The trouble with this film is that it is empty. Ben Medehlson is usually really good but in this little Aussie drama he really struggles to find his character. It's a pity because it had a few things going for it but didn't deliver.
29 Reviews
Slow start, but the film gets better near the end.
McGyver26 August 2001
It takes a while before this film becomes interesting. The introduction of the characters could be shorter and I almost thought that is was a very mediocre film. At the end the rhythm of actions speed up and the dramatic resolution of the story is all right.
Ordinary Folk
donlhumphries3 July 2001
Mullet, mullet, in the river, Are you a getter or a giver? Will you lose your best mate, Because you don't appreciate; And offend another chum, Simply 'cos you can't stay dumb? When you feel you're out-of-water, Maybe it's 'cos then you oughter - Say or do something caring, Instead of being slow and wearing. But maybe you're not only one Who can't communicate by tongue. It's a fault of everybody, Not just of a fish we see as oddy. Especially so between the sexes, We often do that which vexes. So fishes all, let's swim as a shoal, Let's have a heart, let's have a soul; Then even if we silent be, Love conquers all eventually. * * * * * Mullet is a very ordinary fish, Which some folk think is a tasteless dish; Others may not really mind, But perhaps they're only being kind.
Goes absolutely nowhere and takes forever to do so
da cissy pimp15 August 2001
Cor, wot a crap film! Like many others, no doubt, I went to "Mullet" expecting to see a rather humorous film. What I actually DID see was some mundane piece of rubbish that went nowhere and had me leaving the cinema scratching my head and thinking (in the words of the immortal D-Gen "Late Show" song), "What was that all about?" Basically, this movie revolves around some guy who goes back to the country town where he used to live after being away from the place for about three years. Once he gets there, what happens? Well not a lot really. He just goes around pi**ing everyone off (something that he apparently has quite a talent for), and catching mullet from one of the local rivers (an activity that proves the source of his nickname, incidentally; to my surprise, this movie had nothing whatsoever to do with mullet haircuts). Oh, and he also discovers that his old girlfriend has married his brother. Annoyingly, when he runs into this woman, the first thing she does is punch him: just another annoying example of the double standard which decrees that, when a guy so much as slaps a woman in a movie (even if she's behaving in a truly obnoxious fashion), he is evil incarnate, yet when a woman punches out a guy (usually for no other reason than because she's throwing a big childish temper tantrum), we're supposed to applaud her actions or worse, find them funny.
Anyway, without wanting to waste too much more time commenting on this film (cos it really doesn't warrant the effort; I'm only doing this because I'm bored), I'd just like to say that, while the main character is vaguely amusing at times (and has a few funny lines), this movie really isn't worth the effort. To paraphrase a quote I found scribbled on a desk in a lecture theatre back in my university days: "Mullet is about as interesting as the time Mr Boringworth won the World Water Drinking Championship in the City of Drying Paint." Go watch some long-lived radioisotopes decay instead.
Anyway, without wanting to waste too much more time commenting on this film (cos it really doesn't warrant the effort; I'm only doing this because I'm bored), I'd just like to say that, while the main character is vaguely amusing at times (and has a few funny lines), this movie really isn't worth the effort. To paraphrase a quote I found scribbled on a desk in a lecture theatre back in my university days: "Mullet is about as interesting as the time Mr Boringworth won the World Water Drinking Championship in the City of Drying Paint." Go watch some long-lived radioisotopes decay instead.
Excellent characters and language
paulquirk27 August 2001
Anyone that doesn't like this film should get out of the city limits and experience a bit of Australian life. We're not all a bunch of coffee sipping w***ers. If you spend a bit of time in a country town you will see what the true heart of this country is and know how much our country owes these stalwarts of the Australian persona. This film deals with the real issue that is facing country towns across Australia, that they're dieing. The young grow up, move to the city and never look back. I did. Local football is the glue that holds the community together. When you leave that's what you miss the most.
