Sometimes it seems that two people are made for each other. This might be the case for Cynthia (Sacha Horler) and Gordon (Peter Fenton) in John Curran's Praise.

When Cynthia, who's been pretty promiscuous in the past, latches on to loner Gordon and they move in together, the couple hope they might live happily ever after. But things don't go so well when Gordon's long-unrequited crush, Rachel (Marta Dusseldorp), moves back into the picture.

For first-time director John Curran, Praise posed a challenge in making the audience step into Gordon's shoes, to see Cynthia as he does, without judgment and with all her imperfections diminished.

"That approach is to define Gordon's humour, which is very dry and understated," Curran says. "What's accessible is a guy who is inept sexually, but we aren't playing for easy laughs. He's very open and honest about it, and I wanted the film to be the same. People smile because they relate to it."

So how did a Yank end up making films in Australia? "Sydney just seemed like an exotic beach town!" he says. 'But of course, the independent spirit and the way the funding works were motivating factors too."

Owen Levy