TxMike The revelation within this movie is first-time actress, young Lily Bell Tindley in the title role of Lou (short for Louise). She is a natural and her face captures the camera like few can. Mature for her age she reminded me of American actress Monica Potter, who also reminds me of Julia Roberts. My wife said Lily Bell reminded her of Emma Roberts, who of course is the niece of Julia Roberts. Anyway if she gets a chance to continue with an acting career she can become very successful.Set in Australia, Lou is the oldest of three daughters, 11 and about to be 12, and her single mom is only 27. We don't get much of a back-story except that their dad left, they don't know him, and they struggle to pay the rent.As it turns out John Hurt (approaching 70 during filming) as Doyle is the grandfather, in a care facility, because he has early stages of dementia. He needs a place to stay temporarily and he is "placed" in their home. (As an American I don't understand how this works in Australia, but never mind.) While the arrangement is far from ideal, Lou seems to start to become attached to Doyle, more than anything because he is a father (or grandfather) figure she never had.Things get complicated when Doyle begins to call Lou "Annie", his deceased wife. In fact at one point Doyle regresses to his younger days and actually proposes to "Annie." Lou seems to take him seriously when he says "I love you" and she even fantasizes about them going away.It is all handled very well, the delicate story of an older man fading from reality and a young girl about to grow into a young woman learning about real life.

BRCanberra I think the film had a reasonably balanced set of messages with enough curly tidbits to take a few elements away and dissect over a coffee or two with friends. I found the portrayal of a struggling family group seemed very plausible and I especially loved the imagery and memories of a coastal sugar-cane town captured for the backdrop. In a couple of the scenes I'm not entirely convinced by Ms Barclay's performance as Lou's mother, but the rather poignant scene of the 4 "young" girls together on the beach towards the ending gels with one of the aspects that all of them (including Rhia) are still growing up together. Some nicely placed humour underpins parts of the character development and overall it seems a good plate of mind-food with hooks for many embattled parents. I agree with another reviewer that John Hurt's performance was great, he didn't overdo the illness symptoms to make Doyle too cheesy to be believed, and the audience at my session delighted in many of the childhood antics portrayed by the younger actors. Definitely good work by Lily-Bell Tindley as the memorable Lou.

greguki This is an Australian film of great depth. The simplicity can be deceptive but like all great writing the trick is to say enough without saying too much. The combination of the writing and the acting synergistically magnifies the impact of what could seem to those on a steady diet of blockbusters a slow film. On an obviously tight budget sometimes so much can be delivered. By relying on good acting,writing, direction an impact can be had which exceeds that of the 100 million dollar epic. In digging deeper, director Belinda Chayko calls us as an audience to also give more. This is a giving which is rewarded. after watching the film last night, the questions were still rattling away the next day as I write this. John Hurt really is fabulous as Doyle, while Lilly Bell-Tindlay is in danger of stealing the show. If you like beautiful images, you are in for a treat as the Tweed Valley is shown to it's best advantage. While I know that this will not be the sort of movie for everyone, I do know that it left my life just a bit richer.

gregking4 Another fairly grim and down beat Australian drama about a dysfunctional family, that is becoming a staple of local filmmakers. However, Lou is leavened with touches of humour and boasts some excellent performances that lift it. Lou stars John Hurt (The Elephant Man, etc) and Emily Barclay (best remembered for her AFI award winning role as the troubled protagonist of Suburban Mayhem). Barclay plays Rhia, a young mother of three girls who is struggling to make ends meet. She has an especially difficult relationship with her eldest daughter, the precocious eleven year old Louisa (played by newcomer Lucy bell-Tindley), who blames Rhia for driving her father away. With a credit company threatening to take away their possessions due to her failure to pay her bills, Rhia reluctantly to take in the girls' grandfather Doyle (Hurt) and claim the meagre carer's payment. But Doyle suffers from Alzheimer's Disease, and caring for him is not always easy. At first Louisa is resentful of his presence, especially since the muddled old man refers to her as Annie, the name of his former wife. Louisa is also busy caring for her two younger sisters while Rhia is at work or having trouble coping with the disappointments of her own life. But slowly a bond develops between the two, and a strong but strange relationship develops between the pair. Written and directed by Belinda Chayko (who worked as an editor on the TV series Fireflies), the film delivers a solid emotional journey as it probes this dysfunctional family. But the film suffers a little from under developed scripting and characterisation. It also lacks a clear focus – who are we supposed to identify with and care for here? Is it the troubled Louisa, Rhia, or the confused Doyle? Chayko directs the claustrophobic and combustible environment with a deal of empathy, and she drags solid performances from her small cast. Barclay brings grit and a sense of desperation to her performance. Hurt is very good and sympathetic, and he deftly avoids the easy mannerisms that could have turned his performances into a cliché. But the standout performance comes from Bell-Tindley, who is a revelation, and plays her role with assurance and maturity beyond her tender years. Cinematographer Hugh Miller also beautifully captures the film's setting, the cane fields of rural northern New South Wales and offers up some beautiful imagery that resonates beyond the kitchen sink drama. Nonetheless, there is an element of familiarity about much of the drama unfolding