It opens with a diagnosis of cancer, and soon theres a death. Tragedy floats around these characters, each wrestling with big decisions or demons ranging from sickness to relationships, parenthood, and of course our ultimate fate. Look Both Ways is nothing if not daring in taking on these biggest of themes, yet it remains unaffected and surprisingly funny.Meryl (Clarke, looking disconcertingly like Sally Field) has just returned from her father's funeral. Nick (McInnes) is the one with the diagnosis - delivered on Friday, before he's able to see the specialist on Monday. There's an accident on the train tracks that brings them together for a strange, sweltering weekend, together with their friends, co-workers and others drawn into the web. Through it all, the acting remains excellent, the characters genuine and the soundtrack perfect. It's not flawless - a couple of things (like the downpour at the end) happen a little too neatly, but you won't notice because the atmosphere builds and builds, like a thunderhead, and the relief, when it finally arrives, is palpable. And while you may initially feel like the one who's been in the train wreck, at least one person I know found it life-affirming and uplifting.

The central character Jack Flange (OLachlan) moves from the big smoke to the small town of Brooklyn in New South Wales, in order to be closer to his sister, Nikki (Harrison), who is in hospital as a result of a car accident. In order to help his sister, Jack steals some money from a fish market and then posts it to himself. While waiting for the loot to arrive, Jack begins work at a local oyster farm owned by an interesting father and son team, Mumbles (Norton) and Brownie (Field). The loot never arrives and Jack is left wondering what has become of it. Set against the backdrop of the Hawkesbury River this film is a cinematic delight and a definite must see!I actually suggested this film for this semester's line up, so I definitely encourage you to come along and see it!