his month I am seeing all the films that are nominated in the AFI’s, they are the Australian Film Industry awards. There are 25 films and the screenings are every Saturday and Sunday for 4 weeks. There are other screenings, but that is my time to go. So 3 movies a day on weekends for 4 weeks. I will be filmed out by the end, but it’s a good chance to catch up on the local production that has happened over the last 12 months. Each mini review will start with a blurb from the makers.

Don Bridges - from Melbourne

Angst. Directed by Daniel Nettheim, Screenplay by Anthony O’Connor.
“Dean’s (Sam Lewis) frustrated since his ex-girlfriend dumped him. He works in a video store and dreams of becoming a successful horror movie writer. This amuses May (Abi Tucker), who derides him with the name Video Boy.

In misguided attempts to take charge of his life, Dean Gropes his flatmate Jade (Jessica Napier), is caught spying on his ex-girlfriend, attacks a street kid with an oversized dildo and internet dates two twelve year old girls. Meanwhile his friend Ian (Justin Smith) attempts stand-up comedy while Jade stalks seedy Kings Cross looking for a stolen VCR. Despite all the angst, it’s funny how things work out.”

This is a movie that seemed to me to be trying a bit too hard. To be funny, to be hip, (is that word still hip?) to be relevant and to be down and grungy. Not too many laughs for the oldies, that’s me, but in a younger audience group it might gather the sought after giggles. Verdict: Am I really getting older?

Better than Sex. Director/writer: Jonathan Teplitzky.

“When Josh (David Wenham) and Cin (Susie Porter) meet at a party and decide to spend the night together it seems like the perfect situation. With Josh returning overseas in 3 day’s time, what could possibly go wrong? It’s one night of sex and they’ll never see each other again. No complications, just fun without all the usual expectations. But as one night stretches into the next, what seemed so safe and easy starts to get out of control. Faced with the terrifying possibility that what they really want is better than sex…. Will either of them be able to admit it?”

 I enjoyed this one. Beautifully shot and edited, and with lots of dry and not so dry humour. Also a great deal of sex. There is a wonderful Taxi Driver character (Kris McQuade) who manages to turn up each time Josh tries to leave. She is a great character and beautifully portrayed with a wonderful dry humour. It is also a great thing to see two actors who although not ugly, are certainly not the types we see in the Hollywood movies getting it on. These two are real people, made of flesh and bones, rather than plastic. Verdict: That’s a difficult position. Must try it!

Beware of Greeks Bearing Guns. Director: John Tatoulis. Writer: Tom Galbraith.

“This is a romantic comedy about a vendetta gone wrong. Manos (Lakis Lazopoulis), a mild mannered school teacher is sent from Crete to Melbourne by his grandmother to kill a man she believes killed her husband, Alexandros Poulakis, 57 years ago. Whilst Manos is in Australia, he rekindles an old friendship, falls in love (Zoe Carides) and learns the truth about himself and the man he is sent to kill. Just one person knows the truth about how Alexandros Poulakis died. The question is who? The only thing everyone knows for sure is that they have to Beware of Greeks Bearing Guns”

My favourite for the day. A delightful script lovingly directed by Tatoulis and containing lovely performances from the main actors but with a group of old Greek men that steal the movie. John Bluthal, and Ron Haddrick in particular are a delight. Lakis Lazopoulis also takes on the role of his twin brother with enormous glee and panache. Melbourne is the second largest Greek city in the world. Second only to Athens, and as such is the perfect place to make this movie. Interesting then that many of the actors came from Sydney and are not Greek. Figure that one out.

Verdict: Pass the ouzo and cigars.

Bootmen. Director: Dein Perry. Screenplay: Steve Worland.

“Brothers Sean ( Adam Garcia) and Mitchell (Sam Worthington) are young Newcastle steelworkers. Although vastly different they have two things in common. They’ve both been tap dancing since they were kids and they’ve both fallen in love with the same girl (Sophie Lee). Mitchell is a true blue Newcastle boy, but Sean is determined to escape his small town existence.

Despite obstacles, including personal tragedy, Sean finally beats the odds and realizes his dream of forming a successful tap group.”

Loosely based on the story of the phenomenally successful Tap Dogs, this is one very enjoyable movie. Encompassing the gritty reality of its city with the same formulaic style as Brassed Off and The Full Monty, by taking the tough working men out of the factory and into an artistic field. Now throw in the wonderful dancing of down and dirty tapping in steel capped workboots, on concrete and steel and you have a movie that could do for tapping what Strictly Ballroom did for ballroom dancing. I laughed, I cried and most of all I didn’t stop tapping fingers and feet to the amazing soundtrack that drives the fantastic editing. Special mention must go to Sam Worthington as the brother trying to ignore his talent to live a “normal” life.

