Review of The Dressmaker (2015) by Timothy A — 05 Nov 2015

Don't be ashamed to let out a sigh of weary resignation at the fact that almost twenty years after the golden trilogy of Muriel/Priscilla/Strictly, camp and quirky is still seen as a surefire formula in Australian cinema (all evidence to the contrary).

A decent quickfire melodrama is damn near ruined by the insistence on putting Hugo Weaving in stockings and contrasting the most glam of frocks against the harsh Australian outback, both for no apparent reason.

The scenes between Judy Davis and Kate Winslet offer some spark, but the latter is a good ten to fifteen years older than most of the actors playing her supposed old schoolmates, and it shows. Not a complete waste of space, due largely to Davis, but definitely a once through and forget.