MARK WAREHAM ACS

Anthony LaPaglia (‘Without a Trace’) returns to his hometown in this indie dramedy.

An Aussie real estate broker going through a late mid-life crisis finds himself invigorated by an unusual sort of friendship in the indie dramedy, A Month of Sundays. Written and directed by Matthew Saville, who recently brought Joel Edgerton’s screenplay for Felony to the big screen, this modest, warmhearted character study is carried by a solid lead performance from Anthony LaPaglia, who plays a man unable to express his feelings through anything but underhanded snark. A bit stretched in running time and not necessarily upbeat enough for mainstream viewing, Sundays could find a few art house takers in Anglophone territories, with additional bookings on TV, VOD and other select ancillary platforms.

Set in the tree-lined suburban streets of Adelaide – a city where everyone seems to be obsessed by the housing market – the story follows divorced father, Frank (LaPaglia), who makes a living flipping properties, smart-talking buyers into overpaying for their own little slice of heaven. With his mother recently deceased, his ex-wife (Justine Clarke) now a major TV star, and his teenage son (Indiana Crowther) acting more estranged than ever, Frank seems destined for a life of lonely mediocrity.

That all changes one evening when he receives a call from an elderly widower, Sarah (Julia Blake, Innocence), who accidentally mistakes Frank for her own son. Once they realize the error, Frank strikes up a friendship with the retired librarian, who becomes a surrogate mother offering the kind of affection he seems to be lacking elsewhere. As the two meet up over a couple of Sunday afternoons, Frank soon learns that Sarah has her own share of problems, leading to a denouement that will allow both of them to find some sort of closure in their wholesome if rather solitary lives.