Not Suitable for Children

Overview

Forget about the traditional boy-meets-girl formula. Boy and girl already know each other; in fact, they're best friends who are living together. And while you're at it, forget about the happy-ever-after ending, because in this story, there's more reality than fantastical taglines. This story, Not Suitable For Children, is a modern take on the rules of love and family.

Jonah Reid (Ryan Kwanten) is a carefree guy in the prime of his life, squeezing out all the fun these years have to offer. With his two best mates, Gus (Ryan Corr) and Stevie (Sarah Snook), he hosts weekly parties in his crumbling, inner-city share-house — massive, anarchic house parties that start to rake in some considerable profits. On one such night, Jonah's, ah, lady friend, points out that he has "a lump sorta thing" on his left testicle.

Cut to the main thrust of the film. With a diagnosis of testicular cancer, a four-week deadline until his manhood gets the chop, and unfreezable sperm, Jonah has only one option left: to impregnate someone before he's rendered infertile. Shifting his priorities from being a party maestro to becoming a father, Jonah embarks on a 30-day mission to find the One, or anyone, who wants to cook his bun. As he runs through ex-girlfriends and acquaintances, lesbians and older women, the mission starts to look dire. That's until the perfect candidate reveals herself, having been under his nose the whole time.

Written by Michael Lucas and directed by Academy Award-nominated Peter Templeman (The Saviour), the narrative trajectory is wonderfully composed and projected. It's tightly composed, keeping you guessing without prediction or cliche. Performances by Ryan Kwanten, Sarah Snook, Ryan Corr and Bojana Novakovic were consistently strong and wonderfully showcase Australian talent.

Shot in Sydney over seven weeks during the winter of 2011, the film shows off Sydney's inner west, with shots of Oxford and King Streets with its offerings of sweet small bars and cafes. Overall the musical palette swings from the raw blues-rock of The Black Keys to '70s funk with Funkedelic and The Bamboos. Other highlights included Mammals' 'Carried' and the sweet tune 'Teething' by Megastick Fanfare. They complete what is a great film.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qwHmZ-ARVg4