The movie would have been half decent if they had cast actual Australians in the lead roles. Having to sit and listen to those TERRIBLE fake accents made me laugh in parts where I should have been empathising with the characters. It also made most of the dialogue stilted and cringeworthy. It's a real shame that Australian films never seem to have Australians in them... what's the point?
29 Reviews
Some Arsty fartsy movie
dhughes22 October 2021
I don't know it could be the second bottle of Sauv Blanc, Kelly McDonald does a really good Australian accent, the scenery is beautiful, but I don't know what the hell this movie is about.
I came to IMDb so I could understand why I am watching this movie... I still don't know, encouraging my dogs to do toilets is more understandable.
I came to IMDb so I could understand why I am watching this movie... I still don't know, encouraging my dogs to do toilets is more understandable.
Indie Romance
jesser29922 July 2021
Gritty, indie romance that's kind of slow but also has that raw, real feel that people who love indie romances also love. Good performances but it took awhile to fully pull me into the two main characters' personal sagas. Good but not great overall.
A talent-filled Aussie production that fails to hit the high notes
eddie_baggins23 March 2021
Considering the last Tim Winton cinematic adaptation before Dirt Music was 2017's memorable and effective Breath, hopes were high that Gregor Jordan's talent-filled Western Australia set romantic drama would be more of the same, tapping into local audiences affections as well as those overseas who were seeking a new bout of Australian drama to fill their needs.
Sadly this was not to be.
Receiving a tepid at best response upon first showings way back in 2019, Jordan's star-studded local film is a complete and utter failure of a feature that is loosely strung together by a cold and emotionless "romance" between Kelly Macdonald's lonely Georgie, whose tiresome relationship with David Wenham's barely used fisherman Jim leads her to seek out an affair with Garret Hedlund's mysterious ex-muso Lu, a man whose past is holding him back from moving into the future.
Famous for his way with words, Winton's works have always been well-regarded in book circles and there's potential somewhere deep down in this tale of lost souls finding a way through thanks to each other but neither Jordan, whose proven before he can handle a good film with the likes of Two Hands and Buffalo Soldiers standing out in his C.V or the usually fantastic scribe Jack Thorne (a long term Shane Meadows collaborator and the man responsible for adapting hit TV series His Dark Materials) manage to ever get Dirt Music out of first gear as the film loses its audience early on to a procession of instances and occurrences that happen without an ounce of build up or ground work to lead into them.
For an Australian film, Dirt Music is clearly a more prestigious local production than most, the West Australia backdrops make for some stunning eye candy and deserve a better film to live in and the talent on screen is of the highest order but all main actors get very little too work with and potentially even feel miscast with the usually reliable Macdonald struggling to get much happening (including a very odd Oz accent, very different to her native Irish tongue), Wenham getting nothing of substance too do and the up and down Hedlund once more appearing to be lost in a feature even though you know there's a great actor hiding within him somewhere.
It makes one wonder why more local talent couldn't be used also. No doubt its easier to sell a film overseas with more recognisable international faces but surely there's actors capable of performing well in such a film, especially when no one was appearing to offer quality control to a film that has no soul, focus or imagination present within it.
Final Say -
The locations are nice. That's about as much as you could say in the way of good things about this sadly D.O.A Australian affair. Wasting source material from one of our countries most respected writers and the talents of three capable performers, Dirt Music strikes a dull note from the moment it starts until the moment it ends on a whimper.
1 sand dune out of 5
Sadly this was not to be.
Receiving a tepid at best response upon first showings way back in 2019, Jordan's star-studded local film is a complete and utter failure of a feature that is loosely strung together by a cold and emotionless "romance" between Kelly Macdonald's lonely Georgie, whose tiresome relationship with David Wenham's barely used fisherman Jim leads her to seek out an affair with Garret Hedlund's mysterious ex-muso Lu, a man whose past is holding him back from moving into the future.
Famous for his way with words, Winton's works have always been well-regarded in book circles and there's potential somewhere deep down in this tale of lost souls finding a way through thanks to each other but neither Jordan, whose proven before he can handle a good film with the likes of Two Hands and Buffalo Soldiers standing out in his C.V or the usually fantastic scribe Jack Thorne (a long term Shane Meadows collaborator and the man responsible for adapting hit TV series His Dark Materials) manage to ever get Dirt Music out of first gear as the film loses its audience early on to a procession of instances and occurrences that happen without an ounce of build up or ground work to lead into them.
