Dirty Deeds

I remember being so excited about Dirty Deeds back when it first came out. I thought to myself, finally, a full-blown Aussie gangster flick... like it was something the world was crying out for! The sheen on this film has dulled a fair bit over the last few years, a lot of its flashiness now seems a bit dated, but it's still quite an entertaining film. Ever wanted to see how the Mafia would fare up against fair dinkum Aussie pokie-machine gangsters? Well, this film is your chance to see exactly that. It features an all-star cast, a larger-than-usual budget for an Australian film, and some fine filmmaking from underrated Australian writer/drector David Caeser (Idiot Box, Mullet).

Darcy (Sam Worthington, in one of his earliest roles) is our hero; a young lad recently returned from the Vietnam War and looking to make a living for himself. He soon falls in with his uncle Barry (Bryan Brown), who wastes no time in putting Darcy to work, in particular keeping an eye on his mistress. Things start to heat up for Barry when the Mafia arrive in town, looking to do 'business' with someone, and his pug-faced rival Freddie (Gary Waddell) starts to muscle in. From here the plot twists and turns in the usual post-Lock, Stock gangster manner, but where it physically takes the viewer is its biggest strength. Caeser gives us a glorious tour of late '60s Australia; complete with brown suits, gaudy wallpaper, and black eyeliner. Through the eyes of the visiting mafioso we see the Australian-ness of the film tenfold, especially in the later acts of the film, which are set against the backdrop of the outback.

The performances are all top-notch. Bryan Brown isn't afraid to shed his usual charm when the character demands it (even if the role is a bit of a retread of his lauded work in Two Hands), and Toni Collette in particular is surprisingly affective as Barry's equally-vicious wife. It's also great to see John Goodman share the screen with some Aussie talent. Sam Neill on the other hand is underused and I felt myself wondering why his character was in the film at all.

Anyway, if you enjoy watching tough-guys bust up poker machines, then this is for you.

DIRECTOR: David Caesar
WRITER/SOURCE: David Caesar
KEY ACTORS: Sam Worthington, Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, John Goodman, Sam Neill, William McInnes, Andrew S. Gilbert, Gary Waddell, Felix Williamson

RELATED TEXTS
- David Caesar has written and directed five feature films, the other four are: Greenkeeping, Idiot Box, Mullet and Prime Mover.
- Dirty Deeds can be seen as Australia's answer to films like Goodfellas, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, The Grifters and Reservoir Dogs.
- Other Australian 'gangster' films include Two Hands (arguably the film that started the subgenre of the semi-comedic Australian gangster movie), Chopper (starring Eric Bana in his breakthrough role), The Hard Word (starring Guy Pearce and Joel Edgerton) and Gettin' Square (also featuring Sam Worthington).

AWARDS
AFIs - won Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Also nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Editing.