2 stars (out of 5)
Director: Richard Gray
Cast: Rachael Taylor, Jacki Weaver, Alex Dimitriades, Kate Bell, Nathan Phillips, Andy McPhee, Angus Sampson, Susie Porter.
Rating: (M)
Young and attractive Heidi (Rachael Taylor) arrives in the Victorian outback with just a violin and a scowl, and it does not take a Mensa candidate to deduce what will happen when Michael (Alex Dimitriades), a swarthy orange-farmer, offers her a ride.
So when the brilliant Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom) appears, hopes are high that Summer Coda might be another unassuming Aussie gem with grit, substance and striking characters. Sadly, it doesn't have any of the above. Weaver disappears just as quickly, as Taylor starts to struggle under the laboured direction.
Taylor might have a face the camera loves, but that in no way compensates for her wooden performance.
With its glacial pace, Summer Coda is tortuous viewing for anyone savvy enough to sense where it is headed.
Summer Coda is your bog standard boy-meets-girl Mills and Boon romance. Teasing out the "will they or won't they" moments to the nth degree, first-time director Richard Gray plasters none-too-subtle signposts about the place.
Summer Coda is beautifully shot and really does make rural Victoria look slightly magical. But, after endless scenes of orange-picking, perhaps we should be being paid by the bucket to stick with it. As confused as Taylor's cobbled-together American accent is, Summer Coda's biggest crime is constantly hinting something big is about to be revealed, when the reality is quite different.
Best thing: The use of light; Summer Coda cannot be faulted for the way it looks.
Worst thing: Rachael Taylor's canned laugh; it's embarrassing.
See it with: A hopeless romantic.
- Mark Orton
