By Mark HadleyThursday 2 Nov 2017The Big PictureMoviesReading Time: 1 minute
Three Summers is set at the fictional folk music festival called ‘Westival’. There are a range of quirky Australian characters, but the story centres on two Westival regulars. Over three years Keevey (a feisty Irish violinist) gets to know Roland (the socially stunted Theremin player). Will they be able to make beautiful music together?
RATED: Three Summers is rated M for Coarse Language
AUDIENCE: Aimed at those who appreciate kitsch Australian comedies like The Dish and Strictly Ballroom
WHAT’S GOOD: It has a great deal of Australian talent – Michael Caton from The Castle, Magda Szubanksi from Babe, Deborah Mailman from The Sapphires and Peter Rowsthorn from Kath & Kim to name a few.
WHAT’S NOT: They’re hardly used. Instead, writer/director Ben Elton has overburdened the film with well-meaning mentions and statements about a dozen social issues – constitutional reform, Aboriginal land rights, alcoholism within families, the dangers of sex-Apps, British child migration, illegal immigrants – that the humour is constantly undercut and the love story virtually swamped.
SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING: The answer offered at the end of the film is pure sophism – a statement that sounds wise, but ultimately means nothing: ‘Unless we start listening to each other’s stories we won’t begin to understand our own.’ They might have done better with Jesus’ revolutionary and easily understood: ‘Treat others the way you’d like to be treated yourself.’
RELEASE DATE: Three Summers will be available in cinemas November 2