WARMING UP

Australia, 1984, 94 minutes, Colour.
Henry Szeps, Barbara Stephens, Queenie Ashton.
Directed by Bruce Best.

Warming Up is a pleasant small Australian comedy written and produced by James Davern, the man behind A Country Practice, and directed by Bruce Best. It is set in an Australian country town and focuses on masculine and feminine images and a little battle of the sexes. Barbara Stephens is aggressive as Helen, Henri Szeps does his best as the put-upon policeman-football-coach, Peter. Queenie Ashton enjoys herself as a ballet accompanist, Mrs Marsh. Football fans should enjoy it - as well as ballet fans.

1. An entertaining Australian comedy? The quality of humour - visual, verbal, spoof? The battle of the sexes? breaking through the stereotypes?

2. The Sydney opening, the trip to the country, Wilgunyah - the typical New South Wales country town? The atmosphere of the country town? The special effects - especially for the choreography of the football match? ballet choreography? The musical score and the serious and comic use of ballet musical motifs, especially Swan Lake?

3. The title and the focus, the credits sequence and Helen and her jogging, her boyfriend and his macho talent, the emphasis on sport, the emphasis on dancing? And the romance warming up as well?

4. The focus on Helen, her being left with her son? Her relationships? The macho athlete and her walking out? Taking her son with her? Driving to the country, the initial clash with the men on the bikes, sending them over the hills, the irony that they were the football team? The clash with the policeman? Her wanting a beer at the bar and the refusal of the owner to serve her? In jail? The continued clashes with Peter? The ballet school burning down, the help of Mrs. Marsh, getting accommodation? Setting up the ballet school in the same hall as the footballers? The dancing, the shower and changing sequence, the rivalry with the dancing and the training? Pier son and his ballet skills? Her exasperations, feminist stances, the help of Mrs Marsh? A breaking through at the hotel and getting the beer? Exasperating Peter? The training of the footballers in ballet, the humour of the sequences, their success? Winning the match? Her wanting to tell Peter the truth, unable to? The celebration, his finding out? The clash with Helen, in prison, the sexual relationship? Falling in love? Each being hurt, her anger about her son being taught football? The ultimate relenting? The successful match? Future? Her seeing that Peter was so good with the boy? His-reaction thinking that she wanted a girl? Her learning something by going to Wilgunyah?

5. Peter and his role as policeman, his playing the violin in secret, his training of the Wombats? Their lack of success, his exasperation with Helen, at the bar, in prison, falling in love, the relationship, training the boy in football, being a good substitute father, the happy resolution?

6. The boy and his being with his mother, ballet skills, his being able to jump, his wanting to play football, support of his mother and her craziness, Peter's special training, the happy resolution?

7. Mrs Marsh, helping with the ballet, accommodation, the school, helping Helen with her feminist stances, telling her the truth about life and love? A genial character?

8. The sketch of the various footballers, on the bikes, losing the match, the training, eyes on the girls at the ballet, cleaning up, Helen making them dance, learning ballet skills, the humour of their being in tutus to show Peter what had happened? Putting their skills into practice (to Swan Lake) and winning the match?

9. The Australian images of women and the independent modern woman? The macho man and his being gentle in-secret? the footballers and their transition? The ballet dancers? The male-only bar and the breaking through of traditions?

10. The light touch? Enjoyable if far-fetched? behaviour? A wry comment on Australian