The Flip Side

I saw this as part of the oz film festival in London. What a lovely film. Well made, great direction, good script and acting was spot on. Made me homesick for Adelaide.

I saw this when screened on TV, so it didn't cost me anything to view it. Low budget. Independent style film (when you think about Top Gun: Maverick, $170 million USD, 1000 people involved, one article states 2820 side jobs) with some nice shots of Australian scenery, the actors are decent at their craft (keeping in mind they aren't there for the viewers they attract with the dollar signs on the cheques pasted on their heads {HOLLYWOOD]). It was an interesting story although not utilised as well as it could be. I didn't feel like it was a waste of my time, enjoyed it, but, I am Australian and perhaps some nuances of it would be lost on those that aren't say British, Australian, New Zealand, perhaps Canada and South African. I also write that in acknowledging that it's nice to see an Australian movie, not enough are made, and it's a refreshing alternative to the cultural invasion of big budget, low effort, low intelligent tripe that we get from Hollywood/USA in every format - cinema, television, music, literature.

Set and filmed entirely in Adelaide and its surrounds, this film offers many moments of recognition for anyone who lives in or has lived in South Australia. Not a particularly memorable film but not cringingly awful either. Direction and acting are competent enough and there is a human story here that is told with a certain wry humour but with few LOL moments. (A fake boomerang that turns out to be anything but is one, and Henry's girlfriend Sophie is a hoot.) Can' t agree with the newspaper critic who thought the film should only have lasted 50-60 minutes and that it was padded with unnecessary scenes. The bowling alley scene, for example, was part of things going ever more pear-shaped for a financially stressed Ronnie, and the Q and A scene brought out what a poseur and phoney Henry was.

What a waste of everyone's time. This film is so bad, it defies description.

The acting is bad, bad, bad, especially from Henry's girlfriend Sophie. Have you ever heard a French person speaking English as a second language?

No trace of a French accent at all.

Henry just looked too old to be a hot movie star.

The part about Veronica's boyfriend writing a book where a spider falls in love with a woman was so ridiculous and then Henry suggests changing the spider's role to a man and that is somehow "interesting". Henry who hadn't even read the book, decides to make it into a movie. Seriously?

The obligatory kangaroo shows up of course, plus a boomerang just in case you didn't realise it's an Australian film and then to top if all off, a kangaroo "aggresses" one of the characters.

If you value your time, don't waste it on this piece of garbage which was nothing but a waste of colour film.

I dont understand how this film is fit for cinema release? It is the most unfunny comedy I have seen recently. Not to mention zero chemistry with the cast, appalling cinematography and no sound design at all. Basically everything you would want to go to the cinema for. why oh why?!