The language in this film is brilliant. It drips from the actor's tongues as good as any Shakespeare. The story is populated with well-rounded characters varying degrees of flaws and strengths. The use of music in this film is of special note. Characters absently sing "juke box classics" as they go about their daily business. This is best seen in the scene where Kay (our agent in the story) sings a Divinyls classic while she cleans the bar.
Ben Mendelson gives a signature performance as Mullet, but it's the peripheral characters that make this film work. Andrew S. Gilbert, Susie Porter, Tony Barry and Belinda McClory all are in top form as Mullets friends and family waiting for him to throw another spanner in the works of their lives.
The only flaw in this film is some problems with the pacing of the script. The characters are given an ample playing field, however the script lacks those three hits that would make it a truly great character study. At the end it all feels a little loose, suggesting maybe it could have benefited from more development. That said this film shows a definite step forward in David Caesar's work and Australian film in general. Which is more an argument for better funding of Australian films WITH Australian stories, than any lack of skill on the part of the part of those involved. Not happy with the direction of Australian film? Start banging the keyboard and put out something better. Take a drive out of the city limits, sit in the local pub and see how faithful to the Australian persona this film is. Film is the mirror we hold up to ourselves and this film is as faithful and relevant as other recent efforts such as Mallboy, Head On, Love & Other Catastrophes and La Spagnola. We are a diverse culture that requires a diverse range of character studies.
The language in this film is brilliant. It drips from the actor's tongues as good as any Shakespeare. The story is populated with well-rounded characters varying degrees of flaws and strengths. The use of music in this film is of special note. Characters absently sing "juke box classics" as they go about their daily business. This is best seen in the scene where Kay (our agent in the story) sings a Divinyls classic while she cleans the bar.
Ben Mendelson gives a signature performance as Mullet, but it's the peripheral characters that make this film work. Andrew S. Gilbert, Susie Porter, Tony Barry and Belinda McClory all are in top form as Mullets friends and family waiting for him to throw another spanner in the works of their lives.
The only flaw in this film is some problems with the pacing of the script. The characters are given an ample playing field, however the script lacks those three hits that would make it a truly great character study. At the end it all feels a little loose, suggesting maybe it could have benefited from more development. That said this film shows a definite step forward in David Caesar's work and Australian film in general. Which is more an argument for better funding of Australian films WITH Australian stories, than any lack of skill on the part of the part of those involved. Not happy with the direction of Australian film? Start banging the keyboard and put out something better. Take a drive out of the city limits, sit in the local pub and see how faithful to the Australian persona this film is. Film is the mirror we hold up to ourselves and this film is as faithful and relevant as other recent efforts such as Mallboy, Head On, Love & Other Catastrophes and La Spagnola. We are a diverse culture that requires a diverse range of character studies.
Tell your father " I really did enjoy this film"
jpthree30 June 2001
I really love the fact that Australians really don't mind having a honest look at themselves.What I especially liked was how accurate these characters were portrayed, these people are real! Granted the movie was a little slow in places, but this is set in a small town so the pacing really puts the viewer inside the minds and hearts of the people and the general atmosphere of the township. Simple story telling at its best, well portrayed by an excellent cast, I think we have all met a "mullet" or Peter and of course their fabulous parents at sometime in our lives. This film was gritty, emotional, and always searching and trying to make sense from a personal perspective, especially from a family perspective. The questions this film asks, are how does this town work? where do I (mullet) fit in? do I fit in? why did I come back? and the search always made difficult with so much communication breakdown and self denial, ultimately people are pushed into corners where eventually you have to "stand back up when you have been knocked down". The story is about Eddie "mullet" coming home after 3yrs absence and completely upsetting this little community, which is tight knit, simple yet complicated. The girlfriend he left behind has married another, so mullet wants answers! leaving the girlfriend torn between her past and her present lovers. No pretense. No gloss, just honesty and simplicity. So I f you want to kick back, smile, empathise and enjoy some light drama (just to escape hollywood cliches, and not be bombarded by explosions/gunfire and cgi effects!) then this movie is just the ticket........well done 7/10
David Caesar's best movie. Terrific script.
frankiemachine22 July 2001
This is David Caesar's best movie (some of you may say that is not difficult). A realistic tale of life in a small country town in Australia. The script is tightly written, and catches the flavour of situation. The acting is good - Andrew S Gilbert is a stand out in his understated portrayal of the older brother.
