Look Both Ways (2005)

75% of critics liked it
(57 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(6,296 ratings)

Preoccupation with disasters and a growing sense of mortality threaten to derail the growing relationship between the witness of a train accident and the reporter sent to interview her in this daring drama from emerging Australian filmmaker Sarah Watt. As the weekend draws near, three troubled souls… More Preoccupation with disasters and a growing sense of mortality threaten to derail the growing relationship between the witness of a train accident and the reporter sent to interview her in this daring drama from emerging Australian filmmaker Sarah Watt. As the weekend draws near, three troubled souls find themselves faced with pivotal, potentially life-changing events. Though the death of her father still looms heavily in her mind, Meryl (Justine Clark) is forced to cut short her bereavement in order to focus on a work-related deadline. While reporter Nick (William McInnes) awaits the prognosis after being informed that he has testicular cancer, his photographer Andy (Anthony Hayes) is preoccupied with his girlfriend's unplanned pregnancy. When a train crashes and Meryl is the sole witness to the horrifying event, Nick and Andy are sent to interview her, sparking an unusual affair between the grieving witness and the troubled reporter. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Directed By: Sarah Watt
Written By: Sarah Watt
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Apr 14, 2006 Limited
On DVD: Dec 5, 2006
Studio: Kino International

Critic Reviews

Dave Calhoun, Time Out
While [director Sarah] Watt begins to offer an interesting study in paranoia, tinged with some good comic moments, her multi-stranded plot and last-minute recourse to romance ultimately lost the interest of this viewer.
Janice Page, Boston Globe
A black-humored screenplay, realistic performances, eye-catching artwork, and a few creative turns on some well-worn themes.
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
Filled with aloof and confused characters just treading water, and even if they are likable, it eventually becomes tiresome. It's like one big pity party.
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
How each person copes with trauma and renewal adds up to a tender tale rich in memorable performances.
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle
The bottom line is that none of this goes anywhere beyond a droning funeral procession.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
The film itself is beautifully done.
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
A remarkably dense and powerful picture of people's yearning and struggling. . . . about how 'things just happen'%u2014that's the sadness and beauty of life.
Anton Bitel, musicOMH.com
an impressive, intelligent and moving tragicomedy of manners - any way you look at it.
Kam Williams, Upstage Magazine
Not a feel-good flick, yet likely to strike a chord with those inclined to contemplate life as a pessimistic venture guided by the unpredictable vagaries of the fickle finger of fate.
Shirley Sealy, Film Journal International
A multi-faceted, sparkling gem of a movie.
Uri Lessing, eFilmCritic.com
Most films about shell-shocked characters coming to grips with their own mortality are either excruciating or forcefully comical. Not so with this mini-masterpiece.
Simon Crook, Empire Magazine
A dreamy but tough ensemble indie that delivers its existential angst with a straight-up Aussie drawl.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
A thoroughly engaging, warm-hearted and frequently moving drama that marks Watt out as a talent to watch and deserves to find as big an audience as possible.
Jamie Russell, BBC
Lapses in judgement occasionally jar -- like the habit of playing middle of the road ballads over key scenes -- but the central romance is touching enough to lock us in while bringing out the moral of this story.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It has a cold, observer's touch that makes dealing with the death and disease a disdainful task.
Brian Clark, Austin Chronicle
It's the type of film in which a character sits next to his work acquaintance for a few moments, then asks, 'Do you believe in God?'
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
Although none of Watt's characters is granted the full attention of the film, they feel entirely real in their flaws, dreams and struggles with the grown-up world of pain, loss and isolation.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
Watt stirs the ingredients in her story pot with vigor, sprinkling in rich dialogue and effortless tonal shifts that tend to add just the right shade of humor to lighten the dark material.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Some modest charms and a few unexpected emotional punches.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
Only an Australian could make such a warm, gentle comedy about how death is all around us.

Read all 22 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

On the way home from her father's funeral, Meryl(Justine Clarke), an artst, imagines many scenes of catastrophe before witnessing a man being hit by a train, chasing after his dog. Covering the story for the local newspaper is Nick(William McInnes), a photographer, who has just… More
On the way home from her father's funeral, Meryl(Justine Clarke), an artst, imagines many scenes of catastrophe before witnessing a man being hit by a train, chasing after his dog. Covering the story for the local newspaper is Nick(William McInnes), a photographer, who has just been diagnosed with testicular cancer. Regardless, Andy(Anthony Hayes), a graduate of the Oliver Stone School of Journalism, complains to his editor, Phil(Andrew S. Gilbert), about the photo that is used with his story. In any case, Andy has more important things to worry about like his girlfriend Anna(Lisa Flanagan) being pregnant. I'll give "Look Both Ways" this much. It sure is different with occasional animated interludes but the shark in the pool is a little too obvious. Plus, I admire its willingness to tackle difficult subjects. Sadly, it never quite comes together as it goes from one extreme to another. And the movie also has an alarming lack of focus on characters who even when dealing with extremely important crises somehow also seem very self-involved at the same time, especially Meryl whose moroseness is inferred might originate more from her loneliness than anything else. Or maybe commuter trains in Australia have a very poor safety record, as there are many shots of people walking calmly along train tracks.
Mark A

