LITTLE FISH

Australia, 2005, 114 minutes, Colour.
Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, Martin Henderson, Noni Hazlehurst, Dustin Nguyen, Joel Tobeck, Lisa Mc Cune, Susie Porter, Linda Cropper, Daniela Farinacci, Jason Chong.
Directed by Rowan Woods.

Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving both won best performance awards for their roles in Little Fish at the Australian Film Institute awards in 2005. Cate Blanchett shows once again how she immerses herself completely in a role that is so different from her other roles. Hugo Weaving gives one of his best performances. Noni Hazlehurst, herself a winner of awards in the 1980s for Monkey Grip and Fran, was best supporting actress as Cate Blanchett’s mother.

Little Fish refers to ordinary people, little fish in the big pond that is Sydney. However, in their own lives, they have experienced failure and disappointment and how hard it is to make new starts.

In every contemporary big city, there is also a drug underworld and the many and ordinary addicts who keep the bosses in wealth, even luxury. Sam Neill portrays a particularly vengeful type of dealer who is wanting to retire and enjoy his comforts. He has a band of associates who double deal, betray friendships and confidences and become victims of their greed and their death wishes.

The film spends its time in the Sydney suburbs and the melting pot they have become, especially with the more recent arrivals from Asia and from Vietnam.

Perhaps Cate Blanchett is too strong a personality for the little fish she portrays (although she can do trashy characters as she did in The Shipping News). However, Hugo Weaving, rather unrecognisable in scruffy beard, draws audience compassion for the man of talent who has lost everything and preys upon those he loves for his dependency.

This is a grim slice of life, downbeat, and is directed by Rowan Wood who made the disturbing drama of a dominating criminal played by David Wenham in The Boys.

1. The title and the reference? Sydney as a big pond? The little fish in the big pond? Survival?

2. The Sydney settings, the use of suburban locations, the Vietnamese atmosphere, the streets of Cabramatta, the shops, the video store, restaurants? The inner city of Sydney? A sense of authenticity?

3. The attention to detail, the locations, interiors, the photographic style, handheld camera? The musical score?

4. Tracy’s story: the strength of Cate Blanchett in the central role, the initial image of the little girl at the beach, the memories of that episode, with Lionel and his presence, his love for the family? The photo of Tracy with her mother at the beach? Tracy and her swimming, the symbolism of swimming, being in the water, at the pool, her mother waiting for her? The past? The support that Lionel gave, to her mother? The past and her relationship with Johnny, her love for Ray? Her drug addiction, Lionel giving her the drugs, Janelle and her blaming Lionel for ruining her daughter? The four years after recovery, being clean?

5. Tracy’s character, her relationship with her mother, her being wary, her mother’s keeping an eye on her? Ray and his birthday? Her staying at home with her mother? Her visits to Lionel and helping him? Her work in the video shop, her relationship with Mingh, the plan about her own shop, internet connections? Her visits to the banks, the asking for a loan, her record, her record and financial fraud? Her being refused? Lying to her mother? Her visit to Lionel, his desperation, asking her to go out and get drugs for him, her reaction, her actually doing it, refusal to do it for the future? At home, Ray’s birthday, the sudden arrival of Johnny? Memories of the past, his four years in Canada, his disappearance? Contact with him, the phone calls, going to the restaurant, her leaving? His giving her his card? Nervous, the sexual relationship? Her going to the building, discovering the truth? Her telling her mother the truth about not getting a loan?

6. Lionel, Hugo Weaving’s interpretation, his being destroyed by drugs? His past, sports champion, his sport shops, signing autographs? His need for drugs? The ugly way of life, the dirtiness of his home? His relationship with Brad? Brad’s visit, the final drugs? Lionel and his devotion to Janelle, Janelle blaming him for giving the drugs to Tracy? The ups and downs of the relationship? His need for drugs, asking Tracy to go out and get them for him? The meeting with Ray? The information about Brad, about Moss? His confronting Brad? Going to the country, the caravan? Their discussions? The pathos of his death? His will and his having left it with Janelle? Everything to Janelle and her family?

7. Brad, drugs lord, the surface marriage, selling the house and Denise being cantankerous? Homosexual, the relationship with Lionel? Giving him the drugs? His relationship with Steve Moss, chauffeur, relying on him? His being betrayed by him? Going south, the caravan, the confrontation, his being murdered?

8. Johnny, his background, the family, family pride, the four years away, in Canada, his return and his lies, with Ray, the family celebration, the birthday? The next day, talking with Tracy, the restaurant, Tracy being upset? The sexual relationship with Tracy? Tracy finding out the truth about him? The confrontation? His trying to save face with his family? The possibilities of getting money for her project through the drug deal? Tracy agreeing and taking the money from Mingh and the shop?

9. Ray, weak, addict, the past, friendship with Johnny, the accident, the prosthetic leg? His having the money, the deal, meeting Steve Moss? The plan? Steve telling him to keep away from him? Tracy taking the money, going with them for the deal?

10. Steve Moss and his wife, the family, double dealing, the ambitious wife, her being in on the deals, the betrayal? The encounter with Brad?

11. The plot, the final confrontation in the caravan park, the deaths? Tracy and her strong-mindedness, calling Steve Moss’s bluff? Winning out?

12. Janelle, hardworking mother, concerned about her children, her own husband, his walking out, Lionel’s support? Her concern about Tracy, the drugs? The birthday party for Ray? Her going to work, the drives, caring for Tracy?

13. The background characters, Denise, the selling of the house, the agent? The bank interviews for Tracy, the discussion with the Asian man, the discussions with the woman – and the hostilities? The background of the Vietnamese families?

14. Lionel’s body, their taking it away, putting it lying on the beach, the memories of happier times? Their all going into the water?

15. A future, the possibility of change and reform? The irony of Tracy having the money and able to buy the business?

16. A cross-section of people in a particular aspect of Sydney and city life? The drug world? The Asian background and changes in Sydney?