'What If It Works?' . Writer-director Romi Trower.s debut feature What If It Works? is set to make its world premiere at the 2017 Cinequest Film and Vr Festival in San Jose next month. . What If It Works?.is inspired by Trower.s own family history. It stars Luke Ford (Animal Kingdom, The Black Balloon, Red Dog) as Adrian, an irrepressibly chirpy tech nerd who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He connects with his new neighbour, Grace (Anna Samson, Skylight, Birdland; The Leftovers), a street artist with Dissociative Identity Disorder. . Brooke Satchwell (Wonderland, Jack Irish, Packed To The Rafters) and Wade Briggs (Still Star-Crossed, Please Like Me) also star. . .My interest in telling this story is born of my personal experiences," said Trower. "My older brother has a severe case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and my aunt is a psychiatrist who specialises in Dissociative Identity Disorder, whose career sparked my fascination with this disorder.
- 1/27/2017
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Luke Ford and Anna Samson play a distinctly odd couple at the centre of What Time Is My Heart?, the debut feature from writer-director Romi Trower.
Produced by Tristram Miall, the privately financed film also features Brooke Satchwell, Wade Briggs, Meyne Wyatt, Eddie Baroo and Kaarin Fairfax. Shooting wrapped in suburban Melbourne at the end of last month.
Ford, whose recent credits include Infini, Catching Milat and Deadline Gallipoli, plays Adrian, an It genius with a penchant for fast cars, leather gloves and soppy 1980s pop music, who also happens to have Ocd.
Samson (The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Winners & Losers) is Grace, a street artist with multiple personalities who can only engage in sexual activity through her promiscuous alter ego named G.
The new neighbours find themselves in therapy with the same psychiatrist and share a walk home one evening, beginning a kind of impossible love story with no touching,...
Produced by Tristram Miall, the privately financed film also features Brooke Satchwell, Wade Briggs, Meyne Wyatt, Eddie Baroo and Kaarin Fairfax. Shooting wrapped in suburban Melbourne at the end of last month.
Ford, whose recent credits include Infini, Catching Milat and Deadline Gallipoli, plays Adrian, an It genius with a penchant for fast cars, leather gloves and soppy 1980s pop music, who also happens to have Ocd.
Samson (The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Winners & Losers) is Grace, a street artist with multiple personalities who can only engage in sexual activity through her promiscuous alter ego named G.
The new neighbours find themselves in therapy with the same psychiatrist and share a walk home one evening, beginning a kind of impossible love story with no touching,...
- 8/20/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Screen Australia has committed more than $450,000 in development funding across 19 feature films.
Of the 19 projects, six are new to Screen Australia.s developmental slate, while the other 13 will continue to receive support.
The new projects include the drama script Clive, about a privileged man whose life is transformed after a serious accident, and Em, a comedic take on Jane Austen.s classic Emma.
Clive comes from writer/director Natasha Pincus, producer Bridget Ikin and executive producer John Maynard.
Em will be set in 1950s rural Australia and comes from writer Matthew Dabner, director Kate Riedl and producers Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent.
Psychological thriller Lonely Girl will also receive developmental support. Written by Lynne Vincent McCarthy and produced by Samantha Jennings, the project was also supported through Screen Australia.s Springboard Program.
The crime drama My Country, written by Sam Meikle and Serhat Caradee and produced by Matthew Dabner, will also receive funding.
Of the 19 projects, six are new to Screen Australia.s developmental slate, while the other 13 will continue to receive support.
The new projects include the drama script Clive, about a privileged man whose life is transformed after a serious accident, and Em, a comedic take on Jane Austen.s classic Emma.
Clive comes from writer/director Natasha Pincus, producer Bridget Ikin and executive producer John Maynard.
Em will be set in 1950s rural Australia and comes from writer Matthew Dabner, director Kate Riedl and producers Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent.
Psychological thriller Lonely Girl will also receive developmental support. Written by Lynne Vincent McCarthy and produced by Samantha Jennings, the project was also supported through Screen Australia.s Springboard Program.
The crime drama My Country, written by Sam Meikle and Serhat Caradee and produced by Matthew Dabner, will also receive funding.
- 11/19/2012
- by Emily Blatchford
- IF.com.au
Over $450 000 in funding will be spread across 19 feature films following an announcement from Screen Australia today.
Of the 19 projects, six are new to Screen Australia.s developmental slate, while the other 13 will continue to receive support.
