isabelle1955
I caught up with this movie ten years late because I'm working my way slowly through the seminal works of David Wenham, but I'm sorry I didn't catch it sooner, as it's a very entertaining means of whiling away a couple of hours when you have the 'flu (as I did when I watched it). Quite cheered me up. Australian films often seem to be able to do that, offering as they do a slightly skewed and non-PC perspective on life. California sunshine with a British sense of humour? Sounds like paradise to me.The story is, of course, quite ridiculous, but the performances from a good ensemble cast are so engaging that the unlikely plot can be excused, especially if you have taken enough 'flu meds to knock out a cart-horse. Lewis – rather blandly played perhaps by Ben Mendlesohn – is drifting between jobs and college and obviously irritating his highly focused and perky girlfriend, Lucy (gorgeous, leggy, Rachel Griffiths) He accepts a job at the local psychiatric hospital to provide drama therapy to a group of inmates, led by opera fan Roy (the marvelous Barry Otto). Now what the hospital authorities and Lewis are envisioning is an unambitious variety show. But what Roy has in mind is no less than a production of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, and he's nothing if not determined. No one can sing a note or speak Italian, but by a combination of bravado and insult, Roy talks Lewis into it and the patients start auditioning. Badly. Really badly.For those of you not familiar with Cosi Fan Tutte, basically it's Mozart's take on the perceived perverseness of the female character (it translates as "It's like that" or "Woman are like that" or something similar. You get the idea?) and it explores the idea that when let off the leash of fidelity by the absence of their lovers, women are straight after the nearest thing in trousers like a rat up the proverbial drainpipe. Alongside the main story of Mozart's opera, and the inmates' "let's put the show on in the barn" attitude, there runs a sub plot of whether or not Lucy can be faithful to Lewis, which is not terribly subtle, and given that the temptation on offer is the total plonker Nick (Aden Young - don't take it personally Aden), the outcome is not a complete surprise.The movie explores the themes you might expect from a film centered around a psychiatric institution; are the inmates any madder than the people outside, how do we deal with people who don't fit into our neat patterns of what is and isn't normal, how much liberty can you allow people who might be a danger too themselves as well as to others etc ? But the reason to watch this movie is to see the characterization of the patients. I'm not going to get into the ethics of whether it's moral to use psychiatric patients as fodder for humour in a movie, let's just accept that it is, and take it from there. Pamela Rabe is utterly moving as depressive Ruth, Jacki Weaver is wonderful as Cherry, a very anorexic and yobbish looking David Wenham is priceless as the pyromaniac cat burner Doug, and Paul Chubb grabbed my attention as mild mannered Henry. But the total stand out for my money was Toni Collette. I had no idea she could sing like that! She gives a marvelous performance as Julie, who is almost, but not quite, ready to leave the institution and face life and its temptations outside. Every performance I see of Toni Collette just reinforces how wonderful she is. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Not great, but well worth a couple of hours of anyone's time. Especially if you have 'flu.
raymond-15
Normally I would draw the line at using mentally ill patients as characters to be laughed at or derided in any way. They are really sick people and have some big problems to overcome. Some may be rehabilitated while others will always be hopeless cases.But this film shows that even schizophrenics and drug addicts have dreams and goals in life and who are we to pass judgment on their wildly impossible desires? Just imagine a bunch of crazy people wanting to act out a Mozart opera Cosi Fan Tutte. They can't act; they can't sing:they can't speak Italian; and none of them has had any experience in stage production.Lewis (Ben Mendelsohn) has just been appointed at this mental hospital and it seems that all patients are eager for him to produce this opera. Roy (Barry Otto) is overwhelmingly enthusiastic. "Why shouldn't we reach for the stars?" he asks.There is a great assortment of unstable uninhibited players whom Lewis finds are uncontrollable. Certainly they would be any producer's nightmare.There are many farcical situations in a typical Aussie style. Some of them are funny; some I thought were very ordinary. But as the film proceeds we do find that we are starting to warm towards the characters. In some strange way we are beginning to understand their plight and that their lives of emptiness are being filled by something worthwhile. May be it's a form of escape.The characters are played by well known Australian actors. Doug is played by David Wenham. Doug likes to dip cats in petrol and set them alight. Julie (Toni Colette) gives a touching rendering of the song "Stand by me", a message perhaps for all of us.Needless to say the film ends with the final elegant production staged for those in authority. While there is general acclamation at the end, stage gadgetry can still go wrong as every actor knows.This is a light-hearted romp and a real tonic for the blues.
mrpee
Once upon a time we were all children with the privilege of being ourselves in every moment of our life. Sometimes our life turns awry and we slip into a difficult position ..one that does not allow us the ability to escape. But we still remain ourselves and have the right to try to reach the open air while being pushed down with our physical and mental anguishes that slip up on us and close off the fresh air that we all need.Cosi is that kind of a story. A young man attempts to find his "fresh air", and in doing so he sets a group of severly lovely children FREE and for the moment gives them breathing room. And his fresh air is in full supply as he faces the future not afraid.
ruhmin8
I agree with most of the reviews already posted, but would like to add that I found the characterizations to be what endeared me most to this production. I'm a recent explorer of opera and have seen movie versions of some of them. This can stand toe to toe with any movie version of an opera in terms of its ability to reach gut level. I cried when the house lights went down and the curtain up as the six on stage were transformed into something bigger than themselves and so participated in the healing mystery that mankind has been experiencing since the first dramatizations and plays were enacted.
