Wise old Stan suggests that bowls are a true revealer of character, and he doesn’t think much of what it reveals about Jack. Jack is forced into whites and turns up alongside other bowlers, including Norm (Cliff Ellen) and Ron (Bob Hornery). When the club realises it can’t field a team, they desperately embark on a search of their files, and discover that Jack is a member. He’s equally boisterous and difficult with his flat mate Dave (Samuel Johnson). Jack has an unhappy relationship with his fellow call centre girlfriend Mandy (Robyn Butler) and isn’t nice to work mate Peter (Dino Marnika). He’s a member of Cityside for the free parking near his work, and has other fake memberships so he can rent out spaces to the likes of George (Mathew Loe). Jack shouts at the old codger, a figure who will later haunt him.Īt least Jack has a sweet deal. Meanwhile, Jack Simpson (Mick Molloy) is unhappy working at a call centre in Melbourne’s Chapel street and almost collides with a passing motorist, Bert Stapler (Andrew Gilmour). The club is in deep financial strife, and the committee is forced to listen to the poker-machine suggestions of wily developer Bernie Fowler (John Clarke). This isn't just one of the best films of the year, it's one of the best films in years.(Note: this listing contains full spoilers).Ī quaint inner city struggling bowling club, Cityside, with a committee featuring old timers Len (Frank Wilson), Edgar (Peter Aanensen), Stan (Bill Hunter), Eileen (Monica Maughan), and Gwen (Lois Ramsey) in session. Mescal is as good as he's ever been, and the young Corio is a revelation as Sophie. But what helps illuminate this production are the two central performances. Fueling that nostalgia is a superb soundtrack. While Sophie's journey is one of nostalgic, hazy childhood memories. Calum shows the complexities of the human mind and the challenges that come with it. The film delivers emphatically on two counts, as you connect in equal measure to both Calum, a 30-something father and Sophie, a 10-year-old girl.

It's a voyage through time and memories, studying how we reflect and remember times past to try and reconcile where we are now, and those we have loved (and lost). With this control, she takes the viewer on a quite staggeringly moving journey. From Aftersun's very opening frame, Charlotte Wells knows exactly the story she is telling, and has complete power over the narrative. This profoundly emotional drama is one of the most assured, confident debut productions from a first-time filmmaker you're likely to see.

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