For an Australian film, Dirt Music is clearly a more prestigious local production than most, the West Australia backdrops make for some stunning eye candy and deserve a better film to live in and the talent on screen is of the highest order but all main actors get very little too work with and potentially even feel miscast with the usually reliable Macdonald struggling to get much happening (including a very odd Oz accent, very different to her native Irish tongue), Wenham getting nothing of substance too do and the up and down Hedlund once more appearing to be lost in a feature even though you know there's a great actor hiding within him somewhere.
It makes one wonder why more local talent couldn't be used also. No doubt its easier to sell a film overseas with more recognisable international faces but surely there's actors capable of performing well in such a film, especially when no one was appearing to offer quality control to a film that has no soul, focus or imagination present within it.
Final Say -
The locations are nice. That's about as much as you could say in the way of good things about this sadly D.O.A Australian affair. Wasting source material from one of our countries most respected writers and the talents of three capable performers, Dirt Music strikes a dull note from the moment it starts until the moment it ends on a whimper.
1 sand dune out of 5
Plenty of Dirt, not a lot of music !
david-rector-850925 October 2020
This is a strange little film- not without its merits, but another Aussie feature that relies too heavily on landscape and moodiness than on a coherent and compelling narrative. Based on a Tim Winton novel; the beauty and harshness of the West Australian coast is majestically depicted here, but the plot is muddied and muddled with flashbacks and endless super wide vistas and perturbed close ups to really hit the target.
Scottish Kelly Macdonald does a passable Australian accent and for me she is the best thing in this film. Always interesting, nay fascinating, Kelly imbues her character here with a mixture of yearning and sorrow, but the backstory for her feels shoehorned and lacks credulity. Likewise American Garret Hedlund is really fine here, but did we need both leads to be imported? A Hemsworth would have fit the bill just as well as the good looking drifter that Garrett embodies here. His flashbacks and perspectives are more front and centre, but I personally found them less successful and somewhat obtuse. Perhaps the prosaic elements of the novel made this a little unfilmable but experienced Director Gregor Jordan certainly gave it a shot. I just didn't really feel much watching this. Nice to look at; but a bit ho hum and certainly the music and the dirt were less than compelling. On the plus side, it is always a treat to see Aussie veteran Chris Haywood pop up.
Scottish Kelly Macdonald does a passable Australian accent and for me she is the best thing in this film. Always interesting, nay fascinating, Kelly imbues her character here with a mixture of yearning and sorrow, but the backstory for her feels shoehorned and lacks credulity. Likewise American Garret Hedlund is really fine here, but did we need both leads to be imported? A Hemsworth would have fit the bill just as well as the good looking drifter that Garrett embodies here. His flashbacks and perspectives are more front and centre, but I personally found them less successful and somewhat obtuse. Perhaps the prosaic elements of the novel made this a little unfilmable but experienced Director Gregor Jordan certainly gave it a shot. I just didn't really feel much watching this. Nice to look at; but a bit ho hum and certainly the music and the dirt were less than compelling. On the plus side, it is always a treat to see Aussie veteran Chris Haywood pop up.
Disappointing ....
artistincolour13 October 2020
So disappointing, on so many levels. Thank goodness for the beautiful scenery & music. Going to see an adaptation of a Tim Winton book, with Gregor Jordan directing, with David Wenham & Aaron Pedersen in the cast, shot in W A and with Julia Stone contributing her beautiful voice and music, should have been an all round delightful experience. Sadly my expectations were way too high!
Very surprised to be so let down by the direction and acting so I can only conclude that Jack Thorne struggled desperately with the adaptation from written word to the screen. Even David Wenham struggled, unusually. A high point of the casting was Aaron Pedersen, just a pity he didn't get more screen time.
Hard to understand how the usually highly talented Gregor Jordan's direction was so lacking and again, can only conclude that the product he had to work with was so below standard.
Lovely film, great acting and story.
shweta-5165728 July 2020
The rating of 5.2 is utter rubbish. I absolutely enjoyed this film from start to finish. The three leads are a pleasure to watch. And the music and cinematography in the film are both beautiful.
The movie tells the story of Georgie who is tired of trying to connect with the absent partner, who is the local legendary fishermen, Jim. While Jim has his own ghosts haunting him, the movie centers around the lost and grieving Lou and his connection with Georgie. Garret Hedlund has done a great job portraying the broken Lou who is determined to punish himself. By the end you will be yearning for a happy ending in this lovey film set in Western Australia.
