Till Human Voices Wake Us (2002)

A man returns to Victoria, Australia, where he grew up, and encounters a mysterious woman who reminds him of someone he once knew.

Director:

Michael Petroni

Writer:

Michael Petroni

Stars:

Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Curtin

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Guy Pearce	...	Dr. Sam Franks
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Ruby
Frank Gallacher	...	Maurie Lewis
Lindley Joyner	...	Young Sam Franks
Brooke Harman	...	Silvy Lewis
Peter Curtin	...	Dr. David Franks
Margot Knight	...	Dorothy Lewis
Anthony Martin	...	Russ
Dawn Klingberg	...	Mrs. Sarks
David Ravenswood	...	Lawyer
Stewart Faichney	...	Reverend Mortenbury
Diana Greentree	...	Mrs. Pickford
Ian Swan	...	Police Sergeant
Mark Perren Jones	...	Police Constable
Sally Plant	...	Student #1

Storyline

Sam and Silvy are best friends. One night, as they are watching a falling star while floating on their backs in a lake, Sylvy disappears from his side. Despite his best efforts, he cannot find her under water. Many years later, Sam, now a psychologist, returns to bury his father. Back in his hometown, he meets a woman called Ruby who reminds him in so many ways of his lost love.

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Plot Keywords:

victoria australia | summer | genoa victoria | water | love | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes the mysteries of your past find a way into your future.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a scene of sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is taken from the last line of the 1917 poem 'The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock' by T.S. Eliot. It reads: "Till human voices wake us and we drown".

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Goofs

As Sam slowly reaches over and closes his dead father's eyes, we can see his father's shirt rising and falling with his breathing

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Quotes

Silvy Lewis: If moths are attracted to the light, why don't they come out in the day?
Young Sam Franks: ...guess in the day, light comes to them.

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Alternate Versions

-Minor Spoilers* The film was dramatically reworked for the international version (ie. American release) due to pressure by its distributor who felt the stars needed to appear before their original appearance nearly 35 minutes into the film. Under supervision by the director Michael Petroni, the entire film structure has been altered using some unused footage (that doesn't otherwise appear in the original Australian cut) and trimming nearly 5 minutes of footage in order to introduce the adult Sam character (Guy Pearce) at the beginning of the film rather than a half and hour into it. Flashbacks are then implored from the original 35 minutes of the Australian cut for the Young Sam and Silvy scenes. Additionally, Dale Cornelius' original music score has almost entirely been replaced by an orchestral score written by Amotz Plessner. The results ultimately lead to two very different approached to the material with different tones. The original, director intended, version plays more like a romantic drama with a past/present connection whilst the international cut has been reworked to play more as a mystery with possible supernatural undertones.

• End Spoilers *

User Reviews

A film like no other

i had no expectations before watching this movie. I've heard very little about it but what i have heard was it was just plain bad. I honestly just watched it because Guy Pearce was in it, but if there is one thing we've learnt from watching Pearce's films is that he takes the complex unoridinary films and this is no exception. Firstly lets start with the plot. From reading other reviews you already know Pearce is a doctor and his leading lady has amnesia, but the film is so much more then that. Pearce's character goes back to where he grew up to barry his father and goes on a journey to recover the past that he never dealt with. It's truley an amazing story about the tragedy one boy experiances in his youth and how it has affected his life thus. Don't take my word for it and don't listen to all of those who have said the movie was bad or made no sense, watch it for yourself and you will see this is another one of Pearce's masterpeices.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 2002 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Mistérios do Passado

Filming Locations:

Australia

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,968, 23 February 2003

Gross USA:

$120,601

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$157,720

Company Credits

Production Co:

Instinct Entertainment, Key Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Cinevex)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1