A Woman's Tale

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A Woman's Tale Photos

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Movie Info

Australian director Paul Cox, skilled at intense psychological stories about lone souls looking for comfort in a cold world, was at his best with this original script co-written by the director and Barry Dickins. Martha is a 78-year-old woman living out her final days. Not a maudlin tale of a lonely woman wasting away, A Woman's Tale focuses on a human who manages to maintain an amazing vitality in the face of death. She encourages her young nurse, Anna (Gosia Doborowolska), to use her flat for romantic trysts; she looks in on Billy (Norman Kayes), an elderly neighbor, and she resists attempts by her son Johanathan (Chris Haywood) to place her in a nursing home. Sheila Florance's performance as Martha is a marvel, especially given the art-imitates-life aspect of production: Florance was terminally ill, and she died soon after she was nominated for the Best Actress Award for Australia's Academy Awards.

Rating:

PG-13
Genre:

Drama
Directed By:

Paul Cox
Written By:

Paul Cox, Barry Dickins
On Disc/Streaming:

Jan 27, 1993
Runtime:

100 minutes
Studio:

Illumination Films

Cast

Sheila Florance
as Martha

Gosia Dobrowolska
as Anna

Norman Kaye
as Billy

Chris Haywood
as Jonathan

Ernest Gray
as Peter

Myrtle Woods
as Miss Inchley

Bruce Myles
as Con 1

Alex Menglet
as 2nd Con

François Bernard
as Neighbor

Manuel Bachet
as Neighbor

Monica Maughan
as Billy's daughter

Max Gillies
as Billy's son-in-law

Tony Llewellyn-Jones
as Celebrant

David Reid
as Don

Victoria Eagger
as 1st Nurse

Dawn Klingberg
as Don's wife

Marina Finlay
as Rachael

Victoria Eager
as 1st Nurse

Marion Heathfield
as 2nd Nurse

James Khong
as Doctor

Melita Jurisic
as Judy

Kate Fewster
as Young Martha

Carla Hoogeveen
as Waitress

Nino Gaetano Martinetti
as Cafe Manager

Veronica Koca
as Young girl

Kyra Cox
as Young Girl

Hal Todd
as Hal Todd

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Critic Reviews for A Woman's Tale

All Critics (6) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (6)

Yet in the end, A Woman's Tale is the gentlest and most uplifting of films.

Jun 4, 2018 | Full Review…

Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
It's a special film, never maudlin or anything but honest, about facing adversity and doing it with courage and dignity.

Aug 27, 2007 | Rating: A | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Australian director Paul Cox has made a brave, bold, and life-affirming film about what Cicero called "our play's last act."

Jul 12, 2003 | Full Review…

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice