Em 4 Jay

This is truly one of Australia's best films. Deserves more recognition. Not for the light-hearted.

Alkinos Tsilimidos' previous film, the little-seen Tom White, is one of my favourite Australian films. When I heard he was doing a story about a couple who are drug addicts, I thought "oh no, not another Candy". I feel this genre has been done to death in recent times, first with Rowan Woods' Little Fish (which I liked) and then Candy (which was somewhat disappointing).

How surprised I was then, to find that this Em 4 Jay is a real gem. In fact I'd go so far as to say it's a real masterpiece – as good as or better than Tom White (which I gave five out of five stars to). And the best film I have ever seen that tackles this dark subject.

Tsilimidos is a real auteur – he skilfully brings to screen a confronting story about people at the low-end of the food chain. These are unsympathetic and unlikeable people. Yet, somehow, the director manages to infuse within them a sense of humanity. Even if we don't care for them, we want them to straighten themselves out. Neither they nor their lifestyle is ever glorified, and the director makes no judgements. We are left to make our own – ultimately this could be seen as an anti-drug film.

The film is well edited with no flat spots and it's emotionally edge of your seat the whole time as these two people's lives spiral further out of control. The film is not easy for some to look at. I imagine some audience members will walk out, as I have seen with films like The Finished People, Factotum and L'infant (The Child). I found it to be a very physical experience, and was emotionally affected for hours afterwards, as I was with The Child. I love films that have that effect.

The cinematography by Toby Oliver, who has worked on all of Tsilimidos' films, is superb, similar to Tom White. It has a real honesty and authenticity rarely seen in Australian cinema (the last time for me would be Tom White). The scenery around Melbourne is so recognisable without being postcard beautiful.

The characters are just terrific with great performances all round. Nick Barkla and Laura Gordon are stunningly believable, and a special mention to a small part for Kat Stewart as Em's sister (and they looked like sisters). Their meeting was the emotional highlight of the film – the subtlety used in this sequence was just heart-rending.

I did not recognise any of the main actors, so they brought no emotional baggage or expectations (a downside for both Little Fish and Candy). They really inhabited the characters. The dialogue was excellent. The film completely avoids clichés, again a downside of both aforementioned films.

Though the story is dark, much humour is still to be found – in the most subtle, natural and intelligent way. The music of the Black Keys is excellent without ever being intrusive or contrived. I found this film to be as good as anything that is produced anywhere in the world, very much in the style of European social realism. It was right up there alongside my favourite Australian film, The Boys. Flawless.

Em 4 Jay is not a film that's gonna win any awards. The lead performances are great in the fact they are believable, like the ones in Shot Of Love. But more so, these are better. Two heroin addicts, lovers, hold up a few shops, in pig masks, one of the same shops, they initially hold up without the masks, or proper guns, (heroin makes you do stupid things). Their lives are indeed sad, especially the girl, who hooks up with her sister, and breaks down, crying in shame. This movie basically shows the lives of heroin addicts over a couple of days, and what happens where more desperate situations require greater measures. The girl constantly nods off, like went they go to a ferry/restaurant, of higher class, than they're genuinely accustomed to. The girl even strips and makes out with her boyfriend in front of company for more bucks. You can't help feeling sorry for these two. Some people are just losers in this life, that's the reality of this movie, it's ending sad and tragic, but too an ending that is better for our couple. There's just not enough filling of story in this movie, but it's still very likable. I hope these two actors go to Hollywood and really become identities.

Great Flic......so like real life, the acting was raw and took you there. The only scene not authentic was her getting so over the top high to go see her sister. Many other scenes she had her wits about her, so why would she show up all messed up to see her sister? She was a master dope fiend, she was trying to hide her lifestyle, the apartment, the job, so it's not realistic that she showed up all tweeked out, it was a let down. Other than that, great flic.