The new projects include the drama script Clive, about a privileged man whose life is transformed after a serious accident, and Em, a comedic take on Jane Austen.s classic Emma.
Clive comes from writer/director Natasha Pincus, producer Bridget Ikin and executive producer John Maynard.
Em will be set in 1950s rural Australia and comes from writer Matthew Dabner, director Kate Riedl and producers Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent.
.Pyschological thriller Lonely Girl will also receive developmental support. Written by Lynne Vincent McCarthy and produced by Samantha Jennings, the project was also supported through Screen Australia.s Springboard Program.
The crime drama My Country, written by Sam Meikle and Serhat Caradee and produced by Matthew Dabner,...
Of the 19 projects, six are new to Screen Australia.s developmental slate, while the other 13 will continue to receive support.
The new projects include the drama script Clive, about a privileged man whose life is transformed after a serious accident, and Em, a comedic take on Jane Austen.s classic Emma.
Clive comes from writer/director Natasha Pincus, producer Bridget Ikin and executive producer John Maynard.
Em will be set in 1950s rural Australia and comes from writer Matthew Dabner, director Kate Riedl and producers Karen Radzyner and Anna Vincent.
.Pyschological thriller Lonely Girl will also receive developmental support. Written by Lynne Vincent McCarthy and produced by Samantha Jennings, the project was also supported through Screen Australia.s Springboard Program.
The crime drama My Country, written by Sam Meikle and Serhat Caradee and produced by Matthew Dabner,...
- 11/19/2012
- by Emily Blatchford
- IF.com.au
Brendan Cowell
Writer and actor Brendan Cowell will make his feature film directorial debut with the adaptation of his play Ruben Guthrie - the story of a wild-boy agency creative who burns himself out.
Cowell’s project is among 19 films to receive a cut of the $450,000 development support from Screen Australia.
Cowell has teamed up with Yael Bergman, producer of I Love You Too, which starred Cowell, and executive producers Laura Waters and Andrea Denholm.
The film’s synopsis reads: “By day, 29-year-old Ruben Guthrie is the wunderkind creative at one of Sydney’s hottest boutique ad agencies; by night, he is one of Sydney’s most notorious party boys until he jumps off a hotel roof into a wading pool and nearly kills himself. Over the next 12 months, Ruben tries to build a life around AA, cups of tea, inner growth and sex with a reformed addict. His friends,...
Writer and actor Brendan Cowell will make his feature film directorial debut with the adaptation of his play Ruben Guthrie - the story of a wild-boy agency creative who burns himself out.
Cowell’s project is among 19 films to receive a cut of the $450,000 development support from Screen Australia.
Cowell has teamed up with Yael Bergman, producer of I Love You Too, which starred Cowell, and executive producers Laura Waters and Andrea Denholm.
The film’s synopsis reads: “By day, 29-year-old Ruben Guthrie is the wunderkind creative at one of Sydney’s hottest boutique ad agencies; by night, he is one of Sydney’s most notorious party boys until he jumps off a hotel roof into a wading pool and nearly kills himself. Over the next 12 months, Ruben tries to build a life around AA, cups of tea, inner growth and sex with a reformed addict. His friends,...
- 11/19/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Screen Australia will allocate $2.7 million to support four production companies and four film producers as part of its enterprise funding program.
The enterprise program, which began in 2009 with $9 million allocated across 12 production companies, is aimed at building a sustainable screen industry.
The latest companies to receive funding are: Bearcage Pty Ltd (Michael Tear, Serge Ou); Joined Up Films Pty Ltd (Daniel Brown, Jacqueline Willinge, Anne Brown, Anthony Willinge); Jungleboys (Jason Burrows, Trent O.Donnell, Phil Lloyd); and Wtfn Holdings (Daryl Talbot, Steve Oemcke, Frank Dunphy, Andrew Logie-Smith). The four successful feature film producers are: Jessica Brentnall (Magic Films Pty Ltd); Angie Fielder (Aquarius Films); Nicole O.Donohue (Wildflower Films); and Nelson Woss (Woss Group Film Productions Pty Ltd).
.The eight recipients approved in the latest rounds of Screen Australia.s enterprise program will enable the companies and individuals chosen to step up to the next stage of their development and...
The enterprise program, which began in 2009 with $9 million allocated across 12 production companies, is aimed at building a sustainable screen industry.
