High Rolling

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.