How far can excellent costume design carry a film? A long way, it turns out. Kate Winslet stars as a dressmaker in the 50s, returning to her childhood village in the Australian outback. Secrets from the past are revealed as she uncovers the truth behind a murder she allegedly committed as a child.
Along the way she gets to wear outstanding outfits, as well as make some for the whole town. The high-fashion costumes clash wonderfully with the barren backdrop of the Australian wilderness and the bucolic village sat in the midst of it.
Winslet is good in the role, she manages to nail down the accent without making it the central part of her performance. It’s a well written part, which helps; part fish out of water, part daughter-coming-home, her character always has a sense of mystery yet opens up when it counts.
The story and structure is a mess however. At various moments you wouldn’t be forgiven if you’d thought the film had ended. The tone and even the genre pivot a couple of times, and it can be jarring. It’s particularly frustrating when things start to get boring.
Without going into spoilers, I might also question the order in which certain events unfold; something about the pacing and timing of the major plot points is way off.
It’s a funny film though and the sense of humour chops and changes between warm, gentle moments between characters, physical comedy and black-as-night gags. The drama hits too hard for this to be an out-and-out comedy but The Dressmaker is definitely good for a laugh or two.
This is an odd film. Some very poor decisions were made as to how it was put together, but the great lead performances, outstanding costumes and beautiful direction all make it worth your while. Not a must see, but a solid piece of work nonetheless.
http://benoliver999.com/film/2016/03/05/thedressmaker/
Both warms and breaks your heart, this charming small town tale takes a darkly comedic take on tragedy and wins at every turn. Strengthened by strong performances from everyone in this great cast (I mean, it made me enjoy a Liam Hemsworth performance, that has to mean something), The Dressmaker feels like a storybook fantasy brought to the real world.
The first 30 minutes I wondered why Kate Winslet chose to perform in that movie, then came the mid part and it was excellent.
I will rate this move Hashish brownies/10
Utterly superb! I wasn't expecting such greatness.
'The Dressmaker', to put it bluntly, is quality! It has a pulse and then some, I love the feel of the film throughout - with all its quirkiness, silliness and straight up brilliantness. It all starts off very strongly, though I did then feel a (very minor) plateau. However, to my surprise, it shoots straight back up as it culminates with a super ending.
Kate Winslet is top notch from beginning to end with an excellent performance, though isn't alone as the support cast all give very good performances - from Judy Davis to Hugo Weaving. I also note Liam Hemsworth, Alison Whyte and, at a certain point, Geneviève Lemon.
What a great film, full of twists n turns and it has a fantastic score. Loved it!
I wouldn't call this a comedy. This is a dark story about acceptance and revenge, with beautiful clothes along the way. I didn't like how things turned out with the love interest (no spoilers) but I'm glad she was finally able to move on and let go. And the villagers quite deserved what they got and more besides.
This was really really good. Odd, but good. Hit my feelings just the right way. I think I need to re-watch this sometimes.
A very uneven film, veering from offbeat comedy to mystery to melodrama. I enjoyed the film but was frustrated by it in equal measure. Its a patchwork quilt of a movie with terrific performances from Kate Winslet and Judy Davis.
I´ve hadn´t had that much fun watching a movie for a long time. Besides Kate I really loved Hugo. Overall a great movie, don´t judge it by the rating form your own opinion.
This film is a true masterpiece.
She sets the whole village on fire, BYE BETCHES!
Yes, I enjoyed this movie >.> the plot seemed like something that would be in a dream of mine.
1950s. Couture. Femme fatale. Revenge. Australia.
AMAZING movie ! Kate Winslet is my favorite actress !! She never disappoints
Not at all what I was expecting. I think the director has described this as Unforgiven with a sewing machine, which is pretty apt description.
Revenge is best served sweet with a sense of humour. This is an amazing film.
Why didn't I hear about this one sooner? Great story and Winslet is at her absolute best. Then again, when isn't she great?
https://IHateBadMovies.com
WHO DID THE CASTING? I mean, it is a great movie but why would they do that?
Shout by EarthsConflictBlockedParent2016-02-23T12:10:05Z
What an amazing actress Kate Winslet is, and she does a great Australian Accent... And this is a well worth watch very well done Aussie Movie....