True character comes to light

Men's Group (MA15+) 3½ stars Limited release MADE without government support, Men's Group is an independent Australian film about a group of men of different ages and backgrounds who gather on a regular basis to discuss their problems.

Steve Rodgers, left, and Paul Tassone star in the heartwarming feature Men's Group

Men's Group (MA15+) 3½ stars Limited release MADE without government support, Men's Group is an independent Australian film about a group of men of different ages and backgrounds who gather on a regular basis to discuss their problems.

These problems revolve around fatherhood (their fathers were hopeless and/or they themselves are hopeless fathers) and women.

The main strength of the film -- which, the credits tell us, was created by Michael Joy and John Simpson (they co-wrote it and Joy directed it) -- is the acting. A small ensemble of impressive acting talent is given plenty of leeway by the filmmakers; the actors were apparently encouraged to improvise, which they do to mostly useful effect.

A far more problematic choice was to allow cinematographer Geoffrey Wharton to indulge in some unusually annoying hand-held camerawork (again and again, a moment is spoiled because the camera operator just can't keep still, and for no good dramatic purpose) and overuse of the zoom lens, another intrusive device much beloved by some filmmakers today.

As a result, the film is so visually ugly that it's a constant irritant. So it's a minor miracle that, despite this large drawback, something of the power of the material still comes through.

The audience is introduced to members of the group by newcomer Alex (Grant Dodwell), whose life has been ruined because of compulsive gambling. Other members include Lucas (Steve Le Marquand), an uptight, uncommunicative salesman; Cecil (Don Reid), an elderly widower who leads a solitary but ordered existence; Freddy (Steve Rodgers), who is in every sense the most rounded character, a stand-up comic whose wife left him because she found him repulsive and who desperately misses his child; Moses (Paul Tassone), who lives in squalor; and Paul (Paul Gleeson), who organises the gatherings and in whose home the men usually meet. Initially, none of these characters seems to warrant our sympathy. But all that changes as we discover more about them, and this is especially true in the case of Freddy, whose story is a particularly poignant one.

As in Bitter & Twisted, Rodgers gives what can only be described as a memorable performance. Also particularly impressive is William Zappa, who plays Anthony, a late arrival to the group who has some painful confessions to make.

In the end, despite its considerable shortcomings, Men's Group succeeds because it is moving and the problems of these men are addressed with such clarity and understanding.