And not even a mullet haircut in sight!
alfie-1126 July 2001
I went to this film with high expectations. While I'm not a fan of David Ceaser's work, I had heard positive reviews from both critics and friends whose opinions I usually agree with. Sadly, either they or I must have seen a different film.
I found the film slow, unrealistic and with continuity holes so large you could drive a truck through them. The characters' personalities were either rammed down your throat or not explained at all.
While I have not spent much time in rural Australia, the film did not strike me (nor any of my friends who have all lived in the country) as an accurate depiction of country town life. I also felt that the emphasis on the naivety of the people living in the area (such as Mullet's father being excited about having a flush toilet) was patronising. In addition, the town is only a couple of hours from Sydney - hardly the outback. I felt this was another example of Sydney-centric film making, showing anyone who lives outside of the inner city as a hick who is overwhelmed by the possibility of going to Sydney, let alone actually living there.
I could go on, but I can't be bothered. It disappoints me that this film has received such good reviews. I was hoping that these reviews were based on the film actually being a good production, rather than being from the 'Oh but it's Australian so we should give it a good review' camp. Sadly this does not seem to be the case.
I found the film slow, unrealistic and with continuity holes so large you could drive a truck through them. The characters' personalities were either rammed down your throat or not explained at all.
While I have not spent much time in rural Australia, the film did not strike me (nor any of my friends who have all lived in the country) as an accurate depiction of country town life. I also felt that the emphasis on the naivety of the people living in the area (such as Mullet's father being excited about having a flush toilet) was patronising. In addition, the town is only a couple of hours from Sydney - hardly the outback. I felt this was another example of Sydney-centric film making, showing anyone who lives outside of the inner city as a hick who is overwhelmed by the possibility of going to Sydney, let alone actually living there.
I could go on, but I can't be bothered. It disappoints me that this film has received such good reviews. I was hoping that these reviews were based on the film actually being a good production, rather than being from the 'Oh but it's Australian so we should give it a good review' camp. Sadly this does not seem to be the case.
Liked it, not sure its for everyone
Bald One7 July 2001
I got to see it for nix as a preview as well (like Aussie Stud). But I went back the next day to pay to see it again.
As an Australian, its tremendously validating to see characters you recognise and understand at a level you otherwise seldom encounter.
Its a bit unlikely that the value will be worth much in the hands of someone not steeped in the local culture. It does have its merits regardless, but the film would fall into the interesting but not wildly successful category I imagine.
The plot is thin, but this pics not about plot, its about characters. And I don't generally worry about how pictures portray the real people they represent, I just enjoy the movie.
And I enjoyed this one...
As an Australian, its tremendously validating to see characters you recognise and understand at a level you otherwise seldom encounter.
Its a bit unlikely that the value will be worth much in the hands of someone not steeped in the local culture. It does have its merits regardless, but the film would fall into the interesting but not wildly successful category I imagine.
The plot is thin, but this pics not about plot, its about characters. And I don't generally worry about how pictures portray the real people they represent, I just enjoy the movie.
And I enjoyed this one...
Good movie but not the best
Davo6628 April 2003
Good movie but not the sort of movie that stands up to a second viewing.
I saw this movie when it was first released theatrically in Australia and this is one of those movies that comes across much better on the big screen than it does on the small screen. This is not one that is worth owning on DVD/Video, but definitely worth renting if purely for its worth as an accurate depiction of lower middle class rural australia, and the typical dysfunctions that occur in Australian family life.
I saw this movie when it was first released theatrically in Australia and this is one of those movies that comes across much better on the big screen than it does on the small screen. This is not one that is worth owning on DVD/Video, but definitely worth renting if purely for its worth as an accurate depiction of lower middle class rural australia, and the typical dysfunctions that occur in Australian family life.