The latest companies to receive funding are: Bearcage Pty Ltd (Michael Tear, Serge Ou); Joined Up Films Pty Ltd (Daniel Brown, Jacqueline Willinge, Anne Brown, Anthony Willinge); Jungleboys (Jason Burrows, Trent O.Donnell, Phil Lloyd); and Wtfn Holdings (Daryl Talbot, Steve Oemcke, Frank Dunphy, Andrew Logie-Smith). The four successful feature film producers are: Jessica Brentnall (Magic Films Pty Ltd); Angie Fielder (Aquarius Films); Nicole O.Donohue (Wildflower Films); and Nelson Woss (Woss Group Film Productions Pty Ltd).
.The eight recipients approved in the latest rounds of Screen Australia.s enterprise program will enable the companies and individuals chosen to step up to the next stage of their development and...
- 11/12/2012
- by Staff Reporter
- IF.com.au
Tristram Miall
Seven screen veterans have been added to the roster of Screen Australia’s project assessors, as two depart, and a revised set of Feature Film Production Guidelines is announced.
The change sees the departure of assessors Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner after serving out their contracts as Tristram Miall producer of Strictly Ballroom, Children of the Revolution and The Black Balloon returns.
Treole came under fire last month in the Encore comment thread when a film that she was executive producing, Galore, received funding while she contributed on the assessment board.
Screen Australia followed up the industry concerns of nepotism within the agency by publishing a statement defending its Conflict of Interest Policy.
Glen Boreham, chair of Screen Australia said: “Screen Australia has a rigorous conflict of interest policy to ensure that Board members and industry specialists employed by Screen Australia are not advantaged by their involvement.
“In essence,...
Seven screen veterans have been added to the roster of Screen Australia’s project assessors, as two depart, and a revised set of Feature Film Production Guidelines is announced.
The change sees the departure of assessors Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner after serving out their contracts as Tristram Miall producer of Strictly Ballroom, Children of the Revolution and The Black Balloon returns.
Treole came under fire last month in the Encore comment thread when a film that she was executive producing, Galore, received funding while she contributed on the assessment board.
Screen Australia followed up the industry concerns of nepotism within the agency by publishing a statement defending its Conflict of Interest Policy.
Glen Boreham, chair of Screen Australia said: “Screen Australia has a rigorous conflict of interest policy to ensure that Board members and industry specialists employed by Screen Australia are not advantaged by their involvement.
“In essence,...
- 4/26/2012
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
Screen Australia has again called on producer Tristram Miall to help determine which feature film applications get letters of interest and production funding, and has also brought on six external specialists to advise on investment decisions.
Producer Jan Chapman (Lantana, The Piano), director Chris Noonan (Babe), writer Andrew Bovell (Lantana, Head On), editor Marcus D.Arcy (Tomorrow, When The War Began and the upcoming I, Frankenstein), script consultant Joan Sauers and Neil Peplow, head of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.s screen content division, make up the gang of six.
Miall was on board at Screen Australia during the early years of the agency and before industry specialists Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner, whose contracts are due to expire, were appointed. Producer of the seventh biggest homegrown hit of all time in Strictly Ballroom and, most recently, The Black Balloon, he will be employed part-time under the new arrangements.
Producer Jan Chapman (Lantana, The Piano), director Chris Noonan (Babe), writer Andrew Bovell (Lantana, Head On), editor Marcus D.Arcy (Tomorrow, When The War Began and the upcoming I, Frankenstein), script consultant Joan Sauers and Neil Peplow, head of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.s screen content division, make up the gang of six.
Miall was on board at Screen Australia during the early years of the agency and before industry specialists Victoria Treole and Matthew Dabner, whose contracts are due to expire, were appointed. Producer of the seventh biggest homegrown hit of all time in Strictly Ballroom and, most recently, The Black Balloon, he will be employed part-time under the new arrangements.
- 4/24/2012
- by Sandy George
- IF.com.au
Screen Australia has invested $2.4m across seven documentaries to create what it says will be $6.5m worth of production.
Cordell Jigsaw will return with a second series of Sbs’s successful Go Back to Where You Came From to test six Australians about their preconcieved notions of asylum seekers by visiting refugees from regions not previously covered.
Producer Tristram Miall and writer/director Robin Hughes will create a six-part series called Creative Minds, exploring the lives of six Australia artists who have significantly contributed to the nation’s cultural landscape.
Using the ‘new science of happiness’ principles, experts will see if science can help couples save their relationships in Making Couples Happy, a four-part ABC series.
Photographer Murray Fredericks captures the Greenland Icecap in Nothing on Earth, produced, directed and written by the team behind award winning documentary, Salt.
