jotix100
"Dirty Deeds" takes a nostalgic view of the Sydney of the late nineties as we are taken along to meet a local gangster who is ruthless against his enemies, or the people trying to invade his territory. The action takes place in King Cross, an area where night life was the main attraction.David Caesar and his cinematographer, Geoffrey Hall, created a film that seems to have been shot in that era, as they have given the movie a faded look that works well with the story they are telling. The film has some funny moments that come at unexpected moments. The inside joke seems to be about how to really make a good pizza, something that might not have been done at the time.The film makers have to be congratulated in bringing a brilliant cast together for the movie. Bryan Brown plays the kingpin Barry Ryan with equal amount of meanness and humor. Mr. Brown is an actor that is always consistent in anything he does and he should be seen more often. Toni Collette is one of the best actresses working in films, who is at home in drama as well as comedy, and she has a rare opportunity to show her talent playing Barry's wife, Sharon. John Goodman is good as the American mafioso who is outsmarted by his Aussie counterpart. Sam Worthington is fine as the naive Darcy and Kesty Moressi also does a good job as Margaret. The only one that has nothing to do is Sam Neill."Dirty Deeds" works well as a drama and a comedy because there are elements of both in it thanks to the way David Caesar presents his material on the screen.
quantumXL
The main reason i watch this movie because it had one of my favorite actor in it. He is the star of the "Big Bo" and Monsters inc. I love his soothing voice and singing (Although its nothing like Barry White and Usher) but his acting is GREAT. Well anyways about that movie. I really didn't understand the plot of it. It was about casino machines and stuff. and at the end of the movie john and the other kid get framed. i got bored through half the movie and basically fell asleep. so i was kinda disappointed in john because of choosing such a bad movie to star in. but i'll give it 7stars anyhow. Do i recommend this movie? if your a John Goodman fan its something to rent. if not just ditch it and find a nice good new movie to watch.
Max Easton (walking_cliche)
'Dirty Deeds' is a great Aussie film on par with top Aussie films such as 'Gettin Square' and 'Swimming Upstream' that hasn't received the respect that it deserves. This film is thoroughly entertaining, perfectly representing Australian culture and giving insight into 1960's Australia. Veteran Aussie actor Bryan Brown puts in a strong performance as hard arsed Barry Ryan with great performances by Toni Collette and John Goodman.Why the Australian people are so critical of films made in their own country continually shocks me. Yes, at times 'Dirty Deeds' was a tad predictable and the characters in the film were mere extensions of the actors themselves, but to the man on the street, this is a clever film with a strong sense of Aussie humour highlighted by it's setting in 1960's Australia.'Dirt Deeds' deserves an 8 out of 10. Two marks deducted for it's predictability and it's slightly disappointing ending thrown in as a 'feel good' denouement.See this for: the superb camera work, the bush jail, Toni Collette and Bryan Brown, the romantic tension between the four mains.
corkire244
This film was not a block buster by any means. However, it is a very clever film and the acting really pulls it together. Bryan Brown is respectable as the leading role and he is helped out greatly by his supporting cast, mainly John Goodman. Goodman's trademark has almost always been the soft big guy type, and he proves in this film that he has playing those type of characters down to a science. Sam Neill plays the crooked cop, a part that seemed to fit him, but his character is dry and does not receive much screen time. The film starts slow, but after it gets going, enough of a storyline comes forth to keep most interested. The climax and is not what I hoped for but the conclusion of the film will leave most feeling satisfied and it does a good job putting everything together.