Spotswood

 Spotswood 1991

• Director: Mark Joffe
• Based on the book: no
• Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Ben Mendelsohn, Alwyn Kurts, Bruno Lawrence, Rebecca Rigg, Toni Colette, Russell Crowe
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Anthony Hopkins – The Human Stain, Titus, Meet Joe Black, Amistad, The Remains of the Day, Howards End, The Silence of the Lambs, 84 Charing Cross Road, Othello, The Elephant Man, The Lion in Winter
• Ben Mendelsohn – Ready Player One, Rogue Wars, The Dark Knight Rises
• Toni Colette – Knives Out, Hereditary, Unlocked, Imperium, A Long Way Down, Enough Said, Mental, Fright Night, The Dead Girl, Night Listener, Little Miss Sunshine, In Her Shoes, The Hours, About a Boy, Hotel Splendide, Sixth Sense, Velvet Goldmine, Muriel’s Wedding
• Russell Crowe – The Water Diviner, Winter’s Tale, Les Misérables, Robin Hood, A Good Year, A Beautiful Mind, Proof of Life, Gladiator
• Why? Hopkins. Collette. Crowe.
• Seen: 25 November 2021      

       Factory paternalism vs efficiency expert in a small Australian town in the 60s. Lacklustre romance intrigues don’t lift it. Great actors, mediocre performance, i.e. cliché roles to play. They did what they could, but there is no sign of the coming greatness of Collett and Crowe.

       A real disappointment. 

2½ * of 5.