Careless Love

Second Aussie film in one term! Because there is nothing else out at the moment... Anyway. Careless Love is the new film by veteran Australian director John Duigan, and it's about Asian sex workers in Sydney. And I'm just going to go out and say it right now, I really like this film! I can see why people might be put off by the premise. A lot of people seem to become quite prudish and preachy when you mention the words "sex workers". You tend to think of sex trafficking and slavery, or else you think of the Pretty Woman type of romanticized shit. And not that this isn't slightly romanticised in parts, but it is a more accurate and honest showing of the world's oldest profession.

Linh (Nammi Le) is a university student who works part time as an escort for an Asian escort agency to help her parents pay off their house while her dad is unemployed. The film basically recounts her different interactions and relationships with clients, one American client in particular, Luke (Peter O'Brien) who she becomes close to, with her driver and co-worker (David Field and Ivy Mak) and her fellow students. She eventually begins seeing another student named Jack (Andrew Hazzard), and her two worlds slowly threaten to collide, while she tries to keep them apart.

So, let's talk about what's bad about the film. The acting isn't anything to write home about. Nammi Le can be quite wooden at time, but it fits her character, who is quite introverted, so that's okay I guess. The unfortunate is that this is (yet again) a minimal script, and she doesn't have the right amount of acting ability to pull off the contemplative expressions that we are able to interpret. But she's still good. No, the loose cannon in this film is Andrew Hazzard as Jack. He's just not that good. You don't really get the love story between him and Linh, he doesn't have the charisma that the characters requires, and he's kind of a douche at parts. But that's largely to do with the character not being fully rounded. What he really needed was a couple of extra scenes so that we could really understand the character better. And maybe a better actor, as well. Another thing that has drawn criticism is Peter O'Brien's iffy American accent, but in all honesty, I didn't really notice it. That might be because I didn't know he was Australian, but it's not too horrendous.

I suppose one other big criticism that I have with the film is that it could be seen as a male fantasy of what prostitution is. Linh has only one 'bad' encounter with a client, and even then she regains control when things get a little sticky (any puns you see are unintended). But then again, this is what is awesome about the film and the character of Linh. She is also one of the strongest female characters I have seen in a drama film for a long time. There are plenty of strong female action characters, but they aren't that many for the drama films that aren't monarchs. Or cancer patients. So, it's really refreshing to find a character like Linh, who is in control of every situation. Though this could be seen as another aspect of the male fantasy again, the fact that the filmmakers don't exploit her, or her profession in any way is also nice to see. There are only two sex scenes on screen, and Linh is only naked once. So, feminists, don't get your knickers in a twist or judge this film solely based on it's premise. I think what one has to remember is that Linh chose this profession, and during the course of the film, we see her make other choices to benefit her and essentially, to keep her safe. The film also focuses on the economic side of prostitution, and gives us an even less glamourous view of it. So, the film also doesn't say that it would be a good job for someone to have, and that in the end, it all comes down to the money.

Other things of note are the excellent side characters, that are more interesting than the protagonists in a lot of ways. First, you have Luke, the enigmatic American. The scenes with him and Linh are some of the best in the film, and it left me wishing that the whole film was just made up of those two talking together. But if that happened, then we wouldn't have the two most awesome characters from the film! Dion, the driver (David Field, who you may recall from the "Hungry/Thirsty" ads) and Mint, a co-worker (Ivy Mak). These two provide the comedy, the heart felt moments and the best lines from the film. Go see the film for those two alone, it's most definitely worth it.

Anyway, the only other thing I can say against the film is that it is quite long, and there are some scenes that drag on a bit. But in retaliation to that, it is well shot, and I'm sure those that live in Sydney would love to see their sity looking this gorgeous onscreen. If you want to see one homegrown film this, why not this one? You'll notice I didn't give much away in terms of plot or themes, and that's because you should really discover this film for yourself. Don't be put off by the subject matter, it's a helluva lot better than Wish You Were Here, a lot less obvious and it stays in your head for ages afterwards. In the end, this is a simple story, yet beautifully put together. No, it's not perfect, but then what is nowadays. And, that's really all I have to say. Take care internet. Until next time!