7/10
The movie tells the story of Georgie who is tired of trying to connect with the absent partner, who is the local legendary fishermen, Jim. While Jim has his own ghosts haunting him, the movie centers around the lost and grieving Lou and his connection with Georgie. Garret Hedlund has done a great job portraying the broken Lou who is determined to punish himself. By the end you will be yearning for a happy ending in this lovey film set in Western Australia.
7/10
Worth watching
Gordon-1114 August 2020
Hits Wrong Notes and Chords!
spookyrat128 April 2022
Gregor Jordan's movie adaption of Tim Winton's acclaimed novel Dirt Music looks fantastic. Kudos to cinematographer. Sam Chiplin. He has perfectly recreated Winton's spectacular Western Australian locations in all of their sunny, radiant glory. Let me just say that despite the constant look of melancholia in Lu Fox's (Garrett Hedlund) eyes, there is nary a dark cloud to mar the sprawling azure skies, nor cast a shadow against the panoramic, ancient weathered landscapes.
And while we're tossing bouquets, let me just say that leads Hedlund, an American and Kelly McDonald, a Scot, do manage acceptable Australian accents. I have to give credit, where it's due. Though not quite up to the platinum standard set by the remarkable Kate Winslet in The Dressmaker. Hers was absolutely fair dinkum. As is befitting given the movie's title, there's also some quite reasonable music scattered intermittently through the film content. It was a smart casting decision to have well known Australian folk singer-songwriter Julia Stone playing a supporting role as a musician. Hedlund's acknowledged musical abilities arguably were a strong factor in him landing the role of Lu Fox, a disillusioned and disenchanted former muso who played in a band with Stone's Sal, as well as his brother.
Sad to say there's not much else to recommend about Dirt Music. It stands as a pretty ordinary advertisement for the much lauded and loved book (which I hereby give notice that I haven't read, at time of writing these words). The leads have little chemistry together and with the greatest respect I have to add that neither character, strikes me as being one of the sharpest tools in their respective sheds. Just saying!
What follows are just a few non - spoiling observations.
Not sure why the also unhappy Georgie just didn't leave the Buckridge household earlier. There was nothing holding her there. Even former boy friend Jim, wasn't exactly your traditional dastardly villain, curtailing her freedoms. He virtually invited her to go. Yet, she kept initially coming back. Why? I don't know.
OK, we find there may be some background reason for it, but let me tell you that rustling cray pots is not going to make you popular in any Western Australian coastal community. A bit nasty what happened, but somewhat understandable.
WA has long, hot, dry summers. Yet I don't remember the leads ever wearing hats in the movie. Quite honestly Hedlund especially, looked faintly ridiculous paddling around Kimberley coastal islands and water - ways in what is frequently 40 degree C temperatures. He would have been burnt to a crisp, long before doing the Robinson Crusoe thing.
Oh and by the way those waterways ... yes, saltwater crocodile infested. You want to be very, very careful of where you swim, or the beach you choose to lie around on up in those parts.
Despite being based on the best seller of the same name from well-renowned author Tim Winton, the cinematic adaptation doesn't really compliment the novel at all. My pass mark is largely derived from the brilliant cinematography. Overall it strikes me as being a pretty dull, self - indulged melodrama.
And while we're tossing bouquets, let me just say that leads Hedlund, an American and Kelly McDonald, a Scot, do manage acceptable Australian accents. I have to give credit, where it's due. Though not quite up to the platinum standard set by the remarkable Kate Winslet in The Dressmaker. Hers was absolutely fair dinkum. As is befitting given the movie's title, there's also some quite reasonable music scattered intermittently through the film content. It was a smart casting decision to have well known Australian folk singer-songwriter Julia Stone playing a supporting role as a musician. Hedlund's acknowledged musical abilities arguably were a strong factor in him landing the role of Lu Fox, a disillusioned and disenchanted former muso who played in a band with Stone's Sal, as well as his brother.
Sad to say there's not much else to recommend about Dirt Music. It stands as a pretty ordinary advertisement for the much lauded and loved book (which I hereby give notice that I haven't read, at time of writing these words). The leads have little chemistry together and with the greatest respect I have to add that neither character, strikes me as being one of the sharpest tools in their respective sheds. Just saying!
