Sirens (1994)

Perfect cast and a good story

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This is my second favorite film of all time. If you're feeling down in the dumps, put this film on! A masterpiece that deserves re-appraisal. Clever, witty, perfectly cast, sexy, dreamy, masterful script and somehow an odd homage to The Titanic! Helps if you're athiest! Rachel Portmans music score alone is worth the price of admission but it's the sexual repression/awakening of Tara Fitzgeralds character Estella that steals the show. Discover the magic!!!

OK - where to start with SIRENS? I saw this film again for the first time in years recently. It's a film we used to watch quite often throughout the 90's.Well - for one thing this film has personal resonances for us because we saw the film in Australia when it came out. Also - we lived not far from the idyllic house where Lindsay lived - the centre-piece of the film. Yes - you can visit the house (National Trust for Australia) just off the road between Sydney and Katoomba in the Blue Mountains National Park. We visited several times and always loved it. It meant more that we knew something of Lindsay through his works and this film.This is a curious film - rather a silly film in a lot of ways. Sure - its themes are pretty obvious; sexual suppression and awakening, libertarian/counter-cultural views. Other reviewers have disliked the nude/moral/anti-Christian elements of the film - but I can't agree with them. Sirens is about exploding the myths of the female body and the taboos associated with female sexuality and female self-awareness and it does this in a way which to my mind doesn't offend or depart from the reality of the human experience. You can enjoy Sirens for allowing the exploration of these issues from the peace and tranquillity of your living room chair. Some reviewers have seen deeper themes. If there is anything more it's to do with feminine "sisterhood", bonding and peer identity. But I'm not sure - it would depend on the viewers life experience. Watch Sirens - decide for yourself.The light-hearted way of the movie is upheld throughout by the excellent music, great use of the magnificent Blue Mountains scenery, the easy dialogue and simple plot.The silly parts concern the treatment of the Australian "locals", eg, the old drunk who only says "get f*****d", the leering children and scenes in the rugged bar - where the locals show their contempt for the Lindsay crowd whom they mistrust and don't understand. This is handled in a way which makes country Australians in the 1930's look stupid and ignorant to the point of complete separation from any of the moral considerations of Lindsays artistic world as seen here. It's an unnecessary weakness in the construction of the film. The other sillinesses concern the "throw on" Australian animals; at one point a wallaby is "thrown" at Tara Fitzgerald - it's hysterical! But I enjoyed the film. It's photographed beautifully. It's a simple low-budget piece that relies on its story, the power of it's messages and images. The acting which whilst not brilliant - is not poor. It's not a "great film" - but doesn't try to be. If you want to see something of Australia and a fun film that doesn't take itself too seriously - then SIRENS is worth a watch.

This film is not simply about eroticism. You cannot judge this film by this subject alone. Obvious it is about the contradiction between sexual seduction and Christian morality some hundred years ago. But it is also a homage to 19the century (English) symbolist sensuality-painting. For instance Opelia (Millais 1852). The 'fatale women' were also an important subject in this time. That's why the film is called Sirens. The 'paintings' and the female actors shown, reminds me most of Belgian painter and illustrator Rops (1833-1898). The film seems in someway anachronistic, because in the time the cars you see in the film, the artists painted in a more modern way. In the time of these English painters the cars were coaches. Reading more about this film, I understood that Norman Lindsay was a real Australian artist in the film depicted in the 30's. When he really lived as in this film he was living the dream of this symbolistic painters. The film nevertheless is a very good try to let us see this imaginary world. For most(?) of us it is important to have art to escape from reality.

Oh, how I love this movie!It shows us how under the thin veneer of hypocrisy, religiousness, and enmity against all physical lies what God gave us to enjoy: a body to experience happiness, laughter, desire, sensuality, lust, and sexuality. And no institutions (like the Christian church in this film) have the right nor - in the long run - the capability to prevent people from finding out this fundamental truth.Watching this movie without an open mind towards sex or a joyful sense of humor surely will be annoying. So fundamentalist Christians and other prudes shouldn't bother. The rest of the audience (hopefully the majority) can expect a solid performance of the entire ensemble and many moments that make you smile and sometimes downright happy.