Emerald City

This slick entertaining "witty" 1988 production is, in this new century worth seeing just to see Nicole Kidman on the cusp of DEAD CALM stardom and for those who know Sydney well, a chance to see how much the city skyline has changed in the past 22 years. EMERALD CITY refers to the capitol and capital of Oztralia and this film is about making films here in the 80s. Apparently this is supposed to be fascinating to the plebs in the multiplex and as a result the film falls flat for those not in the film industry or for anyone who feels Sydney Theatre Company plays like this get made into smart arse so- called comedies. It is an in-joke only for those very mean people the film is about. Some very nice scenes for cinema buffs of the fabulous State Theatre our very own 1929 Picture Palace still standing, and some great shots of Nicole's crotch as she is described as a sex object by her screen lover Chris Haywood. Nicole's Mum and Dad must have been mortified at the premiere to hear their gorgeous nubile daughter described thus especially when she is exercising on screen with her legs wide open. Desperatelty urbane and with awful 80s clothes and hair EMERALD CITY is now a curiosity.

Again a movie success transition, from another David Williamson play, this one with colorful bite and characters like Sydney itself, Chris Haywood, a hoot, as a struggling scriptwriter parasite, who sadly happens to be the hot Kidman's boyfriend. The always fine Hargreaves, plays an award winning, and unappreciative scriptwriter, leaves the smog and noise of busy old Melbourne with his family, for the glitz, glamor and lushness of Sydney. There of course, he's bedazzled by Kidman's beauty, while also being used by shark, conning Haywood. Anyone connected with the movie industry, will appreciate Emerald City, because of it's gut aching truth, in front and behind the camera, but mainly it'll be scriptwriters, who try to pitch passionate projects amidst, the wheeling and dealing of producers, so forth, some of it compromise, but hey, that's the industry. Robyn Nevin is terrific as Hargreaves wife. She's a really down to earth character, you'd want to know in real life. It's funny, in part, yeah, but never boring, as colorful as the emerald city itself.

When 'Emerald City' was released, expectations on it would presumably have been high. A quality cast including the underrated John Hargreaves, then young rising star Nicole Kidman and solid acting talent in Robyn Nevin and Chris Haywood.

But even more significant for that was that David Williamson had written it, based on his own play. And Williamson had as much box-office clout as anyone in the Oz film industry at the time, having helmed numerous successful films (sometimes based on his own plays) ranging from Don's Party to Phar Lap.

Alas, when released in 1988 the film was a disappointment as it received little critical praise, minimal box office and was quickly forgotten. Why was this?

What lets it down is that instead of feeling like a film on its own terms, it feels like a filmed version of the play. The theatrical style comes through in the overacting and the lack of a cinematic feel, so therefore it feels like actors acting instead of characters behaving and interacting. As a result the potential impact is muted.

The blame for this is largely at director Michael Jenkins, whose career was largely in TV and it shows. His efforts here pale in comparison to that of Bruce Beresford, who made excellent films out of two David Williamson plays in Don's Party & The Club.

Despite that, the film is worth a look. Being a Williamson play, there are plenty of good lines and scenes with some occasional incisiveness at the artistic milieu the film concentrates on.

The four main actors are all entertaining to watch (although Hargreaves is a bit over-the-top at times), with probably the best performance by Robyn Nevin who makes her character multi-faceted and surprising and convincing.

Overall, a missed opportunity but not bad.

Fun moments and performances do not quite compensate for the way the dialogue is belted out at breakneck speed.

I am suprised that the rating for this film is so low. Whilst it is admittedly not one of the greatest films of the decade, the film is a competent and amusing story of Sydney in the mid-eighties and Sydney-Melbourne rivalry.

It's humour is typically David Williamson. I like it and would recommend it to anyone.