Running Time: 96 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Jackie van Beek, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Josephine Blazier, Hannah Diviney, Aaron Fa'aoso, Fraser Anderson, Gael Ballantyne
With a career that involves directing episodes of The Thick of It and Avenue 5, Natalie Bailey makes the leap between mediums for her feature directorial debut, Audrey. While she may have moved from TV onto film, Bailey carries over the darkly comedic sensibilities of her collaborations with Armando Iannucci to deliver an unforgettable debut.
The story follows forgotten soap star Ronnie Lipsick (Jackie van Beek), whose career was derailed due to an untimely pregnancy. With her dreams of stardom cut short, the self-appointed Mother of the Year now focuses on running a suburban performing arts school, and moulding her eldest daughter, Audrey (Josephine Blazier), into succeeding as an actress. The daughter's spoiled behaviour causes tensions within the family, as patriarch Cormack (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) has lost his lust for life, while youngest daughter Norah (Hannah Diviney) feels ignored. Things change dramatically when an accident lands Audrey in a coma, a tragedy which gives Ronnie a second chance at her dreams by taking on her 17-year-old daughter's identity.
Working off a screenplay from Lou Sanz, Bailey delivers an impressively twisted comedy that effectively delivers. From early glimpses at this family, it is clear how they detest living under the thumb of Audrey's demands, particularly with Ronnie enabling this awful behaviour. Everything changes thanks to the aforementioned accident, but not in the way you would expect, as Audrey's comatose state actually improves her family's lives. The absence from her demands revitalizes a long-missing spark, particularly for her parent's sex lives, and this is just a taste of how dark things can go.
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It is an understatement to say that Ronnie has not gotten over the premature end to her aspiring career, favouring the daughter that she sees as a surrogate version of her past self. In the wrong hands, this could have been a distractingly cartoonish role, but Jackie van Beek brings it alive with the right blend of comedy and heartfelt understanding. The character wishes to live vicariously through her daughter's potential success, and soon discovers whether her talent is enough to revive her dreams.
As the husband unsatisfied with how life has turned out, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor terrifically brings alive Cormack's desire for something to revitalize things. Also feeling ignored is Norah, the youngest daughter who lives with cerebral palsy. She wishes to take up fencing, an activity that her mother disapproves of, and effectively shares her frustrations through verbal barbs. Rounding off the family is the titular character wonderfully played by Josephine Blazier, who appears most happy when she's making the rest of her family unhappy. Her particular focus on getting under her mother's skin is unsettling, and drives the narrative in interesting ways.
It is also worth mentioning that this film excels as a comedy, effectively drawing laughs from uncomfortable situations, from the unforgettable opening, to a standout moment involving revealed truths at an ice cream van. It all builds towards a finale which blends reality and performance, showing the intersection of Ronnie's life and the art that she adores. This allows the family to have a better understanding of one another, and move towards a better future in a way that fits this pitch-black comedy. Audrey is an antipodean triumph.
Audrey is now available on Digital Download
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