Celia
(1989/Umbrella Entertainment/Region Zero/PAL)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Film: C+
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on
machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0 PAL format
software and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the
website address provided at the end of the review.
Writer/Director
Ann Turner pains a sometimes painful picture of a young preteen girl dealing
with anxiety and troubles in 1950s Australia, but Celia (1989) has a combination of unevenness, predictability, lack
of character development and surreal scenes (intended) that never allow the
film to quite come together despite its ambitions and Rebecca Smart is good as
the title character.
Some
moments work, but the film’s angry, annoyed father becomes somewhat of a spoof,
communism and voodoo dolls seem out of place and the serious, realistic scenes
always give way to sequences that take the film off track. You can see it for yourself if interested,
but Turner tries to do too much at once and that backfires.
The anamorphically
enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is soft at times and color is not always great. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo can be a little
harsh, so be careful of playback levels, but it is not too bad for its
age. Extras include an Ann Turner audio
interview, separate on camera interview, stills, German trailer for this and a
few for other Umbrella DVD releases.
As noted above, you can order this PAL DVD import
exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
- Nicholas Sheffo
