Successful advertising creative and all around hard partying 30-something, Ruben Guthrie, is given an ultimatum by his fiancée after drunkenly diving off his roof into his swimming pool: get sober, or get lost.
Reviewed by Keeva Stratton
While his fiancée heads back to her homeland for a year, Ruben is left to face his alcoholic demons and confront the pervasive nature of his addiction.
Through his journey, what we discover is a family, friend and work network that will seem all too familiar to too many Australians. Our national culture of drinking often turns a blind eye to the dangers of overindulgence, and as Ruben discovers, when your family, your mates and work colleges think a little indulgence is normal, healthy even, it can be especially hard to quit.
With the support of Alcoholics Anonymous, and the colourful cast of characters in his support group, Ruben embarks on his 365-days of sobriety, embracing everything from kayaking to almond butter in a bid to stay on the sober path.
It’s not easy, and given the initial impetus to change was not of Ruben’s own making, it proves a daily struggle. With the odds stacked against him, and at risk of becoming a social pariah (even his recovering alcoholic boss seems determined to see him back on the sauce) Ruben’s quest appears doomed.
Ruben Guthrie is a story that most Australians can benefit from, yet many may not be entirely comfortable with. In his feature debut—an adaptation of the play—writer, director and actor Brendan Cowell has forced us to examine a subject that many Australians would probably rather not—our nation’s problem with alcoholic excess. In the most part, Cowell does so in a relatable and humourous way.
But, it’s patchy. When it’s good, it’s good, but when it falls over, like its central subject, it comes crashing down hard.
While Ruben Guthrie may not quite meet the heights of plot and performance that you hope for with an Australian film, it does cast an interesting and uncomfortable lens over our national and cultural relationship with drinking. For this reason in particular, it’s a film I hope many Aussies will get along to see.
Directed by: Brendan Cowell
Starring: Patrick Brammall, Abbey Lee, Harriet Dyer, Jack Thompson, Robyn Nevin, Alex Dimitriades, Jeremy Sims, Brenton Thwaites
Rating: TBC
Runtime: 94mins
Release Date: July 16
Reviewer rating: 3/5