Does Mullet taste good?
henri_aqua16 November 2001
Well, I never ate Mullet (an Australian fish living in muddy waters), but this movie didn't necessarily encourage me to try. I saw the movie in a festival in Germany without subtitling. So I thought (cause my Australian English is really not that good) I am somehow missing most of the jokes, but looking at the audience, maybe there were not so many to start with. The story is: A guy nicknamed Mullet comes back to his home village after he left for three years without saying good bye. In the meantime his brother married his ex girl-friend. The film now shows how the people react to him coming back. Most of them squarely tell him to bugger off again, but he doesn't understand why and refuses to change. I think I already gave this movie more story than it has. The characters are going nowhere so is the plot. The end comes out of the blue, very unsatisfying. The actors are o.k. but cannot save a weak script. Save your money for a good Australian beer at your local pub.
Very Good
bokonan22 June 2001
Three years after leaving town without a word to anyone, Eddie ("Mullet") returns to face the music. He isn't sure of his place anymore - his girlfriend has got married to his brother - and it seems no one wants him around.
All of the characters in this film are very real and extremely well played by all concerned, especially Ben Mendelsohn and Susie Porter.
The story is very well written, with some excellent dialogue, and it rings true. It has some interesting things to say about human relationships.
I thought the director showed great affection for the characters being portrayed. These are people that you would see in any rural Australian town, but that doesn't make them stereotypes or two dimensional.
Well worth seeing.
All of the characters in this film are very real and extremely well played by all concerned, especially Ben Mendelsohn and Susie Porter.
The story is very well written, with some excellent dialogue, and it rings true. It has some interesting things to say about human relationships.
I thought the director showed great affection for the characters being portrayed. These are people that you would see in any rural Australian town, but that doesn't make them stereotypes or two dimensional.
Well worth seeing.
Damp squib
Chris_Docker27 August 2001
No way could I stay awake in this one. A boring Australian comedy(?) about a man who returns to his old town and isn't wanted. the characters aren't engaging, the script isn't funny and there doesn't seem much point in making the movie at all. Had little or nothing to endear itself I'm afraid. Avoid.
a VERY bad film
swingmatism30 October 2001
this movie was so terribly bad that just as my girlfriend and i were getting up to leave in total disgust... it ended. a thin plot, bad acting, lifeless characters, no action or startling developments, it was by far the worst movie i've seen in a long time.
i am familiar with the area that it was filmed in, and can't say that the characters portrayed are indicative of the locals... the locals are smarter, funnier, and far better company (and i dont live around there).
well may they say god save the queen, for nothing can save the australian film industry... if they keep turning out "quality" like this.
i am familiar with the area that it was filmed in, and can't say that the characters portrayed are indicative of the locals... the locals are smarter, funnier, and far better company (and i dont live around there).
well may they say god save the queen, for nothing can save the australian film industry... if they keep turning out "quality" like this.
One of the worst movies I have ever seen...
Aussie Stud7 June 2001
I recently saw this movie at a free preview screening and thank God it was free, otherwise I would have been an angry patron demanding my ticket money back.
Yet another film in the line of bad movies to come out of Australia, this movie really has a non-existent plot and a lot of bad actors. The only actor who has any real talent here is Ben Mendelsohn and unfortunately, he had nothing to work with here.
As is the problem with a lot of Australian movies, the characters are based on stereotypes. The male is always portrayed as a footy-loving beer-can-guzzling know-it-all Ocker and the female is always some backwards curlers-in-her-air "pet/lovey" speaking moron.
The very thin plot is basically about Ben Mendelsohn playing a former football star who returns home to his "dysfunctional Aussie family" and tries to win a girl's heart who he left behind three years ago and who is also just happening to get married to someone else.
No points awarded for anyone who has guessed how the movie ends.
As an Australian, I found this movie very offensive as I did with "The Dish". Internationally, people see Australians as a bunch of "colourful-minded" lunatics and after seeing this movie - can you really blame them?
