Don's Party

A delightfully morose and humorous deconstruction of married life in the wake of the sexual revolution, set in Melbourne on election day 1969. The political aspect to the story is just as insignificant to the film as the election eventually turns out to be for most of these characters. What really concerns and consumes them is how disappointing their marriages, careers and lives as adults have turned out to be. Generally speaking, the guys want to sleep around more, and the gals want to be loved more. And every single one of these couples are locked in a struggle for control over their own and their partner's sexuality. There's an inevitable conflict between the basic human feeling of jealousy and the new morality established by the sexual revolution, claims playwright turned screenwriter David Williamson. A realization that might ring truer for most viewers than they'd care to admit. Which is why it's nice to see these bunch of characters admit it for us, although they don't seem to become any wiser or experienced in the process. Director Bruce Beresford (later of Tender Mercies and Driving Miss Daisy) infuses his film with just the right amount of spite and mockery, but there's also a warmth deep down below which ensures the viewing never becomes unpleasant or hopeless. Don's Party is a valid study of universal, timeless themes which has aged surprisingly well.

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)

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.

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.

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