TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

msherwin-1 A very surprisingly wonderful film. I can't believe a film like this was so popular in Australia in 1994. I'm also annoyed that films like this don't get more exposure in the US. I liked it very much and Russell Crowe's performance was really touching. He really projected a sincerity that is rare in film, and even more rare in gay themed cinema. I also liked the father's character and the "reasoning" he presented - too bad all parents can't think that way. I thought the actors speaking to the audience worked, flowed very naturally, and was not overdone. With so much junk coming out of Hollywood, nice indie films like this are a welcome reprieve.

court99 This movie took me by surprise, it is personable, sincere and utterly Australian. It explores its themes in a beautiful manner, through the relationships between family, especially father and son. Don't be put off by Russel Crowe. I myself almost didn't watch it because he was in it, but I have to say, he did a brilliant job. He took the character and made it his own, and I feel no one else could have played the part any better. Take into account that this movie was originally a stage play, so there are various monologues and direct engagement with the audience. This at first is a little surprising and perhaps even uncomfortable, as we are so used to being purely observers when watching a movie. After initial surprise however I found the technique refreshing, it gave the film a more personable and intimate quality. I revel in how Australian this film is, the fact that I use the same brands of mustard and soy sauce which at one point appeared at the dinner table, made me unusually delighted and also pulled me into the realism which the film tries and succeeds in conveying. At risk of sounding patriotic, it almost made me proud to be Australian. This is probably one of my favourite movies, in its exploration of love and how it should not be dictated by the limits of our society.

stevo19 A very special Aussie film dealing with the strains of gay males and society issues in their path. Top performances by Russell Crowe and John Polson , with monumental support from legendary icon actor Jack Thompson as the understanding and supportive father. A must see film in my book , as reality meets society , with a realistic feel for todays cinema.Unlike many other of Crowes films , this one is very serious and addresses very real issues in todays multicultural society , and especially the gay movement of Sydney , Australia. This film hits the viewer head on with the unknown side of single sex relationships , and their effects on both family and friends.

rich-roirich I just saw this movie on the Independent Film channel, which may be showing because of the popularity of Brokeback Mountain in theaters now, which has another young Aussie's, Heath Ledger, award-winning portrayal of unrequited love for another man. In "The Sum of Us", Crowe (at age 30) portrays a straight-acting but fully "out" gay man, (Jeff Mitchell) a plumber and rugby player in his mid-twenties subtly acting his disappointed love for another gay man his own age. Crowe's brilliantly nuanced performance underscore his acting genius and the viewer can favorably compare this work to his captivating work, three years later, as a tough cop (Bud White) in love with a high-class call girl in "LA Confidential." "The Sum of Us" however has a more universal theme, as Jeff and his widowed father also work out their relationship: Filial love is contrasted with romantic love. Also, black and white flash-backs to his beloved grandmother's long-term lesbian relationship highlight the universality of the movie's theme. This is no skin-flick; it is raw emotion in a compelling plot, artfully and sensitively written, acted, directed and filmed. Kudos to IFC channel for broadly showing this film, which deserves wider distribution on DVD in the US.