The Price of Milk (2000) User Reviews

It's a fairy tale, don't even try to interpret it

[bbbl67 · 7/10 · 6 February 2004]

This movie is a fairy tale in the same vein as Alice In Wonderland: extremely psychadelic and not interpretable -- so don't even bother trying to interpret it, there's no point. You drop down a rabbit-hole and life makes no sense anymore. Just sit back and enjoy the wierdness.

Magical realism in New Zealand!

[Red-125 · 7/10 · 1 January 2008]

The Price of Milk (2000), written and directed by Harry Sinclair, is a film about love and magic, set in New Zealand farming country.

Danielle Cormack plays Lucinda, a beautiful young woman living on a dairy farm with her lover, Rob (Karl Urban). For reasons not totally clear, Lucinda takes the advice of her friend Drosophila (Willa O'Neill) and does some truly hateful things to determine whether Rob really loves her. (The friend's name is a joke--Drosophila is the Latin word for fruit fly.)

The film is very strange. Apparently, the actors and director hung out on the set and made up dialog and action as they went along. Maori characters appear and disappear, and one of them is a (sort of) kindly witch. This type of effort can be charming, but in this case it didn't work--at least not for me.

"The Price of Milk" had some definite strengths. Danielle Cormack is a sophisticated movie star, but she's able to convince us that she's a simple farm girl who enjoys taking a bath in milk. The scenery is lush and green. The movie is true to itself--it never steps back and says, "OK, now the magical part is over and we get real." There's an Indian wedding ceremony, and an agoraphobic dog that walks around covered by a carton. (How bad can a movie be when an agoraphobic dog is a member of the supporting cast?)

This movie is worth seeing if you run across it. I don't think it's worth seeking out. Incidentally, we saw this film on DVD. The New Zealand scenery would probably be even more beautiful on a large screen.

Moo-licous fun...

[jiggityjigg · 7/10 · 25 December 2006]

Okay! While this isn't the best film ever made...I think it had a really nice balance between the comedic moments and the moments of desperation or sadness.

Karl Urban is fabulous. I don't believe his talents are being fully utilized. Danielle Cormack is quite fun to watch. Her facial expressions are delightful.

The story could have been filled out a little more but had a unique and mysterious quality that I appreciated. While I don't like some of the decisions the characters made concerning their relationships...I think this was a sweet little story with a decidedly indie feel to it. I enjoyed it.

Uniquely Kiwi

[triblet · 21 April 2001]

As an American living in NZ, I have to say, I can understand both 1) why this quirky, little movie is causing such stir all over New Zealand, and 2) why most Americans will watch it and think "Huh?".

This is not like any movie I've seen before...and certainly nothing like what most Americans are used to shelling out $10 to see. Before watching it, keep in mind it was made on a shoestring budget, and the script was written, piecemeal, while the film was being shot. That's right: there was NO SCRIPT before filming started.

This said, I can say I found this movie fun and refreshing, if a little rough around the edges. It made little sense, but that's part of the ride. Danielle Cormack is the next big thing to watch out for...her face is like no other in Hollywood, she has enormous screen presense, and she's a natural in any role she undertakes. As the female lead in The Price of Milk, she's a joy to watch.

Prepare yourself for an unusual film experience, chalk up the less than polished look of the movie to the low budget and brave experiment of making it up as they went along, and I think you'll enjoy this funny, tender, little film.

Fantastic strange film

[cristina-torres2 · 9/10 · 13 April 2007]

I have already seen the movie. I found it really complicated to understand and I'm not sure if it was a message there, but I really like it. It was funny,romantic, sad,...all the emotions in one. I got to say this; it's the first time I have seen Karl Urban smiling in a film, he should do it more.

I like the movies that make you think. Our minds need to work hard because in my opinion we are not going for the right way in this world. As the majority we like the cinema, which is the best way to start doing it?

Sorry if somebody has problems for understand me, sometimes it's difficult to express in English my thoughts.

By all that is holy don't watch this movie.

[shanecameron · 1/10 · 4 May 2005]

This movie is somehow showing 6.2 stars, It seems inconceivable that the director has that many relations. I am at a loss to explain this.

