Such a frustrating disappointment

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

The first must-see film of the year.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Getting the portrayal of an Alzheimer's disease sufferer on screen is very difficult, as the disease can manifest itself in so many ways and the writer could be accused of milking it for comedic value if they're not careful. Some of John Hurt's antics in Lou sometimes verge on the edge of this territory, but thanks to his skill as an actor we are able to be convinced his unseemly outbursts are part of his condition, so the issue of insensitivity never arises. His ultimate triumph is getting ME to like him, as when he was foisted on this single mother of three children at the start just before Christmas (he's her estranged husband's father) and given the eldest daughter Lou's bedroom, my reaction was more or less the same as Lou's... NOT FAIR and GET RID OF HIM.But, through a combination of his idiosyncratic behaviour and his seafaring stories, he is able to win her (and me) over, although the relationship becomes slightly worrying when he mistakes this 11 year old for his long-gone WIFE, and proposes to her. Fortunately, Lou takes it all in good grace and even wears the ring he gives her, but (understandably) her mum is slightly worries at this turn of events and forces her child to 'break it off'. This sparks a violent outburst from the afflicted old man, and an even deeper wedge being driven between mother and daughter. Lou decides to do a runner with her grandpa, but looking after a dementia sufferer on the road is harder than you think...Alternating between humour and pathos, it features great performances from everyone, especially the very prettily named Lily Bell Tindley as the toughest pre-teen you'll ever likely to meet (Though in this kind of family, that trait is probably a necessity). As mentioned, John Hurt is completely disarming as the completely random but good-hearted pensioner, and his friendship with Lily's character forms the crux of the story. Reality has to set in eventually though, and when it is eventually time to say goodbye, we feel the people in the film have learned something, and we at home have too. Edutainment indeed... 7/10

I enjoyed this Australian film starring the always-terrific John Hurt. It seemed like a more realistic portrait of a modern family than what you see in a majority of Hollywood films today. Lily Bell-Tindley plays Lou and is definitely a young actress to watch. Wonderful character portrayal and her eyes tell the story. Her intensity and talent reminds me of a current actress like Chloe Grace Moretz. This DVD will be coming to the United States on July 19, 2011 from Monarch Home Entertainment. Although the story takes place in Australian cane country, I believe the family situation is very relatable to American audiences. The subject matter deals with a family member with Alzheimers, but is not a completely depressing journey and ends well. Kudos to John Hurt for another fine performance. I recommend this film.

This should never have been made. Even with the great John Hurt, it's reported 3 & half million budget (which would need box office returns in the area of 10:1 to break even) is irrecoverable. Creating more burnt investors and distributors who'll hesitate to touch an Australian film yet again...Grim little "slice of life" film that even manages to flatten the lush landscape of Murwullinbah. OK performances and a script that feels like it's been put through the funding body wringer - no surprises, predictable events and story arc etc.Reviewed as "Worthy" - i.e kiss of death. Should have been on TV .

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.