Death in Brunswick (Nothing to Lose)

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

Movie Info

Carl Fitzgerald (Sam Neill) is a shy, unassertive man, given to following orders from anyone around him who will take the trouble to boss him about, starting with his nagging mother. In this story, he is very much down on his luck and is forced to take a job as dishwasher in a Greek restaurant in Brunswick, his rundown neighborhood in Melborne. There, he swifly is hauled off to bed by an assertive young waitress. While he is with the girl, he accidentally kills his co-worker, a hysterically abusive and drug-dealing Turk, He calls on his old friend Dave for help in disposing of the man's body. The best solution Dave can come up with is to dump the body in another person's grave, but he manages to boss Carl around a lot in the process. And even Dave's wife gives Carl what-for, lambasting him for his overall uselessness. Somehow, despite his passivity, Carl manages to seem like the ultimate victor in all these confrontations. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Rating:

R (adult situations/language, sex)
Genre:

Art House & International, Comedy, Mystery & Suspense
Directed By:

John Ruane
Written By:

Boyd Oxlade, John Ruane
On Disc/Streaming:

Jul 11, 1995
Runtime:

109 minutes
Studio:

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Cast

Sam Neill
as Carl Fitzgerald

Zoe Carides
as Sophie Papafogos

John Clarke
as Dave

Yvonne Lawley
as Mrs. Fitzgerald

Deborah Kennedy
as June

Nicholas Papademetriou
as Yanni Voulgaris

Denis Moore
as Catholic Priest

Daniel Pollock
as Junkie

Nick Lathouris
as Mustafa

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Critic Reviews for Death in Brunswick (Nothing to Lose)

All Critics (6) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (2)

The film may involve matters of life and death, but it involves them in a very relaxed and understated way.

Sep 3, 2019 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review…

Grant Watson
Fiction Machine
[A] Coke-and-popcorn black comedy. I quite liked it. Quite.

Jul 25, 2018 | Full Review…

Vanessa Letts
The Spectator
With its multicultural setting in suburban Melbourne, its contemporary tone and its snappy tone, Death in Brunswick is as fresh today as when it was made, with plenty of chuckles and some laugh-out-loud moments to cherish

Nov 17, 2007 | Full Review…

Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
...coasts along on Neill's ample talent and charisma...

Feb 16, 2003 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

View All Critic Reviews (6)

Audience Reviews for Death in Brunswick (Nothing to Lose)

Jan 30, 2009

Not bad. Had actually never heard of this before, stumbled on it on tv. I agree with a previous reviewers opinion on the leading guy - definitely doesn't have the screen presence, as do some of the thugs. The character of Sophie is really good, though. I think she kept me watching. Slightly silly plot, but a few laughs and cringes. Glad I saw it.

Nicki M Super Reviewer
Jan 28, 2007

Great black comedy about the problems of low-life pizza cook Sam Neill after an accident murder. Despite the occasional flash of wit - usually pretty tastless - Neill doesn't have what it takes to hold a comedy together. And sexy Australian-Greek actress Zoe Carides looks really hot as her character in this film.

Dean M Super Reviewer