Coming out of the National Documentary Program, Raising the Curtain traces...
Cordell Jigsaw will return with a second series of Sbs’s successful Go Back to Where You Came From to test six Australians about their preconcieved notions of asylum seekers by visiting refugees from regions not previously covered.
Producer Tristram Miall and writer/director Robin Hughes will create a six-part series called Creative Minds, exploring the lives of six Australia artists who have significantly contributed to the nation’s cultural landscape.
Using the ‘new science of happiness’ principles, experts will see if science can help couples save their relationships in Making Couples Happy, a four-part ABC series.
Photographer Murray Fredericks captures the Greenland Icecap in Nothing on Earth, produced, directed and written by the team behind award winning documentary, Salt.
Coming out of the National Documentary Program, Raising the Curtain traces...
- 10/12/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
In a new bonus feature on the recently-released special edition DVD of his feature directorial debut, 1992′s Strictly Ballroom, Baz Luhrmann revisits the struggle of taking the story he first conceived as a 30-minute drama school production — the tale of a would-be-ballroom champion daring to do his own steps and partner with an ugly duckling beginner — from the stage to the screen. Nothing was easy: finding financing and a distributor, filming the climactic scene during the lunch break at a real competition (in front of an audience that didn’t feel obligated to stay when shooting ran long), even designing the poster.
- 12/8/2010
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW - Inside Movies
Filmmaker/journalist James Ricketson finally got the answers he was looking for. In this guest post, he discusses the Aurora development program with Screen Nsw.
It all began with a simple interview request: ‘Would love to talk with you or whoever the relevant person is at Screen Nsw about the Aurora initiative.’ I had in mind an article about the Australian film industry. It would take nine months and dozens of emails and letters… but perhaps the following questions and answers will generate some dialogue, debate, amongst filmmakers about a topic relevant to all of us: How do we develop first class screenplays that can be produced to make films that Australian audiences want to see?
James Ricketson: Up until about 20 years ago screenwriters worldwide, did not feel the need to appeal to experts, script gurus, engage in workshops, to teach them how to write or improve on their screenplays.
It all began with a simple interview request: ‘Would love to talk with you or whoever the relevant person is at Screen Nsw about the Aurora initiative.’ I had in mind an article about the Australian film industry. It would take nine months and dozens of emails and letters… but perhaps the following questions and answers will generate some dialogue, debate, amongst filmmakers about a topic relevant to all of us: How do we develop first class screenplays that can be produced to make films that Australian audiences want to see?
James Ricketson: Up until about 20 years ago screenwriters worldwide, did not feel the need to appeal to experts, script gurus, engage in workshops, to teach them how to write or improve on their screenplays.
- 11/16/2010
- by Miguel Gonzalez
- Encore Magazine
In a superb, award-winning performance, Judy Davis plays an Australian Communist who admits she "can't relax." Thankfully, like her, this film's nervous energy rarely flags.
The feature debut of writer-director Peter Duncan, Miramax's "Children of the Revolution" is a deliciously cracked, one-of-a-kind comedy-satire about a strong-willed woman who unexpectedly ends the life of Josef Stalin and then comes to regret perpetuating his legacy.
Prospects in the cutthroat marketplace -- despite a cheeky print advertising campaign that's attention-getting but does not always do the film justice -- are modest at best. The presence of Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill in the cast will help, but video and cable are more likely venues for this clever concoction.
At times resembling a "mock documentary," but most memorable when it takes one inside the heads and homes of Down Under revolutionaries, "Children" zeroes in on those international party members who clung to their beliefs even in the face of overwhelming evidence that Stalin murdered millions.
The set-up is swift and amusing, with fiery Joan (Davis) trying to stir up the working class in Sydney and writing letters to Stalin for advice and inspiration. One of her comrades is the affable Welch (Rush), who longs to romance her and does not pretend to endorse her every tactic or conviction. Also keeping an eye on her is a spy for the government (Neill).
In a goofy sequence, her letters to Stalin are read by adjuncts and then by the Big Man himself F. Murray Abraham), who we are told has quit smoking and is more cranky than usual. The all-powerful leader of the proletarian revolution invites her to Moscow for official party reasons, but he really wants a date.
Joan goes on the trip and is shadowed by Neill's character, who reveals he's with the KGB. She's wined and dined by Stalin and they end up in bed. Presumably in the throes of lovemaking, Stalin dies and Joan is devastated. Aroused, Nine makes a pre-emptive strike and Joan sleeps with him too before heading home.