Avoid this movie at all costs. You have only a certain number of hours on the Earth, don't waste 1&1/2 of them on this retarded steaming heap of Guano!!!

There is no story as apparently the director "wrote" (and I'm guessing with a blunt orange crayon) the next day's script at the completion of the day's shooting. The "story" has been called whimsical, no it is aimless, there is maybe enough "story" to fill a commercial. Don't you hate ads?

Now while both leads can act they obviously decided not to here. And similarly the writer/director can actually both write and direct as evidenced by his next work "Toy Love"

So to recap, even if you get this movie for free, even if you're paid to watch it avoid it.

To paraphrase Monty Python's Search for the holy Grail, "Run flee!"

The magic of love

[nicriver · 10/10 · 28 August 2001]

This was the best film I've seen this year, truly amazing and beautiful, it portraits the magic of love. What is it with New Zeland that brings us these amazing films? In this film, a young couple lives a beautiful love, magical, until the day she doubts his love and tries everything to test it. Finally there's no more magic.. love's dead. And then we are trapped inside the film, we want to be there and help her, them, restoring their love.. Too beautiful!

Still Waiting for a _________

[philmcirish · 4/10 · 7 January 2003]

I was more entertained by watching my wife almost pull her hair out in frustration through most of this movie. I thought something that would tie it all together would be just around the corner of the dairy barn any minute. So I cheated, grabbed the remote, and was relieved to find out it was ending in merely 20 minutes. I should have turned the channel. Cute, it had potential, but yuck!

A Very Thought-Provoking Fairy Tale

[em3raldxiii · 10/10 · 19 March 2007]

I enjoyed this movie very much. In fact, my wife and I enjoyed it so much, I have given it a 10 out of 10 rating. It is pretty important to watch this movie and think about symbolism and metaphor, so be aware that this movie might be confusing to you if you take it all very literally.

The actors & actresses were extremely convincing, the cinematography was quite skillful, and the setting was idyllic. I almost wish I could visit the shooting location. The scenario was true-to-life in a very abstract way, punctuating some of the most topsy-turvy and emotional aspects of a relationship. In a way, they are outlining a stereotypical relationship, paying special attention to the subtler aspects of a marriage.

If you have never had a long-term relationship, some aspects of this movie might not make a heck of a lot of sense to you.

In the end, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who likes to figure out metaphors and symbolism. There are no explosions. :D

This is by far the worst movie I've ever seen... In fact, we've made a saying among our friends when something is horrible it's "Price of Milk bad"

[junkmail-924-639472 · 1/10 · 15 December 2010]

This has to be the worst movie in history. This was my first indie film so it turned me off to the genre for a long time. I've since watched other indie films and learned that by and large this one just happened to suck.

It started out interesting... in fact, it brought up the cute topic of some women that begin collecting baby clothes for "one day"... however, at almost the halfway mark the movie took a turn towards nightmare-ville when she rolled her car yet again. It seemed like the first part of the movie was made by a gifted writer and the last half was written by my son Alex (who can't read or write yet). If you are contemplating suicide, don't watch this movie as it will more than likely push you over the edge.

woman provokes man, milk business threatened

[fruitbat319 · 19 April 2006]

This movie is definitely the strangest I've seen in a long time. But it made me laugh. A lot. In a slightly ironic matter (as in, oh my god, what an art school movie). I'm not sure if that was the original intent of the writer/director, but I enjoyed it. On the downside, it can get a bit long sometimes and I think could have been edited a little better, i.e., cutting short some scenes, and at times Lucinda's character seems unrealistic and even downright stupid. But the payoff is some hilariously absurd scenes and concepts--my favorite was the dog in the box. I'd recommend this movie, but don't go into it expecting something breathtaking. It's first and foremost absurdist.

Feel Good Quirky

[angelinastarr · 8/10 · 31 March 2004]

I first saw The Price Of Milk one afternoon about two years ago on the IFC channel and I immediately fell in love with it. My initial viewing began as I was surfing through the channels (watching movies is a great pastime for college students) and came across this movie during the halfway point. I liked the bits that I saw so much that I tried to tape it the next time it came on, but my VCR ate the tape. For some reason, every single time that I tried to watch it when it came on TV, something would come up and I could never watch the entire film.

