Takeshi-K Thats what this movie should have been called. Mullet is an a$$hole. He comes back to his hometown and treats everyone like dirt. There is no explanation for his arrogance, there is only some vague sense that he was some sort of local football hero in his youth. Despite that somehow the cute girl behind the bar magically sees past all that (this is never explained) and for no reason falls in love with him and goes with him to the city. I mean it. There is no reason. He really is an a hole, he isn't good looking, he treats everyone like dirt, and somehow he manages to get the hottest girl in town to fall for him. Yeah right.The main character/actor is the boring uninteresting center of what really is a flat movie that goes no where. Mullet has no character arc, does he learn from his mistakes ? no. He just leaves town. Ah .. great plot. Testimony to the fact that good screen writing starts with an interesting central hero that goes on some sort of emotional transition.The actor who played his brother who married Mullet's ex was great and the guy who played his Aboriginal friend was good too in the face of Mullet's racism and all round malevolence. You really want to beat Mullet up he's that annoying. The plot, of which there is not much to it, is basically the Jack Kerouac thing about "you can never go home". Once you leave you are forever changed and going back to your past is counter productive. Thats what I took from it, pity I explained it better here than the movie did dramatically in its very dull 90 odd minute running time. Epic fail. For a much better take on the going back to a small town thing watch "gross point blank" instead.

swingmatism this movie was so terribly bad that just as my girlfriend and i were getting up to leave in total disgust... it ended. a thin plot, bad acting, lifeless characters, no action or startling developments, it was by far the worst movie i've seen in a long time.i am familiar with the area that it was filmed in, and can't say that the characters portrayed are indicative of the locals... the locals are smarter, funnier, and far better company (and i dont live around there).well may they say god save the queen, for nothing can save the australian film industry... if they keep turning out "quality" like this.

paulquirk Anyone that doesn't like this film should get out of the city limits and experience a bit of Australian life. We're not all a bunch of coffee sipping w***ers. If you spend a bit of time in a country town you will see what the true heart of this country is and know how much our country owes these stalwarts of the Australian persona. This film deals with the real issue that is facing country towns across Australia, that they're dieing. The young grow up, move to the city and never look back. I did. Local football is the glue that holds the community together. When you leave that's what you miss the most.The language in this film is brilliant. It drips from the actor's tongues as good as any Shakespeare. The story is populated with well-rounded characters varying degrees of flaws and strengths. The use of music in this film is of special note. Characters absently sing "juke box classics" as they go about their daily business. This is best seen in the scene where Kay (our agent in the story) sings a Divinyls classic while she cleans the bar.Ben Mendelson gives a signature performance as Mullet, but it's the peripheral characters that make this film work. Andrew S. Gilbert, Susie Porter, Tony Barry and Belinda McClory all are in top form as Mullets friends and family waiting for him to throw another spanner in the works of their lives.The only flaw in this film is some problems with the pacing of the script. The characters are given an ample playing field, however the script lacks those three hits that would make it a truly great character study. At the end it all feels a little loose, suggesting maybe it could have benefited from more development. That said this film shows a definite step forward in David Caesar's work and Australian film in general. Which is more an argument for better funding of Australian films WITH Australian stories, than any lack of skill on the part of the part of those involved. Not happy with the direction of Australian film? Start banging the keyboard and put out something better. Take a drive out of the city limits, sit in the local pub and see how faithful to the Australian persona this film is. Film is the mirror we hold up to ourselves and this film is as faithful and relevant as other recent efforts such as Mallboy, Head On, Love & Other Catastrophes and La Spagnola. We are a diverse culture that requires a diverse range of character studies.

Bald One I got to see it for nix as a preview as well (like Aussie Stud). But I went back the next day to pay to see it again.As an Australian, its tremendously validating to see characters you recognise and understand at a level you otherwise seldom encounter.Its a bit unlikely that the value will be worth much in the hands of someone not steeped in the local culture. It does have its merits regardless, but the film would fall into the interesting but not wildly successful category I imagine.The plot is thin, but this pics not about plot, its about characters. And I don't generally worry about how pictures portray the real people they represent, I just enjoy the movie.And I enjoyed this one...