PAUL COX

Bil’s rating (out of 5):   BBBBB

Australia, 1991.  Australian Film Finance Corporation, Beyond Films, Illumination Films.  Screenplay by Paul Cox, Barry Dickins.  Cinematography by Nino Gaetano Martinetti.  Produced by Paul Cox, Santhana K. Naidu.  Music by Paul Grabowsky.  Production Design by Neil Angwin.  Costume Design by Aphrodite Kondos.  Film Editing by Russell Hurley.  

Australian director Paul Cox has done it again; a film about subjects that are simply not explored enough on the big screen. This one concerns a senior citizen (Sheila Florance ) who is dying of cancer but refuses to stop enjoying her life just because she’s getting near the end.  We witness her relationships with her friends, her concerned son, her kindly nurse (Gosia Dobrowolska) and even a delightful encounter with a prostitute on the street.  Florance’s character is an inspiration to us all, and the film does not have a single dull moment; sadly, she was also dying of the disease in real life, and passed away not long after filming was completed.

Toronto International Film Festival:  1991