Review of The Dressmaker (2015) by Katy V — 05 Nov 2015

I loved this movie. From the fabulous cinematography, to the extravagant costuming, it tickled my fancy the whole way through. While the story was clearly whacky and a little out there at times, this film paid tributes to things all Australians can identify with.

The landscape colours, so familiar to drought stricken country Australia, contrasted vividly with the splashes of colour brought by the dresses created by 'Tilly' on her return to Dungatar.

And the acting - Judy Davis was perfect as Molly, and must have had the time of her life with the one-liners her character threw into the discussion. Liam Hemsworth was that Australian bloke everyone wants to marry, and Kate Winslet's Australian accent never sounded jarring. (She's the first non-Australian/Kiwi I've ever heard manage this.).

If you've ever lived in rural or remote Australia, or even just lived in Australia, you'll find little golden nuggets of humour tucked away in the tiniest of things.

This story has so many facets - intrigue, murder, bullying, pettiness, family small town nastiness, love, romance, bigotry and the eisteddfod showdown. And there's even a footy match complete with woollen sleeveless jumpers.

There were characters I loved and characters I detested, but most of all this was a movie that left me smiling, despite the sadness of some of the story, and despite some of the themes that it dealt with so cleverly.