FORCE OF DESTINY
Australia, 2015, 109 minutes, Colour.
David Wenham, Shahana Goswami, Jacqueline Mc Kenzie, Hannah Friedricksen, Terry Norris, Genevieve Picot, Kim Gyngell, Deidre Rubenstein.
Directed by Paul Cox.
Paul Cox is one of Australia’s most celebrated film directors. He has been making films since the 1960s, quite prolific, sometimes a film each year, working on small budgets – but a man who was often cranky, critical of the government, eccentric in his presentation of his stories, yet provocative and evocative storyteller nonetheless, an explorer of human nature.
Some years ago, Paul Cox was diagnosed with liver cancer and given a short time to live. However, he was approved to be placed on a donor list, and ready for the possibility of a transplant if a liver became available. In fact, a liver did become available and Cox experienced the transplant, resuming his career but devoting much of it to appreciation of what had happened to him and an appeal to the general public to be organ donors.
This is his fictional story.
The central character, Paul Cox’s alter ego, is a sculptor called Robert, played with his usual strength and charm by David Wenham. Wenham is younger in age than Cox was at the time of his illness. Cox has always been interested in a variety of arts as well as his cinema work and this is evident in this film, not only in Robert’s sculpting work and the camera’s eye for detail about his work and exhibition, but also introducing a great deal of music, and also dance.
The other central character in the story is an Indian woman, Maya, Shahana Goswami, an attractive personality, who is introduced to Robert and they become friends. Robert has been married but is separated from his wife, Hannah, Jacqueline Mc Kenzie, and they have a daughter who is devoted to him, Poppy, Hannah Friedrichsen. These characters move in and out of Robert’s life, his ex-wife wanting to be a support but his finding her sometimes intrusive, but he always has time for his loving daughter. The friendship with Maya increases, her taking him to a concert, experiencing Indian songs and dancing, the visit to her dying uncle, a wise figure in her life, and her returning to India at the time of his death.
The friendship moves into love and sexual companionship, especially important for Robert as he thinks he is about to die.
Other characters, in Cox fashion, include cameos from longtime friends including Kim Gyngell as a doctor, Terry Norris as Robert’s father, Deidre Rubenstein as a gallery director.
Most of Cox’s films are also characterised by a particular visual style, the inclusion of home movie material, sometimes blurred in movement, but challenging the audience to think about the characters in a different way – and there is quite a deal of footage like this in this film.
The audience knows that ultimately there is happy ending, that Robert will receive a transplant and that it will be successful, as happened to Cox and his experience in making this film. The writing, Robert’s voice-over reflections, and empathy with Robert and his situation, mean that the audience identifies with the character and the situation, sharing it, its alarm, its psychological and physical pain, the emotional repercussions, the need for independence yet the sometimes desperate in the for support.
On interest in itself and its theme of organ donation, it is, of course, a must for those who have been following Paul Cox’s life and career.
1. The title? Destiny and fate? Interrupting destiny? Coping with kindness?
2. Paul Cox, his film career, experience? The liver illness, his interpretation of the illness, the transplant, his plea for donors?
3. The Melbourne setting, the Victorian countryside? India? The blend of the local and the exotic?
4. Paul Cox and his interest in the arts, Robert and his being a sculptor, the use of music, dance, especially Indian music and dance? The artists aspirations and achievement?
5. The issue of cancer, health, dealing with cancer, the doctors, the consultations, their care for words? Carers, the psychological effect, physical, pain? Hospitals? The emotional experience, support, exasperation and need for independence, coping with pain? The list for donations, the preparation?
6. Robert, Paul Cox's alter ego, his voice-over, explanations of his life, work, career, family, love and friendship, philosophy and religious dimensions?
7. His character, age, his marriage to Hannah, her continued support, his finding it difficult, wanting to be alone? Love for poppy? See him at work on his sculptures? The exhibition and his friend, the meeting with a, the grinding friendship? Alone, in his studio, Hannah’s interventions, poppies visit?
8. Health, his resentment about being asked how he felt? Doctors and language, visits, liver spots, tests, more difficult diagnoses, the issue of time left, weakness and pain, rest, difficulty in walking, the outings, the aquarium, the walks on the beach, his need to help?
9. The character of Maya? Indian, culture? The reference the aunt, admiration for her elderly uncle, his illness? Her interest in art, the aquarium, bonding with Robert, the visits, their talk, falling in love, sexual companionship? The friendship with poppy, the aquarium, Van Gogh and the shells? Meeting? Going to India? Robert the visit to the uncle? The uncle and his philosophy? Taking Robert to the Indian concert? The walks along the beach, the dancing on the beach?
10. The character of Hannah, love, separation, the visits, cooking, merged?
11. Poppy, her love for her father, the visits, the relationship with the mother, understanding her father, understanding mania?
12. Robert’s father, his memories of, the Cox home moving visuals of memory? Discussion with his father, the meal, Louise, the celebration of Christmas, the gifts?
13. His friendship with the Dr, consultation?
14. The news about the liver being available, going to the hospital, preparation for the surgery, the visual details of the surgery?
15. Audiences identifying with Robert, with Paul Cox, the experience of illness, the transplant and donation, sharing and hope?
