A dream cast from Central indicates an implicit greatness about Rowan Woods’ new film. After all, Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill and Hugo Weaving don’t get out of bed for any old director. Take them into the heart of a tragic story about heroin abuse in Sydney’s west and there must be a good reason for their involvement. There is. Little Fish is a small tale about big themes. Tracy (Blanchett) is an ex-junkie, living with her Mum (Noni Hazlehurst) and brother (Martin Henderson) in the burbs. She wants to own the video store in which she works but fate has presented some dangerous distraction. An ex-lover (Dustin Nguyen) has returned with a shady future while an old friend (Weaving) is trying to reconcile his past, her family and his own ex-lover (Neill). Events conspire toward riveting, uncompromising tragedy. Central to the brooding action is a woman trying to turn her life around, one that will resonate with anyone who has desired change. But the grab is an acute sense of reality, an easily recognised Australia. Little Fish is a tough talking film that paints a claustrophobic portrait of corruption many know only too well. There’s a menacing underbelly to the film that Woods achieves in scenes of broad daylight. Emphasising this is restless, sweaty camera work that makes for a very uncomfortable time in the cinema. Essential to which is the dream cast: Blanchett is utterly convincing while Neill, Weaving, Henderson and Hazlehurst never miss a beat in outstanding support. Drama, Australian or otherwise, simply doesn’t get much better than this. // COLIN FRASER