Pawno

I believe some of the reviews (there are only 7) on about this Australian Film have been a little unkind. I also live in the west and have been frequent visitor to Footscray for many many years.

I was incredibly surprised by both the content and human elements of this poignant movie. It's depiction of life on the street and within the surrounding community, has no equal in my eyes in Australian film.

Beware, here is another Aussie movie that claims to be a reflection of a city and its inhabitants. Yes, these types are there if you go looking for them but, where are the rest of the folk that make up the heart of any city?

Pawno is a bittersweet film that shows the lives of several various characters all revolving around a dusty old pawn shop in Footscray. The locations were lovely to look at and the acting was spot on.

Minor, small-scale but really rather likable tragic-comic ensemble piece from Australia, "Pawno", as its title suggests, revolves around a day in the life of a pawnbroker's shop in the Melbourne suburb of Footscray, focusing not just on the two guys who work there but on their customers and neighbors as well. It's a little too lightweight to make a major impact but it's well written, (by Damian Hill who also plays the pawnbroker's assistant and who died tragically young a few months ago), and pleasingly acted by everyone.

'Pawno' was ultimately a pleasant surprise as this viewer sifts through a plethora of Australian movies as part of member screenings for the AACTA film awards for 2016. With low expectations (and some dipped even below that), the gems of this season have been with the smaller and often first time film makers.

What a great movie I guess living in Footscray made it seem real with all the quirky characters.

I want to preface this by saying I was raised in Footscray and have lived there for close to two decades, so my comments on this film have some validity. I'll start with the positives.