Holding the Man

This Australian film, "Holding The Man," based on Tommy Murphy's theater-piece of the famous memoir by the late Timothy Conigrave, is now out on DVD. The film is an adventurous tale of two high school lads, Timothy (Ryan Corr) and the captain of the soccer team, John Calao (Craig Stott), who manage to find each other during the 1970s when society frowned upon such arrangements.

The story goes straight on through the dangerous 1980s when both men became infected with HIV/AIDS and died during the 1990s after fifteen years of non-legal marriage. John first, Tim later in '94. Conigrave had the chance to write up this love story, which became a huge hit in Australia, published only ten days before his death.

Two years ago, the newly-formed Australian Theatre Company, based in West Hollywood, California, produced a meaningful production of Murphy's adaptation, introducing the tale to American audiences. Last year, four Australian production companies, Screen Australia, Goalpost Pictures and two others made the film on a moderately-low budget.

Shot in Melbourne, Australia, by director Neil Armfield, the scenes from their school and their adult spaces posit a problem in casting: both actors are totally involved with their characters, but being in one's early 30s and playing sixteen when they met, doesn't pay off in believability. This is sad, if understandable, as the work on everyone's part is excellent. It is the only part (however major) of the film which just didn't have a resolution.

Corr and Stott make an attractive couple, completely connected to the material, and the balance of the cast do as well. In fact, Guy Pearce, a fine actor, was for me completely unrecognizable as the father of Timothy, and being paired off with beautiful Kerry Fox as Tim's mother was a coup for the production. The same for Anthony LaPaglia and Camilla Ah Kin as John's parents.

The technical aspects are fine as the film looks and sounds professional. It's worth a gander if only to see a solid reflection of a minor literary classic.

"Holding The Man"
DVD/2015
www.strandreleasing.com
$14.99