Review of The Dressmaker (2015) by Eric H — 02 Aug 2016

The tiny Australian town of Dungatar, which appears to be constructed out of corrugated iron and dust, is home to a small population of mainly picturesque eccentrics and poisonous women.

Dressmaker Tilly (Kate Winslet) returns to Dungatar after being driven away when she was 10 for murdering a classmate. Her remarkable dressmaking skills earn her some brownie points, but the old wounds are far from healed.

This extremely odd film defies classification. It is often very funny, sometimes mystifying, always intriguing, sometimes tragic, and boasts some terrific performances and some sights you never expected to see, most of them involving Hugo Weaving. And the story keeps you constantly interested and keen to find out what happens next.Judy Davies, an actress I have never liked, made me cry. The dresses made by Winslet's character (and her competitor) are visually impressive and sometimes hilarious. The people who populate Dungatar are not believable for an instant, but they work wonderfully well as characters.

This is a truly weird film, but I really liked it.