Spotswood (1992)

Very disappointing...

Lack of good storyline.

Just perfect...

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

The Efficiency Expert is a very average film, and had much potential. However, it did not meet up to what it could have been. A feel good comedy, which stirs a warm feeling in the beginning, but rather boring as it progresses. Several well known actors star in this film, Anthony Hopkins, Russell Crowe, Ben Mendelson, and Toni Collette, which is possibly enough to stir an interest in this movie. But it can be assured, your attention may drift, and it would not be worth your time.It's not that difficult to understand because it is Australian, but just hard to keep your eyes open. Using several tropes and following two characters, it was easy to follow but rather a bore. The acting was good, the dialogue was fine. However, it was hard to take a liking to any of the main characters, Mr Wallace or Carey, the visual aesthetic was nothing special, and the plot was remarkably weak. The meaning of the film, is relevant in society, but it did not have impact. The tropes on love and decisions made the film predictable. The film had potential, but could have been a lot stronger. I would not recommend to anyone unless someone has some time and are okay with being bored a little, or is eager to see a average Aussie movie with some familiar names.

Although this film is about the upheavals in Australia in the 60s, it could easily be reset in the mid to late-2000s with the economic upheaval that the US has been having as well. Companies having a person coming in to re-evaluate what they are doing to find the efficiency leaks/breaks that are causing the company to lose more money than gain, based upon 3 rules that he tells later in the movie. Anthony Hopkins was the bad guy just in 1991, a year before this movie, and he does the same in this film, but less than a resident evil that he did in the prior movie. You can see the struggles his character is having while playing the bad guy at the company and reporting to the head of the company changes that needs to be made. You almost feel sorry for Anthony Hopkin's character to have to make these life-changing decisions that affect so many other folks lives and livelihoods.Seeing it now in 2014 (almost 25 years later), it's interesting seeing that Anthony Hopkins stays true to form to his classic Anthony Hopkins self. No disappointment there; how could anything go wrong seeing him in the movies?BTW, their wardrobes are classic 60s and loved the lady in pink (from head to toe), even with the pink lipstick.

This was a pretty good comedy that has its moments. Fairly light, sometimes silly, good lines...about what you'd expect from this genre. I liked it (because I love Anthony Hopkins and Bruno Lawrence), and you might like it if you are in the right frame of mind.** 1/2 out of ****

As an American who lived in Australia for about 3 years, I found that this film captured a lot of "Australianisms" that are hard to pinpoint, but are definitely from the Australian culture and different than the US culture. Probably the most noticeable to me was the worker vs management mentality that is so much more exaggerated in Oz. One of the most ironic things I found about their culture was how much they protested that, unlike England, there was no class system down under. But, to me as an outsider it seemed very class driven but instead of upper and lower classes they were blue collar and white collar.Overall a touching film which I always wonder how much is going right over the heads of Americans.