I am not a Russell Crow fan...and while I liked Gladiator...I always thought it would have been better without Crow. That said...I have always liked Hugo Weaving and until I caught this fantastic movie on IFC last night, I thought of him as a steadfast character actor with a terrific accent. Whoa! Think A-G-A-I-N !!! "Poof" sure proved me wrong...Weaving's acting was brilliant and I can give nothing but praise and admiration to the director, Jocelyn Moorhouse for her ability to make such a gripping movie on such a small budget. This movie is all about character development and she is an obvious master at turning the written word into emotional reality. This is a B-I-G (like in red wine) movie! Hugo Weaving's character, Martin is so real you want to touch him! As for Crow...he had it all when he was younger...what the devil happened? Moorhouse is keenly adept at maneuvering your sensitivities. Right from the start you are drawn in to the story...honestly empathizing with this unusual triad of desperately lonely individuals. Nothing about this story is contrived and I think that is where it gets it's power. It's a shame this movie did not get more play but a big thank you to IFC for bringing it to my attention!
