You see, the thing about a film like "Traveling North" is that it depends wholly and completely on the characters. Your enjoyment of a film like this hinges directly on how much you can identify with these people. Personally, I see a lot of my grandfather in the character of Frank (Leo McKern). There's a depth and painful personality to this role. He draws you in to his personal charm, but not without making it apparent just how hard to live with he can be.
There's a lack of larger conflict to the script which shows just how dedicated the story is to simply reflecting real life. You are privy to actual human interaction in this film, with very little in the way of distraction from that goal. Carl Schultz directs David Williamson's writing with a close, personal focus. It's refreshing in a time when most films seem to have far too much happening in them. Williamson has written dialogue that is both very real and intensely witty. Overall, this is a soft, quiet film. Abrasive for some of its characters, but only so much as needed.