The film continues to zoom through the next several decades as pregnant Joan marries Welch. Uncertainty about the father of the child is dispelled when the youngster, named Joe, takes delight in criminal pursuits and going to jail. As a young man, Joe (Richard Roxburgh) falls for a pretty policewoman (Rachel Griffiths), but his dark nature comes to the surface when he's sent to prison on serious charges.
Eventually Joe becomes the head of a super-union of law enforcement agencies and creates an alternative government with the goal of achieving Joan Long's dreamed-of revolution.
Davis dominates when she's on screen, but Roxburgh ("Oscar and Lucinda") is also terrific. Director Duncan skillfully uses old footage, still photos, on-screen graphics and eclectic music on the soundtrack - from Cole Porter to Sergei Prokofiev.
CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION
Miramax Films
Writer-director Peter Duncan
Producer Tristram Miall
Director of photography Martin McGrath
Production designer Roger Ford
Costume designer Terry Ryan
Music Nigel Westlake
Editor Simon Martin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Joan Judy Davis
Joe Richard Roxburgh
Nine Sam Neill
Welch Geoffrey Rush
Anna Rachel Griffiths
Stalin F. Murray Abraham
Running time -- 102 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The feature debut of writer-director Peter Duncan, Miramax's "Children of the Revolution" is a deliciously cracked, one-of-a-kind comedy-satire about a strong-willed woman who unexpectedly ends the life of Josef Stalin and then comes to regret perpetuating his legacy.
Prospects in the cutthroat marketplace -- despite a cheeky print advertising campaign that's attention-getting but does not always do the film justice -- are modest at best. The presence of Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill in the cast will help, but video and cable are more likely venues for this clever concoction.
At times resembling a "mock documentary," but most memorable when it takes one inside the heads and homes of Down Under revolutionaries, "Children" zeroes in on those international party members who clung to their beliefs even in the face of overwhelming evidence that Stalin murdered millions.
The set-up is swift and amusing, with fiery Joan (Davis) trying to stir up the working class in Sydney and writing letters to Stalin for advice and inspiration. One of her comrades is the affable Welch (Rush), who longs to romance her and does not pretend to endorse her every tactic or conviction. Also keeping an eye on her is a spy for the government (Neill).
In a goofy sequence, her letters to Stalin are read by adjuncts and then by the Big Man himself F. Murray Abraham), who we are told has quit smoking and is more cranky than usual. The all-powerful leader of the proletarian revolution invites her to Moscow for official party reasons, but he really wants a date.
Joan goes on the trip and is shadowed by Neill's character, who reveals he's with the KGB. She's wined and dined by Stalin and they end up in bed. Presumably in the throes of lovemaking, Stalin dies and Joan is devastated. Aroused, Nine makes a pre-emptive strike and Joan sleeps with him too before heading home.
The film continues to zoom through the next several decades as pregnant Joan marries Welch. Uncertainty about the father of the child is dispelled when the youngster, named Joe, takes delight in criminal pursuits and going to jail. As a young man, Joe (Richard Roxburgh) falls for a pretty policewoman (Rachel Griffiths), but his dark nature comes to the surface when he's sent to prison on serious charges.
Eventually Joe becomes the head of a super-union of law enforcement agencies and creates an alternative government with the goal of achieving Joan Long's dreamed-of revolution.
Davis dominates when she's on screen, but Roxburgh ("Oscar and Lucinda") is also terrific. Director Duncan skillfully uses old footage, still photos, on-screen graphics and eclectic music on the soundtrack - from Cole Porter to Sergei Prokofiev.
CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION
Miramax Films
Writer-director Peter Duncan
Producer Tristram Miall
Director of photography Martin McGrath
Production designer Roger Ford
Costume designer Terry Ryan
Music Nigel Westlake
Editor Simon Martin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Joan Judy Davis
Joe Richard Roxburgh
Nine Sam Neill
Welch Geoffrey Rush
Anna Rachel Griffiths
Stalin F. Murray Abraham
Running time -- 102 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
CANNES, A daft and endearing comedy, "Billy's Holiday" is the story of a stumpy, middle-aged hardware store owner who discovers he has a talent for singing like Billie Holiday. It's an incredible, warm-hearted "Cinderella" story, which, unfortunately, trips over its many time signatures. Still, it's one of the most likable movies to screen at this year's market. Best prospects in the United States may be as a remake: This nostalgic, spry comedy would make for an ideal pairing of Dudley Moore and Blake Edwards.
