I spotted this title in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and then I spotted that it starred the lead actor for Jurassic Park, so I was intrigued to see what it involved, from director Gillian Armstrong (Little Women, Charlotte Gray). Basically, set in 1890's Australia, Sybylla Melvyn (A Passage to India's twice BAFTA winning Judy Davis) is the headstrong free spirited heroine, her family have had some ups and downs with poor business decisions and her father drinking heavily. She is relieved to be sent to live with her grandmother on her property where things become more comfortable, and there she meets young wealthy Harry Beecham (Sam Neill), who at first she finds a little annoying. But he falls in love with her and eventually proposes marriage, but she is convinced she is ugly and too tomboyish, therefore she does not believe that he truly loves her. After dismissing the proposal Sybylla's father's drinking has caused them to become caught up in debt, so she goes to work for an almost illiterate neighbour and family they owe money to as a housekeeper. She becomes accustomed to this job to the point where she doesn't mind doing it, but she is relieved to be sent home and kept away from the son of the family who apparently was falling for her. Then Harry returns to ask her to marry him again, but she once again dismisses him saying that she will make him unhappy, and wants to continue her writing and successful, which of course she did and wasn't afraid to brag about in her text at the beginning of the film. The film ends with her concluding the book she started in the opening, and we see her posting the manuscript, this is the conclusion and seemingly a suggestion that the film is about her brilliant career, or rather how it starts. Also starring Wendy Hughes as Aunt Helen, Robert Grubb as Frank Hawdon, Max Cullen as Mr. McSwatt, Patricia Kennedy as Aunt Gussie, Aileen Britton as Grandma Bossier, Peter Whitford as Uncle Julius, Alan Hopgood as Father and Julia Blake as Mother. Young Davis gives a well assured performance as the leading female character, and Neill is pleasantly cool and relatively charming as the possible love interest for her, I will admit I may not have caught up with everything going, but from what I gathered it is a pretty watchable period drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Costume Design, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. Very good!
Review of My Brilliant Career
