Needing a pick-me-up after one of those days where every little thing seems to go wrong, I decided to go and see The Dish to cheer myself up. Ninety or so minutes later, I emerged with all the crap that was in my head going into the cinema forgotten about. By that measurement, I would give The Dish a very big 10 out of 10, and say that it is probably the best movie I've seen so far this year.
Now, I know by saying this that other reviewers will be encouraged to give this movie a thumbs down because of all the good reports they have heard about it, or all the great reviews thy have read. But that's the danger with a film like The Dish: the earlier you actually go and see it, the more immune you will be from all the hype of word of mouth and box office success that goes with leaving off seeing it too late.
All I can say is that this is a movie which achieves the onerous task of taking potentially stale subject matter and transforming it into something wonderful. The filmmakers (who also made The Castle, which I shall be watching tonight) have taken the slim notion of small-town Australia's involvement in the Apollo 11 Moon mission and, by offering numerous quirky, interesting and affable characters and incidents to flesh out their story, have created one of those movies which makes you feel good about yourself, other people, and mankind in general. Belly laughs follow on from real, humane drama, while little details beautifully observed spotlight the bigger picture of one of the human race's greatest achievements of the 20th Century.
I don't want to give anything away because The Dish is full of gems which it would be cruel to tell anybody who has not seen the film for themselves about. All I can say is, if you're feeling a bit down, tired and depressed, just watch this: it's a real tonic!
Now, I know by saying this that other reviewers will be encouraged to give this movie a thumbs down because of all the good reports they have heard about it, or all the great reviews thy have read. But that's the danger with a film like The Dish: the earlier you actually go and see it, the more immune you will be from all the hype of word of mouth and box office success that goes with leaving off seeing it too late.
All I can say is that this is a movie which achieves the onerous task of taking potentially stale subject matter and transforming it into something wonderful. The filmmakers (who also made The Castle, which I shall be watching tonight) have taken the slim notion of small-town Australia's involvement in the Apollo 11 Moon mission and, by offering numerous quirky, interesting and affable characters and incidents to flesh out their story, have created one of those movies which makes you feel good about yourself, other people, and mankind in general. Belly laughs follow on from real, humane drama, while little details beautifully observed spotlight the bigger picture of one of the human race's greatest achievements of the 20th Century.
I don't want to give anything away because The Dish is full of gems which it would be cruel to tell anybody who has not seen the film for themselves about. All I can say is, if you're feeling a bit down, tired and depressed, just watch this: it's a real tonic!