Qtantoba
Joined Jul 2007
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Reviews4
Qtantoba's rating
So I'm really struggling to understand the hype and swathe of glowing reviews for this. Yes, Lady Gaga's acting is first class, she's great, and obviously her singing is spectacular - Bradley Cooper is brave to go up against her singing, but sings characterfully enough to match; the songs are actually pretty good as well. And I always love seeing Sam Elliott.
But...I just didn't find it compelling at all. Cooper sounds like he's doing a Sam Elliott impression, which is fine, but it also means he ends up just mumbling and you miss a fair bit of dialogue. The story is obviously old, but this didn't feel particularly fresh; I could tell everything that was going to happen without having seen any of the other versions. It was just "meh".
But...I just didn't find it compelling at all. Cooper sounds like he's doing a Sam Elliott impression, which is fine, but it also means he ends up just mumbling and you miss a fair bit of dialogue. The story is obviously old, but this didn't feel particularly fresh; I could tell everything that was going to happen without having seen any of the other versions. It was just "meh".
This remains one of the classics of Australian film-making. The comedy is brilliant, the human story beautifully told.
The basic and sparse way in which this film was shot throws the emphasis onto the emotional drama, and also the comedy. There is not a lot of music, which means the emphasis is cast on the dialogue, which is where the genius of this film lays. The speech is so simple that it becomes a thousand times more powerful than lengthy, contrived speeches. It means that Darryl's plain views and opinions are expressed purely. What this also adds to the story is the ability to incorporate humour into every situation. The sparse dialogue allows the generation of an incredible amount of one-liners. It is one of the most quoted and easily quotable films in Australia, and if not the world, that is just because of its lower popularity.
It's also a classic underdog story; the David and Goliath. Everyone loves to see the Aussie battler triumph against all odds. This is a perfect example.
The acting is also a master-class in understatement. The characters are made impossibly believable by top-notch performances by great Australian actors, like Michael Caton and the legendary Bud Tingwell. The actors bring to life these stereotypes of Australian suburban life.
All together it is a fantastic movie, and the last great Australian film. Since then, the market has been flooded by art-house dramas about single parents from immigrant backgrounds with drug problems, a child who hates them and an alcoholic partner they just met. It is a shining example of what Australian film-making can be.
The basic and sparse way in which this film was shot throws the emphasis onto the emotional drama, and also the comedy. There is not a lot of music, which means the emphasis is cast on the dialogue, which is where the genius of this film lays. The speech is so simple that it becomes a thousand times more powerful than lengthy, contrived speeches. It means that Darryl's plain views and opinions are expressed purely. What this also adds to the story is the ability to incorporate humour into every situation. The sparse dialogue allows the generation of an incredible amount of one-liners. It is one of the most quoted and easily quotable films in Australia, and if not the world, that is just because of its lower popularity.
It's also a classic underdog story; the David and Goliath. Everyone loves to see the Aussie battler triumph against all odds. This is a perfect example.
The acting is also a master-class in understatement. The characters are made impossibly believable by top-notch performances by great Australian actors, like Michael Caton and the legendary Bud Tingwell. The actors bring to life these stereotypes of Australian suburban life.
All together it is a fantastic movie, and the last great Australian film. Since then, the market has been flooded by art-house dramas about single parents from immigrant backgrounds with drug problems, a child who hates them and an alcoholic partner they just met. It is a shining example of what Australian film-making can be.