what its about: two sisters whose mum walked out on them 12 years ago, return to their home town, after hearing the news of her death. in order to fulfill her last wishes, which involve living in the small town for 6 months, they also have to sort out the milk bar left to them. the girls soon discover they have been the victims of a scam when their mums death turns out to be a fake. the girls battle between finding true love and sorting out their feelings when re-united with their eccentric mother.
what i liked? the cinematography was what impressed me the most with many of the shots being very clean in style and well thought out. i did have a few giggles throughout and it was an easy film to watch. it's probably geared more towards a female or more mature audience who appreciate lighthearted film over cgi imagery and big budget films. Pia Miranda (known for 'looking for alibrandi') is very cute and suited to her quiet yet gutsy role of Heidi. Shane Jacobson's (also in 'kenny') character Johnnie is perhaps the most enjoyable in the film. he plays his role well and produces many of the giggles in the film due to comedic style which he does so naturally. holly valance's (who plays 'rose' in the film) acting style is a little up and down but when she commits to the emotional scenes, her performances are very believable. there is one scene in particular that she holds good focus against her fellow actors (caroline o'Connor & Pia Miranda) which shows she can produce a solid performance despite her previous 'neighbours' stint that seems to pigeon hole not only herself but many other good Aussie actors who have come from similar backgrounds. the music to this scene also ties in well. my favorite scene however involves the sisters, rose and Heidi, roses' son Albie (a cute young Toby Wallace) and their mother Georgia. it's a short scene where Georgia tries to sneak a peak on her girls and grandson and it lightens the mood by producing a small giggle. oh and i should also make note that the costume designer did a lovely job especially with Georgia's choice of clothing bringing back a very funky 50's style to the screen.
what i didn't like? i found the colours of the film, although bright and lovely, to be too extreme. it looked as though the films saturation levels were overdone which in turn made Johnnie the cop's face look overly flushed, so flushed in fact, i was worried he may drop to the ground suffering a heart attack at any moment. the lighting didn't seem to be adjusted in a scene or two to match other scenes, perhaps they shot early in the morning or late in the afternoon and were struggling against the light. there were some unanswered questions with the mum, Georgia's character, who's reason for being the way she is was never explained. and some of the scenes didn't flow evenly into others, leaving further unanswered questions. at times the acting did fall below par but there were some stronger scenes that perhaps lifted it enough to pass by and be quite enjoyable. Spencer mclaren's role of 'james', Heidi's love interest, came across too stalker like and stiff in style and was perhaps the least enjoyable character but his cute looks may make others oversee that.
how did the movie make me feel? i came out of the cinema with a smile. given, this film is not in everyone's taste, but very few films appeal to a wide audience. there were a few niggly things that could have been improved upon but overall it's a nice Aussie movie to watch on a Sunday afternoon without all the swearing, lewd sex scenes and drug use that we've all become so accustomed to in cinema these days.
kiwi or Aussie connection? Aussie, Aussie, Aussie... filmed on location in Victoria with an all Aussie cast
