Rebecca Gibney

Occupation

Actor

The Dressmaker Trailer

When Myrtle (Tilly) was little, she lived a happy life, along with her mother in the small town of Dungatar. When the local school bully is found dead with Myrtle standing over the body, she is immediately accused of the murder and at the behest of the boy's father (who's also a town councillor) Tilly's packed off to boarding school to live a life away from the town and her mother.

Forced to grow up quickly, Tilly runs away to Europe where she finds herself being taken in by a skilled seamstress - sewing was one of the skills that her mother taught her before being forced to leave. Tilly eventually finds herself being recommended to a famous designer who teaches Tilly how to make wonderful clothes.

As years pass, Tilly's mother Molly Dunnage is still constantly talked about and at the centre of any rumours and little by little becomes less able to look after herself. Now living in her dilapidated home, there are few people who speak to her and even less willing to help the old lady to help look after her.

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Mental Review

By Rich Cline

Very Good

Even for a riotous Australian black comedy, this film packs in just a bit too much chaos. It's consistently smart and funny, with lively characters and especially witty dialog, but some of the sideroads never go anywhere. Still, there's so much terrific material in here that it's well worth a look for fans of the genre. And it's great to see Collette return home to reunite with her Muriel's Wedding director P.J. Hogan nearly 20 years after they launched their careers.

The story centres on suburban housewife Shirley (Gibney), who is obsessed with The Sound of Music and wishes her unruly family was more like the Von Trapps. But no, her husband (LaPaglia) is the town's philandering mayor, and their five daughters all think they're mentally ill. Then when Shirley herself ends up in a psych ward, Dad brings in the drifter Shaz (Collette) to watch the girls. She takes no prisoners, whipping them into shape while trying to give them some self-respect. She also shows them that the people society considers "normal" are probably crazier than they are. Meanwhile, eldest daughter Coral (Sullivan) gets a job at a shark exhibit run by a salty fisherman (Schreiber) who has a connection with Shaz.

Writer-director Hogan packs the film with rude references to The Sound of Music, from a pastiche pre-title sequence to Shaz's unconventional Maria-like approach to child-rearing (with heavy overtones of Mary Poppins). The film is colourful and sometimes too hyperactive, with Collette often going way over-the-top as the wildly unhinged Shaz, who also upends the life of their compulsive next-door neighbour (Fox). Much of this is simply too wacky for us to go along with, but other scenes are quietly insightful and very, very funny. Often at the same time.

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