Bran Nue Dae | Movies

Review

Difficult to resist

by Paul Stock

There are only so many temptations a god-fearing Catholic schoolboy can resist. Cherry Ripe is one thing but Jessica Mauboy is another matter.

While his mother might fancy a career for him in the priesthood, Willie (Rocky McKenzie) helps liberate his Perth boarding school canteen of its chocolate bars. Impending punishment and the headmaster's racial insults set the teenage boy on a road trip to discover parts of his Aboriginal identity and his own set of priorities.

Willie isn't doing a runner just to escape the wrath of Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush). He desperately wants to return home to Broome to resume fishing and to see Rosie (Mauboy), a pretty friend he's started having decidedly un-Christian thoughts about.

Willie is assisted in his quest by a man who claims to be his uncle, the scheming Uncle Tadpole (Ernie Dingo), who tricks New Age tourists Annie (Missy Higgins) and Slippery (Tom Budge) into driving the pair "just up the road" to Broome.

While the better acting is done by the professional actors and the better singing by the professional singers, what ensues is a delightful musical comedy. Those actors not making their film debuts (Rush, Dingo and Deborah Mailman) deliver consummate comedic performances and the newbies (McKenzie and Mauboy) are a bit cheesy but adorable.

Directed by Rachel Perkins ("Radiance"), "Bran Nue Dae" is an adaptation of the Jimmy Chi stage musical that toured Australia in the 1990s.

Chi's songs are full of good humour, even as they're engaging the serious issues affecting Indigenous people. Be sure to hang around for the closing credits to enjoy Dan Sultan's gorgeous rendition of 'Nyul Nyul Girl'.

The plot isn't very sophisticated and the production isn't particularly slick, but what "Bran Nue Dae" lacks in polish it makes up for with a charm that's difficult to resist.