Lust and Revenge (1996)
This caustic Australian comedy is meant to burn those commercial interests who sponsor artists for tax breaks. It also a sexually unresponsive wife's revenge against her cheating husband. Heiress Georgina Oliphant, the daughter of pharmaceutical magnate George Oliphant is on a mission to find a sculptor suitable of her father's sponsorship. Normally, George doesn't give a hoot about art, but tax time approaches and he needs a big deduction. Since large bronze statues are 100% deductible, that's what he wants. Georgina comes through with the lesbian sculptor Lily Carmichael who suggests a detailed male nude, sans fig leaf. For her model, lily chooses unemployed hunk Karl-Heinz Applebaum who at first doesn't realize he is to model totally nude. Fortunately, coquettish Georgina is around to convince him to shed those clothes.
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Reviews
As Good As It Gets
Absolutely Brilliant!
This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
Paul Cox's backbite at the world of film, and art in particular, is a cleverly crafted satire that will have you gaping, and in fits of laughter. Cox, with co-writer John Clarke, has a direct go at the "nude art is not pornography" myth, among many others. I am sure he had a broader target in mind too.The cast do a marvellous job milking the sharp script. Nicholas Hope and Gosia Dobrowska are good as the couple torn by her strange belief and his new "job". Even better are Chris Haywood as a rich "art lover" and Claudia Karvan as his daughter, a spoilt, lonely girl longing for male companionship. Special mention also to Norman Kaye as religious guru Baba Charles.Cox is always in control, never allowing his film to slip into being a mere sexual satire. Power-mongering, greed, manipulation and religious fraud also get the once over. It's great to see such intelligent cinema coming from Australia.Monday, November 16, 1998 - Hoyts Croydon
This is quite good attempt to investigate the world of sculpture and art as a whole. That does not at all mean that the film is overly artsy. It succeeds in being fairly complex and intelligent without pretentiousness. In fact, it is a satire, also on some other social issues like new-age-type cults or psychotherapy. Includes some interesting characters. Leaves you with a bitter-sweet aftertaste. 8/10