death and friendship in a very real way. The story is simple, the characters flawed and the dialogue superb. This low budget production tells a touching tale of how friends react toward each other when one of them passes away. This small, intimate relationship drama is an outstanding achievement for everyone involved.

Gavin (David Bonney), Anna (Maria Theodorakis) and Charlie (Vince Colosimo) are close friends. They all live in Gavin’s Bondi house along with Charlie’s partner Frank (Nicholas Bishop) and have been nursing Gavin through his illness for eighteen months. Gavin has AIDS, and with the end nearing has left express wishes for what is to happen. His mother Margaret (Judi Farr), brother Simon (Nathaniel Dean) and Simon’s wife Kate (Anna Lise Phillips) arrive from South Australia for the pending death.

"...and he asked us to help him if it ever came to this."

After Gavin’s death the remaining friends suffer a case of good friends, bad behaviour. Anna has become a control freak, constantly arguing with Charlie, and things are also rocky between Charlie and his partner Frank. Simon remains in Sydney, which causes even more problems for Anna. What follows is the way the friends all deal with their feelings. Charlie numbs his pain with help from the leftover morphine and Anna struggles to be strong. This of course causes conflict for the two, but also impacts on the lives of everyone concerned.

First off, the subject matter of this film may be death and the relationships between friends, but there are still some very funny moments. It is an emotional roller coaster ride with the viewer hating a character in one instant then sympathising with that very same character shortly after. The pace of the film is exceptional, with outstanding direction from first time director Tony Ayres. A superb script from writer Roger Monk (The Secret Life Of Us) is of course the basis of any good dialogue driven film, but the standout achievement here is the acting. Not one of the cast can be faulted on their performance. The lead actors Colosimo (Lantana, Wog Boy, The Secret Life of Us, Chopper) and Theodorakis show their pedigree from many years of experience and they are ably supported by an outstanding ensemble. Judi Farr is superb as Margaret and first time actors Nathaniel Dean and David Bonney also put in great performances. Daniel Roberts (Sons & Daughters, Mission Impossible 2) also deserves a mention. Although his part as Gavin’s past lover is only a minor role, he brings a terrific presence to the film. As stated before, the entire cast is wonderful and show that they all have long futures in this industry.

Australian cinema has come a long way in the last 20 years and if this film is an example of where it is today, then watch out Hollywood! There are no explosions, special effects or big name American stars, all this film has is a great script, wonderful acting and a production team led by Tony Ayres who have achieved a major triumph on a limited budget. If you are a fan of quality Australian television shows such as The Secret Life Of Us and films such as Lantana then you should rush out and see this quality production.

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and 16:9 enhanced this film looks terrific. Picture is sharp throughout and colours are natural. The cinematography is impressive, with some stunning ocean scenes that really set the mood of the film. Scenes shot inside the house are also extremely well done and again set the mood. There are no noticeable problems with film artefacts or shadow detail. Grain is minimal and aliasing is also hard to spot. There are no subtitles supplied, but these are not required as dialogue is audible at all times.

There is a choice of two audio tracks for this feature, the English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo and the DD 5.1 Surround mix. Both are wonderful but the track of choice is the 5.1. This track offers great sound and although this is primarily a dialogue-driven film, there is constant surround use that although subtle, adds to the feel of the film. Dialogue is clear at all times and there are no synch problems. The accompanying music is also well suited, with some recognisable tracks including The Church's classic hit Under the Milky Way performed by the band themselves and an alternative version by Sarah McGregor. There is one noticeable glitch in the audio though at 54:35, where a loud click can be heard from the right hand rear speaker. This is the only major fault throughout and although an annoyance, can be tolerated.

There is quite an abundance of extras here, with the only thing really missing being a commentary track.

Working on Water
This behind the scenes featurette gives an interesting look at the making of this feature. It runs for 15:03 and contains interviews with the director Tony Ayres, writer Roger Monk, the director of photography and many cast members. It also includes some rehearsals and looks at location selection. Presented in full frame and DD 2.0 audio, this is a nice extra.

Deleted Scenes
Containing ten scenes that can be played individually or all in succession, this extra is also available with commentary from director Tony Ayres. The scenes are very good and could have easily been included in the film, but as Ayres states they were removed for relevant reasons. There is a problem with the commentary on the last scene though, Ayres seems to be cut short at the end. The total running time for these scenes is 14:24 and they are in the same aspect ratio as the main feature.

SBS Movie Show Coverage
Running for 12:27, this feature looks at when the film was featured on the SBS television program The Movie Show. It contains features from before and after the film's release and along with excerpts from the film it also contains interviews.

Press Kit
In this area there are a few different sections containing even more information. The Cast and Crew Biographies contain text pages on literally everyone invloved with the film. As well as the main cast and director, there is also information on the writer and most of the production crew. In the Awards and Nominations section there are again, several pages of text listing recognition the film has received. Q&A at The Kino is an interview section filmed at the Kino Dendy Cinema Melbourne, where director Tony Ayres is joined by Vince Colosimo and Maria Theodorakis to answer 15 questions about the film. There are two other sections in this area that are simply text pages looking at the Soundtrack and Promotion.

Photo Gallery
Aptly named, this section contains 20 photographs taken by invited photographers William Yang (the subject of a documentary made by Ayres), Harold David, Jun Tagamy and Bronwyn Renney. There are some stunning pictures here that show behind the scenes as well as some location shots.

Theatrical Trailer
Running for 2:26, this is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and has DD 2.0 audio.

Madman Propaganda
Quite a substantial choice of teaser trailers are contained here for the films Nine Queens, Be Careful What Your Heart Desires, The Tracker, Harvard Man and Dinner Rush.

Well if you haven’t noticed by now, I highly recommend this film! Superb acting, an excellent script, wonderful direction and impressive cinematography makes this well worth the price alone. The video and audio transfers are terrific and an abundance of extras make this a high quality release.