Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pagePraise (1998)
Director: John Curran
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Adapted from a hit novel by Andrew McGahan, this superb, challenging film is the kind of unorthodox love story we've come to expect from the Australians: an oddballs' romance transfigured by cumulative, surreal domestic insights, an audacity of technique - which gently suggests avant garde borrowings - and a canny use of landscape to contextualise the dark farce of human strivings. Director Curran encourages such brave, rich performances from his two main actors - Fenton playing chain-smoking asthmatic Gordon, and Horler as sexual and substance addict Cynthia - that the movie takes on the nature of an enquiry into sexual politics. There's a lot of pain, love, sex and laughter going down here, but the movie's daring honesty, easy pace and courage in staying with these two right to the bitter end makes it feel like a breakthrough 'male' feminist movie: Betty Blue revisited with the advertising chic ripped out. Cinematographer Dion Beebe puts gutter poetry into the Brisbane flophouse interiors and makes the big blue horizons oddly mysterious. If this sounds like miserabilism, that isn't the whole story. Curran's movie is also funny, moving and thought provoking, edited like a dream and I can't wait for his next one.Author: WH
Cast & crew
Director: John Curran
Producer: Martha Coleman, Helen Scott
Cast: Peter Fenton, Sacha Horler, Marta Dusseldorp, Joel Edgerton, Tyvette Duncan, Winston Bull, Gregory Perkins, Loene Carmen full cast
Duration: 98 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now