Plum Review: Peeling Back Life’s Masks

Plum tells the story of Peter “Plum” Lum, a legendary retired rugby league player from Cronulla, Australia. Plum was once a local hero, winning championships with the local Cronulla Sharks team. But years have passed since then, and now Plum is struggling with troubling symptoms. He experiences memory loss, blurred vision, and disturbing hallucinations—all potential results of the head injuries he sustained during his playing career.

Plum seems to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain condition linked to repeated blows to the head. Like many athletes before him, Plum must now face the unwelcome realization that the very sport he excelled at may be causing his current struggles. To make matters worse, Plum’s symptoms are straining his relationships and challenging his sense of identity. Who is he if not a proud rugby champion?

Through it all, Plum leans on those close to him, including his ex-wife Renee and their son Gavin. He also finds solace in an unexpected place: poetry. Plum’s growing passion for words helps him process what’s happening, even as his condition progresses.

The show brings Plum’s personal journey to life through the heartfelt performance of Brendan Cowell, who plays Plum and co-created the series. Filming in Cronulla adds deeper resonance as Cowell returns to his hometown to share this moving story. Through it, Plum addresses important issues while remaining a compassionate character drama.

Plum’s Dramatic Journey

We first meet Peter “Plum” Lum as a legendary figure of the Australian rugby league. Known for his hard-hitting playing style with the local Cronulla Sharks, Plum carved out a successful career and cemented his status as a hometown hero. Years have now passed since retiring from the sport, but old habits die hard—Plum remains firmly entrenched in his macho identity.

As the story begins, Plum’s world is shaken when mysterious symptoms emerge. He experiences vision problems, poor memory, and bizarre hallucinations. These unsettling signs point to an underlying problem stemming from Plum’s career spent absorbing brutal hits on the field. Reluctantly, Plum accepts he may be suffering from CTE, the degenerative brain condition linked to repeated head trauma in contact sports.

The diagnosis sparks a turbulent arc that impacts all areas of Plum’s life. At home, his volatile behavior strains relationships with his former wife Renee and their teenage son Gavin. Meanwhile, Plum’s work driving an airport vehicle becomes jeopardized by his unpredictable condition. Through it all, Plum struggles to process this abrupt change to an identity built on athletic glory.

Amidst the turmoil, Plum finds an unlikely source of solace—poetry. Through chance encounters with literary luminaries like Sylvia Plath and Charles Bukowski, Plum’s passion for words grows. Poetry grants Plum perspective on his plight in a way Macho Bravado cannot. As his literary talents take root, Plum begins a transformational journey of self-discovery.

The drama intensifies as Plum’s symptoms worsen, threatening even his most important bonds. To reclaim his life, Plum must confront hard truths about limitations and life beyond one’s glory days. Through empathy and emotional vulnerability, Plum strives to find peace within a changing world he no longer controls.

Facing Hard Truths

At its core, Plum shines a light on an issue impacting countless athletes—the long-term effects of head injuries in contact sports. Through Plum’s poignant journey, we witness exactly how such traumas can silently yet severely undermine a life. From the initial forgetfulness and mood swings to full-blown hallucinations, his steady cognitive decline rings distressingly true.

Plum ensures we understand this isn’t just an abstract societal topic but real human suffering. By taking us inside Plum’s deteriorating mind, the series brings home the cruel realities of his condition in an empathy-inducing way. Scenes reflecting Plum’s confused perspective perfectly mirror the horror of losing oneself to injury.

Of course, Plum’s troubles don’t exist inside a bubble. His declining health challenges his core identity built on a macho sporting career. Facing physical limitations threatens Plum’s sense of masculinity and place in the world. Fittingly, his growing appreciation for poetry—an art form much at odds with Australian sports culture—parallels his changing self.

Plum also explores the sometimes rocky relationships between partners and family navigating a loved one’s condition. Renee and Gavin’s care for Plum clashes with their own needs, showing how head traumas affect all involved. Meanwhile, Plum’s resistance to help frustrates but remains understandable given his pride and fears.

This layered approach ensures Plum impacts far beyond sports. Its themes highlight humanity’s perpetual struggles with health, relationships, personal growth, and an evolving world. Even as changes upset familiar routines, Plum affirms life’s beauty still emerges through empathy, compassion, and openness to rediscovery—if we find courage to face hard truths with grace.

Embodying Plum’s Struggle

From the start, Brendan Cowell sinks into the role of Peter “Plum” Lum with captivating depth. In every scene, he inhabits Plum fully, conveying the character’s bewilderment, fear, and frustration as his grasp on reality slowly loosens. Cowell fearlessly commits to Plum’s unraveling without ever becoming unsympathetic or unbelievable.

