JUST BETWEEN US: A Tale Of Two Sisters

Thanks to the recent success of Bad Moms, Girls Trip, Bridesmaids and even the recent Netflix original Ibiza, it’s safe to say female-led comedies are back, films which give women the opportunity to be just as funny, outrageous and reckless as their male counterparts. It’s now Australia’s turn to contribute to this current trend, starting with the road trip comedy Just Between Us, a silly but harmless frolic that lovingly illustrates the old adage of “It’s the journey, not the destination”.

Adelaide Adventures

Coming off the heels of Sophie Hyde‘s inventive TV series Fucking Adelaide, Christopher Kay’s directorial debut Just Between Us is another Australian comedy that takes us to Adelaide, South Australia, one of our more underrepresented filming locations. Set within the conservative city lives the disillusioned Hannah (Deanna Ortuso, who also wrote the script), an office worker whose monotonous life is haunted by the recent death of her sister Bee (Calista Fooks).

Her mundane existence is cleverly expressed through the opening credit sequence, a slideshow of Hannah’s daily routine which is connected by her distraught, deadpan expression that feels way too relatable to anybody who feels like they are simply ‘existing’, rather than ‘living’.

Hannah’s reality is given a serious shock when Bee shows back up, a self-acknowledged ghost who warns her frightened sister that the 1 year anniversary of her untimely death is coming up. Naturally, Hannah dismisses the interaction as a concussion-induced vision, especially when her childhood best friend Trixie (Joanne Nguyen) fails to see it initially. They both come to quickly realise why Bee has returned – she was in the middle of a long coastal road trip, an adventure to Melbourne that was cut short. Hannah decides that she must spread her sister’s ashes at all of the unvisited locations, a lengthy expedition that requires the help of Trixie, who much like her best friend, is stuck in her own unrewarding job.

On the Road Again

The idea of two women hitting the road is bound to be compared to Thelma & Louise, especially due to a script that has a dynamic theme of sisterhood, but Deanna Ortuso leans more towards Flirting With Disaster territory here. This is realised when the touring friends run into a cavalcade of offbeat characters, that range from Trixie’s hospitable family, a handsome dentist, a wheelchair-bound gangster and even a fun cameo by Ozploitation legend John Jarratt, who gets to poke fun at his current horror icon status, one rewarded by his role in the Wolf Creek series. 

Luckily, Christopher Kay’s direction commits to the supernatural sensibilities of the premise, demonstrated in a slick non-sequitur where Bee is physically able to save the girls when they are kidnapped in a case of mistaken identity. This stimulating deviation is the only time when Filip Laureys’ camerawork gets to have as much fun as the central characters, as its faked long-shots are a nice break from the default static shots that take up a majority of the runtime. 

Clayton Jacobson, who between this, Upgrade and Brother’s Nest, has decided to make 2018 his acting comeback year, gets to play the pleasant role of Trixie’s Uncle Al, a fedora-clad man who houses the travelling ladies when their car starts to break down. This detour is the movie’s most lucrative section, as Hannah and Trixie are taken under the wing of Meryl (Kaarin Fairfax), a promiscuous grandma whose ability to pivot any conversation into a memory about an old sexual escapade is a talent that would make George Lazenby proud.

During their downtime, Meryl forces the reluctant girls to play in an all-female game of Australian footy, which allows the spotlight to shine on the AFL Women’s league, an increasingly popular sport that still hasn’t had its own inspirational underdog film yet.

A Case of Clashing Cliches

Just Between Us hits all of the beats that you may predict from a comedy about a closeted person who is forced to come out of their shell – Hannah drinks, hooks up with a hot guy, is required to assert herself and indulges in a variety of bypassed comforts. For all of its familiar narrative trappings, thankfully there’s no ‘changing room montage’ scene set to a catchy Hall and Oates song, but it does everything but, especially when it comes to the arc of Hannah and Trixie’s tested friendship.

It’s refreshing to see an Australian film that isn’t heavily political or overtly patriotic, a comedy that is comfortable in its own skin. This might sound similar to the recent Amy Schumer vehicle I Feel Pretty, but Ortuso’s script is more focused on its two central parallel sister relationships, Hannah’s connections with Trixie and Bee, as opposed to finding contentment through the love of a one man. It’s another example of the new type of romantic drama writing, one which isn’t about the girl getting the dream man, but gaining the confidence to know that she can.

Just Between Us: Conclusion

For the first time in a while, Just Between Us is an Australian comedy that delivers exactly what it sets out to be, there’s no de-tours into childhood mental health issues (Swinging Safari), no forced racial discourse (Three Summers) and it’s not a result of blatant product placement (The BBQ).

Much like a drive along Australia’s expansive coastal roads, Just Between Us is a breezy, casual ride that doubles as a nice nature documentary on the sunny side of our eastern states. Lead actress’ Deanna Ortuso’s script is fluently served by its diverse cast, a film that sets out to entertain and succeeds intermittently; it’s just that one wishes that this suburban odyssey wasn’t so conventional.

Are there any upcoming Australian films that you’re interested in?