The subject of Rolf de Heer’s film ‘Alexandra’s Project’ is a devastating marital breakdown.

Steve(Gary Sweet) and Alexandra(Helen Buday) have been married for over twenty years. Each has experienced their marriage very differently. Steve has been content within the marriage, Alexandra has been unhappy for a long time. The movie starts on the occasion of Steve’s birthday. Alexandra gives Steve a birthday present he will never forget. Alexandra vacates the marital home and leaves a bombshell of a present!

Alexandra has left a video for Steve to watch. Steve sits himself down comfortably on his lounge room armchair, and starts playing the video. In the video Alexandra documents to Steve how unhappy she has been in her marriage, and delivers a log of complaints. She tells him that she can no longer stay within the confines of the marriage. This ‘home made’ video hits Steve like a sledgehammer.

De Heer’s film comes across as a tough and thoughtful drama. The lead performances are strong. Buday’s performance covers a large dramatic range; distraught, neglected wife, madwoman, sexpot, vengeful goddess, compulsive liar. Gary Sweet portrayed a more conventional role; a mature man who had spent too much time within his marriage being obsessed by his career, than taking the time to nurture his marriage.

Whilst watching de Heer’s ‘grey’ film unfold, I kept on having the feeling that this work would have been more suited to, and had much more emotional impact, being a chamber piece of live theatre in an intimate venue, than being seen on a large celluloid screen.