Hoodwink

Based on the real-life adventures of Carl Synnerdahl, a small-time conman and bank robber, called here Martin Stang, the main claim to fame of this film is its remarkable cast which included not only a sizeable chunk of then well-known Australian film regulars such as John Hargreaves, Wendy Hughes, Dennis Miller and Max Cullen but up-and-coming stars like Judy Davis, Colin Friels and a scrawny, and badly mis-cast, Geoffrey Rush.

Imported British director Claude Whatham does a serviceable job in what starts off as a low budget, entertainingly brassy, crime caper romp (with a surprising degree of male and female frontal nudity) and gradually segues into a serious relationship drama with John Hargreaves playing the central character, a likeable rogue with a way with the ladies (Wendy Hughes and Kim Deacon oblige).

The script by Ken Quinnel gives no explanation as to why Stang is so cheerily sociopathic nor why he falls in love with the sweetly religious wife (Judy Davis) of a lay preacher (Dennis Miller) who takes him under her wings after he gets sent to a low security prison in rural New South Wales. Despite this the film, which is played with a heavy dose of Aussie larrikinism by its fine cast  has a certain off-beat appeal.

Apparently the production was not a happy one with Whatham an unpopular figure. Davis won a deserved AFI award for her performance.

Available from: Umbrella Entertainment

 

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