Children of the Revolution

Rating:
Summary: Wicked
Review: A real find. The film starts out as a broad satire (perhaps just a bit too broad), then sharpens to a steely point in the second half.Judy Davis has never been more ferocious (and that's really saying something). A romp, but one that leaves bruises. Grab it.

Rating:
Summary: Complex, convoluted, satire that works on many levels.
Review: An historical satire, farce and family drama all in one film. Kinky sex (bondage, leather) midway through the film makes it unsuitable for children. The movie begins in a pseudo documentary fashion following the political life of a fiery young woman who is the core of the workers revolution in her corner of Australia. Her devotion to Stalin is total "Stalin is more than one person. it is through Stalin that we all achieve our goals." It even extends to a trip to Moscow - this is a really funny part of the movie - sex and death with the great man and the conception of a son. Who she names Joe. The rest of the film concentrates more on Joe. Joe is an extremely sympathetic character, putting up with his difficult mother, coming to terms with his evil heritage. But to say anymore would be to give away too much. Sam Neil and Geoffrey Rush put in good performances. The writing is superb. Best movie I have watched in years. Worth several viewings. Hard core leftists should avoid it.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful acting, marred slightly by pronounced tonal shift.
Review: Children of the Revolution features a host of great actors -- Judy Davis, F. Murray Abraham, Sam Neill, Richard Roxburgh -- and two extremely moving low-key performances by Geoffrey Rush and Rachel Griffiths. Just that cast alone can sustain a hell of a lot, and Children of the Revolution isn't shy about pitting them against one another.

The beginning and middle of the movie are deft blends of socio-political satire and personal drama, laughter and emotion. It's too bad that in the second half of Act 2 it takes a turn for melodrama. Given the calibre of the acting, it works (Griffiths plays especially nicely against Davis, and Rush -- his character increasingly isolated in the story -- is bewitching), but I wish there could've been more of a mix of the comic and the tragic near the end of the movie. The comedy wasn't so much forgotten (the "Ronald McDonald" bit, and the last interview with "Joe Welch" still hit the funny bone) as underweighted in the final parts of the story. The film deserves credit, nonetheless, for even aiming towards this complicated mix in the first place and succeeding 90% of the time. And the setups and subplots are brilliant -- Anna's Latvian background weaving into the Dave-Joan relationship; Welch's jealousy of Stalin; Joe's eventual megalomania; the cellmate and future assassin; even the final hilarious reveal about Anna and Dave was set up.

A small but bright gem, not easy to discover (the eye-popping video cover helped), but well worth the hunt.

Rating:
Summary: Tears of Laughter and Tears of Sadness
Review: I felt this movie is one of the best films I have ever seen in my life. As a Communist, I first assumed the movie was just a farce of stalinist Russia. Throughout the first 30 minutes, I laughed a lot. I thought the notion of some-one as evil as Stalin singing and dancing is funny, to me. I really felt with the main charrecter and her ideology, except her love of Stalin, and was happy that she finally realises he was evil. At the end, the Son (concieved by Stalin) turns into his father, and proclaims that he is doing the work of the Revolution. It gives a good example of Stalin's acts and how they ruined Lenin's Russia.

Children of the Revolution is a brilliant film, and Leninists and true Communists can plainly see this.

Rating:
Summary: Ummmm... Different.
Review: Not necessarily a bad thing to be different. I cannot quite grasp what this movie is trying to be, but I liked it okay. The humor is often dark, and I feel I have missed some of it. I did laugh at times, but not enough for me to call it a comedy. I did find it a bit philosophical, but not terribly deep, so I wouldn't call it a thought-provoking film. It's definitely not action, and it's not art-house... so what is it? That is a question I cannot answer, but... it doesn't matter! The film has some good stuff, and I did enjoy it. The plot twist at the end was completely unforseen, and caught me by surprise! That alone makes it worth viewing! So, my review is this: I liked it, but it would not be one of my favorites. It's just a movie with some interesting aspects.

Rating:
Summary: The difference a moustache can make
Review: This is an extremely original and well made farce. the film is generally comical but there are some tragic overtones throughout. The story of the idealist leader of the Australian communists earns a trip to meet Stalin in Moscow. The visit provides the setting for some of the funniest moments in the film. The idea of Stalin dancing and singing is funny in itself, imagine watching it realized on screen. But this comical interlude provides the crucial elemnt of the plot, the conception of Stalin's son. His identity is kept secret by his mother, but through a series of fortuitous circumstances Joe (thta's his name palyed by Roxburgh) becomes a union leader and organizes the police force. Hints are given throughout his childhood, he loves handcuffs for instance - leading to a steamy scene with a seduced policewoman. as a result of an 'accident' he has to grow a moustache and discovers his true personality after this event. There is sadness also, but I felt it beyond the plot or film itself. The mockery is certainly funny but it's undeniable that many idealists were betrayed by Stalin and his unbound evil. Communism in the Soviet union (and elsewhere) might have developed differently had Stalin not hijacked it. Now we're left with no alternatives and embarking on a dangerous course of increasing inequality. The film ironizes and does an excellent job (Judy Davis' excellent acting apart) of showing the demoralization of an idealist who has to face the sad reality and the poor 'loves' of the past. I saw the film twice and remember it with an ironic smile. Highly recommended

Rating:
Summary: The best Aussie flick since Gallipoli
Review: This wonderful, sparkling bubbly commentary is simply a masterpiece. Showing the exploits of a Communist mother and her suspecting son this movie is not only a commentary on COmmunism and the excess of liberalism but it is also a hilarious film with an amazing funny cast and a profound group of intrigue. The main character is followed through his life as he slowly realizes he is none other then the son of Stalin, the man his mother loves but who he learns to loathe. Yet as time goes on the viewer is led to wonder: Maybe in his rejection of his father he actually becomes him. Funny, great. Wonderful!!!!

Rating:
Summary: The best Aussie flick since Gallipoli
Review: This wonderful, sparkling bubbly commentary is simply a masterpiece. Showing the exploits of a Communist mother and her suspecting son this movie is not only a commentary on COmmunism and the excess of liberalism but it is also a hilarious film with an amazing funny cast and a profound group of intrigue. The main character is followed through his life as he slowly realizes he is none other then the son of Stalin, the man his mother loves but who he learns to loathe. Yet as time goes on the viewer is led to wonder: Maybe in his rejection of his father he actually becomes him. Funny, great. Wonderful!!!!