High Rolling

For a film chock full of as many staples of classic Ozploitation cinema as High Rolling, one could be forgiven for ignoring its obvious flaws and instead enjoying the film solely as a feel-good, road-trip shambles. Indeed, High Rolling starts off that way, but many of its initially entertaining quirks wear off rapidly, resulting in an empty shell of a viewing experience with little to offer on the grounds of character, plot, humour or basic escapism.

Joseph Bottoms and Grigor Taylor play Tex and Alby, two knockabouts who abandon their directionless jobs at a travelling carnival in search of some on-the-road hijinks. Along the way, they hijack a Corvette, get lucky with a couple of nightclub singers and find themselves on the run from the mob.

The film's place in Australian history remains firmly held, if only for the solid debut appearance of one of the country's most reliable exports in Judy Davis (My Brilliant Career, Barton Fink). Meanwhile, the occasional likability of her two male leads fails to win out against a woeful screenplay and Bottoms' distracting overacting, making High Rolling a throwaway piece of entertainment at best, and an utter waste of time at worst.

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In the 1980's hot rod melodrama, KING OF THE MOUNTAIN, Joseph Bottoms, as an idealistic musician, races Dennis Hopper and learns an extremely grim lesson... A few years earlier, as an American starring in an Australian independent romp titled HIGH ROLLING...

Which added IN A HOT CORVETTE on video boxes despite the credited name remaining intact within the film itself (like THE SILENT FLUTE altered to CROSS OF IRON and/or KING COBRA to SATAN JAWS OF DEATH etc)...

Joseph, brother of late cult actor Sam Bottoms (Lance from APOCALYPSE NOW), the very obscure Ben (MORE AMERICAN GRAFFITI) and alpha brother Timothy Bottoms (THE LAST PICTURE SHOW with brother Sam, THE PAPER CHASE and the quietly explosive villain in ROLLERCOASTER), would play a character as fancy-free as they get: And the connection with Hopper is that his game-changing counter culture classic, EASY RIDER, was obviously still relevant Down Under: In this tale, two spontaneous rebels, sharing lots of youthful energy and a devil may care attitude, journey down an initially jovial path that eventually turns somewhat dark and dangerous...

Whether as the young spry Charlie Pizer in Disney's THE BLACK HOLE or the aforementioned songwriter in MOUNTAIN, Bottoms has almost too much energy to fit within the picture frame, which doesn't mean he overacts... Well not entirely...

His character, a Texan cowboy fitfully named Texas, is quite the lady's man (starting out with Christine Armor, hardly in the movie yet adorning any and all posters or VHS/DVD coverse): either in the carnival where he and boxing buddy Alby... played by Grigor Taylor in a dependable straight man role... hit the narrow road after stealing a green Corvette from a strange middle-aged male driver who had picked them up and, most importantly, who happens to be carrying a trunkful of drugs. Making this not only a ragged road movie but one of many "found cache" flicks with a price to be paid - hoodlums eventually follow the boys right as the frolicking, freewheeling first and second acts run dry...

Before the tables turn, one scene has a drunk, depressed Texas on the beach after having gotten pummeled by bouncers at a strip bar... He happens upon the female hitchhiker they'd picked up earlier as he frantically (as if the moon were a stage play spotlight) shares his philosophy of life...

This cool chick is, in fact, in love, and, played by a young Judy Davis, adds legitimacy to a film that rolls with the punches but tends to get knocked down by too much of a dated and cliché 1960's mindset during the much edgier 1970's when even the hippies were waking up to a more grounded reality. And as for that hotrod, this is no celebration ala CORVETTE SUMMER despite both of those film's leads, Bottoms and Mark Hamill, having been or about to be in their own outer space fantasy (and each character is attached to an optimistic wannabe hooker). In other words, the vehicle itself doesn't mean much here, save for that tacked-on retitle. Meanwhile, most of the action occurs away from the car, so the human beings will have to do, and for the most part, they do alright.