The first time I got to watch it was X-mas 2002 when I stayed up til 5 am just so I could watch it uninterrupted. I have since bought a DVD of it.

What really drew my attention was the music and the cinematography. The part of the movie that has really stayed fresh in my mind is when Lucinda is wearing the sari and is coming across the mountain looking for Rob. The way the material (and the contrast of it) drapes against the mountain is somewhat breathtaking. The classical piece that is playing then is called "The Distant Princess" and Harry Sinclair (director) really knew how to cue the visual shot and the music so they could be played at the right time. If you're the type of person to be stirred by visuals and soundtrack, this is a great movie to watch.

Who cares if this movie was pieced together? These kind of movies have a wonderful, quirky sensibility to them. On the DVD, Harry Sinclair and Danielle Cormack comment on how the movie was filmed and how interesting it was to NOT have a script written beforehand. Sinclair mentioned that he didn't want the actors to be too rehearsed and then have the lines sound too cheesy. He also mentions that he thought of the plot one day while riding around in NZ in his car listening to a classical music piece. (Most likely,one of the one's in the film)

Now, not everyone can get away with saying that there was nothing wrong with the movie. One of things that really bothered me was Auntie's, Mrs. Jackson's, furry pink hat. I wanted to shoot that thing! It annoyed me every time she wore it or when replicas of it ended up on the big bush outside of Lucinda and Rob's little house. Every single time I saw it, I wanted to jump through the screen and tell Lucinda to run for it and take Rob with her. Of course, though, that's exactly what the audience is supposed to feel about the hat and Auntie's presence (at least I felt that way)

Another thing is when Rob and Drosophila are at the church and Lucinda is being comforted by Mrs. Jackson in the woods. I wanted to know what prompted Auntie's change of heart towards Lucinda. I mean, Lucinda really dug a hole around herself by giving up her ring for the cows. But that's where the title comes into play, "The Price Of Milk". It couldn't very well be "The Price of Love" The audience can feel her desperation for being so foolish by playing with her love for Rob.

New Zealand appears to be a great place to film movies, not just this one but also LOTR trilogy and many others. So many different extremes in a small country. It's amazing what types of climates and differences in land you can utilize. Movies like this one should be appreciated more for their originality and uniqueness.

Mooo!

[=G= · 5/10 · 26 June 2002]

"The Price of Milk" is a wandering and peculiar romantic fairy tale of sorts involving one man, one woman, a bunch of indigenous New Zelanders, an agoraphobic dog, some milk cows, and some very strange goings on. The film has the feel of a low budget indie with a meager story about the romantic vicissitudes of a young couple who bath themselves and wash their dishes in an outdoor bathtub (at the same time) among other quirky and nonsensical behavioral things. There is so little substance to be found in "TPofM" that were it not for the magical/fantasy stuff, the film wouldn't be worth watching at all. With the magical/fantasy stuff, it's a marginal watch at best and then only for those who can buy into such nonsense.

Note - I don't really know what the hell this film was supposed to be about save the obvious and cannot exclude the possibility that there was (though I doubt it) some profound meaning which just didn't show up on my radar screen.

The best from New Zealand

[Nuno_Reis · 8/10 · 22 March 2001]

NZ and Australia always had some good directors and actors, in the 90's we've seen some great movies from the middle of the Pacific Ocean such as "Braindead", "The Ugly", "Once Were Warriors" and it's sequel "What Becames of the Broken Hearted", from this director "Topless Women Talk about their Lives" with Danielle Cormack that also was in the Australian "Siam Sunset" and in "Channelling Baby". "The Price of Milk" is, along with "The Irrefutable Truth" about Demons an introduction to the new cinema from outside the great markets (or should I say market?). This movie is "a modern fairy-tale" that tells the strange love story of two normal persons that almost lose their mental sanity while trying not to lose their love (and their cows and the blanket). It's a hard movie, not very easy to understand for normal people, but very appreciated by the critics. I recommended this movie to almost everybody I knew that know how to appreciate a movie. And I also recommend it to all of you. And get ready... Peter Jackson and Karl Urban will be back in Lord of the Rings!

