Reeves discovers an allegory for the ebb and flow of life in these uncertain times.
Oyster Farmer (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 17
Fresh: 10
Rotten:7
Average Rating: 5.8/10
Theatrical Release:Jul 29, 2005 Limited
Synopsis: After his sister is injured in an accident, Jack Flange (Alex O'Lachlan) must leave Sydney for the small town of Brooklyn, New South Wales, to care for her. Here, on the winding Hawkesbury River, a... After his sister is injured in an accident, Jack Flange (Alex O'Lachlan) must leave Sydney for the small town of Brooklyn, New South Wales, to care for her. Here, on the winding Hawkesbury River, a population of fishermen and eccentrics live a simple life. Though he finds work with Brownie (David Field), an oyster farmer with a failing marriage, Jack robs a fish market and mails himself the money to help with his sister's medical expenses--but in a freak accident, the money falls into the river. Instead of thinking the money is simply lost, he theorizes that it has gone to support the expensive shoe habit of sexy local cleaning woman, Pearl (Diana Glenn)--but as he attempts to find out the truth, he begins to fall in love with her. With OYSTER FARMER, first-time writer/director Anna Reeves has crafted a story that may be safely placed in the fish-out-of-water genre, but wisely sidesteps the genre's stereotypical cutesiness by writing characters made of true guts and grit and infusing the proceedings with atypical saltiness and sexiness. Newcomers Lachlan and Glenn are appealing screen presences, but character actors Field and Jim Norton (as Brownie's father, Mumbles)--along with the stunning aerial shots of the Hawkesbury--are the true heart of the film. [More]
Starring: Kerry Armstrong, David Field, Jack Thompson, Jim Norton
Starring: Kerry Armstrong, David Field, Jack Thompson, Jim Norton, Claudia Harrison, Alan Cinis
Director: Anna Reeves
Director: Anna Reeves
Screenwriter: Anna Reeves
Producer: Anthony Buckley, Piers Tempest
Studio: C-100 Film Corporation
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Reviews for Oyster Farmer
There's just a little too much prettiness and plot to compete with all the eccentric behavior of the background population.
... the plot takes some unlikely turns along familiar romantic rough waters.
I think maybe this movie was harvested before its time because, just like an oyster, it blows its juice too soon and then it’s pretty much worthless after that.
Anna Reeves' debut feature film, set in a breathtaking stretch of the Hawkesbury River, jumps from idea to idea like a kangaroo, but it's a charmer all the same.
A remarkably assured debut for writer/director Anna Reeves, whose characters have enough grit to turn an oyster into a pearl... The best Australian film of the year.
Reeves' debut feature follows a meandering but scenic course, much like the serpentine Hawkesbury River that serves as its beautiful locale.
If only you could shuck away the humdrum shell of a story about a guy who steals money and hides out among the local river workers, you might have an interesting documentary about shellfish.
While her cast is talented, Reeves doesn't concentrate long enough on any plotline or character to build viewer interest.
This darkly humorous, sometimes even raunchy film mostly eludes a typical cutesy, feel-good formula.
A well-observed study of outsiders distinguished by precise performances from a well-cast ensemble.
As an uplifting, enriching series of tableaux of village life in a remote part of the world that few of us will ever experience firsthand, it is never overplayed, but rather beautifully executed by director and cast alike.
Love blooms when we least expect it to and we must be ready for it with open hearts and a willingness to step into the dark.
Something of an afterthought, but it’s a lovely excursion while it lasts.
Writer-director Anna Reeves seems to expect an audience already proficient in marine biology and never clarifies any of the indecipherable mollusk jargon. Aw, shucks.
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