Any tax concessions the producer of this film gained by importing an American actor for this Australian film are totally outweighed by the charmless performance he delivers.

Buddy comedies are dependent on goodwill towards men who frequently act like adolescents. However as the instigator of bad behavior here, Joseph Bottoms is truly obnoxious. He combines arrogance with method self-indulgence, and seems to only have a career because of his handsomeness. At least, Grigor Taylor as his partner conveys some personality, within the general stupidity of the treatment.

This film is largely forgettable, and only worth noting apart for a series of freeze frames, for the film debut of Judy Davis. Although she is not given one decent close-up, she does project a likable combination of innocence and spunk, and she has a brief lyrical walk on the beach. Regrettably for her, she has to endure a beach scene with a beaten Bottoms at his worst.

The screenplay is offensive in its heterosexual double standards. Women are presented as objects, with the lesbian fantasy being the ultimate turn-on. But at the same time, Bottoms and Taylor are always touching each other, and we have the standard predatory older gay man who also hates women.

Two young drifters Tex and Alby get into a bit of trouble at the carnival they work at. No problems they chuck their jobs in and head off looking for an adventure. That's kind of the way Australia was like back in the mid - late 1970's carefree for young people. The movie then becomes a road movie.

Tex is a loud and quick talking American looking for fun and love. Alby an Aussie is the more silent one, he can fight and likes a good time too.

In their travels, Tex and Alby become the accidental owners of a beautiful green Corvette Stingray car . The car has hidden in it money, a pistol and bags of marijuana. The boys feel like they have hit the jackpot and head off the Surfers Paradise to party. The real owner of the car, money, dope is far from happy.

Tex and Ably give a lift to a young girl who is lost in life, and she goes along for the ride with Tex and Alby. Both guys take care of the young girl as best they can.

When they get to Surfers Paradise the fun and dramas start. After all the mayhem in Surfers Paradise, Tex and Alby think it might be a good idea to rob a coach bus? This causes even more complications.

High Rolling doesn't make any wonderful stands or statements. Its just a fun road movie set in Australia in 1977. There are quite a few young Aussie actors in bit parts scattered throughout the movie, some go onto bigger and better roles!

Yes, a Sherbet song inspired this movie, that has losers, Bottoms, an American carnival worker and his sidekick, Taylor, a boxer who split this scene, and head south to where else? Surfers Paradise. Only they hitch a ride with a homosexual mob guy, who they shouldn't of crossed, after he tries to get sexy with Taylor, who of course, knocks him out. They pick a up fifteen year old hitch hiker. You'll never guess who? She's has become one of Australia's most accompanied and respected actresses and this was her start. I love the zoom in shot on her face as she says "I'm really freaked out with civilization". You'll never guess where she's heading either, or worse, what she's gonna be. This movie is a bloody enjoyable funtastic romp, though, in no way, is it a good movie. It's rather a pretty poor movie. It's funny, but more so sad, that a lot of movies inspired from songs are poor. High points of the movie, exists in two scenes, one with the two taking sanctuary in a church, with Taylor, playing priest, spouting out some of the bible, as if these words are gonna lead them out of despair. The other scene that's a hoot has the two in a strip bar, where dancers, Wendy Hughes and Sandi Mcgregor, just atmosphere here, are being ogled by our oversexed Bottoms, and company as our gals mouth "Love to Love ya baby", the real voice lyrics in the background. Later, Bottoms, desperately wanting attention from these gals, lights up a dollar bill, at least it wasn't a hundred. Refer 2011's Sleeping Beauty. After, Bottoms gets roughed up for his troubles, while nice guy Taylor, who's uninviting line at the bar, has been used now in many movies, ends up bedding the two who take him for what he's got. It's also funny too, watching Bottoms trying to walk on water, drunk, and beaten up. I've viewed this flick a number of times. If you're an Aussie film lover, this is another one to put on your viewing list. Like it or lump it, you just have to accept it for what it is. Fun. And with Bottoms and Taylor (Bottoms, especially, the life of the film) behind the wheel, it's gonna be anything but dull.