Amiel Courtin-Wilson's documentary, Bastardy (2008), follows the life of Jack Charles – a homeless Indigenous Australian actor based in Melbourne who is struggling with a heroin addiction and faces burglary charges. The film gives an intimate insight into the challenges and experiences Charles faced over a period of seven years where he was in and out of prison.The film has a heightened sense of voyeurism, as an observational-style documentary, following Charles in various settings around Melbourne. As this continues throughout the duration of the film, the audience is corralled into a position where our morality is questioned. This was particularly prominent when Amiel informs Jack the particular day of his arrest warrant and Jack proceeds to tell him that he won't be there when the police will be. At this point of the film, it's clear that Courtin's friendship to Charles has become such a close bond that even Courtin admits in his director's statement: 'I was unsure sure if what I was doing was legal anymore.' This was intriguing to see how deep his connection with Charles had become. The seven year project had become something much more personal than Courtin had planned as the filmmaking had 'paled in comparison to the increasingly profound friendship we developed.' The audience does not see Courtin on screen at any point, which enhances the connection between the viewer and Charles. Meaning that as the film progresses, a sense of camaraderie is made between the two. This rare occurrence is one of the film's best qualities as we, the audience, are more closely connected with the protagonist of the film. Bastardy is a remarkable Australian documentary, which displays the promising talents of Amiel Courtin-Wilson as an up and coming filmmaker. It is an incredible story displaying the extraordinary survival and perseverance of Jack Charles.

An expensive rare-even-in Australia DVD-documentary of an abo artist is a sad monument to the lasting racism of the modern feudalistic style. Then gained public popularity for outstanding performing skills flourishing during government-funded program of developing aboriginal arts in the time Australia voted on indigenous citizenship rights in the sixties last century, Jack Charles supports his heroin addiction with burglaries, for unclear reason homeless and made it luckily back into Williamstown Social Commission estate with a helpful hand of social service.One must not be a non-white to be kicked out from a family property to please "age care providers" on a very expense of struggling families in Melbourne, Victoria, or to be simply ostracized ("Wake in Fright ( Outback )" or too aged for discrimination ("Samson & Delilah") but annihilating the talents of biologically inferior populous aboriginal population is frontier is surely paraded here.Now I know who this guy looking distinctively is if I met him in the streets once again. Michael Kerjman

Let me first qualify my title here by saying the music they picked for the sound track, whoever the band is, that irritating female vocal, it was truly nauseating! I will have a look and find out who it is, so I can avoid them in future! OK I now know the music was made by a Steve Benwell who has his own page here at IMDb. Only credited with this movie! Forgetting the awful music for a moment, what was the movie like? Well, I have watched many films of people who are homeless, drug addicts, people with major issues affecting their lives, drugs violence abuse and more. This one was different. This film didn't really 'touch' me. I always see some redeeming quality in people, even the nastiest person can be truly loving, or truly generous or innocent, there are many qualities of the human being and these people do actually possess them too! Strangely, Mr Jackson did not appear, to me, to have such qualities. The guy was, well, boring! It's a shame I suppose but on paper this guy is a superb documentary subject. However in reality he is a bore!! He talks of nothing much all throughout the film. When he is helped he almost seems nonplussed! Then later, when he steals from a friend, I realised the disregard this guy has for others. For many years of his life seemingly. OK, I may be being harsh, the guy must have SOME qualities?! Probably. This film does not highlight them, nor does it make the viewer warm to him.Please don't get angry or say I am being horrible to the guy! I mean, there are boring people in every sector of human society. This guy happens to be one of them.This left me cold, bored and almost asleep.I'd avoid it if I were you but well...don't be swayed by me, or anyone: Watch it for yourself and find out what YOU think!

I walked past this film when it was both at the cinemas and as a DVD but just caught it on ABC. How I regret not watching it earlier. The fascinating story of Jack Charles is propelled by narration by Charles himself which is weaved into footage of his life on the street and from his acting in films from his past. Jack Charles is an actor with a long history on the screen and stage who is also a career criminal and drug abuser. This film charts several years in his life as he discusses his past. A terrific and fascinating documentary that stands testament to its subject and its makers and well recommended to anybody who has an interest in acting, the Australian indigenous experience or quality documentary film making.