Given that he is the only Australian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, I expected more. Without expending many words on it, I reckon this book identifies too closely with the Euro-centric "culture-equals-the-continent" model that gave rise to the cultural cringe. The alternative, of course, is to try to provide insight into the Australian view of the world, as Tim Winton does.
The former stars a very young Nick Cave. It reminded me strongly of Bad Boy Bubby. Curiously the star, David Field, plays Bob Hawke in The Day We Called It a Night, the last movie I remember seeing at The Ritz, and he's also in the very similar Everynight ... Everynight and sundry other Aussie classics.
Also watched Edward Scissorhands for the Johnny Depp factor. He's pretty good in this one, as is Wynona (for once).
Truly execrable. Johnny Depp (usually a plus), lots of pointless gore, an incomprehensible plot. Banderas simply rehashed every other role he's ever done: the omnipotent hero with perfect aim, timing and an infini-shooter. One can identify the bad guys by their inability to hit anything at all.
