Love in Limbo

Just picked this up in a sale bin on DVD and mighty glad I did. I wasn't expecting too much, but I was taken by surprise by how good it is. In one sense it's a typical teen coming-of-age movie, but it has a really good script with several interweaving plotlines which all work, held together by excellent performances from the three teen leads, plus the adults (particularly Mum)and some good supporting performances. It captures the spirit of the fifties well, with a superb soundtrack plus a cameo appearance from R&B legend Little Willie Littlefield (and an excerpt from the classic rock'n'roll movie The Girl Can't Help It). Above all it's funny, particularly the sequence when the boys finally get to the brothel in Kalgoorlie, only to have the working girls practically go on strike just as they think they're finally about to taste the delights of sex! Although better known as a producer, David Elfick directs with finesse and the gaudy fifties decor fits the bill exactly. This has to be one of the best movies of its kind, and I shall be watching my DVD a lot.