terra nova ( r ) . ( dendy ) director : paul middleditch stars : jeanette cronin , paul kelman , angela punch mcgregor , trent atkinson , teo gebert , ritchie singer , vince jones , gillian jones running time : 87 minutes . an unrelentingly grim , bleak and depressing film , terra nova is almost the cinematic equivalent of listening to an album of leonard cohen's most mournful songs . new zealand born director paul middleditch makes his feature debut with this confronting and down beat story of a disturbed young mother attempting to overcome enormous odds and strike out on her own . following a bout of post natal depression , ruth ( jeanette cronin , who had small roles in black rock and dark city , etc ) has been confined to a psychiatric institution by her domineering parents . one night she surreptitiously returns to her parents' house to take her four year old daughter tuesday away with her . arriving in australia , ruth finds a temporary haven at terra nova , a dilapidated beach side boarding house run by the sympathetic margie ( angela punch mcgregor , in the role for which she was nominated for an afi award in 1998 ) . however , the creaky old house and its small contingent of hopeless and destitute residents is no real place in which to raise a young daughter . reluctantly , ruth leaves tuesday in the care of dud ( trent atkinson ) , a sensitive teenage artist , who shares a room with his older brother simon ( paul kelman , a veteran of several local tv series ) . simon is also sleeping with margie in lieu of paying rent . on the first day , while ruth is out looking for work , her flat is burgled by warren ( teo gumbert , from the boys , etc ) , the schizophrenic neo-nazi . simon leaps to her defence and batters warren senseless . when he also begins an affair with ruth , the tensions in the boarding house increase . eventually some harsh truths about the residents and their pasts are revealed . this is a cold , unsettling and alienating film . middleditch's insights into his characters are rather naive , and their complex relationships don't always ring true . he doesn't allow the audience an opportunity to make any sort of identification or emotional connection with the characters and their plight . cronin struggles to make the enigmatic ruth a sympathetic heroine , while kelman brings a volatile edge to his performance . mcgregor dominates the film with a superb performance that perfectly captures margie's air of weariness . terra nova is not a film that audiences will embrace with any sort of warmth or enthusiasm . the film deals with themes of loss , loneliness , failure , and is suffused with an air of despair and desperation . a motif of water continually runs throughout the film , although the imagery is often allusive and bewildering . terra nova is also terribly dull and painfully slow moving . the film is primarily shot in cold grey colours , which adds to the oppressive and claustrophobic atmosphere . nonetheless , cinematographer simon arnold creates some powerful and evocative imagery along the way . in some ways , terra nova invites comparisons to the recent praise , another local production also set in a decrepit boarding house . whereas john curran imbued that film with a streak of optimism and albeit black humour , here middleditch offers little relief along the way . when ruth finally gathers the courage to leave this bleak house it is far too late , as most of the audience will have despaired of a happy ending long ago . 
