Paperback Hero

Jack (Jackman) is an Aussie truck driver who writes a romantic novel under the name of his pal Ruby (Karvan) and neglects to tell her about it. So when Ziggy Keane (Milliken) shows up in the outback with a lucrative contract and big ideas for a publicity tour, it's the non-plussed owner of the Boomerang cafe she talks to. An accommodation is reached: Ruby will maintain the masquerade in return for a cut of the profits - and Jack will pay for her wedding to his best mate Hamish (Venables). This romantic comedy fails to capitalise on a serviceable plot set-up. Writer/director Bowman knows he's dabbling with gender roles and, to his credit, comes up with both a believably tough heroine (Ruby swings a mean punch when it's called for), and a hero who's understandably a little sheepish about revealing his sensitive side in the macho culture of the Australian hinterland. But while the movie affects a vaguely literate air, it's never what you'd call a page turner.