Dynamic, erotic and sensitive film about a literally-insane love. The Australian film-maker Michael Rymer makes his début by telling his story in a strikingly self-assured and smooth style. Harry and Kate get to know each other in a psychiatric hospital where they are both patients. Harry is an unusual young man, funny, caring, self-assured and very sociable, but he has occasional psychotic attacks. With the aid of medicines, he is able to master his mental illness. Kate is a beautiful and energetic young woman with a magic imagination all of her own that she only shares with Harry. Together they romantically celebrate cheerful high points and plumb depths of sorrow. They see their love for each other as liberation from insanity. Harry manages to get his office job back and goes to live with Kate. When Kate gets pregnant she is confronted with an intolerant outside world that thinks it is too risky for two (ex-) patients to bring up a child. Harry and Kate are however determined and challenge the hostile outsiders. They believe that the child, that they call Astral, has chosen them and not the other way round. For the baby’s health, they decide to stop taking their medicines, after which they don’t just have to fight the outside world, but also the psychotic demons inside them. This suppley cut film thanks much of its strength to the acting of John Lynch (In The Name of The Father) as Harry and Jacqueline McKenzie (Romper Stomper) as Kate.
