Movie Review: The Dressmaker (DVD)

Genre Drama
Director Jocelyn Moorhouse
Producer Ashok Amritraj, Bradley Gallo, Michael Helfant, Robert Stein
Actors Liam Hemsworth, Kate Winslet, Hugo Weaving
Where we got our copy Ster Kinekor Entertainment

Desolation Morris

Published August 30, 2016

What It’s About

In 1950s Australia, beautiful, talented dressmaker Tilly returns to her tiny hometown to right wrongs from her past. As she tries to reconcile with her mother, she starts to fall in love while transforming the fashion of the town.

What I Thought

Based on a novel by Rosalie Ham, this movie proves the age old point that not everything that makes a good novel makes a good film. It hits a high note at the start but takes itself so seriously with such sudden force that you’re left wondering where exactly everything went south so quickly.

Kate Winslet delivers her role in a manner that really reflects how much she’s grown as an actress over the last decade but unfortunately even her shining jewel of a performance can’t fish this film out of the gutter. The story is drab, small and uninteresting and the 1950’s have been so overused in film that you can’t help but wonder whether they shouldn’t have put a Zoolander twist on this story just to breathe some sort of life into it.

Overall this film is a patient lying on its death bed while wishing it could have been more than it turned out to be. If things were handled even slightly differently we might have gotten the snarky comedy of the season but instead we’re left with the runt of the litter.

While you do get some original and genuinely funny moments here and there, the overall mix of comedy and tragedy falls short of the pass mark, making this film nothing more than a bargain bin entry that will most likely be forgotten within a few months as if it never happened.

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DVD Special Features:

• N/A

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What Other People Thought

Even Kate Winslet carrying her sewing machine like a gunfighter’s pistol can’t redeem this unbearable patchwork of comedy and tragedy. – Peter Bradshaw

A film that starts off seeming satirical begins to take itself very seriously and, as a result, loses almost all of its initial comic zest. – Geoffrey Macnab

A work of shrill, campy excess as well as some pretty choice acting (especially from the always-welcome Judy Davis in a spry supporting role), Moorhouse’s adaptation of Rosalie Ham’s 2000 novel may lead audiences to expect a primmer, more well-behaved movie based on its title alone, but that doesn’t mean it won’t have them in stitches. – Justin Chang

What It's About In 1950s Australia, beautiful, talented dressmaker Tilly returns to her tiny hometown to right wrongs from her past. As she tries to reconcile with her mother, she starts to fall in love while transforming the fashion of the town. What I Thought Based on a novel by Rosalie Ham, this movie proves the age old point that not everything that makes a good novel makes a good film. It hits a high note at the start but takes itself so seriously with such sudden force that you're left wondering where exactly everything went south so quickly. Kate Winslet delivers her role in a manner that really reflects how much she’s grown as an actress over the last decade but unfortunately even her shining jewel of a performance can’t fish this film out of the gutter. The story is drab, small and uninteresting and the 1950’s have been so overused in film that you can’t help but wonder whether they shouldn’t have put a Zoolander twist on this story just to breathe some sort of life into it. Overall this film is a patient lying on its death bed while wishing it could have been more than it turned out to be. If things were handled even slightly differently we might have gotten the snarky comedy of the season but instead we’re left with the runt of the litter. While you do get some original and genuinely funny moments here and there, the overall mix of comedy and tragedy falls short of the pass mark, making this film nothing more than a bargain bin entry that will most likely be forgotten within a few months as if it never happened. - DVD Special Features: • N/A - What Other People Thought Even Kate Winslet carrying her sewing machine like a gunfighter’s pistol can’t redeem this unbearable patchwork of comedy and tragedy. - Peter Bradshaw A film that starts off seeming satirical begins to take itself very seriously and, as a result, loses almost all of its initial comic zest. - Geoffrey Macnab A work of shrill, campy excess as well as some pretty choice acting (especially from the always-welcome Judy Davis in a spry supporting role), Moorhouse’s adaptation of Rosalie Ham’s 2000 novel may lead audiences to expect a primmer, more well-behaved movie based on its title alone, but that doesn’t mean it won’t have them in stitches. - Justin Chang [taq_review] The Dressmaker is currently available for purchase on DVD at all major retailers country-wide.

Movie Review: The Dressmaker (DVD)

2016-08-30

Desolation Morris

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The Dressmaker is currently available for purchase on DVD at all major retailers country-wide.

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Desolation Morris

Guest Contributor - Entertainment

Werner is a strange one...he quotes a lot of things...incoherently I might add, also he reviews stuff from time to time. We still don't truly understand what he is or where he came from.

To quote him verbatim:

Make sure they see my twitter handle so I can get hookers and drugs.

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Article Tags: DVD Review · Film Review · Hugo Weaving · Kate Winslet · Liam Hemsworth · Movie Review · The Dressmaker

Article Categories: Movie Review · Movies