A STITCH IN TIME
****
Director: Sasha Hadden
Screenwriter: Sasha Hadden
Principal cast:
Maggie Blinco
Glen Shorrock
Belinda Giblin
Hoa Xuande
John Gregg
Celeste Reardon
Country: Australia
Classification: M
Runtime: 98 mins.
Australian release date: 17 February 2022.
Despite the fact that this new Australian film comes from a debut feature writer/director, it has a strong retinue of key figures from the industry backing it, most notably Sue Milliken as Executive Producer and acclaimed cinematographer Don McAlpine behind the camera. Sasha Hadden’s A Stitch in Time is a moving film about an elderly couple whose relationship has reached its use-by-date and it examines the ramifications of separation at such a time in life. And, believe it or not, it has an upside! Namely, that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. It will probably be overlooked at the box office, unfortunately, like so many other decent Aussie films, and yet it is has a lot to say, not unlike last year’s June Again, which also dealt with aging from a female perspective.
Liebe (a luminous Maggie Blinco) is a stylish older woman who has lived for many years - 50 in fact - with her grumpy, wayward partner Duncan (Glenn Shorrock, ex-lead singer of The Little River Band), a frustrated muso. In the opening scene Duncan is warbling away in a local RSL club to an audience of two, including Liebe. At the end of the session, the manager sacks him and they part acrimoniously. Duncan then sets up a long overdue meeting with an ex-member of his band, Justin (the late John Gregg, in one of his last film performances), and his vivacious wife Christine (Belinda Giblin), at their large home. We learn that they were once the best of friends but there was a parting of the ways just at the point where the band was about to achieve success. Duncan is still smarting at the memory but hopes his old mate will record an album with him and they can have another stab at making it big. The two women are delighted to be re-united but there is too much water under the bridge for Justin and Duncan to remake their old connection. Furious and frustrated, Duncan’s nasty behaviour gets worse and Liebe finally ups and leaves home. She decides to pursue her talent for dressmaking and design, which Duncan had forced her to give up when they got together, and is encouraged by a young man, Hamish (Hoa Xuande), she meets at the local markets. When his girlfriend, Summerly (Celeste Reardon), tries on one of Liebe’s creations and looks fabulous, Hamish recognises her talent and declares that, “If people want cheap, they can go to K-Mart.” Liebe has style.
Hadden’s screenplay for A Stitch in Time doesn’t go where you think it might, to its credit. This is not your standard late-in-life, on-again off-again, romance and Hadden comes up with some surprises. The casting is spot-on. Credit must be given to Shorrock, who shows that he can not only sing but he also does a great job of being a grumpy old man; apparently, Hadden had another actor in mind when he wrote the part but Shorrock rises to the occasion well. Blinco and Giblin are thoroughly convincing as a pair of best mates who have a lot to catch up on. Both are terrific and Blinco, in particular, engages emotionally with the viewer. Hoa Xuande portrays a sensitivity of spirit that is very charismatic as Hamish, a young man who can see that the old woman is suffering despite her attempts to put on a brave face. The downside is the over-use of the score which tends to overwhelm some scenes unnecessarily and is too insipid at other times. Sometimes, less is more. Overall, though, A Stitch in Time is an excellent little film - hopefully word of mouth will generate the audience it deserves.
Screenwriter: Sasha Hadden
Principal cast:
Maggie Blinco
Glen Shorrock
Belinda Giblin
Hoa Xuande
John Gregg
Celeste Reardon
Country: Australia
Classification: M
Runtime: 98 mins.
Australian release date: 17 February 2022.
Despite the fact that this new Australian film comes from a debut feature writer/director, it has a strong retinue of key figures from the industry backing it, most notably Sue Milliken as Executive Producer and acclaimed cinematographer Don McAlpine behind the camera. Sasha Hadden’s A Stitch in Time is a moving film about an elderly couple whose relationship has reached its use-by-date and it examines the ramifications of separation at such a time in life. And, believe it or not, it has an upside! Namely, that it’s never too late to follow your dreams. It will probably be overlooked at the box office, unfortunately, like so many other decent Aussie films, and yet it is has a lot to say, not unlike last year’s June Again, which also dealt with aging from a female perspective.
Liebe (a luminous Maggie Blinco) is a stylish older woman who has lived for many years - 50 in fact - with her grumpy, wayward partner Duncan (Glenn Shorrock, ex-lead singer of The Little River Band), a frustrated muso. In the opening scene Duncan is warbling away in a local RSL club to an audience of two, including Liebe. At the end of the session, the manager sacks him and they part acrimoniously. Duncan then sets up a long overdue meeting with an ex-member of his band, Justin (the late John Gregg, in one of his last film performances), and his vivacious wife Christine (Belinda Giblin), at their large home. We learn that they were once the best of friends but there was a parting of the ways just at the point where the band was about to achieve success. Duncan is still smarting at the memory but hopes his old mate will record an album with him and they can have another stab at making it big. The two women are delighted to be re-united but there is too much water under the bridge for Justin and Duncan to remake their old connection. Furious and frustrated, Duncan’s nasty behaviour gets worse and Liebe finally ups and leaves home. She decides to pursue her talent for dressmaking and design, which Duncan had forced her to give up when they got together, and is encouraged by a young man, Hamish (Hoa Xuande), she meets at the local markets. When his girlfriend, Summerly (Celeste Reardon), tries on one of Liebe’s creations and looks fabulous, Hamish recognises her talent and declares that, “If people want cheap, they can go to K-Mart.” Liebe has style.
Hadden’s screenplay for A Stitch in Time doesn’t go where you think it might, to its credit. This is not your standard late-in-life, on-again off-again, romance and Hadden comes up with some surprises. The casting is spot-on. Credit must be given to Shorrock, who shows that he can not only sing but he also does a great job of being a grumpy old man; apparently, Hadden had another actor in mind when he wrote the part but Shorrock rises to the occasion well. Blinco and Giblin are thoroughly convincing as a pair of best mates who have a lot to catch up on. Both are terrific and Blinco, in particular, engages emotionally with the viewer. Hoa Xuande portrays a sensitivity of spirit that is very charismatic as Hamish, a young man who can see that the old woman is suffering despite her attempts to put on a brave face. The downside is the over-use of the score which tends to overwhelm some scenes unnecessarily and is too insipid at other times. Sometimes, less is more. Overall, though, A Stitch in Time is an excellent little film - hopefully word of mouth will generate the audience it deserves.