Don't Read This on a
Plane is
Stuart McBratney's third feature film. Based in Newcastle, Australia he is a
veteran director of over 500 commercials, several music videos and a TV series.
He is also a lecturer and an academic at the University of Newcastle's School
of Creative Industries, where he teaches Media Production.
He has a PhD in Design and if that isn't
enough, this writer/director also composed the music for the film.But enough about him. Impressive as his
accomplishments may be this review is about this film and especially this
film's lead actress.
Sophie Desmarais is
Jovanna Fey. (Merriam-Webster defines "Fey" not only as: 2) a: able to see into the future,
visionaryb: marked by an otherworldly air or attitude -
but also 1) chiefly Scotland: fated to die, doomed. An apt surname for
our heroine.
The film opens in
Paris with Jovanna packing for a tour to promote her new book. She is going off
on a 21-day jaunt through Europe that will take her to some of the most famous
and beautiful bookshops on the continent.
Landing in Venice,
she discovers her hotel reservation has been cancelled. When she calls her book
publisher, located in Newcastle, Australia, she discovers he's gone bankrupt.
An inefficient assistant failed to notify her of that fact. While all of her
hotel reservations have been cancelled, the airfare for the entire journey is
paid in full. So, if she wants to continue "You must cover the tax, food,
accommodations, promotions, insurance, communications, and miscellaneous
expenses. The Greeks did insist on upfront payment for your driver. Nothing
like a collapsed economy to spar the bit of entrepreneurial spirit," Alec,
the publisher informs her. He also signs over to her all the rights to the
book; "Maybe this is all for the best?" "I'm stranded and penniless,
Alec. So, how can this be for the best?" she replies. But she decides to
carry on.
Her husband can't
help her. He works as a cook on an off-shore oil rig, gone for 28 days at a
clip, and is difficult to get a hold of since there's no cell service. She
checks into a youth hostel for a night of very little sleep but she learns of
the MOAF network - Mattress on a Floor. A real, world-wide network where people
let strangers stay in their home on anything from a yoga mat to a bed. Jovanna meets many colorful, interesting and occasionally
dangerous people this way.
Don't
Read This on a Plane takes
us through eight stops as Jovanna hitchhikes and roughs it traveling to and
from airports to bookshops and MOAF homes. Through it all she tries to maintain
a façade of success to the bookshops' owners. We get to visit such gorgeous
bookshops as the Libreria Acqua Alta in Venice, the Livaria Lello in Porto, the
Book Barge, a floating "bookshop" in Burgandy (one of the funniest
scenes in the film), Der Jakob und Wilhelm Grimm Zentrum in Berlin, the Antal
Szerb University in Budapest, Atlantis Books in Santorini, the Boekhandel
Dominicanen in Maastricht and finally in Oradea, Romania where Jovanna reads in
front of a large crowd at the Oradea State Theatre.
Don't Read This on a
Plane was filmed in all the places mentioned. Ten different cities in all. And
we do find out why we shouldn't read THIS on a plane. Sophie Desmarais charms
the viewer throughout as Jovanna Fey. There is a touch of pixie to go along
with the pluck and courage she brings to the role. Among the smaller character
roles that stand out are Eugene Gilfedder as Alec, the publisher, Hildegard Schroedter as Maria, the
truck driver, Dorotheea Petre as Ksenia Allen C. Gardner as
Theo and Marie Bray as Olga, the sole attendee on the Book Barge.
Addendum: "The
coin was wrong. But I had to flip it to find out." - Jovanna Fey.
The film is available
for streaming on Amazon and numerous services. Click here for info.