Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Rachel Perkins
Stars: Rocky McKenzie, Geoffrey Rush, Jessica Mauboy, Deborah Mailman, Ernie Dingo, Magda Szubanski, Missy Higgins, Tom Budge, Dan Sultan, Ningali Lawford.
An indigenous coming of age road movie musical that should appeal to local audiences. Bran Nue Dae is a refreshingly lightweight, enormously entertaining and feelgood movie of the type that the local film industry doesn’t make enough of.
Co-written by director Rachel Perkins and playwright Reg Cribb (Last Train To Freo), Bran Nue Dae has been adapted from the popular stage play written twenty years ago by musician Jimmy Chi. Chi drew upon his own experiences as an aboriginal youth growing up in Broome and attending boarding school in Perth.
The film is set in 1969. Willie (newcomer Rocky McKenzie) is a shy boy who has grown up in Broome, where he enjoys fishing and flirting with local girl Rosie (Jessica Mauboy). Willie has been sent to boarding school in Perth because his mother (Ningali Lawford) wants him to study hard and become a priest. Willie himself is not too keen on that outcome, but is going along to please her. But after a run in with the officious Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush) he runs away from the school and begins an arduous journey home. A wily old drifter known as Uncle Tadpole (Ernie Dingo) helps him. The pair manage to sponge a lift with a couple of hippies travelling in a kombi van (singer Missy Higgins and Tom Budge). But Father Benedictus sets out in pursuit of Willie.
The film’s climax on a beautiful beach in Broome, where a number of characters discover their origins and family connections, seems a tad too convenient. This whole scene of revelations, secrets and hidden truths requires a suspension of disbelief, and is probably the film’s weakest moment.
The film also touches upon a number of indigenous issues – deaths in custody, alcoholism, abuse, the stolen generation, the loss of identity and culture, and the sense of displacement from their traditional lands – but it does so in a light and inoffensive manner. Director Perkins (Radiance, etc) has a clear affinity with the characters and themes, and her light and breezy direction throughout keeps the film bouncing along in an unaffected manner. The film looks great in widescreen thanks to Andrew Lesnie’s superb cinematography, especially in the outdoor scenes, which capture the natural beauty of the Australian landscapes.
For a musical though Bran Nue Dae lacks any really memorable songs, apart from the theme song which is performed over the end credits, and there is no real crowd pleasing, show stopping number. The choreography of a couple of numbers also lacks pizzazz.
Bran Nue Dae features a great cast, who all seem to have enjoyed themselves here. Fittingly enough Rush hams it up wonderfully, and his presence adds some gravitas to the material. Magda Szubanski contributes a cameo as the lusty busty owner of a remote service station. Enthusiastically reprising his role from the stage production, Dingo delivers the best performance of his career. He brings plenty of charm and a larrikin humour to his role as Uncle Tadpole.
Unfortunately though, newcomer McKenzie’s performance is far too tentative, and he really lacks the sort of charisma that makes an audience care about him. Budge brings some humour and pathos to his performance as the uptight German tourist who reluctantly offers Willie a lift. Musical stars Missy Higgins, Dan Sultan and 2006 Australian Idol runner up Jessica Mauboy get to belt out a couple of tunes along the way.
For most of its brisk running time though Bran Nue Dae has a wonderful mix of irreverent humour, up tempo music and delightful characters that will entertain audiences.
***