MonsterPerfect Good idea lost in the noise

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

j-cav To be honest this movie wasn't that good but it wasn't terrible. It is one of those movies that kind of eases you thought the story without much interesting going on and doesn't require you think too much. The story focuses around Barry (Sam Worthington) who was just released from prison and how he is trying to get his life state and "get square. The movie also adds stories of at least two other characters and how they all tie in together and this leads into one of the main problems with the movie. There are way too many cuts where the story starts to focus on another character not to mention there are very few scenes where two characters are in the same frame whilst talking so the camera continuously switches between characters making you feel you are watching a tennis match. It also gives the feeling conversations took more than one take to get right and they delay between when someone talks and when they replay makes the conversations seem very awkward.The best thing the movie has going for it are the actors. It has an amazing cast that almost distract you from the fact the movie is quite boringly predictable and it makes the more or less satisfactory ending seem that little bit better. This is a movie to watch if you don't mind sitting though about an hour of seemingly pointless sense that eventuate to an ending that reminds you that it's not about the destination it's about the journey.

Lupercali Look, this is a pretty decent film, but isn't the working class comedy-heist thing getting a bit old?.Additionally, if you're trying to do an Ozzie 'Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' type film, you could perhaps be a little less obvious than to stick an English actor like Timothy Spall in a leading role, good though he is. The film seems to have some bizarre sort of cultural cringe to English heist movies, and having it set in Surfers Paradise, which is more like California than California, doesn't help ground it.That being said, even if the writing is nothing special, the acting is uniformly good. It's been said before and will no doubt be said again, but David Wenham is magnificent as 'Spit', the almost impossibly clueless junkie. His courtroom scene might just be the funniest five minutes of Australian cinema in years, and he absolutely steals every scene he's in. Honestly, it's worth watching the thing just for him.In other respects it's above average, but not by a lot.A strong 6.0 out of 10.

Lynton A solid example of an Aussie crime/comedy caper - but more than that, it's a brilliant display by David Wenham, who deserves much applause (and a good shower) for his portrayal of Johnny 'Spit' Spiteri.Many things come together to make this a great Aussie film. The cinematography is clever and fresh, the script is, and the acting is superb.Sam Worthington is Barry, recently out of prison, who lands a job as a chef in a struggling restaurant, run by Darren (the wonderful Timothy Spall), an ex-con trying to stay straight. When Darren runs into trouble with a suspect $200,000, and Barry's friend Spit runs afoul of the local gangster (Gary Sweet), they team up for a double-cross - but it's much more complicated than that.The script is smart and devilish, but while it twists and turns, it never approaches ridiculousness. Written by prominent criminal lawyer Chris Nyst, you wonder who much is fact and how much is fiction - something here seems plausible.That might be just the superb acting. Worthington is solid and believable, but Wenham utterly steals the show as the hapless, mullet-wearing Spit. One scene where Spit goes before a court hearing is one of the highlights of Aussie cinema of the last decade. It's stunningly scripted, brilliantly acted - and very funny.'Gettin Square' isn't as good as 'Two Hands' - it's uneven at times, slightly plodding early on, and takes 40 minutes to really get into the script - but it's still well worth the entry price.

daniel-390 it would be sad if such a good film passed through the cinemas without being noticed. Please do yourself and the Australian Film Industry a favour by going out and seeing it. It is a character driven film with a great plot and very clever writing. The first 20 mins do run slow but it is essential to set up the many characters who will push forward the plot. It really is one of the best Australian Films of 2003.