Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

My Brilliant Career Blu-ray Movie Review

One of Australia's most cherished films turns Blu.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 19, 2009

Here's the story of my brilliant career.

There's nothing quite like a well-made coming-of-age period film. The grandeur of the manmade locales, the natural countryside wonders often surrounding them, and a diverse collection of characters all modeling beautifully-realized costumes make for scene-chewing imagery at every turn and often captivating glimpses into life, traditions, and mannerisms of an era long since faded into the dusty pages of history. My Brilliant Career -- a 1979 Australian picture, winner of a plethora of awards, and a 1981 Oscar nominee for Best Costume Design -- follows the formula of a young woman in constant battle with the set ways of her world, but the film reinforces its themes not through the veil of an aristocratic, stuffy setting but rather in the midst of the dusty Australian Outback. Its protagonist eschews not only the sweeping traditions meant to give purpose to her life but in reality only allow it to waste away, but she rejects the very notion of true love that is often the catalyst for women in such stories to seek a better life defined by freedom of choice rather than convenient or arranged couplings. In a way, My Brilliant Career is itself a rebel amongst its peers, a film that features a superficially similar story and structure but deeper under the veil appears a picture at odds with the very notion of true love that defines most others of its kind.

Wastin' away again in Caddagat-a-ville.

A rebel for her time, a woman yearning to immerse herself in the arts rather settle down with a well-to-do husband or live a life of servitude for the benefit of her family (she sees them as one and the same), Sybylla Melvyn (Judy Davis A Passage to India) has become nothing but a burden on her set-in-tradition mother. When she's rescued by an invitation to come stay with her grandmother at Caddagat, she joyfully accepts the escape but soon finds herself in a similar predicament where her life revolves around courting male visitors and efforts to improve upon the ladylike demeanor she obviously lacks. Her gentleman caller, Mr. Frank Hawdon (Robert Grubb) -- who openly speaks of Sybylla's plain looks -- finds his advances rejected time and again; Sybylla has no interest in the man or his wealth, but instead wishes only to continue to pursue her own dreams and in her own time. That's all thrown into chaos when she meets Harry Beecham (Sam Neil, Event Horizon), a handsome gentleman that catches her eye but is kept at arm's length through the command of Sybylla's hardened heart and stalwart insistence on doing only what she wants and when she wants to do it. Will Harry's presence have any effect on Sybylla's ways, or will she ultimately find herself in a far worse position than married to a well-to-do gentleman?

The pressing question throughout My Brilliant Career is, "what is true love?" For Sybylla, it isn't a man with a fortune to his name or a bunch of flowers in his hand, but rather personal independence, freedom from outdated tradition, and an open road through which only she can navigate. My Brilliant Career is a traditional story of a rebel, though it takes on a different flavor than most through both its setting and the protagonist's absolute rejection of romance and marriage as defined both by the modern world at large and days of old where feelings of the heart were but an afterthought, a bonus to the perks of arranged marriages. Indeed, Sybylla is described as possessing a "wildness of spirit," which in turn-of-the-century Australia meant a rejection of tradition in favor of such outlandish pursuits as literature and the arts. It's her wild spirit that plays central to the theme of the film. Despite her family's best efforts, Sybylla cannot be transformed into a proper woman with an herbal face mask, a manicure, and the proper clothing. Sybylla has evolved past the superficial; it's her heart and soul, not her plain looks, which keep her from living a more traditional life. She cannot help but to reject all the world says she should be, and in one of the film's pivotal scenes -- after she's been groomed, dressed, and courted by Mr. Hawdon -- she celebrates in a sudden downpour that washes it all away.

My Brilliant Career may remind genre aficionados of the recent Anne Hathaway film Becoming Jane, the tale of a budding novelist caught up in tradition and romance in high society England, but the similarities begin and end with the "aspiring novelist" angle. My Brilliant Career may not enjoy the same high production values and glossy sheen of Becoming Jane, but it's arguably a superior picture considering its somewhat melancholic tone and focus on more real and accessible characters that live not in England's finest but in the poorer regions of the Outback. My Brilliant Career makes it simple to relate to its protagonist, both because of what she wants and who she is. Frankly, she's a nobody, a woman out of time and caught in the inescapable clutches of a world she flatly rejects but cannot escape, whether she lives with her mother or grandmother. Likewise, the film's visual tone and somewhat slow pace reflect the doldrums of a woman struggling to break free from tradition; Director Gillian Armstrong allows the film to play for the camera rather than vice-versa, employing something of a minimalist technique in both visuals and sound to reinforce the film's notion of a seemingly futile rebellion against the ways of the world. Both the setting and seamless performances from its leads -- including a breakout role from Judy Davis whose participation did indeed mark the beginning of her very own "brilliant career" -- do all the heavy lifting in bringing a superficially simple yet thematically complex picture to wonderful life.

