That’s Not Me

***

That’s Not Me, an extremely modest Australian film, is worth catching if you like to spot talent early. Its co-writer and lead actor, Alice Foulcher, is very, very funny, performing her own often wickedly witty lines with aplomb. It’s a delightful feature debut.

The film, shot over years, on weekends, in spurts, on the smell of an oily rag, is about a Melbourne actress, Polly (Foulcher), whose twin sister, Amy (also Foulcher) is experiencing a heady “moment”, transitioning, on the basis of a US Cable casting and a celebrity romance, from unknown to a face on many billboards. Polly’s response is not particularly likeable – there is envy, bitterness, and a whole lot of self-pity – but it’s real.

The script by Foulcher and director Gregory Erdstein is often laugh-out-loud funny and also has a lot to say about sibling rivalry, artistic self-delusion and the absurd acceleration and de-centralisation of “fame”. Unfortunately the production is not up to the same standard, and Foulcher is more often than not sharing the screen with actors far, far less competent than herself. But there’s a lot of heart and soul, along with serious blood, sweat and tears, in this ambitious effort, and, despite its clear budgetary limitations, it is very fresh. At the very least, you’ll have seen Foulcher at the moment her talent presented itself to the world, and it’s very big talent indeed.