The Nugget

It is now some time since I saw The Nugget. I found it entertaining and chuckled througout it's entire length. The humour may be lost on non-Australians and maybe even on those Australians who haven't spent much time outside of inner Sydney or Melbourne. But if you have grown up or spent some time in rural or regional Australia you will definately appreciate the humour in this film.

This new film from Bill Bennett is far better than the critics suggest. Not perfect by any means, but still a real typical Aussie film with a spirit we haven't seen since "The Castle". All actors are good in their roles, and it is especially good to see Eric Bana coming back to Australia to make films even though he is now an international superstar. Occassionally Dave O'Neil does not seem as natural as the two other leads, and the narration is at times a little annoying, but overall I had quite a few laughs with this film. Seven out of ten.

The Nugget is a very funny film. There is a laugh every minute and the three male leads have some golden moments. Their mateship, which is threatened by greed, survives the turmoils wrought by the prospect of instant wealth. Line of the film is when Steven Curry says of his mates to his wife.'They dont judge me' The film opens with the most impressive crane shot you've ever seen. It looked like a small helicopter did the it but they dont make them that small. The wives of the three mates are all great individual characters. Likeable but not cliched. Producer, Writer and Director Bill Bennett really knows how to make a great film. Go and see it.

Lotto (Eric Bana, perhaps the only actor known in the States in this film), and his two buddies Wookie and Sue (yes, a boy named Sue), work for the road department. They live in semi-rural Australia and, while the jobs pay the bills, these guys dream big. To bask in extreme wealth, that's their goals. But, too often, to the chagrin of their wives, they blow money on bets and frivolity. Lotto even uncovers a 100 thousand dollar ticket but, bad luck, the tiny scratch off falls in a drain, never to be seen again. Desperate, the men have heard that "there's gold in them ther hills" nearby. Purchasing an expensive metal detector, they spend every weekend searching for treasure. What a way to make mates happy! Nevertheless, they find a HUGE nugget of gold and, very joyful, bury it. But, someone has watched them. Now, they must resort to trickery to get it back. Can they do it? Oh, and they have already told their boss to take their jobs and shove em! This is a fine Australian comedy with the one and only Eric Bana, made just as he was reaching stardom. He is funny and, along with his two co-horts, form a great new trio of stooges. The rest of the cast is nice, too, as is the scenery, script, and fun-filled direction. You won't be a fool to go for the gold with this little winner!

I don't understand how this movie could get some of the bad reviews I've seen. It may not be as good as 'The Castle' but as far as Australian made movies goes this is one of the best of a bad bunch. I could see nothing wrong with acting and the script was not the best, but it wasn't terrible. I think it's an insult to say that Eric Bana only became successful because of 'Chopper' he's a great actor and this film does nothing to take away from that fact. I think all the actors did a good job and to compare the acting of Dave O'Neil to that of a 12 year old is a horrible thing to say and anyone who says so should be ashamed. Every other reviewer that commented badly on this movie should hang their heads, not the actors, and I'd thank you to let the people involved in this movie keep their dignity.