On Friday evenings, IndieWire After Dark dedicates an evening-long program to fringe cinema in the age of streaming.
First, a spoiler-free presentation of an editor’s midnight movie recommendation – something weird and wonderful from any cinematic era that deserves to be remembered.
Then the spoiler-filled episodes, as experienced by the unsuspecting editor who was attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The plot: Kate Winslet provides suspense in a wild, well-dressed revenge dramedy
To paraphrase Moira Rose, “If you love female anger as much as I do, you’ll love Kate Winslet in the little-seen Australian film ‘The Dressmaker.'”
“The Dressmaker” is a strange lull in Winslet’s career. After winning an Oscar for “The Reader,” she appeared in a string of mediocre period films (“A Little Chaos,” “Labor Day,” “Steve Jobs”) and the “Divergent” franchise—which meant no one was really waiting for the next big Winslet performance. It’s a shame, because one of her best roles is at the center of Jocelyn Moorhouse’s pitch-black revenge comedy/drama/fashion show. (It also happens to be a period film.)
When Tilly (Winslet) returns to her small, dusty hometown in rural Australia, she is greeted by angry townspeople (Sarah Snook!), an ageing mother (Judy Davis!) and a very attractive Hemsworth (Liam!), who seems unperturbed by the cloud of gossip and scandal that hangs over Tilly’s impeccably coiffed head. Accused of murdering a classmate at age 10, Tilly spent the next few decades in Europe. Now she’s a stone-cold revenge factory, decked out in ’50s haute couture (her costumes are by Margo Wilson), and no one is safe from her nimble needles. Not that she plays human caterpillar with the people who drove her out of town; instead, she uses makeovers to make them about and open their eyes to humanity and decency.
It almost works.
All of this is delightful and very entertaining (the costumes are stunning, particularly a scene where Winslet slithers over to a rugby field in a skintight dress to enrage the women by irritating the men) – but there’s an abrupt twist about halfway through. A twist so extravagant in its casualness that I rewound the film the first time I watched it, convinced I’d missed something. And then I waited for the dream sequence to be announced. No, the film actually goes there, and what follows is even more remarkable. Moorehouse described the film as “Clint Eastwood’s ‘Unforgiven’ with a sewing machine,” and as “The Dressmaker” ends, she’s proven right. We rarely get to see female rage taken to such a crashing conclusion, and when we do, it deserves a hell of a lot more attention than it got at the time of release. That means it is ripe for rediscovery and late-night viewings, preferably with an ice-cold cocktail. –MP
If you’re brave enough to join in the fun, you can stream “The Dressmaker” with Freevee on Amazon Prime Video. IndieWire After Dark publishes midnight movie recommendations every Friday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Read more of our crazy suggestions…