Not worth a gallon of milk

[chadzone-3 · 4/10 · 10 July 2019]

From the reviews I thought this would be a great movie I like Karl Urban anyways it was a complete waste of my time and my few dollars I did spend on it. Probably will not watch it again most good movies I watch 5 to 10 times.

Wow

[jago_banichi · 10/10 · 17 March 2006]

This is one of the best romantic comedies I have seen all year. The chemistry between Karl Urban and Danelle Cormack was beautiful. Visually it was captivating. The characters were entertaining, engaging, and memorable. I especially loved the dog suffering from agoraphobia and the mysterious Jacksons. Some people may find it hard to follow what is going on as people appear and disappear, and they not understand some for the random things in the movie such as a bath tub in the middle of a field. the all of the quirks and the random moments give this movie an emotionally full filling and magical feel. At the end I was left with a smile and a full heart.

Have been in that tub--both scenes

[gengen-1 · 5/10 · 15 August 2005]

I watch a lot of movies and I make friends and family "endure" the odd/interesting ones I find. This is so refreshingly unique and (to me) a true love story that I shared it with many. Though it may be more of a chick flick--romantic comedies tend to be--the more savvy movie-loving guys appreciated its fantasy and fun. My husband agreed with reviews that said this film was confusing and too much. I loved every mysterious, misleading scene. I understood the emotion of both characters and felt that love is just as crazy as it was portrayed. I related to being on the polar ends of love and thoroughly enjoyed how the director showed this. Beautiful inside and out.

A very quirky New Zealand movie with a dairy farm theme.

[TxMike · 30 November 2011]

I found this one on Netflix streaming movies and it seemed interesting. I enjoy watching movies, sometimes just for the experience of seeing how they were made. Or wondering why they were made. This one sort of falls into the latter category. It can be fun to watch, if you have the proper frame of mind.

Rob is a serious, hard-working man in rural New Zealand. He has a large herd of dairy cattle, just a few less than 200. He doesn't know them by name, unless you consider "number 47" a name. But he addresses them very affectionately, we instantly know he loves his milk cows.

Rob's girlfriend is Lucinda, they are getting married, but she does various tests to make sure he loves her, since Rob is not very demonstrative. One of them is to show up swimming in his large vat of milk, ruining Rob says 1500 dollars of milk (New Zealand dollars, I presume). That is where the movie gets its title, I suppose, "The price of milk." Now if I had been Rob, I would have written Lucinda off as too crazy, too high-maintenance to endure. And especially so after she decides to sell my herd of milk cows to buy back a quilt that was stolen off them at night. But I am American, and apparently New Zealander sentiments run quite different.

Anyway it is a quirky story. It includes a dog that is afraid of the outsides so it goes around under an inverted lid-less cardboard box. There is a curve that must be tricky because often the car will skid of the road and end up inverted. But they seem to accept that as a "normal" occurrence.

So see it if you are in the mood for a very quirky movie that doesn't always make sense. Danielle Cormack is Lucinda. Karl Urban Rob. And Willa O'Neill is Drosophila, Lucinda's friend who gives her sometimes questionable advice.

Fantastically surreal

[pippernippus · 9/10 · 3 February 2006]

Not quite knowing what to expect from Harry Sinclair, I delved into POM with an open mind and an extremely biased opinion on the gorgeous Karl Urban. I found this movie refreshingly different, surreal, magical,hilarious, and fantastical. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite like it. It blew me away, and it is now firmly lodged in my Top Ten Collection! With a plot line that veers between romance/tragedy and outright comedy, I found myself touched and humoured in the same scene. A particular favourite scene of surreal importance is that in which Lucinda dreams that babies feet are poking down at her in a mist of either cloud or milk (could be either in this movie!). Also where saucepans etc become entangled in her unruly mop of hair. My advice? Its a must-see for strange film enthusiasts. Love it!