0/10
Yet another film in the line of bad movies to come out of Australia, this movie really has a non-existent plot and a lot of bad actors. The only actor who has any real talent here is Ben Mendelsohn and unfortunately, he had nothing to work with here.
As is the problem with a lot of Australian movies, the characters are based on stereotypes. The male is always portrayed as a footy-loving beer-can-guzzling know-it-all Ocker and the female is always some backwards curlers-in-her-air "pet/lovey" speaking moron.
The very thin plot is basically about Ben Mendelsohn playing a former football star who returns home to his "dysfunctional Aussie family" and tries to win a girl's heart who he left behind three years ago and who is also just happening to get married to someone else.
No points awarded for anyone who has guessed how the movie ends.
As an Australian, I found this movie very offensive as I did with "The Dish". Internationally, people see Australians as a bunch of "colourful-minded" lunatics and after seeing this movie - can you really blame them?
0/10
Quirky sketch of a town and a individual
Josef Tura-221 July 2001
First off, the title does not refer to the infamous hairstyle but instead a fish which is plentiful in the local waters. This fish is edible but not tasty. The lead characters nickname is therefore Mullet because he fishes for them and because the town sees him as a nuisance after his unexpected arrival back after leaving without a word three years earlier.
The film deals with all the crisises that arise when his unexpected return occurs. These crisises make a passable story but the film is strongest when it focuses on its characters and the actions that they take rather than its obligatory plot. The relationship of hate/love/hate between "Mullet's" parents is particularly interesting even though very little time is spent on it. On the whole a film worth watching if you want to avoid the mainstream.
The film deals with all the crisises that arise when his unexpected return occurs. These crisises make a passable story but the film is strongest when it focuses on its characters and the actions that they take rather than its obligatory plot. The relationship of hate/love/hate between "Mullet's" parents is particularly interesting even though very little time is spent on it. On the whole a film worth watching if you want to avoid the mainstream.
Stunned Mullet
anthonyjlangford14 December 2018
Ben Mendelssohn has been a great actor from the beginning, appearing in such late eighties gems as The Year My Voice Broke. Unfortunately not even he can save this rotting kettle of fish.
How David Ceasar managed to continue to get funding for films is beyond me. Every one of his films is inane without humour, creativity or drama. Theyre poorly written student films, without any cinematic flair.
In the nineties I had a friend who had a bit part in Idiot Box, so I was able to read the entire screenplay before it was shot. I just couldn't see anything worthwhile in it. I thought I must be missing something. When it came out, it was exactly as expected. Tepid and dull.
Thank God Ceasar's stopped making features. He's continuing work as a director so must be competent, but as a writer he's truly terrible.
It's not what you know, apparently...
One of the best Australian films of recent years.
dra-124 June 2001
Many recent Australian films have considered it mandatory to display a level of quirkiness or eccentricity in their characters and scenarios.
While this can work well (The Castle), it can reach unrecognisable stereotype (Welcome to Woop Woop). "Mullet" avoids this, by portraying real people in real situations. Eddie, a.k.a. Mullet, returns to his country home town after an absence of three years. Stories have grown about his unexplained absence: he was thought to have become a professional footballer, or to be working in Hollywood. Mullet doesn't explain what he was doing, or his reasons for leaving. Instead, he tries to make sense of himself in relation to his family and town of origin. Mullet is a smart-arse: he shares his opinions even if others don't want to hear them, and manages to alienate almost everyone. The type of character, and the sharpness of the dialogue, reminded me of a young Paul Newman, circa Cat on a Hot Tin Roof/Sweet Bird of Youth.
