Displaying items by tag: Bryan Brown

THE TRAVELLERS

Australia, 2025, 97 minutes, Colour.

Luke Bracey, Bryan Brown, Susie Porter, Nicholas Hammond, Celia Massingham.

Directed by Bruce Beresford.

Bruce Beresford has been directing films for over 50 years, achieving success in Australia, for instance Breaker Morant, and overseas, Tender Mercies and Oscar-winner, Driving Miss Daisy. His previous Australian film was Ladies in Black.

This time he has focused on two significant themes, firstly, the Australian who goes overseas and the significance of returning; secondly, ageing parents and the issue of care.

This film was made in Western Australia, set mainly in a country town, with glimpses of Perth and some glimpses of Sydney Harbour for a touch of glamour.

Luke Bracey plays Stephen, a talented set designer, especially for operas, and based in Europe. His mother is dying and so he returns home, always challenged by his married sister, Nikki, played by Susie Porter, but confronting his father who has always had mixed feelings about his son and his artistic talent. And, of course, one good reason for seeing the film is the performance by Bryan Brown as Fred, always recognisable, always Australian, always the touch of the sardonic.

Stephen is returning to the town where he grew up and from which he escaped. He had not always been accepted and there are various Aussie taunts about his artistic career. However, he has had several relationships in the past and they surface again. While two of his schoolfriends, well not exactly friends, local yobbos, even turn out to be far more enterprising than we might have imagined, developing their vineyards and winemaking.

But, most audiences will identify in several ways with the issue of the death of the mother, the ageing father, his past as a travelling salesman, his growing carelessness about looking after himself, the mess of his house, and the amusing scene where he showers wearing his clothes saving time by washing body and clothes at the same time! And, of course, the issue of going into care.

This theme is a perennial, certainly not new in films. Many might remember Nonie Hazlehurst in the 2020 June Again, issues of age, care and dementia.

As with so many of Bruce Beresford’s films, they reach out to the wide audience, are on the wavelength of that wide audience, themes of interest, themes they can identify with, and with an underlying Australian optimism.

1. A Bruce Beresford film, based on his own experiences, made in his 80s? An older directors film and looking back?
2. The Australian tone of the film, the West Australian country town, the characters, the pub, opinions and industry, and the contrast with Sydney and its vistas, luxury homes, Opera? An sequences in Berlin, theatre and Opera? The importance of music, la Traviata?
3. Stephen, growing up in the country town, relationship with his sister and her family, his dying mother, the return to the town, the encounters with his father, the scenes with his mother in hospital, her death? His father’s house, untidy, eccentric, memory lapses, the newspapers, the baked beans in their 10 boiled, the shower with his clothes to do two jobs at once…?
4. Fred, a Bryan Brown character, voice, intonations, age, devotion to his wife, travelling salesman in the past, Stephens visit to connect with the woman, the indications of a relationship? Wanting to stay in his house, the attentions of his daughter and family, the grandchildren? Jokes? His reactions to Stephen, strained relationship in the past, Stephen and his artistic background?
5. Nicky, her character, in the family, her relationship with her father, her own family, travelling distance? The discussions after the funeral? Aged care issues? The going up to the top of the mountain, the view, the the conversation about the future?
6. The characters in the town, Stephen is going to school, the differences, his manner, the two brothers and their taunts, if the later change of heart, their work in the Vineyards, proposal to Stephen to join in business?
7. Stephen, the past relationship, going to Perth, the night with the friend? Back home, the selling of the house, the estate agent, the past relationship, the present relationship? Possibilities for the future?
8. The pressure from Berlin, the design of the Opera, the sketches, his work, his father’s taunts? Going back to Berlin, the opera, success? The offer for future work in Germany?
9. Christopher, the encounter with Stephen, Christopher and his background, friends, theatre, opera, the visit to Sydney, the luxury house? The possibility of an opera in Sydney?
10. Fred, moving out of the house, acceptance, going to live near Nikki and the family, hopes for the future?
11. Stephen, the possibility for working in Australia? His future?

ANYONE ABOUT YOU

US, 2023, 103 minutes, Colour.

Sydney Sweeney, Glenn Powell, Gata. Alexandra Shipp, Hadley Robinson, Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Bryan Brown, Michelle Hurd, Charlee Fraser, Joe Davidson, Darren Barnett.

Directed by Will Gluck.

Romcoms! Their success depends on whether we want more romance or more comedy.

