Tutte pazze per Ken

As a counter to the negative comments elsewhere re this film - I found it extremely funny. Although I should note that I'm from country Australia where this is based - so it's not surprising that people from elsewhere might not appreciate the humour eg. references to the "excitement of Brisbane."

However if you grew up having picnics in windswept Rotary parks, riding about dusty streets and choosing between the ABC and one other channel, this is definitely worth a look. Miranda Otto as Dimity is solid enough, but the character of Ken Sherry makes the film - a reptilian, tai chi following, Hawaiian shirt wearing DJ that will make you cringe with laughter throughout.

I loved this movie. The characters were well-written; the acting was terrific. And the ending was unpredictable (unlike most movies made in the US) and, for me, highly satisfying. It reminded me slightly of Jane Campion's early work, but with a quirky sense of humor. I highly recommend this movie to those who enjoy a good low-key foreign comedy.

"Love Serenade" is a quirky and original film. I'm reminded of Pauline Kael's remark about "Passport to Pimlico" - "comedy with a fine flavour." I'd never heard of this and only rented it because of a recommendation by David Stratton on the cover. And I'm glad I got it out - it's been years since I liked a film this much. It's generally quiet, but its off-kilter humour is really very funny, and its observations about the sexes are poignant and even disturbing. The soundtrack is a key factor; it's a great collection of smooth seventies soul tracks, but they're used ironically, and you feel a little guilty for enjoying them so much. The performances are really fine, too. In all it's a wonderful film and it needs to be seen.

This terrific little movie has a simple but bizarre plot that gets completely weird along the way ...

It's very realistic for anyone who has lived in a REALLY small town before ...

The Aussie "Bush" never looked so good. My favourite shot - the wedding dress run across those wide, open grain fields.

Clever direction tells you things without the clumsiness of deliberate speech e.g. keep a look out for the wheelchair in the lounge of the sisters' house, it's one of the few clues you get to their former family life.

Wonderful performances, music etc etc. An Aussie Classic.

This movie is a little gem in which all the odd ingredients come together to form a surprisingly spot-on depiction of Australian life for a large percentage of the population. It scores big points for depicting life in the fairly unglamorous and largely forgotten country towns. The two sisters, especially the Rebecca Frith character (why this movie didn't make her a superstar is a shock to me) are spot on. But where this movie makes the leap from good Aussie flick to comic gem is its lack of fear in being strange. I won't spoil the many surprising treats by giving any of them away here but I will say that if you're a fan of Preston Sturges, this movie is his unlikely Aussie bastard child.