Mullet's family are vividly drawn, but are recognisable people rather than caricatures. His sister almost steals the film, saying everything that comes into her mind, no matter how confronting. His parents relay their conversations through Mullet ("Tell your father..."), but their marriage proves to be stronger than it first appears. Mullet's sister is going out with an Aboriginal player from the local rugby team, and the film is almost unique in commenting on what his race means to others and himself in a small Australian town. Mullet, in the end, is a film about recognising and accepting with the consequences of your actions, and about the necessity of compromise. It is neatly plotted, has vivid, memorable and humorous dialogue, and is strongly acted throughout. I
While this can work well (The Castle), it can reach unrecognisable stereotype (Welcome to Woop Woop). "Mullet" avoids this, by portraying real people in real situations. Eddie, a.k.a. Mullet, returns to his country home town after an absence of three years. Stories have grown about his unexplained absence: he was thought to have become a professional footballer, or to be working in Hollywood. Mullet doesn't explain what he was doing, or his reasons for leaving. Instead, he tries to make sense of himself in relation to his family and town of origin. Mullet is a smart-arse: he shares his opinions even if others don't want to hear them, and manages to alienate almost everyone. The type of character, and the sharpness of the dialogue, reminded me of a young Paul Newman, circa Cat on a Hot Tin Roof/Sweet Bird of Youth.
Mullet's family are vividly drawn, but are recognisable people rather than caricatures. His sister almost steals the film, saying everything that comes into her mind, no matter how confronting. His parents relay their conversations through Mullet ("Tell your father..."), but their marriage proves to be stronger than it first appears. Mullet's sister is going out with an Aboriginal player from the local rugby team, and the film is almost unique in commenting on what his race means to others and himself in a small Australian town. Mullet, in the end, is a film about recognising and accepting with the consequences of your actions, and about the necessity of compromise. It is neatly plotted, has vivid, memorable and humorous dialogue, and is strongly acted throughout. I
Diary of an A hole
Marcus-Aurelius905 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Thats what this movie should have been called. Mullet is an a$$hole. He comes back to his hometown and treats everyone like dirt. There is no explanation for his arrogance, there is only some vague sense that he was some sort of local football hero in his youth. Despite that somehow the cute girl behind the bar magically sees past all that (this is never explained) and for no reason falls in love with him and goes with him to the city. I mean it. There is no reason. He really is an a hole, he isn't good looking, he treats everyone like dirt, and somehow he manages to get the hottest girl in town to fall for him. Yeah right.
The main character/actor is the boring uninteresting center of what really is a flat movie that goes no where. Mullet has no character arc, does he learn from his mistakes ? no. He just leaves town. Ah .. great plot. Testimony to the fact that good screen writing starts with an interesting central hero that goes on some sort of emotional transition.
The actor who played his brother who married Mullet's ex was great and the guy who played his Aboriginal friend was good too in the face of Mullet's racism and all round malevolence. You really want to beat Mullet up he's that annoying. The plot, of which there is not much to it, is basically the Jack Kerouac thing about "you can never go home".
Once you leave you are forever changed and going back to your past is counter productive. Thats what I took from it, pity I explained it better here than the movie did dramatically in its very dull 90 odd minute running time. Epic fail. For a much better take on the going back to a small town thing watch "gross point blank" instead.
The main character/actor is the boring uninteresting center of what really is a flat movie that goes no where. Mullet has no character arc, does he learn from his mistakes ? no. He just leaves town. Ah .. great plot. Testimony to the fact that good screen writing starts with an interesting central hero that goes on some sort of emotional transition.
The actor who played his brother who married Mullet's ex was great and the guy who played his Aboriginal friend was good too in the face of Mullet's racism and all round malevolence. You really want to beat Mullet up he's that annoying. The plot, of which there is not much to it, is basically the Jack Kerouac thing about "you can never go home".
Once you leave you are forever changed and going back to your past is counter productive. Thats what I took from it, pity I explained it better here than the movie did dramatically in its very dull 90 odd minute running time. Epic fail. For a much better take on the going back to a small town thing watch "gross point blank" instead.
