MovieChat Forums > Samson & Delilah (2009) Discussion > 1st Aussie movie to get 5 stars from bot...

1st Aussie movie to get 5 stars from both David + Margaret

posted 15 years ago by bittersweet_smiler
57 replies | jump to latest

David Stratton & Margaret Pomeranz on the ABC's At The Movies are notoriously well known for not agreeing on movie reviews, but when they both give a movie 5 out of 5 stars there's a good chance it's going to be worth a look.

I just had a look on the At The Movies website which contains all their reviews over the last few years, and I can't find another Australian movie that both of them liked enough to both give their full approval.

On the basis that the last movies they gave 5 out of 5 stars to were Brokeback Mountain, Good Night And Good Luck and No Country For Old Men which were all brilliant, I am definitely seeing this movie, and I really hope the country gets behind this. It's so rare that the Australian film industry produces a critically acclaimed movie.

I'd be curious to know what the budget was for this movie. The interview stated it was a minimal crew, the cast hadn't acted before, and the camera work was all handheld.
Hopefully this movie at least meets its budget.

Unforunately it seems to be showing at only one cinema in the whole of Sydney, the Dendy at Newtown once a day.

[–] somesunnyday 15 years ago

I know, I watched the show last night and am very excited about seeing this film. It makes me quite angry when something like this doesn't get wide distribution and we wonder why average Joe Public keeps clamouring in to see superficial Hollywood crap. It's because they're spoon fed it and miss out on these works of art due to poor distribution...

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[–] gr0o0rg 15 years ago

They both gave "In the cut" 5 stars, but that was before they left SBS.

[–] pa-58 15 years ago

Well, I take their reviews with a grain of salt. I'm pleased that they continue to review Australian films that will only receive a limited release, but Stratton and Pomeranz seem to give Australian films more favourable reviews than foreign-made films, particularly when they've interviewed members of the cast and crew. This is not a scathing criticism, just an observation. Having said that, I'm looking forward to seeing 'Samson and Delilah' very much.

[–] Greeny_24 15 years ago

Just watched the episode, was very very suprised to see the aussie film get 5 stars. Really want to see it now :D

[–] docsportelloh 15 years ago

I agree with pa-58, they really do give Australian films more favourable reviews, and they always seem to give better reviews to films they interview the cast/crew of, probably because they don't want to offend them after they take the time to do an interview? I don't know, but it really is true, if you watch the show for long enough you notice it.

That said, that just means if they give an Australian film a fairly average rating and add something like "its worth a look" ill assume its not that great. But if they sing its praise and give it 5 stars, and seeing it take some awards at film festivals, its definately worth a watch at the minimum.

Unfortunately I very much doubt it is of the quality of the above mentioned 5star (according to them) films. If it is i will be extremely (and pleasantly) surprised, and I take back what I said about their boosting reviews.

Anyway, seeing it Sunday.

[–] peanutbrittle50 15 years ago

I actually disagree with your assessment of their reviews of Australian films. I've been watching their show for years and I find that, while they often praise an Australian film more highly than they would if it was foreign, when they actually give their star ratings they aren't actually that biased. As in, what they say about the film tends to sound more positive, and in a sense more biased, than the actual rating which tends to reflect the quality of the film on a more objective basis.

By the way, the film just won the Camera d'Or (best first film) at Cannes so there must be something to the praise.

[–] terry86 15 years ago

I have seen them totally pan a movie then cut to an interview after quite a few times! An example if I remember right is when they reviewed Quantum of Solace and gave it a negative review then interviewed daniel craig..

[–] techtaketwo 14 years ago

"in the cut" was an awesome movie

[–] Takeshi-K 7 years ago

Only Margaret gave In The Cut 5 stars. Here are the actual films they have BOTH awarded 5 stars to.

Good Night and Good Luck
Brokeback Mountain
No Country for Old Men
Samson and Delilah
A Separation
'Amour
Birdman.

[–] Wild-Z 15 years ago

His opinion doesn't count for much, but Dicky Wilkens just gave it 4 stars on the Today show.
The more positive reviews for this movie though the better, regardless of who they come from.

[–] kraavitz 15 years ago

Cripes!! I would value Dick's opinion far below that of David's. Dick is a man who is a follower, not a leader. If David and Marge panned this film, guaranteed Dick would've followed suit. I just don't understand why people give so much of a *beep* about what critics think. I prefer to see films with minimal or no reading / listening to reviews.

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[–] leos_monkey 15 years ago

I've just seen Samson & Delilah today at cinema nova in melbourne. it was brilliant and i would go see it again!

[–] kraavitz 15 years ago

Saw this tonight on it's second night in Sydney. Was wonderful to see a near full cinema in the Academy, Paddington. A beautiful film with such sensitivity in the story and the characters. Beautiful work and one that I would definitely like to see again in a cinema... Would absolutely encourage folks to get out and see this film. A film doesn't always need mass dialogue and spaceships to be entertaining.

