Face to Face

Michael Rymer
2011-09-08

Scratch beneath the surface.
5.2
86 min

Face to Face is adapted from David Williamson's play of the same name which is in turn based on the transcripts from real conflict resolution sessions. The story is about a young scaffold construction worker who is charged with assaulting his boss. By the end of the film, all our assumptions about guilt and blame are turned on their heads. As 10 people sit in a room discussing the turn of events that brought our protagonist to breaking point, twists and surprises reveal that all is not quite as simple as it seems. Michael Rymer directs his screen adaptation of 'Face to Face' (written by Australian playwright David Williamson), as an ensemble piece about 10 very dissimilar Australians bound together by a complex pattern of relationships and shared histories. Hysterically funny and deeply moving, each character's role in the drama peels back another layer as the story digs down to the roots of who these people really are.