Fabulous picture!
prj441 October 2001
This picture is about communications and feelings, something that is uncomfortable subject matter for some folks. The film deals realistically with characters drawn from life, where it is always easier to escape (to work, to play, to the pub, to drink and drugs) than to face something painful within oneself. Not many people like to deal with such subjects, though the pain of self-doubts and lost loves affects us all. Lots of cultures have provided quick escape routes from facing such pain. This picture makes very plain the price to be paid for not facing up to what is happening. If you were raised to avoid your feelings and ignore saying what you need to say, you won't like this picture. I was raised like that and I have had to learn -- painfully -- to deal with life other ways. Having learned about my own escape routes, I thought this picture was very meaningful. If you are looking for some lessons about how to deal with this stuff, look no further. The film is a gem, I thought. The plot is very credible, the characters extremely realistic, the acting simply spot-on and the production top notch. I recommend this very highly.
A film with lots of heart, if you're not after Hollywood
srhsimmonds11 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Having read the previous comments, I wondered if I'd been watching the same film. There may have been changes for the American release, since I don't recall voice-overs for the Australian version (maybe Americans need things spelled out. Comes from watching too much Hollywood.) This is _not_ Hollywood. It's small in scope, with budget to match, and it runs at a tender pace. If you want something fast, get fast food. If you want something absorbing and thoughtful, watch this.
Having said that, my perspective was strangely shifted as I watched it. (I can't recall another film that has done this to me so well.) I thought I was watching a "small town boy makes good" film, but after a while it became obvious it was about a bloke who _couldn't_ make good with his relationships - and didn't realise it. Everyone was being nice to him, and he didn't realise he was slapping them in the face.
Maybe the other commenters here were waiting for something to happen, then didn't find anything. But the happening is in the _journey_, and speaks to our ability to grow, or not.
Finally, as vindication, I'd note that this film garnered a slew of Australian Film Industry Awards. And the industry here is not small or undiscriminating.
In contrast to the nay-sayers, I'll say this is one of the best Australian films of the past 10 years. There's heaps of heart in this film. Watch it with your eyes open.
Having said that, my perspective was strangely shifted as I watched it. (I can't recall another film that has done this to me so well.) I thought I was watching a "small town boy makes good" film, but after a while it became obvious it was about a bloke who _couldn't_ make good with his relationships - and didn't realise it. Everyone was being nice to him, and he didn't realise he was slapping them in the face.
Maybe the other commenters here were waiting for something to happen, then didn't find anything. But the happening is in the _journey_, and speaks to our ability to grow, or not.
Finally, as vindication, I'd note that this film garnered a slew of Australian Film Industry Awards. And the industry here is not small or undiscriminating.
In contrast to the nay-sayers, I'll say this is one of the best Australian films of the past 10 years. There's heaps of heart in this film. Watch it with your eyes open.
. Local lad returns unexpectedly to small town Australia. Underwritten but good performances.
Steve-17629 October 2001
In my family people who don't face up to their responsibilities, who leave suddenly when confronted, are known as bolters.
My Aunt Mary, an extreme eccentric, was a bolter. A heart breaker and also a sudden breaker of leases, she'd turn up 500 miles away in another job if some man was getting too keen. She developed doin' the bolt into an art form. She managed that for 70 years!
Eddie (Ben Mendelsohn) in Mullet is a bolter. He's about thirty and has unexpectedly turned up in his small town. We find that he'd broken at least two hearts by leaving three years before and it seems that he's not too interested in changing his ways.
Eddie, known as Mullet, is selfish and spoilt but sufficiently self reliant to eak a living catching mullet in the local creeks while living alone in a clapped out caravan. He used to be a local rugby league star, destined for the big time in Sydney. But again he bolted.
Mullet is set in a small coastal town south of Sydney. The locals aren't particularly happy even if the town looks very pretty. Mullet is scenic.
His parents (Kris McQuade and Tony Barry) are malcontents who have formed an alliance based on not talking directly to each other. His brother (Andrew S. Gilbert) is a local cop and other friends include Tully (Suzie Porter) and Kay (Belinda McClory). Mullet's sister is played very nicely by Peta Brady.
In fact all of the performances are very good, its just a shame that they weren't able to grace a more worthy script.
Mullet is the third film from director David Caesar after Greenkeeping and Idiot Box. It's only about 90 minutes long but still seems to be padded by a profusion of meaningless set up shots that lead nowhere and a plot with far too little happening.
