Salvation

Humourous, sad, endearing and quirky, this could only be a Paul Cox film. The beloved auteur who gave us Man of Flowers, Innocence and My First Wife here directs a tale about the complexity of love, faith and freedom.Barry (Bruce Myles) is a downtrodden husband, married to televangelist Gloria (Wendy Hughes: Newsfront, My Brilliant Career). She's adored by her fawning off-sider (Kim Gyngell: Full Frontal, Underbelly, Blow) but has eyes only for the Lord and the growing stash of money donated by her followers. It's no wonder that Barry finds comfort in the arms of a kindly Russian prostitute (Natalia Novikova), who has troubles of her own with a vicious pimp.Repressed sexuality, faith, love, manipulation and fate are all confronted in this ambitious, Australian-made film. Paul Cox directs a wonderful local cast of familiar faces that also includes Barry Humphries, Chris Haywood(Jindabyne, Muriel's Wedding) and Charles "Bud" Tingwell (The Castle, The Dish, Breaker Morant).This is a question-raising morality tale set to take its place alongside the best local dramas of recent years. Fans of quality Australian film, arthouse cinema and fine storytelling will find plenty to love about this caustic gem.