Kitty and the Bagman (Donald Crombie, 1983) prod. Anthony Buckley for Forest Home Films for Adams Packer Film Productions, wr. John Burnie, Phillip Cornford, dp Dean Semler, music Brian May, design Owen Williams, ed. Timothy Wellburn; Liddy Clark, Reg Evans, John Ewart, Val Lehman, Colette Mann, Gerard McGuire, John Stanton; comedy drama set Sydney 1920s, feud between two crime queens; colour, Panavision, 35mm, 98 min.
I don't know what's wrong with this exactly. It looks very expensive. Maybe it's the (over-)acting and therefore the direction. I'm guessing that because it's set in the 1920s, which is seen as a period when the style was over the top, that the director thought that should apply to the acting as well. But there's no substance underneath the glamour.
The film's mood is light-hearted, but the plotting is aimless and lacks sparkle, and some of the minor characters are under-developed. Perhaps the tension on the set filtered down into the finished product. Stratton: 37-38.
Garry Gillard | New: 17 October, 2012 | Now: 12 June, 2020