Look Both Ways

Meryl (Justine Clarke) is on her way home after the funeral of her father. As she walks along the railway track, she witnesses a tragic accident. A man tries to stop his dog being run down by a train and is killed himself. This accident makes the paths of several people cross, each of whom has their own unexpected worries. The film follows them during a swelteringly hot weekend. Meryl has a deadline to complete some artwork by Monday, otherwise she'll lose her commission. She has a tic that makes her always imagine the worst. Photojournalist Nick (William McInnes) has just heard that he has cancer, but has to wait until Monday for the specialist's prognosis. His thoughts are reflected in a form that fits his profession, photo-montage. Journalist Andy (Anthony Hayes) gets an ultimatum from his girlfriend Anna, who is unexpectedly pregnant. Meryl and Nick start a relationship that seems doomed in view of their fear of disasters and death. Impressively interwoven in this is the mourning of the train accident victim's wife and the train driver. This energetic début by Sarah Watts won all the important film prizes in Australia in the last year. A very well-acted film with an unusually intelligent scenario and an innovative mix of live action and hand-painted animation. And despite the ubiquitous fear of disasters, accidents and deaths, Look Both Ways is above all a heartwarming, humorous and optimistic film. (SdH)