What follows are just a few non - spoiling observations.
Not sure why the also unhappy Georgie just didn't leave the Buckridge household earlier. There was nothing holding her there. Even former boy friend Jim, wasn't exactly your traditional dastardly villain, curtailing her freedoms. He virtually invited her to go. Yet, she kept initially coming back. Why? I don't know.
OK, we find there may be some background reason for it, but let me tell you that rustling cray pots is not going to make you popular in any Western Australian coastal community. A bit nasty what happened, but somewhat understandable.
WA has long, hot, dry summers. Yet I don't remember the leads ever wearing hats in the movie. Quite honestly Hedlund especially, looked faintly ridiculous paddling around Kimberley coastal islands and water - ways in what is frequently 40 degree C temperatures. He would have been burnt to a crisp, long before doing the Robinson Crusoe thing.
Oh and by the way those waterways ... yes, saltwater crocodile infested. You want to be very, very careful of where you swim, or the beach you choose to lie around on up in those parts.
Despite being based on the best seller of the same name from well-renowned author Tim Winton, the cinematic adaptation doesn't really compliment the novel at all. My pass mark is largely derived from the brilliant cinematography. Overall it strikes me as being a pretty dull, self - indulged melodrama.
Enjoyable movie
jane-mulligan717 October 2020
I wasn't sure what to expect after the mixed reviews but as I love the book, decided to give it a go and really enjoyed the movie. Strengths of it are the good acting from a strong cast and amazing WA scenery. Great to see Chris Haywood on screen. Yeah it's not perfect but it successfully avoids so many of the usual film cliches and that made it easy to enjoy and appreciate.
Was hoping for a shark attack
jordan22407 January 2023
A shark attack would have given this movie some life. As it is, it's essentially a romance between two people who barely know each other that we're supposed to believe are so passionately in love that they can't live without each other, or at least the woman can't live without the man. There was absolutely no development to their relationship. My wife and I assumed the characters knew each other and had a history, but it became apparent as the film went on that they didn't. It seems the woman has a history of giving herself to men she barely knows, which one might associate with the typical lady of the evening.
Other than that, there is no action other than a flashback scene outside a bar, and the attempt to pull at your heart-strings with the frequent appearance of the child character fails miserably. She actually becomes more annoying than anything.
I don't know, I'm thinking I should give up on the Aussie movies. I'm pretty sure I saw one I liked quite a few years ago, but it's been tough going since.
Other than that, there is no action other than a flashback scene outside a bar, and the attempt to pull at your heart-strings with the frequent appearance of the child character fails miserably. She actually becomes more annoying than anything.
I don't know, I'm thinking I should give up on the Aussie movies. I'm pretty sure I saw one I liked quite a few years ago, but it's been tough going since.
4/10 WTF?
mauricemglynn30 August 2020
Another missed opportunity
mcalautti29 June 2021
Sorry but casting Americans and Scots to play Australians was doomed to fail. Hedlund and McDonald are both great; until they speak. The Aussie accent is notoriously difficult to fake.
The question really is who made the decision to try and thereby doom an otherwise good movie to struggle.
The question really is who made the decision to try and thereby doom an otherwise good movie to struggle.
Choppy seas...
kimjohnsonnow28 October 2020
A choppy movie with some good bits and some perplexing parts. I went after reading the book, so could fill in the gaps of the story with my reading of the book. The film was different in some important ways, notably the ending was changed and was weak.. Of course the landscape and filming was awesome, however as a West Australian the use of Esperance as a location was unexpected as obviously it was written about north of Perth at Lancelin, so it missed the point of where Winton was writing about. The genuine Australian actors were under-utilised which contrasted with Hedlands inability to speak in a believable Australian accent with weird blurting in an Irish accent. Yes he was handsome but why use an American when we have so many great actors. The story line did not flow particularly well and that was probably the biggest problem.... trying to convert a great read into a great watch. Nevertheless I enjoyed the film because of The West Australian setting.
Most disappointing Australian movie I have ever sat through
ozhamada-6311520 February 2021
David Wenham seemed to be doing a lot of heavy lifting in this movie that was otherwise very thin on Australian talent. The acting at times was very poor and the chemistry between actors seemed very weak. The scenery was great yet that served only to amplify how Winton is best when he is describing the Australian landscape.