Verdict: Turns on the hot tap.

Chasing Parked Cars. Director: Vicki Fisher. Screenplay: Vicky Fisher.

“Justine (Rebecca Macauley), Becky (Holly Fisher) ad Louise (Caitlin McDougall) have been friends since childhood. But even with each other’s unconditional support they are broke, unhappy and light years from achieving their dreams. They feel trapped in their small coastal town. Unexpectedly the girls stumble into a unique and exciting way of making money. They think their new business will help them achieve their dreams. But nothing ever turns out as expected, especially when egos, friendship and money collide.”

Maybe it was the screening or the print, but this film seemed rather badly shot for the first 10 minutes. Funny how that makes one think the movie is not good as well. It got better as it went on, both the movie and the shooting. The performances ranged from less than ordinary to proficient as did the writing and the movie making as a whole. Another rights of passage movie, this time concerned with getting close to the BIG THREE OH. Some amusing moments, but on the whole a straight to video release.

Verdict: Parked cars don’t go anywhere.

Chopper. Director Andrew Dominik. Writer: Andrew Dominik.

“Chopper is the story of Mark “Chopper” Read (Eric Banna) who as a young stand-over man dreams of being remembered as a legendary crime figure. Choppers journey, however, is towards absurdity. In jail he asserts himself by reigniting a power struggle for his division. He is released from jail 10 years later, a walking anachronism, driven by resentment and guilt, searching for his hidden enemy. Living in a world where fact and fiction become progressively more blurred, he kills a man in a fit of paranoia, but beats the charge by virtue of his now well honed story-telling ability. Back in jail he writes an exaggerated account of his life and crimes. When the book becomes a best seller, his original ambition is realized.”

This movie is based on the books that “Chopper” wrote. A very difficult movie to watch because of the subject matter and the extreme violence, it is however a tour de force performance by Eric Banna as Read. The movie tries hard not to condone or glorify Chopper, who murdered a number of people and cut off his own ears whilst in prison, but in the end I have to ask did we really need this film? Well made, well directed, and well acted, it’s hard to find fault with anything but the subject matter. However, will this movie make any of us better people?

Verdict: Turns the stomach.

Starring Duncan Wiley: Director Denis Whitburn. Writers: Denis Whitburn & Darryl Mason.

Ducan Wiley ( Teo Gilbert) is a man on a mission. Working odd jobs to support himself through countless auditions, Duncan is coming to the end of his tether, when a chance encounter with a film director in search of a fresh face (Tony Bonner), leads to the chance to audition for an upcoming movie. And before he knows it, Duncan is immersed in the adult film world, rising to the status of legend…..before falling into the depths of being branded a freak….Learning along the way that when you’re “different” to everyone else, and you feel that you don’t fit in anywhere, maybe the fact you don’t is exactly what will give you the edge……

A movie about the making of porn films is probably a whole lot less interesting than the actual movies. The acting in this movie from actors who are usually very good, and should have known better, is just appalling. It is badly directed and the script has holes bigger than the Great Sandy Desert.

Verdict: Couldn’t swallow it.

Walk the Talk: Director: Shirley Barrett. Writer: Shirley Barrett.

Set entirely on Australia’s Gold Coast, (imagine a cross between Las Vegas and L.A.) Walk the Talk is the story of Joey Grasso ( Salvatore Coco) a young man in his early 20s determined to make something of his life. An avowed follower of an assortment of self-help gurus and motivational speakers, Joey has cobbled together for himself a life philosophy which boils down to one single premise: Follow that Dream!  In his quest to realise his dream, Joey becomes smitten with Nikki Raye ( Nikki Bennett), a moderately talented, down on her luck Gold Coast club singer and reinvents himself, despite the lack of any experience in that area, as her show business agent in order to resurrect her career.

The best thing about this movie is the performance of Sasha Horler as Bonita, the wheelchair bound girlfriend of Joey. Unfortunately, though even her performance is not enough to save this from becoming SOOOO long and drawn out. Running 110 minutes it could do with 20 minutes off the cut, and someone even suggested it was really a short 20 minute film stretched to accommodate. The only character we really like (Bonita) can’t sustain the credibility for that time. In the end I wondered why she stayed with this wanker.

Verdict: 10% of nothing is nothing.

