Sweetie ** (1989, Geneviève Lemon, Karen Colston, Tom Lycos) – Classic Movie Review 6389

Début director Jane Campion’s 1989 Australian tragi-comedy film is the tale of two deeply weird sisters, the phobic Kay (Karen Colston), who is afraid of trees, and the deranged and extroverted Sweetie (Genevieve Lemon).

They live together in peculiar style with their boyfriends and Kay’s dad, whom mum deserts to sing and cook for Blazing Saddles-style comic cowboys.

Campion directs this bizarre story with a commendably straight face and it is hard to know whether it is meant to be serious or funny. But as a nightmarish portrait of a family and as a black comedy it does have some limited success.

Where it succeeds well is in Campion’s daring and innovative visual style, brightly coloured and beautifully lit, with striking off-centre compositions and sudden changes to startling close-ups or overhead shots. It is original, but is it interesting? Well, quite a lot of people thought it was, and it was the foundation of Campion’s career, which highlighted with The Piano.

Campion writes with Gerard Lee, based on Campion’s original story idea, it is shot by Sally Bongers, produced by John Maynard, scored by Martin Arminger and designed by Peter Harris.

Also in the cast are Tom Lycos, Jon Darling, Dorothy Barry, Michael Lake, Andre Pataczek and Jean Hadgraft.

Adult themes, some swearing and male full frontal nudity.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6389

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