JOE CINQUE’S CONSOLATION

Australia, 2016, 102 minutes, Colour.
Maggie Naouri, Jerome Meyer, Sacho Joseph, Josh Mc Conville, Gia Carides, Tony Nikalakopoulos.
Directed by Sotiris, Dounoukos.

This is a drama, a dramatisation of a relationship that led to murder and a conviction in the courts in Canberra, a story of the 1990s. Author, Helen Garner, attended the proceedings and wrote a book based on them. This version of the events, drawing on Helen Garner’s work, is not focused on the court except to give information at the end. Rather, it shows the characters and the situations which led to death.

The film was made in Canberra with quite a number of vistas of the city, welcome for those who know it, interesting for those who do not. The main locations are the University as well as some homes and units around Canberra.

As regards the death, the film opens with a frantic phone call for an ambulance, an erratic message, attempts at clarification… And then the film goes into flashback with the phone call recurring at the end, seen in the realism of what actually happened.

Joe Cinque (Jerome Meyer) is first seen at a club, a pleasant young man with his friends, going over to talk with a young woman sitting there, Anu (Maggie Naouri) who accompanies him home. They have a sexual encounter. The film then moves on four years to 1998.

Joe and Anu are still together. He is employed, admired by co-workers, with a range of friends, especially those who were students of the University. But there is something amiss with Anu, some mental disturbance. She confides in some of her friends, especially Madhavi (Sacha Joseph). They have Pakistani and Indian backgrounds. Joe comes from an Italian family, devoted to his parents who are glimpsed during a meal, emphasising Italian bonding, and later after his death.

Anu seems to think that she is being weakened by drugs, especially by one she says Joe recommended to her so that she would become thinner. There are drugs around Canberra at this time, especially in the world of the young professionals and former students, heroin fairly easily supplied.

What gets into Anu’s mind is that she should kill herself – and, in going over and over of this, thinking that Joe should die as well.

There are sketches of some of the friends of the couple, typical enough of the young adults anywhere at this time. They are invited to what is to be a final meal, with Anu’s death and Joe put to sleep. When it doesn’t work out, there is another attempt which has disastrous effects, not for Anu to die, but in her trying to keep Joe sedated, eventually injecting him with heroin.

The film is one of those true case stories but it is also a sobering one and a cautionary tale.

Audiences not familiar with the case may be surprised with the information given at the end, the court case, charges, sentences and the consequences, especially for Anu.

Writer-director, Sotiris Dounoukos, was a student in Canberra at the time and knew some of those involved.

1. Story of murder, love, madness? The true story? The 1990s?

2. An adaptation of a book by Helen Garner, her presence of the trials?

3. The Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, the atmosphere? The University, units, homes? The musical score?

4. The framework, the call for the ambulance, the heroin injection? The frantic message, the voice-over? Seeing Anu and her phone call at the end?

5. The introduction to Joe, his age, pleasant young man, the bar, his friends? His relationship with his parents, Italian, the past accident, the later injury to his father, visits? The meal, Anu unwell? The meeting with Anu, the night, the sexual encounter, falling in love?

6. The passing of four years, his study, work, at the office, success, liked by his fellow workers? At home with Anu, the range of friends?

7. Joe and his ordinary life, love for Anu care for her, the friends, parties, dealing with Anu and her mental state? Her accusations about the earlier drug for thinning? The portrait, her
background, at the bar, talking about her relationships, staying the night, four years passing, with Joe, the deteriorating mental state, the drugs, wanting to be thin, always upset, studies, confiding in her friends, especially in Madhavi? The law and legal studies and the improvising of the court case?

8. Anu and her friendship with Madhavi, the other friends, her depression, her plan, the suicide, involving Joe?

9. The preparing the parties, contacting the friends, their being puzzled, the discussions, the dinner, Joe and the pills, the failure of the attempt?

10. The decision of the second attempt, Madhavi and her reluctance to collaborate? The issue of the drugs, the dealer and her going to him? The discussions with the girl about the heroin? The plan, Joe and his death?

11. The party, the white dress, having more friends at the meal, their talk, Joe and his collapse, the drugs, Anu injecting him with heroin? The coma, his vomiting blood? Her phone calls?

12. The range of friends, characters, listening to Anu, hanging up on her? The girl and her reluctance, threatening to ring the police?

13. The desperate phone call, the ambulance arriving? The arrest?

14. The final information, her being convicted of manslaughter, diminished responsibility? Madhavi and her being charged, acquitted? Anu studding the law in jail, and afterwards, PhD, achievement?

15. A true story, an actual case – the cautionary tale?