AUSTRALIAN DIRECTOR'S DEBUT FILM FOLLOWS DAY IN THE LIFE OF `LOVE'.Byline: Frank Scheck Hollywood Reporter Budding young filmmakers used to at least have the decency to wait until they were in their late 20s before coming up with impressive debuts, but Emma-Kate Croghan, the latest in an ever-growing pool of talented young female Australian directors, is a mere 23. Her ``Love and Other Catastrophes'' is a precociously accomplished effort that bodes well for a Hollywood career. Although minor by any definition and unlikely to break out beyond the art house market, the film is loose, engaging and entertaining. A casually plotted account of the personal travails of a bunch of attractive college students during the course of a day, the film lurches from one episode to another. Key plot points involve the search for a roommate, a large unpaid library fine, the death of a professor just before he's had the chance to sign crucial class transfer papers, and, of course, relationship problems. Mia and Alice are film students who room together; Mia's girlfriend wants to move in with her, but Mia fears commitment. Alice is still searching for the perfect man - and has definite criteria: He must be honest, left-handed and like the same movies as her. Alice becomes infatuated in·fat·u·at·ed adj. Possessed by an unreasoning passion or attraction. in·fat  u·at with Ari, a classics student and the campus Lothario. She wants him to move into the apartment, but he recommends his friend Michael, a shy medical student who, as she discovers by the end of the film, turns out to be Alice's soulmate soulmate n → compañero/a del alma . Although obviously low-budget, this is an accomplished and stylish effort that boasts clever dialogue and charming performances by its cast of unknowns. Refreshingly low-key and unpretentious, there are only a few bits that constitute overreaching Exploiting a situation through Fraud or Unconscionable conduct. , such as a whimsical fantasy segment in which the film-class students dress in the styles of their favorite directors (dark glasses for Tarantino, baseball caps for Spike Lee Noun 1. Spike Lee - United States filmmaker whose works explore the richness of black culture in America (born in 1957) Lee, Shelton Jackson Lee , etc.). As is typical for many young filmmakers, Croghan is a little too preoccupied with pop culture (Alice's thesis topic is ``Doris Day Doris Mary Ann von Kappelhoff (born April 3, 1924)[1] is an American singer, actress, and animal welfare advocate known as Doris Day. A vivacious blonde with a wholesome image, Day was one of the most prolific actresses of the 1950s and 1960s. as Feminist Warrior''), and her style becomes at times overly precious, but overall this is evidence of a talent to watch. THE FACTS The film: ``Love and Other Catastrophes'' (unrated). The stars: Alice Garner, Frances O'Conner, Matthew Dyktynski Matthew Dyktynski is an Australian actor and comedian, graduating from Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1992. Dyktinski has played lead roles on television series Shock Jock and Raw FM, and has appeared on The Man from Snowy River, Stingers, Blue Heelers, , Radha Mitchell Radha Rani Amber Indigo Anunda Mitchell (born November 12, 1973) is an Australian actress. Biography Personal life Mitchell was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and had a "hippie-ish" upbringing by her parents, who divorced during her childhood. , Suzi Dougherty. Behind the scenes: Directed by Emma-Kate Croghan. Written by Yael Bergman and Emma-Kate Croghan with Helen Bandis. Based on story by Stavros Andonis Efthymiou. Released by Fox Searchlight searchlight, device, usually swiveled, using a lens and reflecting surface to direct a powerful beam of light of nearly parallel rays. In 1892 such apparatus was used along the English Channel in coastal defense and later, in the South African War, as an aid to . Running time: One hour, 20 minutes. Playing: Laemmle's Sunset 5 and Laemmle's Monica. Our rating: Three Stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Frances O'Conner, left, and Alice Garner play film students navigating through relationship troubles in ``Love and Other Catastrophes,'' directed and co-written by 23-year-old Emma-Kate Croghan. |
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