Don's Party

Don's Party, thankfully, turns more to tears, sex, argument and some painful home truths for this group of Australian suburbanites, in the 1970's. Don uses the General Election results on TV as an excuse to get his mates round, who all have 'interesting' wives.

Like many a similar escapade into the lower echelons of human civility, the sexual innuendos and chauvinism is flowing as fast as the wine and beer and the election results fade from our attention.

It's often hilarious, frequently bitter and with a fair amount of full nudity, male and female, not least of which stems from the "borrowing" of next door neighbour's swimming pool. Bruce Bereford's slinging attack on what everyday people say and do when inhibitions slip is as far a cry from Picnic at Hanging Rock as is possible.

I only use that as a reference because this film is one of the DVDs in my Australian Cinema Collection 12 disc boxed set, as is 'Picnic at...' not because Beresford directed it. Beresford did direct a good number of Australia's most noted films - and not always for their quality, either. However, Don's Party is as good as this sort of adult sex comedy drama gets and could equally be set in the UK, US or indeed, anywhere. It's certainly one of Bruce's best.

After watching and enjoying "Travelling North', I decided to have a go at 'Don's Party'.

I moved to Canberra in 1970 and heard a lot about the play. My impression then was that it dealt with politics as it was set on the night of a Federal election.

I was rather surprised to find that the film was essentially to do with sexual relationships among the various characters.

I don't know if the film was just dated but the characters, except for the dentist, came across as totally unreal.

The arguments seemed totally fabricated. As did the sex. The humour might reflect what happens in a football dressing room but I've never seen anything like it in any party. In fact, it's hard to see why Don would have put together such a bitchy lot of people.

About 3/4 of the way through, I pulled out the DVD and went for a book instead.

Barry Qld

Don is holding a party to celebrate the ousting of the hated long standing liberal government in late 60's Australia. What starts as a serious political debate degenerates into your typical drunken fumbling and fighting as the booze flows and high-browed ideas are replaced with attempts to wife swap and skinny dip in the neighbours pool. Some of the funniest moments are when Cooley starts reminiscing about some of his sexual conquests - "When I was 18 i knocked up a 50 year old barmaid in my dad's pub and all she said all night was thank you....THANK YOU!!!" Mack: He once took pity on a woman with a wooden leg. Cooley: She wasn't a bad $£%&....Once you got past the knee cap squeak! All in all a great example of a David Williamson play. Directed by Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant, Driving Miss Daisy)

Anybody who lived through this era will understand that this film is a quintessential snapshot of Australia's cultural reality of this time. Let alone the greatest gathering of Australian acting talent.

Just watched a "classic" that i had admittedly never heard of but was lucky enough to come across on TCM. I was really glad that I did. The film is about..well..Don's Party naturally, which is centered around a new election and the ousting of a perceivably disliked politician In 1960's Australia. At first the patrons are all well dressed and well behaved but as the booze flows and the music starts to play things begin to take a turn into a sexually charged, haymaker throwing, insult swapping disintegration reminiscent of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff". The acting is fantastic, the characters a beautiful concoction of different social types that you my find in this world. The film is more of a window into what it may have been like in Australia in those times during the sexual revolution, some characters embracing it fully while others still grasping on to the more conservative values of the past. All in all this movie does have something to say and I found it a very fun couple of hours. Enjoy.