CAPPUCCINO

Australia, 1989, 84 minutes, Colour.
John Clayton, Rowena Wallace, Jeannie Drynan.
Directed by Anthony Bowman.

Cappuccino was written and directed by Anthony Bowman, who wrote and directed the comedy Relatives.

This is a film about the world of theatre and television in Australia. The characters echo many of the personalities of the media. The screenplay is full of witticisms as well as barbs towards the industry. There is much to amuse, especially in the performances of John Clayton as the taxi-driver stand-up comic, of Rowena Wallace as the successful, if slightly cynical, stage star who becomes a director and Jeannie Drynan as the rather flighty actress who can't get a role.

There are also odd characters from stage, from soap operas, from stand-up comedy as well as corrupt police.

In some ways, there is too much material in the film for its short running time and its portrait of stage and television stars. However, it is a light-hearted look at the media and it entertains.

1.Entertaining film about the media, the world of stage, films and television? Wit? Spoof? Satire?

2.The Sydney world of the media, theatres, studios, stand-up comedy restaurants, police stations? Homes? The musical score?

3.The title of the film, Max's play - how much was real, how much invented? Play within a play? The cafe as the meeting place for the central characters - and their cappuccinos?

4.How authentic the characters and situations? How contrived? How much stylised? How much posing and posturing?

5.The Australian media, film and television industries? The satire on the types, the satire on situations? How much valid criticism?

6.The device of having Max do the narration in closed-up? As stand-up comic style? Explaining the characters and the plot? Moving the plot along? How much corresponded to the characters as we saw them? How much Max's interpretation for the purposes of a play? The intensity of John Clayton's performance, his humour, accent, his ability to create characters? The finale and his presenting the play to the characters - and the camera drawing back to show the movie within a movie?

7.Max, training, confiding to the audience in an acting style, taxi-driving and his telling jokes to the passengers, his stand-up comic routines? His first attempt and its failure? Celia and her laughing, the others in sympathy? The party afterwards? His persevering? His giving up the jokes and Celia's being hurt? His telling the yarns and his success? Regular employment? His still taxi-driving? His relationship with Celia, the tensions, her leaving? His friendship with Anna and the past relationship, Maggie and the past relationship? Comparisons with Larry as the glamorous star of soap opera? The videos and the policeman having been injured in the accident, hospital, the videos and the blackmail of the official? Celia taking the video? Max and his disappointment in Celia's departure, having to cope? The questions of the police, his being imprisoned for parking fines, his experience in prison and writing the play? Getting out? Handing the parts to the various characters? Dealing with his life and relationships?

8.Maggie, the audition, her flighty style, disappointments? Her reputation, advertisements? Friendship with Anna? With Max? With Larry? Relationships, comments? Her Brazilian boyfriend and the relationship? Her continued attempts to get jobs, always missing out? Her support of Max? Her observing of the situations and characters? The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, her ultimate success? Anna directing her? Her reaction to the screenplay?

9.Anna, cynical style, going for auditions (and fulfilling what Max said about people who get parts)? Friendship with Maggie? Support of Max? Relationship with Larry? Her frank style? Her reaction to Celia and her humour? The jobs, the auditions? Having to tell the bad news to Maggie? Her failure as a director? The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and the rave reviews? Her wanting to console Max? Her criticisms of Maggie's Brazilian boyfriend - and her relationship with him? Personality and style?

10.Larry, the soap opera star, concerned about himself, his looks? With the group, response to Max? Relationship with Celia, living with her, offering her jobs? Yet self-centred? His nightmare, being dismissed from the soap opera, watching the episodes with Celia? Driving the taxi? The comic touches with his suicide attempts, Celia's reaction?

11.Celia, laughing at Max's jokes? Not enjoying the stories? Her age, experience? Ambitions? The flashback to Max at work, the filming of the condoms and her tantrum? With max, the relationship, attracted to Larry, hoping to get television jobs? Looking at the video, taking it, concealing it? The police and their questions, the attack on Max, the attack on Larry? Attack on herself? The filming of the film - and her shooting Bollinger?

12.Bollinger, the videos, taping the officials? Corruption and bribery? The taxi, the accident? Strong-arm tactics on Max? The realisation that he was a policeman? Partnership with Nigel? Comic and inept touches? Threats? His not getting his way? Nigel, hoping to be in films? Partnership? Loyalty to Bollinger?

13.The world of the cafe, of cappuccinos, of the staff, Bollinger's strong-arm tactics, the owner and his providing a place of refuge for the actors?

14.The wit of the screenplay? How incisive? Critical? Humorous? A portrait or a perspective on the Australian media of the late '80s?