“Touching, funny, moving” – John Jarratt delivers it all in What About Sal?
We bumped into Aussie screen legend, John Jarratt, at our favourite country cinema in Blyth recently and were treated to a screening of his ‘heart-warming’ new film, What About Sal?
I don’t think there’s too many who could walk away from this touching Aussie story without a smile. The storyline, along with Gerard O’Dwyer’s performance as Sal, a 35-year-old man with Down syndrome, is magic.
After the emotional screening, Jarratt, told the packed cinema, that the inspiration for the film came to him when he was at a footy match and noticed one enthusiastic supporter who had Down syndrome, cheering his team from the sidelines. With the young man was his biggest supporter, his Mum, prompting Jarratt to ponder what will happen to the footy fan when his dedicated Mum passes away.
A moving story line for a film indeed, and right from the get-go, this movie makes you smile! O’Dwyer, who took out Best Male Actor at Tropfest in 2009, for “Be My Brother”, was brilliant. Sal, supported by his devoted, chain-smoking Mum, is doing life pretty well – working at Rebel Sport, doing Karate and enjoying a firm day-to-day routine.
But when his Mum, played by Kaarin Fairfax, only has weeks to live, Sal embarks on a journey across inner-city Sydney, to find his Dad – a one-night-stand who played in a pub rock band in the 80’s. Enter Jarratt, a ‘has-been’ performer, wallowing in a lousy life of self-pity and booze.
A far-cry from Wolf Creek (which Jarratt revealed he will beef up and find his inner-physcho again in the new year for a third instalment), What About Sal? has a perfect mix of reality, inspiration and humour. And what a privilege it was to watch with the man behind the writing, directing, producing and one of the leading roles.
Here’s some snaps from a night at the movies….with John Jarratt
