Movie Reviews

A Little Bit of Soul

20 Mar 1998

With only two features to his credit, writer/director Peter Duncan can already claim to be one of Australia's most exciting film-makers. His debut, Children of the Revolution (1996), was not exactly a masterpiece, but it hinted at his potential.

His second feature, A Little Bit of Soul, has many of the same touches: sly satire, an intricate plot, a polished look (belying its low budget) and a dream cast, including one Oscar winner. Last time, it was the obscure F. Murray Abraham. This time, he re-cast his friend Geoffrey Rush, in the middle of the Shine commotion.

Once again, Duncan pulls few punches. While Children tackled the subjects of sex and politics, Soul mixes politics with that other taboo dinner-table topic: religion. It starts when Dr Richard Shorkingham (David Wenham), a brilliant but socially inept biochemist, discovers the key to the aging process. Intrigued by his work, heiress Grace Michael (Heather Mitchell) invites him to her country estate. Wonderful, except that she has also invited Kate, his former assistant and ex-girlfriend, to compete for funding.

This worries him. While he is a text-book nerd, she is stylish and outgoing... and what's more, she looks like Frances O'Connor.

Also along is Grace's husband, the loopy Godfrey (Rush), who happens to be Federal Treasurer.

Without revealing any more, it all leads to an exquisite plot, revelling in its own lunacy. Every moment seems to add a new plot twist, or a new (and frequently bizarre) revelation - so that it often resembles a cross between Twisted Tales and E Street (even with the overblown, melodramatic music). It is not as biting or as clever as Duncan's previous effort, but it's more fun.

The cast does well in what is basically a four-hander. Rush has fun playing a sinister role, while O'Connor and Wenham are fine as the 'normal' people. They are all upstaged by Mitchell's over-the-top performance as Grace, who becomes increasingly nutty as the film unfolds.

A Little Bit of Soul is currently one of the more entertaining films around. One of these days, Peter Duncan will make a masterpiece - but until then, he has no reason to be ashamed.