My Brilliant Career Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

My Brilliant Career features another quality 1080p transfer from Blue Underground. Framed at 1.78:1, My Brilliant Career will likely disappoint viewers that disdain copious amounts of grain; several scenes are swirling in a heavy field that lend to the image a raw appearance, though through the majority of the picture it diminishes greatly, revealing a practically clear and crisp high definition image. Detail is rich and handsome throughout. What's on display here is not as pristine as what might be expected of a new release fresh from the local multiplex and a budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars, but the Australian Outback as seen in My Brilliant Career sports a nice collection of images; the dusty and dirt-laden plains, wooden and weathered fence posts and planks, tall grasses around Caddagat, straw hats, and other niceties allow the transfer to come to sparkling life. Colors are stable and nicely rendered throughout, but blacks tend to devour everything in their path. The image is generally sharp with only a few shots going the slightest bit soft. Flesh tones appear nicely preserved, and aside from a few errant speckles scattered about the film, My Brilliant Career makes for a nice, if not slightly rough-around-the-edges, 1080p experience of a classic 30-year-old film.

My Brilliant Career Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

My Brilliant Career arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack. This isn't exactly the sort of movie that's going to dazzle listeners with a full array of surround and subwoofer activity, but the 7.1 track is a nice touch and does make for a more active and pleasant experience than would a one- or two-channel presentation which would have suited the material just fine. The lossless mix does do a fine job of immersing the listener in several scenes throughout; whether heavy blowing winds or the soft, inviting keystrokes of a piano flowing through the soundstage (even if it is focused up the middle), the track does all it can to open up the film and invite listeners to soak up plenty of nuanced niceties that add to the atmosphere of the film. Elsewhere, the subtle yet pleasant sounds of chirping birds, trotting horses, and a gently flowing stream lend a relaxing tone to the film and are nicely realized on Blu-ray. Nevertheless, My Brilliant Career is a dialogue-driven picture at its core, and save for a few words and phrases that might not immediately stand out under thick accents or in the context of local colloquialisms, the spoken word is generally clear and intelligible throughout. All said, My Brilliant Career covers all the sonic bases and makes for a pleasing listen considering the general feel of the picture.

My Brilliant Career Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

My Brilliant Career scripts several extras, the collection headlined by a commentary track with Director Gillian Armstrong. She covers a wide array of topics, including the low budget, the state of Australian filmmaking at the time of production, Judy Davis' performance and casting, shooting locations, adapting the script from the Miles Franklin novel of the same name, production design and shooting techniques, and much more. Interview with Director Gillian Armstrong (480p, 8:15) and Interview with Producer Margaret Fink (480p, 8:31) feature the cast members briefly recalling their experiences in working on the film and their thoughts on the story and its themes. Cannes Film Festival Premiere Featuring Star Judy Davis, Director Gillian Armstrong, and Producer Margaret Fink (480p, 2:21) is a vintage piece that briefly looks at the film's importance as an Australian finalist for the Palme d'Or and contains brief interview clips with the star, director, and producer. The Miles Franklin Story (480p, 4:04) provides a brief history of the author whose story influenced the film. Also included is the film's U.S. and Australian trailers (480p, 1:45 & 3:00, respectively).

My Brilliant Career Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A different and superior take on a timeless story of rebellion against tradition, My Brilliant Career marks not only a milestone in Australian cinema and a wonderfully realized film that captures the very essence of what it means to reject set ways in favor of one's own pursuits, but it also represents Actress Judy Davis' breakthrough picture that would place her on a path that would indeed lead her to her own brilliant career as a praised and noted actress. This Blue Underground release is certainly not of the same style as the studio's traditional Horror output, but the same quality found in their previous Blu-ray releases is also evident here. My Brilliant Career features a strong technical presentation and a decent assortment of extras. Though not a film for all tastes, particularly those that are generally in-line with the typical Blue Underground release, My Brilliant Career nevertheless comes recommended.