MovieChat Forums > Anzac Girls (2014) Discussion > Entertaining But Not Outstanding

Entertaining But Not Outstanding

posted 9 years ago by AltaireIII
3 replies | jump to latest

There are two PBS stations in my part of the U.S.A. When the larger station passes on a series and the smaller station picks it up, then that is not a great sign.

If you like Downton Abbey or Call The Midwife then ANZAC Girls will be a come down in quality. The biggest problem with the show is the ever present but not dominating over-acting. This surprised me. I've seen some great films from Australia and Australia has been represented abroad very well by stellar acting talent; a good measure of it Oscar winning talent.

The only other area where this show misses the mark is the absurd story line about soldier's with Clap and the Drip. If Australia and New Zealand's Great War effort included Galipoli and an epidemic of the Clap then perhaps enough films and TV shows have been made about this chapter in history. Frankly I'd be embarrassed to be from that part of the world if this is how history was presented.

All in all I'll give this a modest thumbs up.

[–] SrEditor 9 years ago

I quite disagree. As unpleasant as the topic is, the show has chosen to present a lesser-known problem that certainly the Anzac nurses did have to deal with.

The acting is another issue altogether, but it's not so much overacting as it is the editing, which continually leaves a "dramatic pause" after statements that ought not to have one.

I am enjoying it enough on DVD to wish they'd chosen to make more than one miniseries.

[–] SpyderMama 8 years ago

I disagree, I found it to be a great show. But to each his own. You cant compare a 6 part miniseries/ 45 minute/edi's to the other shows you listed that have 5 series behind them to allow for more character development. Like comparing two fruits together, they are both fruit-but that's where the similarity ends. One 6 part short mini series to 5 seasons of a show no comparison- but both tv shows.

[–] meerschweinchen_freunde 8 years ago

I'm watching the show and I think that it is very good. It's about WW1 from the perspective of the Australians and New Zealanders and that is one perspective that I am not familiar with so for me it's interesting. I also think that it is very unfair to compare it to Downton Abbey (2010) and Call the Midwife (2012) because this is an Australian production with Australian and New Zealand actors. For me at least when it comes to the depiction of WW1 it is a lot more realistic than Downton Abbey ever was and the quality of writing is a lot better.