Playing for Charlie

Director: Pene Patrick
Cast: Jared Daperis, Jodie Rimmer, Mark Leonard Winter and Shane Conner
Releasing in cinemas: 6 May 2010
Rated: M

New Zealand’s Pene Patrick has selected Melbourne as the background for his first feature, a warm hearted coming-of-age drama albeit one in the ‘kitchen sink’ category. A family of strapped circumstances experiencing crisis in a working class suburb is the focus for this elegiac tale of a boy’s gutsy determination to succeed against overwhelming odds and following your dreams without compromise. The result is story of courage and hope in the face of financial and family adversity.

Tony Hobbs (Jared Daperis), at sixteen, has recently lost his father, and lives with his mother Paula (Jodie Rimmer) who works double shifts as a telemarketer to support Tony and his baby brother Charlie. Tony has a chance to make the State Schoolboys Rugby team with his outstanding ability in that sport. If he makes the team he could have a lucrative career in Rugby and be able to offer much-needed financial support to his family. But lack of funds, and having to mind Charlie every night while his mother is at work, makes this seem an unlikely outcome.

Tony gains the assistance of the school coach Ruddock (Shane Conner) and a driving ambition to succeed. Yet so much is against him; his mother - who’s suffering from MS - can hardly manage to provide for the little family let alone pay for contact lenses and the football gear needed for Tony to compete. It’s a dire situation until his estranged half-brother Scarf (Mark Leonard Winter) intervenes and helps Tony out with some cash and stolen contact lenses. Scarf’s into dodgy deals and inveigles Tony to assist him in a crime which badly misfires. Both Tony’s hope to join the team and his family’s welfare appear dashed, but Tony isn’t going down without a fight.

Pene Patrick, who wrote the script and produced as well as directed Playing For Charlie, obviously cares for the project, obtaining impressive performances by the small cast (who are mostly from TV). Jared Daperis holds the film together, appearing in most scenes, with his appealing portrait of Tony. He captures the essence of drive and determination but retains his good nature and affection for Charlie. His fine scenes with Jodie Rimmer have an emotional pull especially 'teaching her to fly’. There’s also wry humour in seeing Jared carry disposable baby diapers in his mouth at football practise.

Jodie Rimmer is touching in her distraught single parent role, reflecting the frustrations of a telemarketer dealing with unresponsive prospects on the phone. Mark Leonard Winter, sporting a Roger Daltrey haircut, despite being the tearaway of the piece should gain audience sympathy. A special mention should be made of Shane Conner, who is impressive as the tough coach; a staunch supporter trying to convince Tony’s mother of her son’s chance at a career. He even gets an unlikely few lines of Gray's 'Elegy in a Country Church Yard’ to emote.

The suburban tragedy has the advantage of atmospheric cinematography by Leilani Hannah, despite an excessive use of soft and fuzzy images in shifting focus perhaps referencing Tony’s vision without contact lenses. Unbalanced composition of some close-ups adds an edge to the drama. Striking images include ominous oil refinery towers dominating the skyline. Tony’s frightened escape from his crime adventure is a neat piece of editing and camerawork. Atmosphere is heightened too by the melancholy atonal voices of Lisa Gerrard’s music track with a touch of that Irish ‘Enya’ sound.

The actually location of Tony’s house remains nebulous (although once it’s mentioned as Werribee in the dialogue) it could be anywhere in the Western suburbs of Melbourne. It’s surprising for a city so steeped in Aussie Rules that Rugby is the sport of choice. However football isn’t the real issue here, indeed only a small portion of the footage is concerned with the game so those not vaguely interested in Rugby can still enjoy the film. Playing For Charlie proves that a modestly-budgeted, locally-made drama can have charm, gentle humour and be an uplifting experience.

John Bale