Name: Tom White
Genre: Drama
Released: 2004-08-19
Duration: 1 h 46 min
Rating: 6.6
Cast: Colin Friels, Rachael Blake, Dan Spielman

"Tom White" is an edgy movie that goes in directions you don't expect. Although it is an Australian film, what happens to Tom White could take place in any modern city. 

Tom, played by Colin Friels, is an architect with a wife and two children who has a typical suburban lifestyle - comfortable, but predictable. He feels trapped, and after problems at work, has a breakdown. He abandons family and job and enters another realm altogether, that of a homeless person, his life then becomes anything but comfortable and predictable. 

The director of "Tom White", Alkinos Tsilimidos, said in an interview, "I think without risk, life can be pretty boring, so I approach making my films with risk. If it was safe territory, I mean, how boring would it be to turn up to work and know you're in safe territory?"

"Tom White" is not safe territory.

Tom is a flawed character; that he retains our sympathy is a credit to Colin Friels' screen chemistry. The experiences Tom has on the streets are risky - physically and morally. He is mugged, and for a while, he shares a house, and eventually a bed with a young gay man, although he isn't gay. 

He moves onto an affair with a woman who works in a fairground played by Loene Carmen, the memorable star of "The Year My Voice Broke." She is trying to break from the drug scene but the affair ends brutally as do many of Tom's encounters on the streets. 

Tom is invited into the world of derelict buildings and Salvation Army refuges when he joins up with Malcolm, something of a street philosopher played by Bill Hunter. Finally, Tom encounters a boy from a dysfunctional home; a relationship that could easily be misunderstood. However, he protects the boy and begins to realise how much he has let down his own family.

The scene where he meets his wife again is powerful, but unpredictable like everything else in the movie. Rachael Blake as Helen White communicates a lot with just a look; she is quite brilliant. In the end, although Tom has been affected by all the characters he met, we doubt that he has found the answers he sought because he hardly knew the questions to ask.

The film has a similar theme to "Kiss the Sky" starring William Petersen. Although that movie has a different setting, the main character abandons family and job to seek something within himself that he can hardly explain. Both films end on an ambiguous note. 

"Tom White" received many awards and Colin Friels was justly praised for his role as Tom. Although some segments play better than others, it is a challenging and compelling movie.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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An architect experiences a mental breakdown with life-changing results.

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Tom White

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