It's all well and good to establish a scene or a mood with panning shots but lit buildings and front yards only retain a limited appeal. Mullet does have a terrifically moody sound track from Paul Healy.
But it's as if the scriptwriter for Mullet had done the bolt, which is a little strange because David Caesar also wrote this muddy little piece.
3 Underwritten Flys out of 5.
My Aunt Mary, an extreme eccentric, was a bolter. A heart breaker and also a sudden breaker of leases, she'd turn up 500 miles away in another job if some man was getting too keen. She developed doin' the bolt into an art form. She managed that for 70 years!
Eddie (Ben Mendelsohn) in Mullet is a bolter. He's about thirty and has unexpectedly turned up in his small town. We find that he'd broken at least two hearts by leaving three years before and it seems that he's not too interested in changing his ways.
Eddie, known as Mullet, is selfish and spoilt but sufficiently self reliant to eak a living catching mullet in the local creeks while living alone in a clapped out caravan. He used to be a local rugby league star, destined for the big time in Sydney. But again he bolted.
Mullet is set in a small coastal town south of Sydney. The locals aren't particularly happy even if the town looks very pretty. Mullet is scenic.
His parents (Kris McQuade and Tony Barry) are malcontents who have formed an alliance based on not talking directly to each other. His brother (Andrew S. Gilbert) is a local cop and other friends include Tully (Suzie Porter) and Kay (Belinda McClory). Mullet's sister is played very nicely by Peta Brady.
In fact all of the performances are very good, its just a shame that they weren't able to grace a more worthy script.
Mullet is the third film from director David Caesar after Greenkeeping and Idiot Box. It's only about 90 minutes long but still seems to be padded by a profusion of meaningless set up shots that lead nowhere and a plot with far too little happening.
It's all well and good to establish a scene or a mood with panning shots but lit buildings and front yards only retain a limited appeal. Mullet does have a terrifically moody sound track from Paul Healy.
But it's as if the scriptwriter for Mullet had done the bolt, which is a little strange because David Caesar also wrote this muddy little piece.
3 Underwritten Flys out of 5.
Atmospheric aussie drama
andrewm-628 December 2002
People seem to either love or hate Mullet (and Caesar for that matter). I enjoyed this one, although Caesar's work often comes across as self-indulgent. I went in not expecting anything in particular, and therefore wasn't disappointed (as many other reviewers apparently were). The genre is "a slice of life", although for about 90% of the plot, it appears to be building to something else - possibly this is what disappoints. I was pleasantly surprised when it resisted the obvious resolution. Visually a feast, and with an appropriate sound-track, this is worth seeing.
A mullet of a film
Spleen20 November 2001
Not bad as far as it goes, but it needs an ending. It's appalling how many Australian films are made without one. The worst recent offender that I know of is "Russian Doll", but it's only the most naked example - and its very nakedness, when it is set next to "Mullet", almost looks like a virtue. At least "Russian Doll" doesn't have a first-person narrator musing about how hard it is to find endings in real life, and how all endings are also beginnings, and so on, in an attempt to justify the failing.
Still, there's ALMOST an ending, and apart from that there's a fair enough story with interesting characters (more because of the cast than because of the script). I like David Caesar's rather desperate attempts to come up with fish metaphors for what's going on - and the wonder of it is, he succeeds. For the record, though, mullet, the fish, isn't so bad as all that. What little flavour it has isn't unpleasant. (You wouldn't want to have it by itself, that's all.) Worthwhile in a small way, certainly nothing to be despised. Like the film. Hey! Another fish metaphor.
Still, there's ALMOST an ending, and apart from that there's a fair enough story with interesting characters (more because of the cast than because of the script). I like David Caesar's rather desperate attempts to come up with fish metaphors for what's going on - and the wonder of it is, he succeeds. For the record, though, mullet, the fish, isn't so bad as all that. What little flavour it has isn't unpleasant. (You wouldn't want to have it by itself, that's all.) Worthwhile in a small way, certainly nothing to be despised. Like the film. Hey! Another fish metaphor.
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