Cinema goers are in for a treat this Valentine’s Day as the new Australian film Long Story Short hits our cinemas on February 11. Written and directed by Josh Lawson this comedy romance , set in beautiful Sydney, is filled with humour, romance and heart. She Society Columnists were thrilled to be invited to a Q and A advanced screening session where we were treated to Josh Lawson speaking , in person, with actor and comedian Troy Kinne after the screening. Many thanks to Thinktank Communications and Palace Barracks for this special treat.
The story begins on New Year’s Eve when Teddy meets the girl of his dreams, whilst nearly dying in the process. Teddy ( Rafe Spall) is that guy who puts everything off until later but after eventually marrying Leanne ( Zahra Newman) he’s reluctant to commit to a honeymoon. Teddy is that guy who thinks he has all the time in the world, but after an odd encounter with a stranger (Noni Hazelhurst) he wakes up on the morning after his wedding to find he’s jumped straight to his first anniversary.
His wife Leanne is now heavily pregnant, with a full year of marriage behind them that he doesn’t remember living. Trapped in a cycle of time jumps and transported another year ahead every few minutes,Teddy is faced with a race against time as his life crumbles around him. Teddy’s best mate, Sam (Ronny Chieng) is enlisted to help. As Teddy tries to piece together where it all went wrong he finds that he must learn how to live life in those precious moments, if he ever hopes to win back the woman he loves, even if it’s just for a second.
With touches of Groundhog Day and It’s a Wonderful Life, Josh Lawson (Anchorman, Bombshell, Hoges) has created a beautiful film filled with heart and hope, laughter and tears. There was not a dry eye in the audience as the film reached the end, although there had been plenty of laughs along the way. Rafe Spall (The Big Short, Shaun of the Dead) was perfectly cast as Teddy, with all his twitchy energy, comedic timing and cockney accent. Zahra Newman as Leanne is one to watch , an accomplished stage actress here in Australia, she lit up the screen at every turn.
Josh said he had been trying to pitch a blockbuster before trying his hand with the mostly interior Long Story Short. I loved this aspect of the film with the décor changing for every time jump. The homage to the gorgeous Sydney coastline was worthy of a tourist commercial, although Josh said that with rain, bushfires and a pandemic to contend with these majestic and sweeping shots were not as easy to get as they looked.
Both my husband and I loved this contemporary Australian film from one of Australia’s most successful actors. If you are looking for a film for our times that will give you a laugh, make you feel and remind you to live in the moment this one’s for you. Long Story Short is a lovely, balanced and well crafted film celebrating family, friendship and love and that’s something we’ve come to realise that we all need. Long Story Short is screening now. Why not grab your Valentine or Galentine’s gang and go see it? You will feel the love.
Michelle Beesley is a Brisbane born and bred former primary school teacher. A wife, proud grandma and mother of three grown sons, Michelle is thrilled to have recently published her debut contemporary romance novel, It Happened in Paris, with Serenade Publishing. Her novella – Escape to D’ Amour was published in 2019. Michelle’s work can be found in the anthologies – Destination Romance and Short & Sweet. When not reading or writing Michelle can be found at a coffee shop chatting with friends, front row at a fashion show, or beside a rugby union field cheering on her favourite teams.
Michelle is a reluctant traveller, Francophile, keen walker and avid yoga enthusiast plus a book, film and theatre lover who loves everything pink and sparkly (including champagne). You can find Michelle on instagram @michellebeesley_writer and her website: michellebeesley.com.
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