Go Big

Advertised as a "feel good" movie (whatever that is), I found this to be quite an enjoyable, amusing, engrossing and totally unbelievable (not that that matters) story. Having said that, I'm sure that I've purchased more than one product that was created, or at least promoted, in the way that this movie portrayed :-)

Alex Dimitriades was debonair as ever - Australia's answer to Pierce Brosnan. Tom Long showed an equal panache.

Wasn't sure about Justine Clark. She put her heart and soul into her role, but to me she was trying to be a bit too much Bridget Jones. Kimberley Joseph wasn't given too much to do (I'm not trying to make a cheap shot here, but after all she was given the role of the supermodel who had become a trophy fiance!), but it looked like she has risen above being a soapie star.

It's always good when there are recognizeable "real life" personalities in these movies, and they were quite a few of them. I find that this blend of fiction and I suppose "reality" is the word (as distinct from "reality TV shows"!) goes over very well.

One specific plot criticism. I do think that the way Gina was portrayed as handling her father's 60th birthday could have been done with a little more.... sensitivity.

This is the sort of comedy movie that Hollywood churns out in its sleep with its eyes closed, and often it shows. But this Oz-made movie is as least as good as any of them. It was funny, it held my attention, I could talk about it afterwards. I think it achieved everything it set out to do.

'GoBig' is a surprise, straight to television feature length film about the dot com boom of the mid 1990s. The old favourite rags-to-riches-then-bust story with a twist.

Three penniless, brazen and perhaps slightly criminal 20-somethings invent a business on the basis of nothing, calling itself 'GoBig', a company that 'does whatever we want'. In order to get money into their company, they infiltrate the life of rich heir Hamish Fitz-Herbert (played by Alex Dimitriades) by stealing his mail and snubbing him at a gallery opening, and then attending his high school reunion.

After substantially outbidding him in a charity auction his interest is sufficiently stirred, and he requests a meeting with the CEOs of GoBig. Their flamboyant pitch of not very much inspires him to the dismay of his advisors, to invest one hundred million dollars in the corporation, and the buzz the company stirs up as they float on the stockmarket makes them all multi-millionaires overnight.

The production overall is very slick and the acting tight. The characters are well developed, and the casting is excellent. It is slightly marred, however, by some rather cliche treatments of money, selfishness and love.

All the same, 'GoBig' is an exciting and flamboyant piece that is intelligent, enjoyable and easy to watch. Recommended.