Look Both Ways (2005)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Sarah Watt

Writer:

Sarah Watt (writer)

Release Date:

18 August 2005 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Disaster Is Everywhere

Plot:

During one unusually hot weekend, four friends struggle after hearing some life-changing news.

Plot Keywords:

Cancer | Train Accident | Animated Sequence | Swimming Pool | Cemetery

Awards:

21 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Mary Kostakidis	...	SBS Newsreader
Justine Clarke	...	Meryl Lee
Daniella Farinacci	...	Julia (as Daniela Farinacci)
Robbie Hoad	...	Rob (as Rob Hoad)
William McInnes	...	Nick
Leon Teague	...	Doctor
Andrew S. Gilbert	...	Phil
Anthony Hayes	...	Andy Walker
Elena Carapetis	...	Maria
Tamara Lee	...	Policewoman (as Tamara Lees)
Andreas Sobik	...	Train Driver
Lisa Flanagan	...	Anna
Irena Dangov	...	Train Driver's Wife
Jacquelynne Willcox	...	Current Affairs Reporter
Laura Peisley	...	Emily

Also Known As:

Life Story (Australia) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content and thematic material.

Runtime:

Australia:100 min | Argentina:100 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Sweden:11 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Hong Kong:IIA | Argentina:13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Adelaide Festival Theatre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Company:

Hibiscus Films

Trivia:

The film was selected as a film text by the Australian State of Victoria's Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Quotes:

Meryl Lee: The seven stages of grief. What's the point in knowing where you're up to if you've still got to go through it anyway?

Movie Connections:

References "The Saddle Club" (2001)

a great film for the Aussie film industry.

Every couple of years the quality of our films seems to peak then decline. For every Muriel's Wedding or Lantana there are four films like The Nugget or Strange Bedfellows. Perhaps it's our complete saturation of American culture. Our expectations are such that everything we see must conform to the mold of American T.V. or film. 'Look Both Ways' is another attempt to fly in the face of this all-consuming wave, one that grows steadily bigger. The ability to tell distinctly Australian stories, whether they be set in suburbia or outback, period or contemporary, is something that should be encouraged and supported. This is not a U.S bashing exercise. Or a dig at the media in this country. I merely want to state that it is good to see courage taken by Australian film makers and financiers by making this film. We will never be as big as Hollywood, and we shouldn't try to be. National cinema, no matter what country it is, exists to enhance and enrich the culture that it comes from. We should be happy that this film has been made, because it gives hope for the future, until the media proclaims that our industry has declined again.

Getting to the film, I feel that it gives a feeling of hope in the face of uncertainty and fear. The main characters have to deal with things that creep up on us without warning, whether it be the death of a loved one, or a freight train accident, or the first unsure steps in a developing relationship. The film focuses on how these events can cripple our daily lives, sending us into muddled states of grief and fear. It also makes us treasure what we have. this film is a gem, one that deserves to have a wide viewer ship, just so that the world can see what we are capable of.