A sweet and charming romantic drama with the city of Sydney playing backdrop, Ellipsis re-introduces David Wenham as a director with a rich feel for character and place.

“What I really want to do is direct!” It’s this kind of proclamation made by actors of all stripes that conjures moans of despair. Yet for every pretentious Arthouse bore fest (think Ryan Gosling’s Lost River) there are a multitude of surprises from thesps turned filmmaker. Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone. Zach Braff’s Garden State. You can add David Wenham’s Ellipsis to that list.

Conceived and shot in 10 days, Ellipsis is very much an experiment of a film. But as far as experiments go, it is as fully realised and breathtaking as one can get.

It’s story of two late twenty something strangers Viv (Emily Barclay) and Jasper (Benedict Samuel) spending 18 hours together after literally bumping into one another, is one that evokes comparisons to Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise. Yet it’s so much more. With the chemistry between its leads popping off the screen, and an improvised script keeping viewers on their toes, Ellipsis also stands as a beautiful tribute to Sydney that will move even the most jaded of Sydney residents to a new love and appreciation of their city.

Beginning at the Queen Victoria Building, travelling down to Bondi Beach, and heading back up to the late-night jungle that is Kings Cross, Wenham takes his audience on a journey that charms with every engrossing minute. Much like Woody Allen does with his beloved New York, Wenham guides his audience through Sydney streets and places that are authentic in feel and look without a tourist trap in sight.

Walking across those Sydney streets with open hearts and curious minds, Viv and Jasper come across all kinds of characters and situations. There is a Sculpture by the Sea with no sculptures, a dog run away from home, street preachers, randy models, and a pair of enthusiastic sex shop attendants that could sell a We-Vibe to a nun!  

It all combines for a relationship drama that is rich in character, genuine in feeling, and with an ambience that is hard to shake. Wenham’s directorial feature debut is quite a beautiful thing.