Don's Party

Rating:
Summary: Fine play becomes brilliant film
Review: Don's Party has become a catchphrase in Australia. Every election held for the state or federal governments is now climaxed by little suburban gatherings dubbed "Don's Parties".

The brilliant stage play by David Williamson has captured the Australian idiom in 1969 as a new generation of Australians, fresh from university and questioning the suffocation of 1950s Australia, began to express themselves.

While it would be easy to dismiss this generation as flakey old baby boomers today, back then they seemed like courageous, questioning pioneers.

The Bruce Beresford film is utterly faitherful to the play (see Beresford as the drive-in bottleshop attendant in the opening few minutes as Graham Kennedy stocks up on the way to Don's place).

It is hilarious and damning at the same time as the vast gulf between Australian men and women is explored in the midst of a remarkable political crucible of the late 1960s.

Of course, in the midst of such brilliant dialogue, one line stands out. Family values prevent me from repeating it here, but watch out for Curley's words of welcome as he arrives at Don's with a box full of beer.

Rating:
Summary: A bawdy, peculiar Australian cultural snapshot of 1969
Review: I have to admit that I didn't like any of the characters in this movie, but I kept watching, anyway. Anti-heroic, Me-generation characters really mix it up with sex, booze and explitive-filled rants about the rich and the working class. To me, the context of this film was much more interesting than any of its other elements. The surprise sensation of watching this movie is kind of like stumbling across an old photo of one of your conservative uncles, who is now shown holding a biker chic in one arm and giving the finger to 'The Man' with the other.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Terrible DVD
Review: It's a shame that the makers of this DVD put little to no effort into maintaining the quality of the original print. The pictue quality is below the standard of VHS (perhaps a PAL conversion?)and the sound has been mixed so poorly that you often can't hear what's being said due to the overbearing effects track. If you can manage to look past this butchering, you may be able to appreciate this great example of '70's Australian culture.

Rating:
Summary: Party on, Don
Review: Obscure but worthwhile little nugget from "Breaker Morant" director Bruce Beresford that folds in one part "Shampoo", one part "Return Of The Secausus 7" and sprinkles liberally with "Who's Afraid Of Virgina Woolf". The story takes place in Australia on election eve, 1969. Don and his uptight wife are hosting an "election party" for old college chums at thier solidly middle-class suburban home. With the exception of one self-absorbed Casanova, most of the guests range from recently divorced to unhappily married. Ostensibly gathering to watch election results, talk politics and socialize, Don's party quickly deteriorates into a veritable primer on bad human behavior as the alcohol kicks in. By the end of the night, marriages are on the rocks, friendships nearly broken and people are taking naked swims in the vacationing neighbor's pool. Yet, this is not just another wacky party story. It has a lot to say about mid-life crisis, elitism, politics, and the silly behavior between men and women in general. Savagely funny and well-acted, this is a sleeper worth seeking out. DVD notes: I would agree that the audio mix is uneven at times (the Aussie accents and slang are tough going anyway) but the picture isn't half bad if you tweak it a bit. I did an "A/B" with my 20 year old home-taped VHS copy, and it appears that the original print was a dodgy propostition to begin with, so short of a restored Criterion edition (don't hold your breath), "it is what it is".

Rating:
Summary: Party on, Don
Review: Obscure but worthwhile little nugget from "Breaker Morant" director Bruce Beresford that folds in one part "Shampoo", one part "Return Of The Secausus 7" and sprinkles liberally with "Who's Afraid Of Virgina Woolf". The story takes place in Australia on election eve, 1969. Don and his uptight wife are hosting an "election party" for old college chums at thier solidly middle-class suburban home. With the exception of one self-absorbed Casanova, most of the guests range from recently divorced to unhappily married. Ostensibly gathering to watch election results, talk politics and socialize, Don's party quickly deteriorates into a veritable primer on bad human behavior as the alcohol kicks in. By the end of the night, marriages are on the rocks, friendships nearly broken and people are taking naked swims in the vacationing neighbor's pool. Yet, this is not just another wacky party story. It has a lot to say about mid-life crisis, elitism, politics, and the silly behavior between men and women in general. Savagely funny and well-acted, this is a sleeper worth seeking out. DVD notes: I would agree that the audio mix is uneven at times (the Aussie accents and slang are tough going anyway) but the picture isn't half bad if you tweak it a bit. I did an "A/B" with my 20 year old home-taped VHS copy, and it appears that the original print was a dodgy propostition to begin with, so short of a restored Criterion edition (don't hold your breath), "it is what it is".

Rating:
Summary: The obvious charm of the reluctant bourgeoisie
Review: Sydney, Australia, late 1960s. A national election is being held in which the Labor party may be returned to power after 20 years of numbing right-wing rule under the so-called Liberal party. A bunch of old university friends gather excitedly at Don's place to have a party and watch the election results on the television. They're all thirty-somethings now, most of them with families, but they remember their activist, free-spirited socialist youth. That's actually pretty much how they still see themselves at the start of the party. But as the alcohol flows and the night wears on, they grudgingly admit, if only within, that they've joined the dreaded moneyed class and could hardly care less who wins the election. By turns thought-provoking and side-splittingly funny, "Don's Party" resonates disturbingly with all of us who've seen our early passions replaced by a mundane though comfortable reality, accompanied by vague feelings of self-betrayal. Bruce Beresford ably directs this superb play by David Williamson. Strongly recommended. It's that rare thing - a movie for adults.

Rating:
Summary: CLAIRE BINNEY IS MY SCHOOL TUTOR!!!!!
Review: THATS RITE...SHE IS; SHE IS A DISGUSTING OLD PORN STAR WHO MAKES DILDOS IN HER ART LESSONS!!!!!! YUCKKKKKKKK

(SHORE SCHOOL IN NTH SYDNEY!!!)

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic movie, crummy DVD
Review: This is a 5 star movie with 1 star disc quality. The audio is so poor that I would not recommend its purchase to others. I can't even share this movie with friends, as they won't be able to understand the dialogue - it's only because I know most of the dialogue already that I can stand watching it.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic movie, crummy DVD
Review: This is a 5 star movie with 1 star disc quality. The audio is so poor that I would not recommend its purchase to others. I can't even share this movie with friends, as they won't be able to understand the dialogue - it's only because I know most of the dialogue already that I can stand watching it.