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[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

It's derivative crap.

Beneath Clouds without drama or dialogue.
Yolngu Boy without tragedy.
An ad for the church without a daggy song on the soundtrack.

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[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

Nope?

Still know that Hitler was a bad guy?

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[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

I simply confirmed what you were thinking.
Why has this turned into an attack on me?

You seem confused.

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[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

I'd like to see someone discuss the film and the points I made.

I won't be wasting my time on morons.

A formula one car may contain spoilers

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[–] cheesboy 15 years ago

An ad for the church?? Did you watch the same film?? The guy comes out in the church and you think he is going to ask if she is alright but instead he is just suspicious like the security guard in the supermarket.

I think Beneath Clouds while on the surface is a similar film, Samson and Delilah is far more interested in a metaphoric representation of the Aboriginal situation. Beneath Clouds is more narratively based. I thought that there was an incredible amount of drama that could be contained within a very simple story with such little dialogue. Just because a story mightn't have an epic "scope" it doesn't mean it is not an epic story. Transformation, pride, slothfulness and guilt, love, loss of identity, loss of home, a simple representation of the ongoing devastating effects of colonialism are all present. I am not going to say it is a perfect film, I think he skews some reality in the presentation of the township, and cops out at moments, but the evocative visuals the sublime use of sound manifest in a very exciting film.

!

[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

"I am not going to say it is a perfect film"

In case you haven't picked up a newspaper in the last week, everyone else IS saying it's a perfect film.

A formula one car may contain spoilers

[–] MaxPopcornPower 15 years ago

Don't think anyone is, but that's besides the point. Save all your bickering for big studio Hollywood movies that really suck, as apposed to independent films that only come so "close" to some our retarded human perceptions or requirements for "perfection". Simple "perfect" usually just means "as close to perfect as it is humanly possible for a group of people to write a story, go out into Alice to lug a heavy camera and point it at stuff and people and record the reflected light and sound onto sequential pieces of film, take that to a dingy studio and edit it, manage to distribute it..." you act like it's your God damned prerogative to "speak out about the atrocities" of this films media and hype. Are you really serious in comparing this film to Hilter? If you can't tell the difference, Sampson And Delilah is a film, and the latter tried to wipe out the Jews. Oh, well that's a tragedy that Hilter is considered a bad man, when this film exists and it is gaining as much over hyped praise as Hilter received scorn. MAX-79, why didn't you just call yourself SS4Life. You *beep* neo-nazi white supremacist *beep* I hope you spontaneously combust into flames.

By the way, I'm not Jewish, religious, and I'd rather watch Memento again.

[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

If you skim over a post without reading it, you will not understand what is being said.

And you'll end up looking like a twat.

A formula one car may contain spoilers

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[–] ruinawish 15 years ago

I like how you posted above, "I'd like to see someone discuss the film and the points I made.", and then when someone has made a comprehensive reply, you just respond to only one point that they've made.

Gee, I wonder what that suggests.

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Instant fail words: overrated, major flaw, plot hole

[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

It suggests that the poster generally made some decent points that I was not going to argue with. The poster also only really addressed my comparison to Beneath Clouds and little more, not really a comprehensive reply, but a decent one none the less. I was not going to simply repeat myself and disagree with the posters reading of the religion issue - it's down to interpretation and I did not see it in the way the above poster did.

The post you reference from me was in reply to someone saying "Your poor" as an argument. Elsewhere here I have been called a Nazi for not loving this pretentious little film filled with misrepresentations of desert life. Please try to find the context and keep up.

All this smacks of Lantana - a film which every Australian and thier dog loved and anyone who suggested it was mainstream rubbish was lambasted for not holding the same view as the majority. Gotta love irony.

A formula one car may contain spoilers

[–] ruinawish 15 years ago

Nothing ironic about it. I too didn't like this film, or Lantana, but you still come off as a twat.

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Instant fail words: overrated, major flaw, plot hole

[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

This coming from the person who claims that to "fall asleep in any film is ignorant".

Let me introduce you to the work of Michael Bay.

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[–] ruinawish 15 years ago

That's a rather weak attempt at humour. Michael Bay invokes ridicule, not boredom. One laughs at Bay's work, rather than sleeps through it.

Bloody hell, you must be low in ammunition when you're quoting me from another thread and avoiding the issue at hand. But hey, you're just trying to stir some *beep* up, and to be honest, I can see where you're coming from. I just feel obligated to make such a 'rebel' uncomfortable.

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Instant fail words: overrated, major flaw, plot hole

[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

Low on ammunition? Nah, just noticed another stupid remark and happened to see who had written it.

