BEING VENICE
Australia, 2012, 89 minutes. Colour.
Alice Mc Connell, Gary Mc Donald, Simon Stone, Katy Wall.
Directed by Miro Bilbrough.
No, not that Venice. While the Sydney settings, the National Park and the harbor are attractive, they cannot substitute for that Venice. Especially since most of the action takes place around inner city Stanmore.
Venice is a young woman, a poet, whose life seems to be rather morose. She makes notes of phrases for her poems, especially showing a fascination with insects. Caught without a ticket on a train, she notes that the police office has ‘miserabilist décor’. That’s probably the word for this film and for Venice herself, despite a hopeful, if not happy, ending.
We gradually learn about Venice’s misererabilist childhood which means that she doesn’t relate all that well, turns men off, and the film has her wandering around being miserable, even finishing up in hospital for a while. Venice is played with convincing misery by Alice Mc Connell.
The other key character in the film is Venice’s father, Arthur, a teacher who lives in New Zealand but who has come to Sydney for a seminar. He is played by Garry Mc Donald (and his teeth which are quite prominent many times). Arthur has an oddly posh-sounding accent at first. He is pedantic, often acidic in his comments. He stays with Venice.
Gradually, father and daughter do talk and some understanding does eventuate.
This is a film that will appeal only to a specialist audience who are interested in offbeat or odd characters and how they navigate through life.
1. The writer and director a woman? Portrait of a woman? Women’s perspectives?
2. The Sydney settings (not Venice)? The inner city, the suburb of Stanmore, the streets, flats? The general atmosphere of the city? Musical score?
3. The title? The focus on Venice? Alice Mc Connell and her screen presence and performance? A morose character? Her relationship with Marcus and his breaking it off in bed? Her going to Lenny, the attraction towards him, the discussions with Irene? Irene and her pregnancy? Irene’s anger? Borrowing the car, going to the airport? Her relationship with her father? Memories of her mother, the artist, walking naked in the house, the separation? Her relationship with Arthur, his absence? In New Zealand? Her letting him stay in the flat? His manner, demands? His relationship with her, off-putting? Her work as a poet? Taking notes? The initial focus on insects, this carrying through the film? Publishing her book? Her sadness, depression? Discussions with Irene – and the scene in the national park? With Lenny? The further relationship? A reconciliation with her father, his admitting his bad behaviour? His return to New Zealand? Her future?
4. Arthur, Gary Mc Donald, the strange accent? His background, the description of his his marriage, his wife? His own decisions? To save Venice and send her to her grandmother? His neglect of her afterwards? His work in New Zealand, studying, lecturing? His project in Sydney and the scene with the schoolboys, encouraging their writing and imagination? His being pedantic, interactions with Lenny? In the flat, being woken up – and the incident of Venice not having a ticket on the train, the inspector, the phone call? Arthur and his meeting with Lenny, the discussions? Arthur and his mellowing, getting to understand his daughter? His returning to New Zealand?
5. The men, Marcus, sudden breaking off of the relationship? Lenny, his relationship with Irene, the sex with Venice? Lending the car? A future?
6. A portrait of people in Sydney? Artistic people and temperaments (the director also being a poet)? The future for a depressive character like Venice?