A deeply affecting film from first time Australian director Sarah Watt, who also wrote the screen play and did some of the animation. It is about death, and family, and career, and loneliness, and loving, and friendship. In short, it is about life. Terrific actors, a dynamite script,… More
A deeply affecting film from first time Australian director Sarah Watt, who also wrote the screen play and did some of the animation. It is about death, and family, and career, and loneliness, and loving, and friendship. In short, it is about life. Terrific actors, a dynamite script, and characters one can identify with brought the story to life for this viewer. Justine Clark as Meryl, a struggling artist, and William McInness as Nick, a photojournalist who has just received devestating news, bear special mention. I watched it twice and found it just as deeply moving both times. Hard to believe this was a first time effort.
Daniel P

NICK: Do you think you're getting over the shock? MERYL: The dad shock or the accident shock? Do you think you can have two at once? Maybe I'm into 'bargaining' on one of them. Y'know, the seven stages of grief.… More
NICK: Do you think you're getting over the shock? MERYL: The dad shock or the accident shock? Do you think you can have two at once? Maybe I'm into 'bargaining' on one of them. Y'know, the seven stages of grief. What's the point in knowing where you're up to when you've still got to go through it anyway? This is one of those clever-clever films that feature an ensemble cast of characters who are all linked together in someway without knowing how, in the style of Heights and Crash. Unlike the latter, however, I never felt like I was being continually hit over the head with a stick or that coincidences and links became too contrived or over calculating. Look Both Ways is a film that everyone who has ever thought about or dealt with mortality or grief can relate to. Meryl, whose father has recently died, imagines her death everywhere she goes - train crashes, drownings, STDs. Nick, who has just discovered he has testicular cancer that has spread to his lungs, is on the verge of complete breakdown. Their paths cross at the scene of a train accident, and an unexpected connection is made. If the film sounds depressing, then it is at times, but it is also very thoughtful, funny, observant and beautiful. The acting is first rate (Justine Clarke is particularly brilliant) and the direction is very inventive - Meryl and Nick's thoughts are shown as animation or sped up photo montages and it's a very effective way of showing what they are thinking. The use of songs rather than a music score was also a good decision. Finally, there's another link between two characters that I had almost forgotten about that provide a nice and poignant twist, and the ending is done just right. Fantastic.

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Cast

William McInnes
as Nick
Justine Clarke
as Meryl Leigh
Anthony Hayes
as Andy
Mary Kostakidis
as SBS Newsreader
Daniela Farinacci
as Julia
Rob Hoad
as Rob
Leon Teague
as Director
Andrew S. Gilbert
as Phil
Elena Carapetis
as Maria
Tamara Lees
as Policewoman
Andreas Sobik
as Train Driver
Lisa Flanagan
as Anna
Irena Dangov
as Train Driver's Wife
Jacquelyne Willcox
as Current Affairs Reporter
Laura Peisley
as Emily
Alex Rafalowicz
as Train Driver's Son
Violet Gilbert
as Phil's Toddler
Jacqueline Cook
as Miriam
Oliver Gilbert
as Jasmine 'Jas'
Miranda Gilbert
as Sophie
Lucia Mastrantone
as Cathy
Isabella Reimer
as Maddie
Jordan Leovic
as Oliver
Edwin Hodgeman
as Jim
Maggie Dence
as Joan
Joshua Clarke
as Boy In Wheelchair
Sacha Horler
as Linda
Alirio Zavarce
as Smoking Cricketer
Craig Behenna
as Cricket Captain
Taimi Allan
as Pregnant Mother
Eliza Lovell
as Scared Mother
Carmel Johnson
as Charge Nurse
Rocky Feo
as Father of Sick Child
Philip Spruce
as Actor
James L. Edwards
as Waiter
Aaron March
as Dinner Guest
Annie Lindner
as Dinner Guest
Daniel Whyte
as Dinner Guest
Evan Branford
as Teenager
Joe Weber
as Milk Bar Man
Daniella Farinacci
Robbie Hoad

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Look Both Ways (2005)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

Mark A

Daniel P

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