You're a very long way from making me uncomfortable (not that I consider myself a "rebel" in any way - just trying to point out that the hype has elevated rubbish to art) so maybe it's time to quit while you think you're ahead. I certainly have no interest in continuing this tedium.

A formula one car may contain spoilers

[–] ruinawish 15 years ago

You "certainly have no interest in continuing" this banter, yet you chose to reply anyway (thanks). You should have continued the battle, you probably would have had better chance in discussing the film rather than going off on different tangents.

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Instant fail words: overrated, major flaw, plot hole

[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

I will not reply again. You're a phuken idiot who resorted to insults long before I did. You lost. End of list.
Goodnight nurse.

A formula one car may contain spoilers

[–] ruinawish 15 years ago

Haha...

"I won't be wasting my time on morons." - MAX-78, May 11 2009 16:12:50

"And you'll end up looking like a twat." - MAX-78, May 17 2009 20:30:43

Interestingly enough, I ended up calling you a twat. So you could say you were the source of my inspiration.

You don't have to reply. I will gladly admit defeat. This has all been for any third parties observing the fine specimen that you are.

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Instant fail words: overrated, major flaw, plot hole

[–] photondancer 15 years ago

If you want people to engage with you then provide reasons and arguments. All your original email contained was a series of flat assertions and none of your followups have expanded on them in any way.

[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

I believe it's a boring, pretentious film made for a mainstream audience to feel good about their white guilt while they do nothing substantial to change the plight of Central Desert aboriginal people.

For that position, I'm a Nazi apparently.

A formula one car may contain spoilers

[–] photondancer 15 years ago

I agree that the Nazi tag was not a productive remark. However, could you expand on what scenes/dialog/characterisation/whatever struck you as being pretentious and showed it was made for a mainstream white audience? The film did not strike me as being pretentious, much of it was quite modest. I did think some of the Alice Springs scenes were overdone - at the very least, there should have been tourists at the cafe where Delilah tried to sell paintings. Making the whole town a sea of white faces jarred upon me but that was probably the only false note in the film for me.

[–] MAX-78 15 years ago

Well, certainly not dialogue. In fact the muting of the characters was such obvious symbolism, and lacking in any realism that I felt like I was getting hit in the face with exposition.
The pace of the film is in keeping with European art film movements. Personally, I find that pretentious and incongruous in this context. The pace of Yolngu Boy and Beneath Clouds on the other hand certainly sit better with the subject matter.
You mention the Alice scenes and I couldn't agree more. Further to that, there is no way this girl is going to be ignored while selling desert art in a cafe strip in Alice Springs.
If the film were in fact made for the people, rather than about the people, it would feature a 12 bar blues soundtrack and would be wall to wall swearing rather than moody silence.
Do you see where I'm coming from now?

A formula one car may contain spoilers

[–] photondancer 15 years ago

Fair enough. I was a little puzzled by your use of the word 'pretentious' for what I thought was mostly a fairly unassuming film; had it been all preachy I would have understood that judgement. I have not seen Yolngu Boy, but I have seen Drifting Clouds and found it a little irritating. It stuck in my mind, however, and I'd like to see it again. It could just be that I wasn't prepared for its style.

I haven't seen very many European art films because I tend to be annoyed by how mannered they are. I didn't connect S&D with them though so while I was aware of the slow pace I guess it didn't strike me as strongly as it did you. I really liked the lack of dialog - not because I saw it as symbolic but because smart-arse dialog irritates me and I like films that dispense with it. The wordless, almost mime-like byplay between Samson and Delilah would have been cheapened by words for me. But then, I'm also into puppetry.

I guess you and I saw the film with very different mindsets. I wasn't expecting realism or a documentary, probably because I overheard just enough of Margaret and David's review to gather S&D was quite stylised. I agree with your last comment that if this was meant to be realistic many elements would have been different (although wasn't that the point of showing Samson's brother's band?). The Alice scenes were wrong, as we've already agreed, and the ringing phone that nobody ever answered could have been dispensed with. Even I picked up on some heavy symbolism there. But I did enjoy the film very much for all that.

[–] Valkyrist 15 years ago

I can see what you're saying, but I tend to enjoy Australian films more, simply for there familiar context and inside references. I'm sure critics and audiences are able to relate better to characters and plots that deal more with their lifestyles, more than say a foreign film of equal quality.

-- Exeunt the Wolfe --

[–] sez_10 15 years ago

I do believe Margaret and David both gave "The Finished People" 5 stars each. That was mainly the reason i went and saw it at the cinema, and i was not disappointed. A trully excellent, raw Australian film with many parallels to 'S&D'.

Shoestring budget, non-actors, small crew, story about young people in a rough area etc.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0400434/

I am yet to see S&D though. Looking forward to it very much.

[–] Valkyrist 15 years ago

"They both gave in the cut 5 stars"

Christ, that was a terrible film. I didn't even make it all the way through.

-- Exeunt the Wolfe --