CARELESS LOVE

Australia, 2012, 104 minutes, Colour.
Nammi Le, Peter O’ Brien, Andrew Hazzard, David Field, Ivy Mak, Penny Mc Namee, Hugo Johnstone- Burt.
Directed by John Duigan.

Writer-director, John Duigan, has not made a film in Australia since Sirens in 1994. Prior to that, he had made several significant films and television series (Winter of Our Dreams, Far East, The Year My Voice Broke, Flirting, Vietnam). He also made Romero and the film about Catholic war photographer, Damien Parer, Fragments of War. He has shown a great interest in different Australian stories as well as an interest in Australia’s relationship with Asia. He has also shown a great interest in ideas, sometimes philosophical, sometimes religious. He has brought them together in Careless Love – or, perhaps, not always together, sometimes story simply juxtaposed with idea sequences.

Careless Love is a film about prostitution (as well as other themes). Which raises questions about the meaning of the title and what love really is. There have been several Australian films about prostitution. In 2007, The Jammed explored human trafficking with Asian connections to Australia. The issues were those of justice, humanity and rights. In 2011, Sleeping Beauty was a psychosexual drama focusing on a student paying her way through university by working as a prostitute. The issues were predominantly psychological. The central character of Careless Love is a student, working as an escort to get money for her parents so that they will not lose their home. The emphasis is far less on the psychological – in fact, the audience has to give a lot of thought to characters, their motivations and behaviour, their psychology. Rather, the focus here is social and sociological. The student herself is involved in Social Studies. Her lecturer, played by John Duigan himself, appears throughout the film, teaching, raising questions about religion, fundamentalist beliefs and brainwashing, about morality, relationships and prostitution. Dramatically, these university scenes sit alongside the narrative, leaving the audience to make the connections until the final thesis is presented by the student after all her experiences.

The student is Linh, who came with her boat people parents from Vietnam when she and her brother were little. Some of this parallels the experiences of the star, Nammi Le. Nammi Le is a compelling presence on screen, the audience gazing at her. However, part of this mesmerising is her passivity, especially with her clients. She has no personal scruples about her choice to be an escort. She is partly fastidious in her choices of jobs. She is devoted to her parents even as she deceives them.

She and her friend, Mint (Ivy Mak in a vigorous performance) are driven each night by a friendly Dion (David Field). We are taken to several of the clients, young and old, local and Japanese. The film is rather reticent until later in the film in showing nudity and sexual activity. She meets an American, Peter Obrien as a former Blackwater agent in Iraq, who befriends her and serves as a sounding board for her as she gradually reveals herself to him. This leads to some melodrama as well as a visit from his wife and son from Baltimore – and a final humane touch.

Linh compartmentalises her life, boarding with friends, then moving in with a law student who works in the local bar. She visits her parents as well as the bank managers. She is very efficient in money management.

The American warns her that she is in danger of being found out. When she is, it leads to exposure, humiliation, tension in relationships (and some ugly behaviour on the part of associates as well as the exploitative media). But, Linh is a strong character and is not afraid of other people’s opinions.

Most of the sequences are fairly brief. And, there are many characters and episodes. Which means that the film is working on several levels and audiences have to be responding swiftly, dealing emotionally and intellectually with the drama. But, it is all unified by Linh’s story.

1. A film of Australian themes? For the 21st century? Life in Sydney, amongst the young, university students, the escort industry? Relationships, family? Migration? Philosophical and religious questions?

2. The title, the emphasis on careless – and as lived by Linh? By those she loved? By the clients?

3. The use of Sydney, the suburbs, the harbour opening, the bridge, the coast and the beaches, hotels? The affluent world? The ordinary suburban world? The world of digs for university students? Life outside Sydney – especially for Vietnamese migrants?

4. John Duigan and his films, his interests? His focus on prostitution and exploration of themes?

5. Audience attitude towards prostitution? In the streets? The escort industry and wealthy clients? The women themselves, the company employing them, the driver as chauffeur, confidant? The range of clients? Online contacts, phone calls? The women and their choices of clients? Refusals? The money, prostitution as legal, the escorts paying taxes? The attitudes towards sex, love, relationships?

6. The story of Linh? Symbolic and real? An Australian story? The Asian dimension? Linh’s personality, age, appearance, attractive? Her experience with her family, their being boat people, settling in Australia? Her parents, homemaking, her father and his work, losing his job? The mortgage on the house? The use of English and Vietnamese? Her brother, very Australian, at school? Her story about her modelling, sending the money to her father? The visit, talking with them, her lies? Her visit to the banker? Her father ringing to say that he had a job? Her devotion to her family in getting the money? Her studies, liking them, going to classes, asleep, the ideas? Her friends, her staying with Carol? Relying on Carol yet not telling her the truth? Her stories of going to the library? Going to the play, seeing Jonathan, enjoying the play? His approach to her, her consent, going out with him, meals, talking, looking at the flat, the decision to move in, hopes?

7. Linh and her clients, driving with Dion, his comments, his consideration towards her? His consideration towards Mint? Mint and her background, the older woman, not so well educated, struggling with English and expressions? Linh and her choices, refusals of some clients? Her going to the older man, his attitude, wanting to reform her? The Japanese man, his gift, his being able to confide in Linh? The eccentric man setting up the classroom and the women in uniforms, their laughing at him? The party of young students, the birthday celebration, the young man and his apology, the vibrator? The snide remarks afterwards? Linh holding her own? Her meeting Seb, his contacting her, the drink, discussing about sadomasochistic behaviour and her choices? Duigan’s presentation of the sex action – more reticent, later more explicit?

8. Luke, his ringing for an escort? Linh going, talking with him, his story about working for Blackwater in Iraq, his wife and son in Baltimore? His deals, artworks, stealing them, the gangsters following him? His being at east with Linh, getting her to come each week – but not on the books? His genuine love for her, reliance on her, her absence and his phoning? The effect on Linh? Meeting his wife and son, going to the picnic – and their later coming back for Luke’s funeral and his wife’s gratitude to Linh for her friendship and support, the boy for her coming to the funeral? Luke, his advice, the painting of Linh? The suddenness of his death?

9. Jack, his relationships, the break-up, Anna – and her later coming to the bar, her knowing the story about Linh, having been told by Seb? Jack and the plays, working in the bar, attracted to Linh, checking with Carol, inviting her out, inviting her to move in? The scene in the bar, Seb calling Linh Mei? Her being exposed? The effect on Jack?

10. The truth, her wanting to be alone, her reliance on Carol? The newspapers and the exploitative headings after Luke’s death? The reaction of her parents, the upset of her mother?

11. Her continuing her studies, coming to the lecture room and all being silent, her presenting her thesis, the professor and the board, her comments on prostitution?

12. The classes, the professor, the religious questions, brainwashing and children, fundamentalist religion, the consequences, the effect of religious belief? Philosophical issues explored in the lectures? Issues of choice?

13. Linh, her decision to get out, her parents having enough money? Mint, her leaving? Their friendship – the karaoke scene after Mint was picked up by the police, brutalised and raped by the police? Mint and her new life – the introduction to Carol, Linh’s support?

14. The portrait of the men, the clients, young, Seb? The perspective of the men towards escort services? Sexual support, psychological support?

15. The range of themes that John Duigan takes up – and how well they meshed in the narrative?