Matching Jack (M)

Directed by Nadia Tass

Reviewed by Lezly Herbert

While Jack (Tom Russell) and his friends are watching a magician at his birthday party, his father David (Richard Roxburgh) does a disappearing act.  A little later, when Jack finds himself in Melbourne Children’s Hospital, his mother Marissa (Jacinda Barrett) is unable to locate her architect husband who is meant to be interstate at a conference.  In actual fact, David is with his current mistress Veronica (Yvonne Strahovski), his phone is switched off and he is planning to leave Marissa.  So, just when Marissa finds out that her only child has leukaemia, she also finds out that her husband is a serial philanderer.

Marital conflicts take a back seat when Jack’s doctor (Colin Friels) informs Marissa and David that the best chance for Jack’s recovery would be a bone marrow transplant, preferably from a sibling.

In part, the film deals with the heart-breaking journey a family has to make when their child is diagnosed with cancer.  Much of the action takes place in the oncology ward and Jack’s roommate Finn (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is in the later stages of the horrific disease.  Fortunately his mad Irish father Connor (James Nesbitt) goes to great lengths to cheer him up (even making his bed into a boat), and in the process also comforts Jack and Melissa.

Apart from being a powerful drama, there are many heart-warming moments and great hilarity when Melissa finds David’s little black book and goes in search of a possible donor for Jack.  David has certainly been busy and Marisa goes door-knocking.  A series of unsuspecting women face a desperate mother as she searches high and low for possibilities and the full scale of David’s infidelity is revealed.

It is an unpredictable journey of hope and love and desperation with outstanding performances from the whole cast.  Don’t forget to bring the tissues.

Other recent film reviews currently screening can be found here (Boy) and here (The Tree).

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