Shakespeare, over 400 years ago, offered a title, perhaps a definition: Much Ado about Nothing. (But he also offered a comedy of errors and stated that all’s well that ends well.) And, despite appearances and less than Shakespearian dialogue, Anyone but You is a contemporary, slight re-working of Much Ado, a Shakespeare quote to begin with and quotes turning up in all kinds of places to keep us on track.

Actually, Shakespeare had tried the basic plot but seems to have awarded the winner of the battle of the sexes with the less than equal macho title, The Taming of the Shrew. And there was a nine updated version called To Things I Hate about You, which it also serves as a title here.

It all starts in New York City and an amusing toilet-seeking disaster, one way of bringing Bea and Ben (as we remember Beatrice and Benedict of old) together, a quick bonding, then misunderstandings and hostility, or, rather, enmity. They are played with enthusiasm by Sidney Sweeney and Glenn Powell.

In fact, most of the action takes place in Sydney, all the characters are gathering for Bea’s sister, Halle and her wedding to Claudia. But Bea is something of a disappointment and her parents always intervening, making suggestions, wanting to control. So, in Sydney, multiple glossy appearances by the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, the harbour and ferries – and a koala! And, heavens, there are Bryan Brown and Rachel Griffiths, he Claudia’s father, she Halle’s mother, with Gilbert Mulroney as her husband..

Writer-director, Will Gluck (comedies from Easy A to Peter Rabbit) tries to make the comedy broad enough for everyone (and does) but there are many jibes of antagonism hoping that this will be as you like it.

At one stage, a character remarks that something is “stupid but nice”. Yes, more or less.

1. Romantic comedy? American style? 2023? And action in Sydney? The Australian tone?
2. Based on Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing, the quotes and signs of themes throughout the film? Bea and Ben?
3. The introduction to Bea and Ben, Shakespearian expectations, New York in the 2020s? The situation, Bea and the toilet, at the counter, Ben and his intervention, smooth talking, their walking, going home, his cooking, chatting, the night, her stealing away, returning, overhearing Ben’s derogatory remarks, upset? Her contacting her sister and friends?
4. Six months later, the club, the party, the prospective marriage, Claudia and Halle, Halle as Bea’s sister, Peter and the connection, Bea and Ben meeting, immediate hostilities?
5. The marriage in Australia, the flight, the two on the plane, Bea getting the cake, tangled in the seat? At the airport, Peter driving? Taken to the mansion, Sydney’s northern beaches?
6. The insertion of location photography, the harbour bridge, the Opera house, the harbour, even the koala? Attraction for American tourists? But the difficulty of Beau, the rather dumb Australian hunk!
7. The introduction to Claudia’s family, her genial father, her mother, family relationships, Australian? The introduction to Bea and Halle’s parents, very American, concerned about their daughter, their ambitions, controlling and interfering, law, not certain, secretly withdrawing? Her relationship with Jonathan, the break, her parents inviting him to the wedding, his awkwardness, the parents pressure?
8. The sequences of tension between Bea and Ben, the taunts, the wisecracks, animosity? The plans to bring them together, Peter and Roger and their drama for Ben? Claudia and Halle for Bea? The couple realising what was being planned?
9. The decisions, to appear as a couple? Conversations, pretence and then back to reality? The expedition to the country, the koala, the spider in Ben’s pants, the naked episode? The contrivance about the sunglasses on the yacht, swimming out? Issues of swimming?
10. The portrait of the parents, the Australian laid-back, the interfering Americans? And Jonathan in the middle?
11. Margaret, the past relationship with Ben, her being with Beau, provocative, wanting to rekindle the friendship, the various interventions, her being cautious, kissing Ben and Bea seeing it and misinterpreting?
12. Beau, Australian slang, the shower sequence, uninhibited, sports, immoral not to go for the best wave to surf!
13. Preparations for the wedding, travelling to the boat, the party, the Titanic joke, Bea in the water, Ben diving in, the helicopter rescue?
14. The buying of the cake, returning home, the dog, the ribbon, the upset with the cake? The impact on Claudia and Halle?
15. The buildup to the wedding, Roger presiding, his words about love, the declarations? The celebrations?
16. Bea and Ben, getting closer, the kiss, the realisation, the night together, his sudden leaving, her misinterpretation? Hostility, leaving and going for a walk?
17. Ben, the promise of meeting at the Opera House, going into the water, the rescue, deliver to the Opera House, the various proposals, his proposing?
18. A happy ending all round, all’s well that ends well, Shakespearian ending, and many comedy of errors along the way, parents behaving well, the finale of a Romcom?