Desperate Remedies (1992) User Reviews

Self-consciously quirky

[Reid-14 · 7/10 · 19 December 2000]

This is a self-consciously quirky film which sets out to be visually arresting and vigorously melodramatic. In the process, it comes close to unintentional humor in its bombastic style, primary color sets and incongruous moments of semi-nudity. In the end, though, Desperate Remedies is a stunning and delightful film, almost entirely due to the convincing, sexy, utterly charming acting by the entire cast.

Outrageous film from New Zealand.

[cricket-14 · 6/10 · 6 May 1999]

Movie has migrane-inducingly bright colors, and outlandish costumes - such as a hoop-skirt with nothing under it.

Gay sensibility throughout, in this somewhat peculiar, Victorianish setting.

Odd film

[jumaward · 6/10 · 15 March 2002]

A fairly surreal flick. I've tried to describe it to friends, and the best thing I can come up with is "it's like watching someone else's dream."

Definitely not intended for a general audience.

To the poster who commented on "migraine inducing color:" that's a perfect description.

Perfect Camp

[viverito · 10/10 · 17 October 2006]

This movie is intentionally campy and it does camp to perfection. Everything detail in this film is done so well it constantly impressed me with how creative and resourceful people can be on a limited budget. The film was chock full of amazingly creative sets, beautiful costumes and excellent actors. The directing is top notch as well. No detail is ignored by the director; down to the arching of a brow the twitching of a lip and a close-up of a furtive glance. There is even a hilarious scene of one of the main characters literally dragging herself through the mud that made everyone in the movie theater laugh uncontrollably. A great film.

A sort of lesbian Victorian bodice-ripper with a gay sensibility

[Shuggy · 4/10 · 22 August 2007]

I saw this when it first came out and didn't know quite what to make of it. 14 years later, I still don't. A sort of lesbian Victorian bodice-ripper* with a gay sensibility and two men of very different attractiveness (one brooding sultry hunk - the late and very much lamented Kevin Smith - one lowlife with a good body, Cliff Curtis), the film is operatic, over the top, and somewhat camp. It takes place almost entirely indoors at night in sets of varying degrees of surreality, so that the New Zealand it is set is not one that any New Zealander will recognise, nor ever would have. (There is a town of Hope in New Zealand, in Nelson province, but 5km from the sea. The town seems to be based on Russell {Kororareka} but Russell never ran to grand opera.) The designers are very fond of the colour red, and everyone is very careless of the rubies at the centre of the plot - nobody even bothering to count them. The music relies heavily on the overture to "La Forza del Destino" - which must be annoying to people who know the opera. While these particular elements of plot, character and location have probably never been brought together before, there is nothing particularly novel about any of them. Watch it mainly for curiosity about vintage NZ film.

*No bodices were actually ripped in the making of this film.

One of my favorite films

[samv · 9/10 · 12 March 2002]

This film is brilliant! What do I love about it? Over-the-top melodrama (done well), a surreal mix of historial periods (and period dress/costume), great music, a sexy sexy hairy chest and a good twist in the plot at the end! I hope it comes to DVD soon.

Glorious New Zealand Gothic

[lews22 · 9/10 · 26 November 2015]

I watched this again after "What we do in the shadows" reminded me of it. It is aging very well, and for my money is a superior film to "What we do in the shadows". The combination of Gothic, noir and high camp works superbly. The sets and costumes (those dresses!) are wonderful, and the music matches the emotional tone perfectly. The cast amounts to an A list of NZ actors. Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Lisa Chappell make a superb pair of self-made ladies. Jennifer Ward-Lealand is particularly magisterial and easily carries the weight of the film's central character. The men are good too. Kevin Smith died tragically young, so any movie featuring him is a treasure. Michael Hurst is suitably sleazy as the corrupt MP and Cliff Curtis has a ball as the totally decadent Fraser. A great kiwi cast in a great kiwi film.

Baroque and Magnificent

[jromanbaker · 8/10 · 23 January 2021]

A chance to see this film again was not to be missed, and it lived up to my memories of it. It is entirely sudio bound on a set with endlessly flowing camera movements, intense and saturated colour, and for those who have seen them the film reminded of Josef Von Sternberg's masterpieces of the 1930's and of his eccentric and wonderful ' Saga of Anatahan ' made in the early 1950's. Watch it if you can find a copy and dismiss the plot, and just enjoy the delirious images. In 1993 I believe it had a certain cult following. It is full of erotic imagery, both Gay and Straight and the performances of Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Kevin Smith are superbly over the top and they succeed in turning what could have been trash into gold. Many will dislike its Camp atmosphere, and although Lesbianism triumphs at the end I longed for Kevin Smith to change his sexual colours as well. The music wins as well with Verdi's Overture to ' La Forza del Destino ' and a mad scene with a Strauss Waltz. It is a crazy film, and I have a fondness for it and my one resevation is that it did not go further into the delirium that only cinema can offer with a plot twist towards the end of an equally triumphant male homosexuality. An 8 with a 10 reluctantly held back.

Not your typical love story

[valvon · 10/10 · 5 February 2024]

What I love most about this movie beyond the gorgeous costumes, it being shoot in a way I feel I'm watching a play is that at it core its a lesbian love story. At the time this movie came out in 1995 the was rare thing indeed. As lesbian I low expectations for lesbian love to win out especially the time period the movie set in. But the movie ends up being so fantastically layered with many moving parts. Aluminumly what two women do for love and be together. Definitely worth watching, especially if you're a lesbian with a romantic heart. Also interesting side note, good amount cast was either in the 90s tvs Hercules and Xena Warrior Princess.