Key is the subtlety of Cowell’s performance. He navigates Plum’s gradual slide towards disorientation with minute facial expressions and body language shifts that speak volumes. In more dramatic moments, Cowell continues prioritizing understatement over hysteria, reflecting Plum’s own reluctance to confront hard truths. It’s a masterclass in internalized and emotive acting.

Supporting players are equally stellar. Asher Keddie brings layered nuance to Renee, a well-meaning but imperfect figure in Plum’s life. Her scenes with Cowell crackle with a richness informed by their own history together. Vincent Miller also shines as Plum’s son Gavin, shouldering significant dramatic weight with sensitivity.

Behind the scenes, director Jonathan Auf Der Heide guides proceedings with a light touch. Startling medical scenes capturing Plum’s fragmenting grip on reality feel viscerally unsettling rather than exploitative. Fragmented flashbacks revealing Plum’s backstory enhance character understanding handsomely. Overall, Heide’s underplayed yet deeply empathetic vision brings Plum’s moving story to life.

These virtuosic performances, paired with deft visual choices, ensure Plum feels strikingly authentic. It’s to the immense credit of Cowell and crew that such a deeply personal story resonates so universally through their visceral and heartfelt command of character and craft.

Translating Plum to the Screen

Cowell drew from rich source material in penning the Plum series—his own novel of the same name. The book provided a solid foundation to craft a nuanced television portrayal of Plum’s plight.

Key elements like Plum’s progressive brain condition and newly sparked passion for poetry seamlessly made the transition between pages and screen. Cowell ensured the series captured the authentic internal journey and complex themes central to Plum’s story.

Select additions, such as prominently featuring the very real diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, gave added weight and relevance to Plum’s internal battle. Highlighting CTE’s known effects brought greater understanding while maintaining narrative focus on personal struggles over sports politics.

Throughout, Cowell demonstrated a deep understanding of Plum as a character, first in writing the novel then translating it to his television adaptation. Scenes reflecting Plum’s fragmented grip on reality feel raw and poignant without exploitation, a testament to Cowell’s empathetic lens.

Most importantly, Plum’s screen adaptation retained the emotional core and thoughtful humanity so compelling in Cowell’s original work. Just as the book aimed to start important discussions through deeply human storytelling, so too does this series honor its source material with care, sincerity, and vision. Both the novel and subsequent adaptation do justice to Plum’s moving journey.

Bringing Plum to Life on Screen

Under the helm of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Plum certainly doesn’t lack for production polish. As an ABC drama, the series is elevated with the fine touches of quality expected from our nation’s public broadcaster.

Set and art direction go well beyond merely functional to further immerse the viewer. Authentic rural Aussie locations like Cronulla feel lived-in and genuine. Interiors from homes to medical offices feel rich yet tactile. Costuming similarly embraces period specificity and character nuance.

Perhaps most praiseworthy are the lush yet unshowy cinematography skills on display. Camerawork captures Plum’s crumbling mental state with evocative yet understated framing. Flashbacks utilize fragmented, dreamlike visuals that deepen emotional resonance. Medical scenes verge on unbearable intimacy through tight, voyeuristic lenses.

Subtler flourishes like Fiona Seres’ poignant score and carefully sourced needle drops prove audio can be just as artful an element of mise en scène. Music not only punches emotion but connects Plum’s journey to other experiences.

Together, production aspects fuse to grant Plum transportive realism. Viewers genuinely feel embedded within Plum’s declining world through meticulous re-creation of lived experiences. It’s to the great credit of all creative factions that such visceral storytelling arises from more than just bare functionality. Plum sings as a showcase of elevated small-screen craft.

Plum Sows the Seeds for Meaningful Dialogue

Over its run, Plum traverses profound themes of health, identity, and human relationships with care and nuance. Through the intimately portrayed journey of Peter Lum, viewers experience firsthand the harsh realities of head injuries in sport and their far-reaching effects. Brendan Cowell imbues the character with lived-in humanity that helps audiences understand rather than judge Plum’s struggles.

While unpacking weighty topics, the series nonetheless prioritizes emotional authenticity over preaching. Plum succeeds triumphantly as a drama through its deeply compelling character-driven narrative powered by outstanding performances across the board. Equally adept at sowing both laughter and tears, Plum feels keenly relatable despite heavy subject matter.

Most importantly, Plum introduces its important yet sensitive issues with grace and empathy. By addressing social realities through profoundly human stories, the series stays compelling and discussion-worthy. Though leaving some plot threads untied, Plum proves a valuable cultural work for starting respectful and informed dialogue. It demonstrates how raising social consciousness need not compromise artistic integrity or enjoyment.

For its nuanced portrayals and thought-provoking timely themes handled with care, Plum stands out as a series deserving wide viewership and ongoing discussion. It leaves the audience much to reflect upon, long after the closing credits roll.