Liz gets more than she bargained for when she's rescued by Aiden.
Herald rating: 3 out of 5
This is one sick twisted puppy of a movie from first-time feature director Kieran Galvin. An independent Australian film, Puppy is a unique take on the romantic comedy genre. Part thriller, part black comedy, it's the story of two rather unusual characters who seem to have no limit
as to what they will do for love.
Liz (Nadia Townsend) is a professional liar and scam artist who is unable to take responsibility for anything. Life hasn't treated her terribly fairly, and she's in no hurry to treat life fairly.
Crashed out at her sister's apartment, she runs over their dog, helps herself to her sister's husband and steals her sister's jewellery. When her sister kicks her out, Liz tries to asphyxiate herself in her car, only to be rescued by Aiden (Bernard Curry), a tow-truck driver. Unfortunately for Liz, Aiden is mentally unstable and off his medication. She wakes to find herself in Aiden's remote country house, tied up, guarded by dogs, and having to deal with Aiden's unpredictable behaviour.
Aiden is delusional, and convinced Liz is his wife Helen, who left him not long ago. It could be a challenging situation, but Liz's ability to be quick with a lie means she's more than capable of dealing with anything Aiden can throw at her.
Curry and Townsend are first-time leads in a film, and it's a hard task, as they don't get much help, except from a few small co-starring roles.
Townsend, in particular, is on screen for all of the film, but she handles Liz beautifully and carries the film with a real, intelligent and surprisingly likeable and memorable character. Curry isn't quite as convincing as Aiden, although he does grow on you as the film progresses.
Galvin, who also wrote the script, occasionally gets bogged down in the character's traits rather than advancing the story. One minute you're not sure where this film is heading, and the next minute it all seems predictable, but there's no denying the twists and turns make it a refreshingly different and quirky film about love in all the wrong places.
Cast: Bernard Curry, Nadia Townsend
Director: Kieran Galvin
Running time: 92 mins
Rating: R16, contains offensive language
Screening: Academy
Verdict: An ambitious project by first-time director, who handles this dark material reasonable well
