The Dressmaker
Kate Winslet is a revenge-seeking femme fatale in this period comedy-thriller adaptation of Rosalie Ham’s novel. Glamorous Tilly (Winslet) returns to her small hometown in rural Australia to pay back those who wronged her, armed with a sewing machine and haute couture style. Co-stars Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving and Judy Davis.
Tilly Dunnage (Winslet) makes a surprise return to her tiny hometown of Dungatar to look after her ailing mother (Davis). It doesn't take long for the glamorous, single globetrotter to set dusty small town tongues wagging, and old resentments to present themselves. As Tilly takes on the foes of her past, there are frocks to be made, and a local hunk (Hemsworth) to flirt with... and maybe a little more.
- Director:
- Jocelyn Moorhouse ('A Thousand Acres', 'How to Make an American Quilt', 'Proof')
- Writer:
- Jocelyn Moorhouse
- Cast:
- Kate WinsletIsla FisherLiam HemsworthElizabeth DebickiJudy DavisHugo WeavingSarah SnookCaroline GoodallKerry FoxRebecca Gibney
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Steve Newall
flicksOld-fashioned in both setting and tone, The Dressmaker is certain to appeal to the older arthouse set, though unlikely to win anyone else over. Ostensibly a revenge-filled black comedy, though fairly toothless, it’s also an opportunity for Kate Winslet to revel in the role of creative, cosmopolitan (and curvy) protagonist Tilly Dunnage as she wreaks havoc on her small country hometown with couture and culture-challenging behaviour ill-befitting stuffy 1950s Australia.
Loved it!
Quirky, funny & so Australian. So many great Aussie actors, dresses were lovely, a time when women looked elegant & beautifully dressed. A delight to watch when so many movies are all doom & gloom! Yes a bit shallow in the storyline, but who cares, it is not that type of movie. Reminiscent of Murial's Weddind, Strickly Ballroom, but better. Do yourself a...
Charming
This wish-fulfilment/revenge fantasy is highly enjoyable, thanks in large part to an entertaining supporting cast of quirky characters. A great, well told story with some delightfully unexpected moments of slapstick (a wedding-dress-gone-wrong chase sequence is a particular highlight) and wince-inducing violence, that make for a darkly funny and satisfying...
Variety
pressIt’s surprising how well The Dressmaker coheres, albeit more along narrative lines than tonal ones.
The Telegraph
pressThe film’s major blunder – it’s got plenty of competition – is mistaking Kate Winslet for Rita Hayworth.
The Guardian
pressA loud, batty, fancy-frocked, sashed-and-stockinged revenge story pitched somewhere between an outback period piece and a Wile E Coyote cartoon.
The Age
pressIf Moorhouse's film sometimes falls out of step, then it at least has the self-belief to go out in a blaze of glory.
SBS
pressEnormously good fun, especially if you love clothes and enjoy a makeover montage.
Hollywood Reporter
pressBoasts enough manic energy and straight-up weirdness to keep you entertained before overstaying its welcome in the final act.
Herald Sun
pressIn addition to the inspired direction of Jocelyn Moorhouse, The Dressmaker draws ably on the united effort of an appreciably committed cast.
Flicks, Steve Newall
flicksOld-fashioned in both setting and tone, The Dressmaker is certain to appeal to the older arthouse set, though unlikely to win anyone else over. Ostensibly a revenge-filled black comedy, though fairly toothless, it’s also an opportunity for Kate Winslet to revel in the role of creative, cosmopolitan (and curvy) protagonist Tilly Dunnage as she wreaks havoc on her small country hometown with couture and culture-challenging behaviour ill-befitting stuffy 1950s Australia.
Variety
pressIt’s surprising how well The Dressmaker coheres, albeit more along narrative lines than tonal ones.
The Telegraph
pressThe film’s major blunder – it’s got plenty of competition – is mistaking Kate Winslet for Rita Hayworth.
The Guardian
pressA loud, batty, fancy-frocked, sashed-and-stockinged revenge story pitched somewhere between an outback period piece and a Wile E Coyote cartoon.
The Age
pressIf Moorhouse's film sometimes falls out of step, then it at least has the self-belief to go out in a blaze of glory.
SBS
pressEnormously good fun, especially if you love clothes and enjoy a makeover montage.
Hollywood Reporter
pressBoasts enough manic energy and straight-up weirdness to keep you entertained before overstaying its welcome in the final act.
Herald Sun
pressIn addition to the inspired direction of Jocelyn Moorhouse, The Dressmaker draws ably on the united effort of an appreciably committed cast.
Loved it!
Quirky, funny & so Australian. So many great Aussie actors, dresses were lovely, a time when women looked elegant & beautifully dressed. A delight to watch when so many movies are all doom & gloom! Yes a bit shallow in the storyline, but who cares, it is not that type of movie. Reminiscent of Murial's Weddind, Strickly Ballroom, but better. Do yourself a...
Charming
This wish-fulfilment/revenge fantasy is highly enjoyable, thanks in large part to an entertaining supporting cast of quirky characters. A great, well told story with some delightfully unexpected moments of slapstick (a wedding-dress-gone-wrong chase sequence is a particular highlight) and wince-inducing violence, that make for a darkly funny and...
Share