Mr Reliable

Mr Reliable is Wally Mellish (Colin Friels), a larrikin just released from Long Bay Goal in the summer of “68 for car theft. All he wants to do is live a quiet life with his new girlfriend Bery (Jacqueline McKenzie) and her two year old in his shack in Greenfield, 45 miles out of Sydney.  But when two police officers pay him a visit things quickly escalate and a hostage drama breaks out.

Director Nadia Tass reunites with Colin Friels with whom she had a previous success ten years earlier with Malcolm and takes a comedic rather than realistic approach to her subject matter.  Apparently based on real events, Mr Reliable is a very Antipodean version of Dog Day Afternoon with a bit of Ace In The Hole thrown in for good measure. There’s not much realism here but there is a lot of nice 1960s fashion and some rather heavy-handed Ocker humour. Friels gives a typically effective performance as the uneducated but strong-willed Wally, whilst McKenzie is particularly good as his girlfriend. IMr Reliable intentionally plays the entertainment card and thanks to Tass’s competent direction and quality production design it makes for a reasonably amusing diversion.

DVD Extras: None

Available from: Umbrella Entertainment

 

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