Indie helmer Rowan Woods was lavished with gongs by the Australian Film Institute for his 1998 drama The Boys, but took a while getting around to his second film Little Fish. In it, Cate Blanchett shines as a recovering drug addict amid a slew of "glowing performances". It's not without its flaws, yet this remains one of the most unique and compelling films to come out of Australia in recent years.

The Hook

In quite an in-depth interview, Woods talks a lot about the development of the project. He explains that Blanchett had gotten in touch with him years ago after seeing (and loving) The Boys. She was keen to work with him and Woods' wife, screenwriter Jacqueline Perske, provided the perfect material. She had written Little Fish after talking to Woods about an old idea he had concerning a drug dealer. According to the director, it was Perske who led him away from that and shaped the story into something "female-centric". He also insists, "It's more of an unusual love story than a story about addition... and it's a story about families."

Blanchett had an immediate reaction to the script as she explains in a brass tacks 'Making Of' featurette. She refers to her character Tracy as representing many people in their 30s whose dreams in their 20s have been "dashed on the rocks" and are forced back into the parental home. "They are deeply uncool, unfashionable people who never get represented in cinema," she says.

Researching the characters thoroughly was very important to Woods. Along with Blanchett, supporting actors Hugo Weaving and Martin Henderson reveal the extensive homework they had to do for their roles. Later we're given a glimpse of rehearsals, and when it comes to shooting, Woods comes armed with "maps" - extended storyboards featuring colour charts and copious script notes.

Getting In Deep

Perske ticks off her husband in a commentary for five deleted scenes. There's a scene where Tracy shows a proclivity towards violence in the ladies' room of a nightclub, which Woods explains he had to cut for time. In fact this reel of footage is peppered with astutely written moments that hint at the dark past, which haunts the central character. A scene where ex-lover Jonny (Dustin Nguyen) flirts with Tracy in the video shop sums up the highs and lows of their romantic history. "It's romantic and un-romantic at the same time," says Perske.

Woods flies solo in the commentary for the main feature, but still manages to give a full dissection of the subtext. He says that he wanted to "challenge the audience" and Perske's script was deliberately designed to cause a certain amount of disorientation in the initial stages - presenting the characters and then tangling the dynamics between them. He later adds that all the crime intrigue happening behind Tracy's back is a "Sophoclean" device to introduce a sense of impending disaster. It's a master-class for budding screenwriters.

Although this DVD offers a small set of extras, they bring a lot of useful insights to this intricately woven story. If you're weary of films made to wash over you, then you'll definitely want to catch Little Fish.

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