Clubland

The new Australian comedy/drama Clubland was supposed to be a vehicle for British actress Brenda Blethyn, and don't get me wrong she is excellent, but little known Aussie actor Khan Chittenden steals this show.
The film centres around the close relationship between Jean Dwight (Blethyn), an entertainer/comedian who regrets having a family at the expense of what she saw as a glittering career.
She has two sons Mark (Richard Wilson), who was brain damaged at birth, and Tim (Chittenden), who is very much depended upon by his mother for support and transport.
As a result Tim is remarkably shy and innocent around most people, particularly girls. Until he meets Jill (Emma Booth) and slowly comes to realise that he can't live with his mother forever.
This film could have gone very wrong and delved into farce but at the centre of the film is a sweetness that is difficult to describe.
There are laugh out loud moments, some very touching scenes and you leave feeling good.
The revelation in this film though, as I eluded to earlier, is Chittenden. Some would have seen him in the Foxtel series Dangerous where he played a western suburbs bad boy and totally removed from his unassuming character here.
Perhaps having seen him in Dangerous it might have made this performance look much better than it was but for me he was the star. Interestingly, the movie has another title, possibly for international markets, of Introducing The Dwights. I'd go with Clubland.
A warm, entertaining and very Australian film, Clubland is a quality movie worth checking out. An 8 out of 10.