Monday, January 09, 2012

Three different Australian movies

Last night we watched Bran Nue Dae (and here) on ABC TV. Its a sort of a road movie set in Western Australia and especially the Kimberley. I must say that I enjoyed it. Still, I was frustrated when I went to the website to get more details. One day I will write a short piece on the stupidities committed by Australian films in their website designs.

Its a bit kitsch, but worth watching because it's quite fun. The official trailer follows. 

Another Australian film we watched over Christmas, one given to me by Santa, was Red Dog. This one is also set in Western Australia, but in the Pilbara region to the south of the first movie. This is a very different movie, even though both movies are in roughly the same time period.

I really enjoyed it. The official trailer follows.  Further brief comments follow the trailer.   

By the standards of local films, both movies were financial successes in local box office terms, with Bran Nue Dae taking $7.6 million, Red Dog over $21 million. Both are very Australian, with Red Dog striking a huge chord just based on the comments I heard from people.

The third Australian movie I saw at Christmas, again a present, was very different. This was the New England film, Lou the Movie (and here), set in the Northern Rivers. This is a very different film set in present times that was far less successful commercially. Again the trailer follows. 

I really enjoyed Lou. I also liked it because it shows part of the area that I know. There is an enormous difference between the colours and culture of New England and that in Western Australia.

Three very different movies, all Australian.

In writing this piece I tried to get some decent box office stats, buts struggled. I also found more visual material that means that I can better use film to illustrate New England life. But that's a matter for a post elsewhere.  

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