Soft Fruit Review

Patsy and Vic live in the industrial city of Port Kembla, south of Sydney. Vic, (Linal Haft), a retired factory worker, is a dour, grumpy man in complete contrast to his plump, earth-mother, cheerful wife, Jeanie Drynan. But Patsy is terminally ill, and, though Vic seems indifferent, their four children come together for the first time in many years to give their mother support. Josie, (Genevieve Lemon), flies in from America with her children; divorced Nadia, (Sacha Horler), drives down from Sydney with her child, but finds time for secret sexual liaisons; Vera, (Alicia Talbot), lives nearby and works as a nurse, but her biological clock is ticking; black sheep Bo, (Russell Dykstra), a bikie, is allowed out of prison for the reunion... A strong whiff of deja vu hangs over Soft Fruit, the first feature by writer-director Chritsina Andreef, a former assistant to Jane Campion (executive producer on the film). Haven`t we had more than enough of these Aussie films in which families are reunited because a parent is dying or dead - think Hotel Sorrento, Radiance, Erskinville Kings - it`s become a real cliche. Apart from its lack of originality, there are things to like about Soft Fruit - which won the International Critics prize at San Sebastian and has been nominated for several AFI Awards. Performances are very fine, especially Jeanie Drynan, wonderful as the optimistic Mum, Sacha Horler, another impressive characterisation, and Russell Dykstra as the unpleasant but charismatic Bo. And Laszlo Baranyai`s photography is very fine. But, with its reminders of elements of Muriel`s Wedding and Sweetie (dysfunctional families, overweight characters) the film lacks freshness. The casting is very good by the way - these characters really look like members of the same family.Margaret`s comments: You can see the influence of Jane Campion on Christina Andreef`s debut feature. It`s not accidental that Genevieve Lemon has been cast as one of the sisters, Genevieve was the star of Campion`s Sweetie. I love the way Andreef gives this weight-advantaged family of women a wonderful dignity, there`s a truth in the relationships between the women, she underplays any emotionalism, any cloyingness in their portrayal. The performances are really very strong, and what`s amazing is that Russell Dykstra takes on a role that is initially hard to believe in and then convinces us that it`s true. A terrific performance from this newcomer to the big screen. Jeannie Drynan occupies centre stage with a lovely dignity. The weak link in the film for me was the father played by linal Haft, there`s a distance between us in the audience and this character that actually damages the film as a whole. And there are moments that strain the bounds of accomodation with an audience, the nude scenes seem imposed for their own sake rather than intrinsic to the film as a whole.