Cloudstreet

The only miniseries that compares with this one in the sweep of its story and the quality of the acting and production is Brideshead Revisited. This is the story of two, dirt-poor, tragedy-scarred Australian families in the 40s and 50s - and of the large house near Perth that they share. For an American viewer, the effect is heightened by the unfamiliarity of the actors, who are instantly and credibly the characters they play. They are all decent if flawed people, and you find yourself pulling for them to succeed. At the heart of the story is a young Lamb boy, called Fish, who nearly drowns at the outset and as a result is retarded. The telling of the tale is poetic, with the large, ramshackle house (on Cloud Street) and the sea (Fish's "water") playing major roles. Not for all tastes, and there is enough explicit sex to keep it off Masterpiece Theater, but it is a production that will move a lot of viewers. It certainly moved this one.

I was lucky enough to get the whole 6 episodes of this movie. I agree with the first reviewer that the first episode is a little confusing. The story starts with the Lamb family and i immediately recognized the Point Walter jetty Where the boy dives into the water as i lived in Point Walter on the Swan river Perth in the year 1962 and 1963. The jetty back then was not -T -shaped but was extended later to become that. The Lambs were obviously camping at point Walter which many did as it was a great crabbing,fishing and prawning place.Attadale, as the movie suggests,being where the movie was filmed- borders the suburb of Bicton which is the home of the Point walter reserve. After the drowning of the Lamb boy who was prawning on the wrong side of the drag net,(they prawned using a drag net and in the shallows but close to a drop off)The movie moves to the Pickles family. These 2 families are like cheese and chalk. The Lambs are from Margaret River- South of Perth and a farming community that grow vegetables and fruit. The movie then quickly switches to the Pickles. They obviously live way North of Perth in the town of Geraldton which is mainly wheat and sheep country. (guessing this as they mention the Brolos islands) However, the pickles are not farmers and Mr Pickles works on the cray fishing boats as Geraldton was also renown for the fishing.So it shows Mr Pickles getting his fingers caught in the winch that was used to pull the crayfish pots on board.(truth is,-they did not have those back then and they pulled by hand lol.) Mrs Pickles is an alcoholic and plays around,- while her husband is also an alcoholic with a bad gambling habit. The most of the filming (inside the house) actually took place in the now closed and fenced off-sunset hospital which is situated in the suburb of Dalkeith on the opposite side of the river. Entertaining and very good acting.We watched part 1 and could not stop and watched every episode. Could have been far better with a bit more expense.EG~ The kids get older but the parents seem to stay the same age. Not wanting to spoil this movie as i really think it is great and a must to see. Will easily watch it again.

This is my first review, and I'm not sure if this will count as review, or just long comment. I loved every minute. Definitely worth your time if you enjoy poetical story, ever present love - hate drama, touch of reality, music which syncs with the picture and of course Ozzie style directing, camera, characters and scene. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! And once more, LOVED IT! Aussie scenery half a century ago was done perfectly. You could compare this movie to, from top of my head, BIG FISH or LEGENDS of the FALL from American cinematography mixed with Australian THORN BIRDS or MAN from SNOWY RIVER. You will all probably see something much different than I did, but you won't regret. This movie will lift your spirit little bit and give you something to think about for couple of hours.

I have really enjoyed the visual translation of this wonderful Tim Winton epic story. The mixed fortune plot lines are are poignantly offset by an attention to detail and endearing characterisations. The folklorish details of the original novel are imaginatively presented with beautiful cinematography and a well balanced sense of timing with the narrators Australian accent another aspect of the drama. I too was a little confused by the first episode but stuck with it an the story did reveal itself quite quickly into the second episode. I watched a version which was three episodes of about an hour and forty minutes each which was perfect for viewing on three almost consecutive domestics flights.

Never thought 'Lonesome Dove' (directed by an Aussie, btw) would ever be knocked from its top-spot on my list of favorite TV miniseries, but the transcendent and potentially life-changing Cloudstreet, I guess, has done it. Having now read (via audio-book) the novel two times, I think the Tim Winton co-written teleplay to be a superb rendition of the source material -- considered by some, I understand, to be the modern 'great Australian Novel.' Topnotch Australian acting all around. Especially appreciative of Geoff Morrell's intelligent and exquisite portrayal of Lester Lamb -- who, for me, at least, is the heart and soul of the story.