I just saw it and must say that there is so much to like about this film and it will be a real crowd pleaser when it gets its official release.
Sadly - despite some really fun vibrant and colourful moments - as a whole I was let down.
Geoffrey Rush just steals every scene he is in - would one expect anything less???
Same goes for Magda Szubanski and Deborah Mailman.
For me there are 3 major problems with the film;-
1. The casting of Rocky McKenzie as Willy. He lacks any sort of screen charisma and for a teenage schoolboy he looks like he is in 30s.
2. The music and choreography. Not many of the songs are memorable and a good musical needs to have that "I must have the soundtrack" factor for it to be a real success IMO. I walked out barely remembering any of the songs.
And the lip-synching - ESP by Rocky - was abysmal - esp in the group scenes.
And as for the choreography - well you could tell this wasn't taken very seriously at all. A lot of it was filmed from the waist up so we couldn't see what was happening with the legs and feet!
3. And I don't know why it got to me so much - but Missy Higgins really really annoyed me. I just kept thinking of her comments of talent shows like Australian Idol - she called them "crap" - and here she was in a film with a former Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy.
But it's not all doom and gloom.
Besides the scene stealing by Rush, Szubanski and Mailman - the cinematography and production design was superb. Never been to Broome but boy I'm gonna start saving up for a trip right now!
Absolutely breathtaking stuff.
And the camera just seems to love Jessica Mauboy. She has an exquisite voice and is beautiful on screen. It is her first role so I didn't expect an Oscar worthy performance from her - and obviously didn't get one.
I had such high hopes for this film and feel a bit let down.
It should do crackers at the box office though - will be a huge hit during the school holidays.
reply
share