Liebling, bleib so wie ich bin!

Ten minutes into this one, and I had had enough. Half an hour in, my wife and I were in stitches. The joke - it is a one-joke film, and so what - is that somehow, magically, the two estranged lovers exchange bodies. Each has to cope with the other's job and the demands on the opposite sex, and, of course, each develops a new understanding and appreciation of the other. There are predictable situations (his first experience of PMT, her first erection, their first sexual experiences in their new bodies, difficulties with how to treat work colleagues), but they are funny, and exceptionally well acted. Guy Pearce ("LA Confidential") as a woman with a man's body, minces as he did in "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", and his opposite number, Claudia Karvan, catches assertive male body language beautifully. At times, the joke seems a little over-extended, but it is good-hearted and good fun.

This is a terribly hackneyed plot. All about the stereotypes of men and women and how we are supposed to interact. But I laughed frequently and out loud and I suppose that's what a comedy film is supposed to make you do. I enjoyed the playing of the actors who brought life and humour to a sometimes rather corny script. They brought out the full farce of their acting one might say!

The first twenty minutes, whilst the plot establishes itself, are a bit of a chore but thereafter the silliness takes over and I chortled away as predictably absurd scenes were unravelled.

Disappointing homophobic line about men and women being the natural (and implicitly, only) form of coupling for human beings, which seemed at odds with the rest of a fresh, healthy skip through sexual norms but alas every script writer has a bad day.

I grew up on that staple of british cinema the 'Carry On's and this is kind of doing a similar thing. Don't expect it to change your life, just entertain you for 90 minutes.

It is a rare slice of genius when a production sails by on bubbly Bringing Up Baby style wit and humour, then three days later awakens you to a beautifully simple solution to the oldest struggle of mankind, male vs female.

More than just an evening's entertainment, this film could save troubled marriages by more than just its romantic tones and ending. It can achieve it's goal by setting the realistic co-operation example that it does.

Little wonder the screenplay works as well as it does with Linda Seger as consultant.

At the core of its charm is the fact that the two leads had to work and watch each other throughout the rehearsal process, then successfully emulate each other during filming stimulating recognition in the audience, something strongly identified in all successful Australian films.

That's why in the public screenings I saw, the pencil in the hair always drew powerful laughter.

Zig Zag

I really liked this film. It is an example of how the Australian film industry is growing. The actors have gone far since this movie, and I believe that this film helped them. I find it actually amazing that Americans have heard of it! Anyways, I really liked it. I have seen it a few times and find new funny bits every time I see it. My favourite scene is where Brett (in Tash's body) just discovers the change. He (she) suddenly thinks of his bits and, although he (she) is now a female, still thinks he (she) will have a penis.

At 1 hour and 40 minutes, I felt that this film was overlong for its simple story and romcom genre. So many filler, pointless scenes in the middle I would have omitted.

I enjoyed the the the lead duo Guy Pearce and Claudia Karvan. Both gave a very funny performance, and I wished that the script had more comical situations written for them. Pearce acting like a girl was just hilarious and entertaining. I wish they had more crude scenes with him as a woman. But hey, this isn't Hollywood. Aussie comedies generally lack gross out humour and vulgarity. Not that I'm a fan of those styles, but I think this film needed more irreverent humour.

As such, I thought the film seemed more serious and stern as it progressed. And as I said, at 100 minutes it just felt too long and more like a 120 minute film. I still respect this film as an unforgettable Aussie comedy from the 1990s, despite the little gripes I had with it.