I was quite surprised by the quality of this movie. As with another Australian treasure, "The Great McCarthy", I found FAST TALKING quite difficult to classify into any one particular genre. In fact, the more I dig into the surprisingly deep well of Australian cinema, the more I become convinced that this is so for most Australian film: at least in comparison to an international market where more movies than not are marketed expressly at a particular type of movie with a definite audience.
To give some indication of the narrative though, I could relate FAST TALKING as a coming-of-age film, though parts of it are definitely comedic. There is an element of poverty in the up-bringing of the protagonist, 14 year-old Steve Carson, in so far as he has a broken home-life; his mother divorced from his alcoholic father and his old brother a drug-dealer; though the overwhelming dramatic force in FAST TALKING is Steve's often light-hearted relationships with his peers and teachers at school in Sydney's western suburbs. Steve's escapades seem to lighten up the otherwise dreary atmosphere at a school where a high percentage of students are expected to graduate to nothing else after school but the dole.
Steve doesn't seem much interested in school, instead he lives for the weekends when he and his mates can hit the pubs and afterschool when he can undertake work on his motor-bike. While the narrative could be seen as inconsistent or maybe just unappealing because of its subject matter, it is NOT (I think) so erratic as to turn most people from enjoying it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
FAST TALKING is also an all-star cast of Australian actors, albeit of varying qualities. The old dependable Bisley is there as a junkyard mechanic who takes a liking to our irreverent lead character, Julie McGregor appears briefly as his mother, as does Angelo D'Angelo the "BMX Bandit". Lucky Grills pops in as a police detective, and Antoinette Byron from "Home & Away" and "Melrose Place" has a small cameo as a cashier.
Oh, and cool Rat's Tails and Mullets, almost in pure Aussie Pub Rock style!
To give some indication of the narrative though, I could relate FAST TALKING as a coming-of-age film, though parts of it are definitely comedic. There is an element of poverty in the up-bringing of the protagonist, 14 year-old Steve Carson, in so far as he has a broken home-life; his mother divorced from his alcoholic father and his old brother a drug-dealer; though the overwhelming dramatic force in FAST TALKING is Steve's often light-hearted relationships with his peers and teachers at school in Sydney's western suburbs. Steve's escapades seem to lighten up the otherwise dreary atmosphere at a school where a high percentage of students are expected to graduate to nothing else after school but the dole.
Steve doesn't seem much interested in school, instead he lives for the weekends when he and his mates can hit the pubs and afterschool when he can undertake work on his motor-bike. While the narrative could be seen as inconsistent or maybe just unappealing because of its subject matter, it is NOT (I think) so erratic as to turn most people from enjoying it. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
FAST TALKING is also an all-star cast of Australian actors, albeit of varying qualities. The old dependable Bisley is there as a junkyard mechanic who takes a liking to our irreverent lead character, Julie McGregor appears briefly as his mother, as does Angelo D'Angelo the "BMX Bandit". Lucky Grills pops in as a police detective, and Antoinette Byron from "Home & Away" and "Melrose Place" has a small cameo as a cashier.
Oh, and cool Rat's Tails and Mullets, almost in pure Aussie Pub Rock style!