Nicolas Roeg (1928–2018)

witches turn a boy into a mouse

I suppose Roald Dahl is difficult to adapt to film, and requires a lot of quirky, bold style. This movie has no style whatsoever, quirky or otherwise, and barely manages to get the story on screen without being too annoying. Minus a point or two for the nonsensical ending.

Concept: C
Story: C
Characters: D
Dialog: C
Pacing: B
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: B
Acting: D
Music: D

Enjoyment: C minus

GPA: 1.9/4… (mere)

Walkabout is one of my all-time favorite films, and being able to enjoy it at home on DVD is a treat. Although occasionally a bit ham-fisted and roughly edited, Walkabout is nonetheless a fascinating journey into a strange meeting of disparate human realities in the spectacular Australian outback. Both Jenny Agutter and David Gumpilil are wonderful in the lead roles, and manage an extraordinary communication, especially considering the inability of their characters to understand each other's language. Walkabout is a beautiful tale of loss and discovery, with an ending that is tragic on several levels. Despite this, the core message of the film is very life-affirming, albeit in a way that is challenging and questioning of some of the basic assumptions of life in the modern world. Overall, it's simply a classic, even if it hasn't really enjoyed the widespread exposure that it deserves.… (mere)