Life has been decidedly flat lately for 50-ish Billy (Max Cullen). Although he still plays trombone and croons a bit in a band, his main preoccupation is raising his teen-age daughter (Kris McQuade) in the wake of his wife's desertion six year's earlier. A former entertainer, he's past his prime and wallows in performing the oldies now in Saturday-night stints. For Billy
life's refrain is all repetition with no new riffs in sight. Then one fine morning, while warbling in the shower, he finds that he sounds just like Billie Holiday. Realizing his life needs a boost, he surprises the band on Saturday night, and, to his grand amazement, brings down the house.
Undeniably, screenwriter Denis Whitburn's scenario rests squarely on the central comic gimmick of an ordinary Australian bloke sounding just like the sultry black blues artist, but it's also lined with a winning track of self-revitalization as over-the-hill Billy rediscovers his passions.
In this boom-box age, older viewers in particular will thrill to the soundtrack's succulent Big Band oldies as well as be amused by the film's satirical slant on the record business. While Richard Wherrett's direction is cheerfully cheeky, it's also a bit boxy, particularly with its group stagings and choreography. Still, Wherrett's directorial baton brings forth some amusing and warm moments.
Cullen is a bundle of pixie-ish charm as the hardwareman/songstress, while Genevieve Lemon is fittingly garish as his self-absorbed ex-wife.
Technical contributions are topped off by the film's liltingly romantic musical numbers, a testament to musical director Peter Cobbin's astute sensibility.
`Holiday'
BILLY'S HOLIDAY
Beyond Films Ltd.
Producers Tristram Miall, Denis Whitburn
Director Richard Wherrett
Screenwriter Denis Whitburn
Production supervisor Sally Ayre-Smith
Musical director Peter Cobbin
Director of photography Roger Lanser
Editor Sue Blainey
Costume designer Terry Ryan
Production designer Michael Scott-Mitchell
Choreography Kim Walker
Color/Stereo
CAST:
Billy Apples Max Cullen
Kate Hammond Kris McQuade
Sid Banks Drew Forsyth
Julie Coates Genevieve Lemon
Louise Appleby Tin Bursill
Rob McSpedden Richard Roxburgh
Running time - 98 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Life has been decidedly flat lately for 50-ish Billy (Max Cullen). Although he still plays trombone and croons a bit in a band, his main preoccupation is raising his teen-age daughter (Kris McQuade) in the wake of his wife's desertion six year's earlier. A former entertainer, he's past his prime and wallows in performing the oldies now in Saturday-night stints. For Billy
life's refrain is all repetition with no new riffs in sight. Then one fine morning, while warbling in the shower, he finds that he sounds just like Billie Holiday. Realizing his life needs a boost, he surprises the band on Saturday night, and, to his grand amazement, brings down the house.
Undeniably, screenwriter Denis Whitburn's scenario rests squarely on the central comic gimmick of an ordinary Australian bloke sounding just like the sultry black blues artist, but it's also lined with a winning track of self-revitalization as over-the-hill Billy rediscovers his passions.
In this boom-box age, older viewers in particular will thrill to the soundtrack's succulent Big Band oldies as well as be amused by the film's satirical slant on the record business. While Richard Wherrett's direction is cheerfully cheeky, it's also a bit boxy, particularly with its group stagings and choreography. Still, Wherrett's directorial baton brings forth some amusing and warm moments.
Cullen is a bundle of pixie-ish charm as the hardwareman/songstress, while Genevieve Lemon is fittingly garish as his self-absorbed ex-wife.
Technical contributions are topped off by the film's liltingly romantic musical numbers, a testament to musical director Peter Cobbin's astute sensibility.
`Holiday'
BILLY'S HOLIDAY
Beyond Films Ltd.
Producers Tristram Miall, Denis Whitburn
Director Richard Wherrett
Screenwriter Denis Whitburn
Production supervisor Sally Ayre-Smith
Musical director Peter Cobbin
Director of photography Roger Lanser
Editor Sue Blainey
Costume designer Terry Ryan
Production designer Michael Scott-Mitchell
Choreography Kim Walker
Color/Stereo
CAST:
Billy Apples Max Cullen
Kate Hammond Kris McQuade
Sid Banks Drew Forsyth
Julie Coates Genevieve Lemon
Louise Appleby Tin Bursill
Rob McSpedden Richard Roxburgh
Running time - 98 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 5/25/1995
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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