Review of Sweetie (1989) by Mitchell W — 10 Feb 2008

Wonderfully quirky and eccentric, this is a revelatory film. "The Piano" introduced Campion to most audiences, particularly in America, but this earlier work is far more imaginative and original.

Both the story and visuals are strikingly unconventional, and yet compared to Campion's later films, "Sweetie" feels warmer and more accessible. It's not to everyone's tastes, and to my understanding, it was panned on its initial release, but given a chance, it's delightfully charming on its own terms.