The portrayal of youth in small town Australia is spot on. I lived in Manjimup, WA. I recognised the people. The main characters Hal's direct to camera talking would normally annoy me but in this production the actor carries it off. His father conveys the schoolteacher as a loving but serious minded person like so many teachers. His sharing a joint with his son must be familiar to many baby boomers who are now parents of young adults. The only criticism is that Randa is not as dark skinned as most Afghanis probably because the actress is of Yugoslavian background. Anyone who is familiar with small town Australia cannot fail to relate to John Doyle's excellent script.
Review of Marking Time