15 Amore: Director: Maurice Murphy. Writer: Maurice Murphy:

With her husband off at war, the beautiful and independent Dorothy (Lisa Hensley) has remained in the Australian countryside to raise three children. Living with them are Alfredo (Steve Bastoni) and Joseph (Domenic Galati), two Italian POWs who assist with the homestead’s upkeep. Dorothy and Alfredo have fallen gradually, deeply in love yet are unable to act upon their feelings. Instead, Alfredo expresses his devotion by becoming a surrogate father. One day, two German Jewish refugees, a proud mother (Gertraud Ingeborg) and her comely daughter Rachel (Tara Jakszewicz), arrive. Soon the romantic chemistry between Joseph and Rachel erupts into a secret affair. Suspicious of the “young peasant boy’s”  attentions Frau Guttman warns her daughter to stay away from him. Rachel ignores her and life continues it’s idyllic pace filled with lazy river days, impromptu games and Christmas meals. With WW11 winding down, nothing can go wrong or can it?

Well thank heaven for this one. One movie out of three today that was watchable, interesting, funny, sad and had good performances and direction as well as beautiful cinematography. It has something of the style of those languorous gentle English movies where not much happens, but it happens beautifully. The bliss can’t last past the end of the war however and for these people it signifies the closing of their idyllic lives. The voice over narration of parts of the film seemed to be superfluous as it seemed often to be telling us what we already knew or could see for ourselves.

Verdict: 15 Amore. Amore all!

A Wreck a Tangle: Director: Scott Patterson. Writer: John O’Brien

What happens when the ultimate bourgeois marriage (Nick Jasprizza & Rebecca Frith) collides with the corrosive seductions of rock and roll? It starts as a sort of scientific experiment, conducted by one successful couple on a pair of grunge lovers (Damian Walsh-Howling & Anna Lise Phillips) they meet one night on the street. But it’s not long before chaos theory sweeps aside more conservative principles, and a cosy little menage a quatre turns into something far more dangerous than a car accident.

The sedate and happy middle class couple seduced by the danger of two heroine users halfway down the slide is not quite set up enough. The stakes didn’t seem high enough and the danger wasn’t as seductive as it should be to make this one work. Walsh-Howling is charming and dangerous as the scheming addict, but the couple he draws into his web, had too much to lose to make the scenario believable.

Verdict: Rectangular peg in a triangular hole.

 Innocence: Director: Paul Cox. Writer: Paul Cox.

Andreas Borg (Bud Tingwell), a retired organist, discovers that his first true love, Claire (Julia Blake), lives in the same city as he does. Fifty years after they shared a passionate love affair in post-war Belgium, Andreas writes her a letter. Claire hesitatingly responds to his plea to meet again and it soon becomes evident that their love has not faded. Knowing that time is precious, they embark on an affair as reckless, intense and tempestuous as when they were young lovers. Innocence is a tale of love and lust, of tenderness and hope – a passionate reminder to live life to the full.

This is a charming and thoroughly enjoyable movie, well made and beautifully acted by the entire cast. Tingwell and Blake are delightful together and it is such a joy to see two very experienced and mature actors given the chance to play lovers. As Claire’s husband, Terry Norris, Julia Blake’s husband off screen as well as on, gives a fine performance of confusion and desperation at the loss of his wife.

Verdict: Old love is still good love.

Stop Press: This film has just won a major prize at the Montreal Film Festival.

Kick: Director: Lynda Heys. Writer: Stuart Beattie.

As the captain of Lawley College and the first fifteen rugby team, Matt Grant (Russell Page) embodies the school motto, “The Manly Thing is Being Done.” There’s just one problem – Matt loves to dance. Against the advice of his best friend Tom ( Martin Henderson), and risking his scholarship and the ridicule of his class mates, Matt auditions for a small ballet production of “Romeo and Juliet” and embarks on a double life that lurches towards disaster. When the rugby grand final and “Romeo and Juliet” are scheduled for the same night, it’s time for Matt to do the manly thing……

An enjoyable movie once I got over the age of the actor paying Matt. Obviously older than the age required to be sitting final exams and a bit younger than his dance partner ( Rebecca Yates) would be, once I suspended belief the movie rolled along comfortably and with good fun, especially from Matt’s mate Tom. Beautiful dance (choreographed by Paul Mercurio who also appears as the choreographer of R&J) and great use of Sydney locations including the Opera House and Luna Park. Follows a similar formula to Bootmen, Flashdance, Strictly Ballroom etc.

Verdict: A good “Try”….That’s a bad rugby pun for those who know.

Crowe to fly? Bit of a rumour doing the rounds that the gladiator is about to become the new “man of steel.” Kevin Spacey may become Lex Luthor.

Run  Kenneth Run: British actor Kenneth Branagh is to star in a Phil Noyce movie to be shot in Australia, called Rabbit Proof Fence, it concerns three young Aboriginal girls who escaped from domestic servitude in 1931 to travel 2000 Kilometers back to their people.

-- Don Bridges

september 2000

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