A young man who learns he has one month until he becomes infertile sets out to find a woman with whom to have a child.
NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN in the first feature from Western Australian director Peter Templeman. Ryan Kwanten (TRUE BLOOD) plays 20-something Jonah who has a pretty good life sharing a house with his friends Stevie (Sarah Snook) and Gus (Ryan Corr). They bring money into the house by using as a base for huge parties they promote on the ‘net.
Jonah discovers he has testicular cancer. It is quite curable, but the result will leave him infertile. For reasons too complex and spoiler-y to reveal here, it becomes necessary for Jonah to find a woman to have a child with. This is where the film’s comedic premise kicks in, but it’s also where the heart of the movie is, too. There is something funny and poignant about Jonah’s desperation.
Director Templeman and writer Michael Lucas have given us the unusual premise of a young man with a biological clock ticking down to zero. The film takes several interesting and thought-provoking paths to explore this idea; parenthood, fidelity, masculinity and oh yes, The Meaning of Life are all up for grabs and are handled with a light touch as we go on Jonah’s journey.
Kwanten once again puts his face and name to a local feature. This man certainly does his bit for Australian production. His Jonah is a laidback slacker type of guy who has to scramble fast to find the inner resources to deal with his serious predicament. Ryan Corr’s Gus has some of the film’s flat out funniest moments and he makes an impression as the comedy’s “comic relief”. Sarah Snook’s Stevie is the movie’s breakout performance. She does some lovely work creating a smart, funny and determined character who doesn’t know her own mind or heart quite as well as she thinks she does.
NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN is a well-made Australian film set in Sydney. Its young characters are recognisable as people you’ve met and the story is funny and has substance. The second half is particularly strong and has the movie’s best moments. It is screening in Australia currently. It runs for 96 minutes. I rated it 7/10.