Nice Australia vibe
jamactechnical12 August 2020
I am not really 'into' romance movies but found this to be a pretty decent summer flick. Kelly MacDonald did great in her performance. I have seen her in other movies and she always carry herself well. The Western Australia vibe really set the tone throughout the movie which I enjoyed and the little bit of the dirt music helped as well. If you enjoy romance films this might be the summer ticket for you. :-)
Good movie
puddhyde10 June 2022
Just Terrible
pben-247062 October 2022
Me and the wife sat through this a few nights ago. Decent acting and scenery but talk about slow, we wondered why we'd bothered after. Then in the credits I saw it was based on a book by Tim Winton. Should have read that before then we would have given it a miss anyway. I've tried reading a couple of his books, boring as anything, like the characters in this film. At one point the lead actress says she can't live in a sad environment and then goes after a bloke who must be one of the saddest, most boring, depressed people on the planet. I was hoping a shark would snap them both up at the end to liven things up.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER
jmvscotland29 March 2022
First of all, I am Australian.
I read the novel "Dirt Music" not long after it was first published and I remember saying to my wife that it would make a terrific movie.
It is the greatest cliche to say "Oh, but the book was much better". In this case, that's most definitely true. There was an opportunity here to make a truly good movie, even if not a great one. How the producers, writer and Director managed to come up with this poor movie based on a great novel is difficult to comprehend. That's particularly so given the two fine actors involved. David Wenham is almost always terrific and Kelly McDonald, one of my very favourite actresses, doing a fine job with the Australian accent.
I gave the movie 6/10 not because the movie is in any way worthy, but simply because of the spectacular scenery of the locations where it was filmed. That is, around Esperance in WA. Not, I have to say, where the novel was based as I recall but all the same, beautiful.
I didn't really rate this movie highly at all and it's unlikely that I'll ever feel compelled to watch it again. It could have been, should have been, SO much better.
JMV.
I read the novel "Dirt Music" not long after it was first published and I remember saying to my wife that it would make a terrific movie.
It is the greatest cliche to say "Oh, but the book was much better". In this case, that's most definitely true. There was an opportunity here to make a truly good movie, even if not a great one. How the producers, writer and Director managed to come up with this poor movie based on a great novel is difficult to comprehend. That's particularly so given the two fine actors involved. David Wenham is almost always terrific and Kelly McDonald, one of my very favourite actresses, doing a fine job with the Australian accent.
I gave the movie 6/10 not because the movie is in any way worthy, but simply because of the spectacular scenery of the locations where it was filmed. That is, around Esperance in WA. Not, I have to say, where the novel was based as I recall but all the same, beautiful.
I didn't really rate this movie highly at all and it's unlikely that I'll ever feel compelled to watch it again. It could have been, should have been, SO much better.
JMV.
Enthralling!
jodyscott311 January 2022
A wonderful gem of a movie! It captivated my attention immediately with the ethereal music, nature shots, and acting. There is a depth to the acting and cinematography even when the dialogue is sparse. The details of the plot unfold in a perfectly timed way and there is an almost magical feel to it. The music from the soundtrack, including the family band of actors, is sweet and beautiful. The harmony when 3 of the actors are singing together is incredibly gorgeous and absolutely crucial to the plot, yet also the icing on the cake. I loved it!
I so wanted to like it but . . .
info-907011 January 2023
It is sooooooooooooooo slow, and wastes a lot of time telling a super simple story, at a pace that makes you want to stop watching, despite the beautiful scenery and great cinematography.
The actors are good but the writing is weak, and the timing is just bad, slow and not enough is happening for the moody pacing they are decided to use. It just makes the film much worse than it needs to be. Perhaps if they had taken out at least 35 minutes of the film, it would be more passable. This story was far too blah for them to try to milk the scenes and story as if there was some drama to be found if they just wasted more time on each weak point.
This is all such a shame because the actors are wonderful, the music is good, the story in the hands of another Director might have worked better if it was shorter or decided what the focus of the story was going to be - mystery, romance, comeuppance for the rich buy, something! As is, it never really decided what the focus and underlying theme of the story was, and therefore, it just waffles around aimlessly and foolishly. I doubt that the book was this aimless or it would not have won the award it supposedly did.
Both Hedland and McDonald deserve better.
