MONKEY GRIP

Australia, 1982, 99 minutes, Colour.
Noni Hazlehurst, Colin Friels, Alice Garner, Harold Hopkins, Candy Raymond, Michael Caton.
Directed by Ken Cameron.

Monkey Grip is based on the celebrated novel by Helen Garner. She collaborated with director Ken Cameron on the screenplay.

The film is a slice of life of Melbourne inner suburbs in the late '70s. It echoes the atmosphere of the '70s, the sense of freedom, the emergence of feminism, the world of drugs, the world of freedom, sexual relationships - as well as the world of the arts in the inner city, theatre, writing, music. This is all captured quite perceptively in this film.

Noni Hazlehurst won an Australian Film Institute award as best actress for her performance. She is well matched by Colin Friels in one of his earliest film roles. There is a strong supporting cast of Australian character actors. However, a stand-out is Alice Garner as the young Gracie. Christina Amphlett of the Eurythmics acts as well as sings in the film.

Director Ken Cameron was a schoolteacher and moved into film-making with short films about education. As a director he went on to make Fast Talking (also about education), The Umbrella Woman as well as several celebrated mini-series, The Bangkok Hilton and Brides of Christ.

1.The impact of the film in Australia, a slice of life? Relevant? Echo of the '70s and '80s? The quality of the film, awards? Insight and universal values explored?

2.The screenplay as an adaptation of a novel, the events, the voice-over, character delineation, interactions, atmosphere of Melbourne?

3.The Melbourne settings, colour and tone? The flats, houses, the streets, the swimming pool, the small theatres, restaurants, the discos, recording studios? The world of the inner city? The contrast with the beach, the sea? The contrast with the road, restaurants? Sydney, the harbour locations?

4.The musical score, the songs, the Divinyls, Paul Kelly? The blends of disco, punk, rock? The lyrics? The contrast with Alice and her playing of classics, Beethoven's Fur Elise? The music and the period? The music world? Records, art, photography, theatre, TV commercials, films?

5.The structure of the film: one year from summer to summer? Norah and her point of view, judgments, the limitations of her perspective, insights? Audiences sharing her experience? The quality of the voice-over, the images confirming or contrasting with what Norah was saying? The introduction, the bike ride, the splashing and thrashing in the pool? Norah, Gracie, Martin, Javo - relationships? On the edges of society? Relationships and love, moving in and out of love? Curiosity in relationships, seeking fulfilment, hurts and handling them? People being fair to one another? The ending, the dance, the partners, awkwardness, dignity and grace? Norah learning through the year's experience? The audience invited to share that experience - while feeling somewhat alienated from the lifestyle?

6.The counter-culture, inner urban city, trendy, arty? The stories of the various people, their backgrounds, coming to live together in inner city communal life? Values, searching? Freedom and permissiveness? Relationships, divorces? The children? Drugs and effects? Parties, work? Seeing themselves as something of an elite? Relating to a wider world? Interest in life, boring life? True to life?

7.Noni Hazlehurst as Norah: audiences identifying with her, liking her? Interest in her life, stances? Agreement, exasperation? In herself, her background, marriage, the visit to her husband, leaving Gracie with him? Mothering Gracie? Gracie and the swimming pool, the bike? Her relationship with Martin, its breaking down? With men, questions of money? Her meeting Javo, at the party, the night together? The art gallery? His ignoring her at the party, her anger with him, the note? The on and off again relationship? Martin? Their going overseas? Her life with Gracie, the sequences at home, the friends coming round? Her relationship with the other women in the group? With Rita, the band? With Willie, not having a relationship with him? Angela and her jealousy, Norah being hurt? Their talking things over? Lilian, her writing the story, her victimising Lilian, Lilian's being hurt, the attack? Javo's return, the play, being sick? The going to Sydney, her exasperation with Javo? The time with Gracie? The music, the success? Her writing and its success? Her trying to take stock of herself? Getting advice from Gracie? The final encounters with Javo - a future?

8.Gracie, her age, taking the situations for granted? Swimming, riding the bike, with Raimondo, the card? Her other school friends? Her wise advice, talking about money, relationships? Playing the piano? The communal living, the intimate sequences with Javo and Norah? At the beach, playing, going to Sydney, the car, the meal at the roadhouse, the ferry? The gift of the mouth organ and her relationship with Javo? Able to assess people?

9.Javo and his background, the acting, meeting Martin and Norah at the baths, his friendship with Martin? The performance at the art gallery, the return home, the sexual encounter - with the working next door? Ignoring Norah and the reasons for this? His admission about the drugs? The power of the sequences of his taking drugs, the effect on him? Norah and her letter? His absence in Asia, the letters, his return, the play, being sick? Giving his attention to Lilian? The sexual relationships, the drugs? Going to Sydney, going out, taking Norah's money? His collapse? The end and his future?

10.The men in Norah's life, Martin and the relationship? Her friend with the painting, moving in with him? Willie and the band? The communal living? Relationships?

11.The women in the group: Angela, her music, anger, her performance, the recording studio? Rita, her child, common living? The attraction to Willie? Lilian, the relationship, the TV commercial, talking things over frankly with Norah, being hurt?

12.The contrast with the sequences in Sydney?

13.The band, Willie and his come-on, his relationship with Angela? The group, the performances, the recording?

14.The play within the play - and the glimpse of small theatre and experimental theatre in the inner city?

15.A look at the '70s, Melbourne, men and women, children, relationships, freedom, needs? The art world, music? Drugs, despair and hope?