茶碗蒸

Sewing. Savvy. Small Town. Secrets. Subterfuge.

Revenge.

It takes some quirky wit and master-class storytelling to weave these words into one vibrant tale, and The Dressmaker has done just that.

To be honest I had my doubts about seeing this film. Despite having absolute confidence in the amazing acting skills of Kate Winslet and the attractive element of gorgeous dressmaking incorporated into the story, I have never understood the art of black comedy as much as I should have. On top of that, I had heard many mixed reviews and there just didn’t seem to be a strong enough incentive to push me over the fence. That is, until last week, when both Anne and one of my lovely technician colleagues mentioned going to see it and loving it so much that they expressed a strong desire to go and see it again. Anne, in particular, felt a deep connection to the story as she had lived in the rural town of Murchison in the 60’s (as opposed to the 50’s setting of Dungatar in The Dressmaker), and she could not contain a smile as she reflected on the odd parallels between the two in terms of the strange personalities and gossip culture in such close-knit communities. Upon hearing these heartfelt accounts, I hardly needed any more encouragement.

Based on the novel of the same name by Rosalie Ham, The Dressmaker follows the journey of Myrtle ‘Tilly' Dunnage as she returns to her hometown of Dungatar in rural Australia in 1951 after being sent away on murder charge at the age of ten. Although initially set on revenge, Tilly was determined to shed light on her past with the help of her sewing machine and a strength in character that was to take the quiet little Victorian town by a storm. Along the way, the audience is introduced to a whole array of strange characters that make up the unique community, each bearing secrets that could be essential for untangling the truth behind Tilly’s tumultuous departure.

The theme of transformation was portrayed heavily through Tilly’s sensational haute couture skills, and the costumes of course did not disappoint. Changes in character and a revealing of a catastrophic past are no strangers to any film, yet The Dressmaker took this a step further in the sense that emphasis was put on what remained unchanged even though the façade of each character may have undergone an irreversible evolution. Yet the film cleverly ensures that the plot did not come back full circle, for even though characters still proved to be largely their old self in the end, the circumstances had altered such as to at least promise a foreseeable transformation. All the dresses whipped up by Tilly were absolutely stunning and worthy of being salivated over exactly as the townspeople in the film had done, yet I think the most entertaining garment would have to be the ridiculous puffy wedding dress made by Tilly’s opposition Una Pleasance. It had been a long time since I had to furiously wipe away tears after erupting into fits of helpless laughter along with everyone else in the cinema. I don’t know – maybe it was something to do with seeing a person repeatedly tripping over layers and layers of fabric while attempting to wobble uphill in the head wind… if there was ever a perfect imitation of a tumbleweed in the desert this shot would have taken top prize without a doubt!

The audience last night was again another fantastic bunch that just added to the experience. There was the old man next to me that would mutter “Oh!” or “Oh dear!” under his breath whenever a character popped unexpectedly on screen, and his lady friend that found it extremely difficult to hold back an appreciative murmur of “Doesn’t she look gorgeous!” (but I admit I was a little worried this particular pair would talk the whole way through the film – especially when they were commenting on every single actor and actress in the trailers and their recent gossip news) Then there was the group of middle-aged friends behind me that would howl with laughter at all the right moments (especially one of the ladies who had the most infectious snorting laugh). Not to mention the wife of the couple sitting next to me that would double over with a gasping laugh every time that I was beginning to worry she wouldn’t get her breath back. Talk about personalities in a small town – just a simple movie outing could demonstrate that quite well perhaps! (Speaking of this - the characters of Sergeant Farrat and Molly Dunnage in the film were simply brilliant! Remembering Molly screaming “RUN!!!” while watching a romantic movie would keep me entertained for quite a while I dare say!)

Surprisingly, although perhaps unavoidable, there was also a few emotional scenes in the film that helped to change the pace of the storytelling and keep the audience engaged. I admired the director for highlighting the cruel and hurtful side of provincial life together with the humorous aspects, for it was a sobering reminder that there were real people leading similar lives to those in the film, just without the frills and exaggerations. And their lives were likely a far cry from the black comedy portrayed throughout much of the movie, no matter how much the latter is appreciated. It is a bold slap of reality in the light-hearted tone of the movie, but a necessary one at that.

So, is The Dressmaker a movie worth seeing? Absolutely. And do I see it as a good English exam material? Heck yes. I wish this was around before we had to study The Piano in Year 13! I would have loved to hear what the teachers had to say about the symbolisms and foreshadowing used… especially in the epic introduction and conclusion!