Part rom-com, part travel ad for the Northern Territory, Top End Wedding is a fun romp with some awe inspiring visuals. Director Wayne Blair continues with the unity themes he inspired with his previous film, The Sapphires, even working again with the actors Miranda Tapsell and Shari Sebbens.
Tapsell plays Lauren, a lawyer climbing the ladder at a law firm in Adelaide. Her boyfriend Ned (Gwilym Lee) is also a lawyer but is sick of his job as a prosecutor. On the day he quits his job, he also proposes to Lauren. They have to plan a rushed wedding to fit the demands on her time placed by her single minded boss, Hampton (Kerry Fox).
When Lauren returns home to the top end, her mother has left her father and gone walk about. She doesn’t want to tie the knot without Mum there so the search is on. Her and Ned continually arrive just that little bit too late at various locations where her mother has been and the activities Mum has indulged in are quite humorous.
When the wayward parent is found, the film turns quite touching. Lauren and her Mum return to their ancestral home, the Tiwi Islands and get back in touch with the old ways. The Aboriginal culture is shown in rich vibrant colours and both mother and daughter share some very heartfelt moments together. There are times the actors play second fiddle to the surrounds but there is still enough story to hold it all together quite nicely.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU
