jonb-29 A fairly mediocre film with three wasted talents. That's wasted as in not used to their full potentials, not what you might think. This movie could have been so much more, but seemed to just "get-by". Neil is wooden, really wooden, he makes an old growth forest look like it's made of PVC and polycarbonates. Clarke is his usual self but doesn't have much to work with and Zoe does a good job. Especially given that she got her assets out in a scene. Aside from that it feels dated, and boring. The "ethnic" Australian angle wasn't used to it's best potential. Although other reviewers comment on the "nastier" aspects of this movie it's really very tame and the nastiest thing about it is the horrible 80's leather pants. Straight to DVD stuff.

jamie-colton A funny, dark comedy about a life changing episode of a 34 year old single man. Coming from a posh upbringing but a complete slacker, or so you are lead to believe. The confused man seems to aspire to more and meets a young (19) bar girl at his work where he has just become the struggling head cook. The clue to the twist is in the title, from being a romantic comedy with lovely little moments that echo your own ways in the early stages of dating. It then spins on it's head as an offbeat thriller, still just as funny though.The darker side to the film gives it's funniest moments, notably after paralysing his mother, he then controls her wheelchair with a remote control to get about. Also his best friend deserves a mention, great deadpan calmness, especially when burying the body.Maybe it is a little long for the story at hand but still well worth watching even if romance or thrillers aren't your thing as it has many other layers.

gcd70 This all Australian production is both original and darkly funny. Sam Neill plays a dopey cook who, after meeting an attractive night-club waitress, has an incredible run of bad luck. Zoe Carides is very sexy as Neill's nineteen year old love, while John Clarke provides great support as his best friend Dave."Death in Brunswick" is a fine debut from writer-director John Ruane (co-written with Boyd Oxley), as he brings us many moments of hilarity. Last but not least, Sam Neill himself makes a likable, if very non-directional hero, as Carl Fitzgerald. Fantastic to see home grown humour done as well as this.Friday, January 17, 1992 - Video

cmjl-1 From the moment the film opens, depicting aluminium cans rolling ceaselessly (and noisily) in the wind, along with the elderly Greek ladies putting this year's Christmas trees into the wrecked Austin 1800 (stuffed next to previous year's Christmas trees), you know that this film is going to be a little different.Melbourne, one of the most multi-cultural metropolis's in the world (should that be metropoli?) is the setting for this rather dark comedy drama. Carl, an unemployed and very much down on his luck chef, gets a job at a less than reputable nightclub in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick. He falls in love with one of the Greek barmaids, much to the consternation of the owner of the bar who has been betrothed to the barmaid. Not helping matters much is a Turkish kitchen hand, who appears to want to spend more time trading in stolen goods and drugs than actually working as a kitchen hand.When matters escalate out of hand, Carl needs the specialist help that only his friend, Dave can provide. If it can be said that a good friend will help you move (house), it's fair to say that only a true friend will help you move - a body, and as a gravedigger at the local cemetery Dave is in the ideal position to help "dispose" of one of Carl's kitchen disasters.Along the way, Dave is pestered by his Feminist-rights movement wife who spends most of her on-screen time berating Dave for his pathetic life, while Carl spends his time being roughed up by the nightclub bouncer, roughed up by a Turkish crime syndicate, or, more worryingly, being berated and belittled by his mother.A truly enjoyable Australian film from the early 1990's, though apparently not available in Australia - I had to get my copy from the UK, though fortunately the UK release is region free.