Quirky, entertaining

[bawbwatt · 9/10 · 9 January 2006]

No expensive special effects. A dog with a psychological problem, a mysterious old lady with a penchant for keeping warm, and two lovers caught up in a magical spell. Hans Christian Anderson would have had a ball with this one. Yep its a fairy tale for sure and at least tons better than Spielberg's version of War of the Worlds. Nice to see an original storyline instead of all these super budgeted remakes, ugh! Enough already. Be interesting to know how much was actually spent on this production. I think there will be a gradual shift away from big budget films in the future, with ones that have a simple plot line, yet still be entertaining.

A heartfelt modern fairy tale.

[cheboee · 10/10 · 13 January 2002]

This movie was one of the best films I saw in the last two years. It is a shame that more people have not had the chance to see Price of Milk. If one was to argue for wider distribution of foreign films, this film would prove to be a strong argument.

Lactating

[tedg · 31 August 2009]

One of the warmest worlds I visit is the expanded world of Spanish extrareality. It is supported by a whole class of intelligent artists. Though it is potentially rich we usually have this world delivered in order to surround sex in some way not usually available.

I find myself wishing for other filmmakers to use this -- what is usually called magical realism -- in different ways.

Hal Hartley, Atom Egoyan, Guy Maddin, even early Cronenberg Maddin made me hope that a Canadian tradition would sustain a second tradition, one with more powerful emotional abstractions not so dependent on genitals.

Here in New Zealand films, I may have discovered another possible home for my constructive retreats.

This little film tries all sorts of magical things. That they often are unsuccessful and often have no connective logic makes them more attractive, more engaging. All the magic here is cinematic, every device.

Three shots were pretty memorable. One had a long red silk fabric train while our actress walked diagonally across the bright green hill we were by then familiar with. One was when we re-enter the world of physical touch that we had hoped for. Her hand appears from nowhere to caress his head. Very rewarding.

The third is of a different order. I won't describe it in detail but it is the payoff, built up through many images. It is of a young woman reaching for the shod foot of a toddler sticking out of a cloud and not quite reachable. Its really quite lovely.

The woman in question is truly a striking actress, Danielle Cormack, who seems to limit herself to local indie films and stupid TeeVee. Well, she is one of the best mouth actresses I have seen.

I really liked this. It seems to be a voyage through womanhood for men, and I learned.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Delightfully down-to-earth Magic

[anajana · 9/10 · 16 August 2005]

Harry Sinclair's spontaneity as a director allows life to shine through in every frame. Not an expensive movie, nor a polished one, as many fairy-tales are not, but true in its emotional insight into what real love costs: everything that is dear to you. Having your own way in the heat of anger. Letting people treat you as less than what you are. Giving way to uncertainty because making that stand is just too frightening. And then, taking it all, the risks, letting magic in. Karl Urban and Danielle Cormack are delightful as the Farmer in the Dell and Rapunzel, thrown together into a New Zealand Maori-laced tale with soundtrack by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. You could find flaws in this movie, but why? It's good for your heart. You'll know it in your bones.

I own it and watch it constantly.

[brandxbox · 8/10 · 30 September 2003]

This movie is adorable. I would recommend it to anyone who likes unashamed fantasy/love stories. All the actors are charming and funny. "TPOM" is colorful, well-written, downright silly at times, and even weird enough for people who like that sort of thing.

Great fantasy films made in NZ

[kaveri · 10/10 · 9 March 2005]

I have loved this film, and I think anyone that believes in the magic of love will see that the unreality of the film is just there to make us enjoy and believe in the small miracles of life. It was a great surprise, and we received it quite late in Spain, but it's a perfect option for lazy days, with a great cast of characters and a wonderful non-existing script that works perfectly. I just imagine a perfect world where the great corporations decide to stop a great project of 200 million$ and make 100 films like this one!!! Also the wonderful landscapes of New Zealand and the armonic mix of traditions and stories add some of the best moments of the film. Go and rent it! If you like romantic comedies where you laugh every five minutes and with an innovative structure, you will know why I have made this suggestion. This film is one of the best fantasy films made on NZ (together with LOTR, and same level)