Ten Empty (2008)

Director:

Anthony Hayes

Writers:

Brendan Cowell (written by)
Anthony Hayes (written by)

Release Date:

2008 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Everything changes... except family.

Plot:

A disillusioned son's trip home is complicated when ten years of family secrets explode over one weekend. |

Plot Keywords:

Weekend | Secret | Ten Years | Trip | Family Secret

Cast

Daniel Frederiksen	...	Elliot
Lucy Bell	...	Diane
Ethan McIver	...	Cooper
Nathan McIver	...	Cooper
Geoff Morrell	...	Ross
Jack Thompson	...	Bobby Thompson
Brendan Cowell	...	Shane Hackett
Tom Budge	...	Brett
Blazey Best	...	Bernadette
Henry Brennan	...	Altar Boy
Kaliopi Eleni	...	Dr. Lockyer
David Mealor	...	Bruce
Susie Collins	...	Attendant at Servo
Sean Brand	...	Kissing Couple
Natalie Tricker	...	Kissing Couple
Jacquy Phillips	...	TAB Lady (as Jacqy Phillips)
Carmel Johnson	...	Nurse
Andreas Sobik	...	Security Guard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andy McPhee	...	Minister
Adam Morgan	...	Noel

Directed by
Anthony Hayes

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Brendan Cowell		written by
Anthony Hayes		written by

Produced by
Brendan Cowell	....	co-producer
Barbara Gibbs	....	line producer
Anthony Hayes	....	co-producer
Naomi Wenck	....	producer

Cinematography by
Tristan Milani

Film Editing by
Luke Doolan

Casting by
Kirsty McGregor

Production Design by
Robert Webb

Costume Design by
Polly Smyth

Makeup Department
Tracy Phillpot	....	hair stylist
Tracy Phillpot	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Gary Buss	....	unit manager
Barbara Gibbs	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rick Beecroft	....	first assistant director
Shannon Crotty	....	third assistant director
Caroline Man	....	second assistant director

Art Department
William Dim	....	art department assistant
Kerri Hudson	....	art department coordinator
Leeth Keough	....	buyer
Obie O'Brien	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Liam Egan	....	sound designer
Les Fiddess	....	foley artist
Sam Hayward	....	foley editor
Phil Judd	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tony Murtagh	....	dialogue editor
Martin Oswin	....	foley mixer
Will Sheridan	....	sound recordist
Alicia Slusarski	....	sound editor

Visual Effects by
Tim Walker	....	compositor: Cutting Edge

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Hruby	....	focus puller
Marie-Pier Labelle	....	clapper loader
Sam Oster	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Angela Heesom	....	casting

Editorial Department
Heather Galvin	....	on-line editor
Sean Lahiff	....	assistant editor
Sarah Shaw	....	post-production coordinator
Justin Ngy Tran	....	digital intermediate supervisor

Other crew
Joshua Jaeger	....	unit assistant
Nathan Smith	....	lab liaison
Daryl Watson	....	continuity
Deborah Wilde	....	production accountant

Thanks
Sylvester Stallone	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Dragonfly Pictures
• Yeah Right Films

Distributors

• Icon Film Distribution (2008) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Dendy Films (2007) (Australia) (all media)

Other Companies

• Angela Heesom Casting  casting
• Australian Film Commission, The  financing
• South Australian Film Corporation, The  financing
• South Australian Film Corporation, The  production facilities

Also Known As:

10 Empty (International: English title) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

Australia:95 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Australia:MA (2008)

Company:

Dragonfly Pictures

Trivia:

The meaning of the title "Ten Empty" refers to the number of canvasses the mother is given to paint as part of her psychological cognitive therapy. When given to her, they are ten empty canvasses.

Goofs:

Continuity: The arrangement of Diane's cardigan changes between shots when is trying to convince Elliot not to take the taxi.

Erin free - Filmink Review

TEN EMPTY Rating TBC Time 95 minutes Country Australia Director Anthony Hayes Cast Daniel Frederiksen, Geoff Morrell, Lucy Bell, Jack Thompson Distributor Icon Worth $12.00 Released July 3

"…resounds with rare honesty and sings with hard fought emotional truth."

In Australian cinema, this country's suburban heartland is often depicted as a goofy, daggy place, usually by filmmakers who have most likely grown up amongst the hip cafes and art scenes of our inner city cultural hubs. The new film Ten Empty, however, brutally turns the suburban depictions of films like Holy Smoke and The Castle on their soft, fizzy heads. In this dark, seething little drama – which comes courtesy of debut screenwriter/director Anthony Hayes and co-writer/actor Brendan Cowell, two of this country's most dynamic young talents – the Australian suburbs are home to the kind of bleak, all encompassing human crises that wouldn't be out of place in the works of Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller. There are, however, far more uses of the word "cunt" than either of those masters of the human condition would have ever dared use.

Elliott Christie (a nice slow burn from up-and-comer Daniel Frederiksen, who was so effective in the TV mini-series Bastard Boys) is a taciturn, slightly up-himself mover-and-shaker who returns to his family home in the Adelaide suburbs to be named godfather of his new half-brother. The whole situation, however, sits on an emotional knife edge: Elliott's mentally unstable mother has died, leaving his boozy, blustery father Ross (a daringly full bodied turn from Geoff Morrell) to hook up with her sensitive sister Diane (an excellent Lucy Bell), as younger brother Brett (an uncharacteristically quiet Tom Budge) locks himself away in his room, refusing to talk. Looking on with a mix of compassion and curiosity are family friends Bobby Thompson (a perfectly cast Jack Thompson in "top bloke" form), Shane Hackett (Brendan Cowell makes the most of his character's seedy and foul mouthed opportunities) and the effervescent Bernadette (Blazey Best provides a lot of spunk and sex appeal as the film's only normal, relatively well adjusted character).

Co-creators Hayes and Cowell – as actors, writers, producers and directors – have been previously and variously involved with a number of tough, beautifully crafted projects (The Boys, Love My Way, Look Both Ways, and the short film New Skin, amongst others), and bring all of that to bear on their impressive feature debut as behind-the-scenes talents. Their script zings with pungent dialogue (Ross' euphoric description of buying a new set of beer taps for his home bar is particularly amusing) and pointed observations about the Australian character. A scene in which Elliott is quietly hounded and berated after turning down the offer of a beer at a family barbecue is absolutely spot-on in both its humour and familiarity. Ten Empty also comes complete with a fascinating crew of characters. While the central figure of Elliott is necessarily something of a cipher, everyone else practically leaps off the screen. Though not always likable (Ross is a self-absorbed bully; Shane is a bit of a grub), they're textured, recognisable and gut-pokingly real.

Despite moments of raucous humour, the concerns of Ten Empty are largely and impossibly dark, as it wades into mental illness, alcoholism, betrayal and lacerating family dysfunction, possibly steering itself away from a large cinema audience in the process. Yes, it might be unpalatable and often grimy in its depiction of local cultural custom, but the big-and-brave Ten Empty ultimately resounds with rare honesty and sings with hard fought emotional truth.

Erin Free