The actors are good but the writing is weak, and the timing is just bad, slow and not enough is happening for the moody pacing they are decided to use. It just makes the film much worse than it needs to be. Perhaps if they had taken out at least 35 minutes of the film, it would be more passable. This story was far too blah for them to try to milk the scenes and story as if there was some drama to be found if they just wasted more time on each weak point.
This is all such a shame because the actors are wonderful, the music is good, the story in the hands of another Director might have worked better if it was shorter or decided what the focus of the story was going to be - mystery, romance, comeuppance for the rich buy, something! As is, it never really decided what the focus and underlying theme of the story was, and therefore, it just waffles around aimlessly and foolishly. I doubt that the book was this aimless or it would not have won the award it supposedly did.
Both Hedland and McDonald deserve better.
Message to the writer
ham-ma2425 February 2021
Stop making movies about degenerates who have sex because they are just desperate, make children and don't give a flying duck about anything else but "oh my life is boring, I'll have an adventure". Not a positive example to follow.
relationships Suks in Australia too.
afterdarkpak13 August 2020
Performance n production quality is ok for low budget Australian drama. the plot was nice in start but it gets stupid later.
Call it a "Love" after a sex , when even doesnt even know the name ? one dumb generation ever.
not husband n wife, a woman is gf of man who has 2 or 3 kids , but no passion or feeling between them , so she found a another stud who has a dog at one day and drops the panties in LOVE?. ok .
------------------spoilers---------------------
the reason why I didnt like the story or plot after half of the movie, because the man (fisherman) he starts suspects that his gf is having an affair and even she mentioned that she has no more feeling for him, so why bother to go after her? which unrealistic.
even later when its revlead that it was not any feelings or anything when they both (fisherman n woman) starts relationship in past when she was playing with his kids. like its really stupid idea or logic here. i mean she didnt think that time but she realised it later when fisherman feel good that she is taking care his children. even that fisherman also cheated in past.
There is no happy ending in "adultery / cheating " .
Call it a "Love" after a sex , when even doesnt even know the name ? one dumb generation ever.
not husband n wife, a woman is gf of man who has 2 or 3 kids , but no passion or feeling between them , so she found a another stud who has a dog at one day and drops the panties in LOVE?. ok .
------------------spoilers---------------------
the reason why I didnt like the story or plot after half of the movie, because the man (fisherman) he starts suspects that his gf is having an affair and even she mentioned that she has no more feeling for him, so why bother to go after her? which unrealistic.
even later when its revlead that it was not any feelings or anything when they both (fisherman n woman) starts relationship in past when she was playing with his kids. like its really stupid idea or logic here. i mean she didnt think that time but she realised it later when fisherman feel good that she is taking care his children. even that fisherman also cheated in past.
There is no happy ending in "adultery / cheating " .
adaptation
SnoopyStyle9 June 2021
Georgie (Kelly Macdonald) is the long-suffering wife of successful lobster fisherman Jim Buckridge (David Wenham). He lives in his late father's shadow and she is struggling with loneliness. He accuses her of cheating. She encounters poacher Lu Fox (Garrett Hedlund) while skinny dipping.
This is adapted from an Australian award-winning novel. I like all three performers. I like the broken marriage and the emotionally troubled romance. I like the performances but the scenes feel disjointed. What I really dislike is the last act. I'm sure that it's all in the book and I'm sure that it works in the book. It doesn't work on the screen. It feels jammed together and too connected. It's too convenient and wrapped up. I'm sure the problem boils down to trying to transfer the book onto the screen.
This is adapted from an Australian award-winning novel. I like all three performers. I like the broken marriage and the emotionally troubled romance. I like the performances but the scenes feel disjointed. What I really dislike is the last act. I'm sure that it's all in the book and I'm sure that it works in the book. It doesn't work on the screen. It feels jammed together and too connected. It's too convenient and wrapped up. I'm sure the problem boils down to trying to transfer the book onto the screen.
Poorly told story but kinda romantic
ILuvMovieehs21 February 2023
So I am from USA never traveled to Australia. Nor have I read Tim Winton books. But I have enjoyed many Australian films and TV introduced through streaming on ACORN as well as all the great Aussie actors who have careers in the US and Hollywood. I gave this film only a 4-star rating because the story was indeed romantic with good chemistry between the leads but was poorly laid out, not very interesting and lacking in character development. I needed more to understand the back story and relationships that drove everyone's trauma. However I am inspired to read the book. I felt the story had much more to offer, but it failed to come across in this film.
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